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Day 1 ◈ Time: Night ◈ Weather: Cloudy, Light Rain ◈Location: Harold's Academy [Dueling Room of Illusion --> Breezeway Behind the Waterfall Near the Seraphim Statue ◈ Participants: Professor Grune@Aeolian, Professor Caelum Incanowitz@Aeolian
♫
The rain was light, reaching the end of its precipitous cycle as the hunting melody of the Ni-Seraphi became ambient music in the background of the chaos. The explosion in the Dueling Room of Illusion had rattled the academy to its core, particularly those who were in the Main Ballroom during the Moonlit Masquerade Ball. Looking out through a window, students could make out the silhouette of Professor Grumble in the far distance, unleashing lightning bolts against massive angelic beings, the adult form Ni-Seraphi, which had not yet encroached upon the school themselves. Another figure could be seen fighting with her too, but it was unlikely many of the students would know who this was. From a window on the westerly side of the academy, Professor Ivo Featherswallow flew out toward the open skies to assist Professor Grumble in her defensive efforts. He blasted off like a bright torpedo shooting through the darkness.
Moments after, Professor Bishop Coldspring and Professor Kua were flying off to help defend against the adult Ni-Seraphi as well. One could spot Professor Amara Mako, in her beautiful mermaid form, heading toward the Aquasphire of Lost Leonnis with several other students to retrieve the combat-ready Waagas. Other professors were assisting the Illuminaire's in protecting the students or helping them reach a place to hide if they were unable to defend themselves or make it to the designated bunker under the school. The exceptions were Professor Ishaal Perugu, who had been away through the Portal for months now, and Professor Cornelius Darling Jr. IV, for whom nobody knew his whereabouts since morning.
Professor Grune awoke in the Dueling Room of Illusion with a steady migraine beating in her head. Using her combat skills, she had just managed to avoid the brunt impact of the explosion, but it was at least enough to send her flying into the opposite wall. She stood up, pushing a bit of rubble off herself, and aside from a few scars and bruises, she was relatively unharmed. "Fuck, that hurt." she muttered, the agitation in her voice evident. The fresh new hole in the side of the school revealed the source of the explosion. An adult-form Ni-Seraphi made it past Professor Grumble and had unleashed a massive orb of sound from its mouth to create an entryway for its brood.
A single Ni-Seraphi covered in silk, loomed just beyond the island and stared at Professor Grune with its swirling mercury eyes. The adult Ni-Seraphi always seemed to have a persistent smile upon their faces, soft and unencumbered. Even when they were killed or dying, their faces never showed distress. It made them all the more eery, despite their otherworldly angelic beauty. Professor Grune glared at the creature in return, not an ounce of fear present on her countenance. The hunting melody of the Ni-Seraphi unphased her, it seemed. Her experiences and time at the Cespheus Prison left her emboldened and fearless, even in the face of grave adversity.
But it wasn't the adult-form Ni-Seraphi that she needed to worry about at that moment. A silhouette moved in front of her view of the colossal Angel. No no. Not one figure, several, clad in dark silks, hair white, eyes glowing red. They appeared from around the corner of the opening in the wall. They had their own melody, but it sounded more like a snake hissing. It was uncanny and completely unmelodic. Some walked, and some hovered with a vampiric kind of cadence.
The Pupa.
They were entering the school, and immediately, Professor Grune deduced that was why the Ni-Seraphi blew a hole in the stonework. The Pupa weren't alone either, though. When they spotted Grune, small fleshy vectors melted off their flesh and formed into bird-sized creatures of horror. They were feathery and avian-like but deformed and hideous, with sharp claws, teeth, and incomplete bodies like they'd been ripped out of the womb prematurely. Perhaps this appearance was part of their predatory evolution, to instill fear in their prey and catch them off guard. Perhaps on others, this natural fear tactic would work. But Grune was not like other people.
She didn't even hesitate. Fear was not a currency she stored. Grune opened her mouth at the incoming Pupa and Larva, and screamed with all her vitesse.
-------------------------------
Meanwhile, Professor Incanowitz was halfway to the other side of the academy when the explosion went off. It sent him off balance, but not enough to completely knock him out of the air. He steadied himself before continuing on toward the breezeway that had been terraformed into the waterfall at the back of the academy. This is where the Seraphim statue stood dormant, looming over the Academy like a sentinel, ready to be piloted with a steady stream of vitesse.
But Professor Incanowitz never made it all the way there, unfortunately. Just a few minutes before he arrived, something collided with his skull. It was a heavy thing that had dislodged from above and fell right on his head, sending him careening midflight onto the cold, stone floor. Whatever it was, the explosion must of dislodged it, a sign of how tremendous the force of the blast was. He lay there, the saturated winds wetting his face and hair. His eyes went blurry, flickering as though trying to muster up enough gusto and Vitesse to stay open. But to no avail. The ever-exuberant Professor Incanowitz, was out for the count. The Seraphim statue almost seemed to look at him, disappointed and embarrassed.
Day 1 ◈ Time: Night ◈ Weather: Cloudy, Light Rain ◈Location: Harold's Academy ◈ Participants: Everyone, The Pupa@Aeolian
♫
Though the explosion hit only one small part of the Academy, the effects of that attack would set off a chain of shattered glass and windows throughout the campus, providing several other entryways for the uninvited to begin their more intimate assault upon the Mystic students and staff. There were about 2 or 3 adult Ni-Seraphi that had made it past Professor Grumble at this point, and they seemed completely transfixed on the resonating signal of aeonhearts that emanated from the school.
It only took one adult Ni-Seraphi to release an entire brood of Pupa onto the school grounds. The Pupa were swift in their movements, a bloodthirsty gaze in their ruby-glowing eyes. The shattered windows were the perfect opportunity for them to enter the premises. They slinked through these various openings, releasing a low hissing that could make the skin crawl. Now that they were in the school, their one objective was clear. Paralyze any Mystic and bring them out to the outside so the adult Ni-Seraphi could suck them in and consume them in one violent gulp.
If one were to find a school of Larva-Ni's hovering about, scanning for Mystics, rest assured, their Pupa master was nearby, waiting to strike. Pupa shared the same strength as any normal, athletic human, but they adapted themselves to have a unique reptilian agility that could take any Mystic off guard who was not paying attention or is ill-equipped for combat against a vampyre-like predator that could move swiftly and silently.
Beware, for the Pupa and Larva are on the loose in the Academy. Kissed Mystics should be particularly careful, as they are prime targets. One strike from a Pupa's glowing needle-like pointer finger through a Mystic's aeonheart, and the paralysis only takes a few seconds to set in. The entire body begins to feel heavy and cold, with a pulsating pain that ripples through the skin of the victim as the poison sets in. And then, when the aeonheart has been completely polluted, it feels as though the Mystic's soul has left their body, as if, they can almost watch their semi-lifeless body lying there, still and hollow. It is true, that the paralysis only lasts a few minutes. But alas, it only takes a few minutes for a Pupa to carry you to the dinner table as you watch your body like an apparition sucked into a vortex, swallowed whole and alive.
And once you're nothing but a soul without a body to return to, well...
Day 1 ◈ Time: Night ◈ Weather: Cloudy, Light Rain ◈Location: Harold's Academy [The Infirmary] ◈ Participants: Matron Fooma Sajid@Aeolian, Daemons (Iolana, Kannon, Sara)@Aeolian, Primrose@CaliforniaState
♫
"Sara's bleeding out too much! She won't make it!" Iolana said with an exasperated, exhausted tone.
The man with the bug-like head, Kannon, looked at Iolana with an indistinguishable expression. His face made it difficult to discern any moods or temperaments, but his antennas twitched, and Iolana seemed to understand that he wanted her to calm down. They were carrying Sara in the center of their bodies; an arm hung over each of their shoulders. The young teenage girl was unconscious now, and blood spilled onto the floor as they entered the Academy through one of the shattered windows.
They were careful to avoid the Pupa that had begun their assault shortly thereafter. The Trio of Daemons followed the signage in the school as they made their way to the infirmary. Their leader, Glaos Wyngarde, had stayed behind to defend the Academy with Professor Patty Grumble. They had heard the voice of Professor Grune just before the explosion, and luckily, they were not in the school when it occurred, though they saw it happen while on the outside, and that fierce, vicious reality made them even more determined.
But with Headmistress Minerva absent, their main objective now was to save Sara's life. The teenager moaned, the pain of the deep wound agitating her unconscious body. They hid in a nook for a moment as a Pupa and several larva flew by in their deadly hunt for Mystics to paralyze. When it seemed as though the coast was clear, the trio continued on, picking up the pace with greater urgency. The trail of blood along the school floors was alarming, but the group had very little physical strength or Vitesse left to fly Sara the rest of the way. On foot would have to do for now. They were visibly drained when they finally reached the infirmary doors and entered frantically. It was mostly empty, say for a handful of injured students and the Matron of the Infirmary, Fooma Sajid. The Matron served as the Head Nurse of the infirmary for the school. He was an older man with long hair and a heavy white gown and cape; he looked like a religious cleric.
He was calmly mending a gash on a student's forehead with a golden thread and needle when the trio entered his domain. Every loop of the thread seemed to instantly mend a part of the wound, bit by bit, as he went along. The Matron turned his head to face the trio of daemons, and it only took a few moments to understand the grave situation. "Hang on a moment." he said to the student with his deep timber, setting down the glowing needle and thread as he approached the daemons. He knew who they were, as Professor Grumble did, but he made no indication to their reputation. Saving lives was the only thing he cared about. "Put her on that cot over there, quickly!" the Matron commanded, motioning to an empty cot by the window.
Just then, Primrose entered the infirmary and the Matron let out a heavy sigh of relief as Iolana and Kannon laid Sara down on the cot, as he instructed. Primrose caught on to what was going on quickly, commanding Iolana to take off Sara's clothes and apply pressure to the wound on her side. Iolana looked to the Matron, who nodded for her to listen to the student.
He then moved over to Sara's cold, bleeding-out body and moving Iolana out the way, who was applying pressure as Primrose instructed. He turned Sara on her side, inspecting the deep festering wounds. He mumbled to himself, "Looks like an infected larva bite." Blood continued oozing out her body, prompting the Matron to apply pressure once again. He looked up briefly to Primrose, "Good! You're here. I expected as much. Did you bring any healing salve? We may have to do this the hard way if you didn't. I've run out of supply, and my order was delayed. Just my luck, huh?" he said with a familiar, almost darkly amused tone. It was clear the Matron knew Primrose closely. She had supported his efforts in the infirmary on more than one occasion, and he trusted her knowledge, despite only being a student. He had always imagined she would make a wonderful matron or nurse or physician someday if that was what she aspired to. He had certainly encouraged her before.
Kannon stood off in the corner, observing quietly, while Iolana hovered over Sara's body like a worried big sister. "Will she live?" the woman asked the Matron.
"Well, this girl has already lost a great deal of blood." he began calmly, acknowledging the paleness of her skin, "If we do not stop the bleeding and heal her of the infection swiftly, then this girl will die."
He looked back to Sara's wounds, but addressed Primrose without the need to look at her.
"Come now, Primrose. I need your assistance."
