Animus

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Feskan Riverboat Gambling House

---

I expected too much, thought Carmilia.

Carmillia, as per her original intentions, had let Dorothea Hohnstein take the lead. She didn't use her powers on the crowd in order to see the extent of Dorothea's capabilities. The noblewoman had done an admirable job at rousing the the crowd. Their original aim to mindlessly riot had been changed to aiding the Hohnstein's cause. Even when dealing with the original riot rouser who was undoubtedly an agent of the Traveler, she had passed. Then whatever respect she had for the Feskan had evaporated upon seeing her take in the powers of the abberation, clearly under the pressure of the heavy atmosphere.

Abberations, Carmilia had decided, were a no-go.

Power in exchange for sanity was a poor trade. It also absolutely went against their original plan of inciting a controllable riot. Nearby, she could spot hundreds of others on shore. She eyed them precariously. If they merged with the ongoing riot on the Lorentine Queen... it was entirely possible that a riot spearheaded by abberation frenzied men would spiral into an unstoppable disaster. Fortunately, the ship was slowing to a crawl. She was unsure whether it was due to Zarra or Manfred but she thanked them silently in her head. It would buy them necessary time.

Time for Plan B.

Reinstating Dorothea into power was always a secondary objective. It was but a means to an end. The main goal had always been the Lyre. For now, she needed to slow down the escalation of the riot. She wasn't intending on forsaking Dorothea entirely but judging from the somewhat crazed look the Feskan girl had after absorbing part of the abberation, she probably needed the aid of the more combat apt members of the team.

Carmillia took once last glance at Dorothea. She was disappointed. This was what happened when allowed another to take the reins.

She turned on her heels and went back indoors, dropping several of the napalm canisters she had brought with her. All it took was a spark from a basic arcane spell to set the main doors alight. This would buy her needed time to rejoin back with her wild card; Leon Solaire. The gaudy charlatan was no doubt the only other person in their team that would agree with pocketing the Lyre.

"Eshiran's Bones! What the hell is going on?" yelled a man next to her.

Carmillia assessed him. He looked shabby. Poorly dressed. There was a drawl to his words, possibly a result of being drunk but most likely due to the fact he was a commoner. Probably a Spratz farmer burning his meager earnings away on drink and gamble. There was no reason to worry about detection. Drawing from the thermokinetic energy of the fire, Carmillia unleashed the full brunt of her magic onto his mind. She forcefully diminished any sense of danger he might have been experiencing and willed him to trust her.

"Some guy is preparing to perform a fire dance. The flaming doors are just theatrics, there's no real danger," said Carmillia, with a reassuring smile.

"...Huh," he grunted, somewhat convinced. "Bloody performers getting crazier by the day, eh?"

"Yes," she answered. "You wouldn't have happened to see a flamboyantly dressed tanned fellow? Cape and all?"

"Ah, that guy. Saw him and some oriental girl back in the lounge, they were headed down. They performers as well?"

Down... They're probably headed for the cargo hold. It was a good place to start the search for the Lyre.

"Miss?"

Carmillia looked at the drunken commoner once more. Inebriated with alcohol and her magic, it was likely he'd stick around and either get burned by the flames or run over by the riot that would come after. A decent person would warn him and get him out of harm's way. Carmillia ignored him and took off.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Feskan Riverboat Gambling House
Interactions:Manfred:@Force and Fury, Eun-Ji @Medili, Leon @Jumbus, Dorothea @jasbraq, Zarra @BreathOfTheWoof

---

The muted sounds that could be heard from the portal blared to life as Carmillia and the rest of the party stepped through the portal. The cool and comfortable present in Paradigm Hugo's study was now replaced by something far more warm and humid. Even though they were on the upper deck, Carmillia could smell the stench of vomit and alcohol wafting up from below.

She couldn't help but smile. It was a nostalgic atmosphere.

There were a few others up here and judging from the shuffleboard courts, they were probably betting on a game or trying to get some fresh air. The strangest thing was they seemed to pay little attention to Carmillia and the rest. Other than odd gaze or two, they didn't seem all that interested. Too drunk to care about witnessing even a temporal portal? she thought. But Carmillia quickly saw where their attention had been focused on.

A man was giving a charismatic speech below and was riling up the passengers of the Lorentine Queen. He was inciting them to touch a moderately sized abberation on the front deck. Memories of her time back in Zeno Fade-in-Moonlight's townhouse stirred.

Carmillia had expected there to be time provided for them to do some reconaissence of the vessel but it looked like Hugo had other plans for them.

“Well, you heard them down there.” Leon spoke up, facing Eun-Ji and the rest of the team. “They have plenty more rioters on the shoreline. Someone should go and get the captain to stop the ship.” The performer stated as he moved to leave. “As for me, I plan to help defend the lyre. Come with me, if you like. But I need to actually find it first.”

Classic Leon. Thinking before moving had never been his forte.

Carmillia had just been about to interject when the Tan Keoulian girl spoke up. Though she phrased it somewhat differently, she was essentially declaring she was on babysitting duty and that the rest of them should deal with the riot.

"I wish you all good luck."

"Likewise to you," she responded. Though I'm not so sure that we'll be stopping the riot, she thought as she looked at Dorothea. The plan had been to bring to light the conversation between them earlier once they stepped through the portal. Though she had not predicted the current unforeseen circumstances, they could still move ahead with it. If anything, Leon and Eun-ji not being here might have been considered a boon. Leon was unpredictable and Eun-ji seemed like the type of person who was averse radical ideas. Securing a majority vote now would make it easier to convince them.

Aware that the others were watching, Carmillia addressed Dorothea.

"I had hoped for more time but it's now or never," she said. "What'll it be? Do we quell the riot and help the nobles keep power. Or will you stand up and make a difference?"

Though it went against her nature, she refrained from using magic on the Feskan girl. Carmillia was testing her. If she couldn't muster the courage on her own to follow through with her ambitions, Dorothea Hohnstein was not worth gambling on.

The Hourglass Order

Discussions of a Revolution

---

Collab with Dorothea @jasbraq
Hugo Hunghorasz's study. Shortly before mission commencement.

---

Carmillia smiled inwardly upon watching her magic work it’s effects on Dorothea. She seemed receptive enough. Though they shared both Statecraft and Business electives, they had never actually held a proper conversation before.

Though I don’t know what to make of that smile… she thought.

It was only for a brief moment, but a sinister smirk had flashed across the Feskan’s face. It was unlikely that it was directed towards her but Carmillia raised her guard.

“To formally introduce myself, I’m Carmillia of House Carbonneau,” she said. “Merchant caste. Perhaps you’ve heard of our textiles? We’re quite prominent in Perrence.”

“My father has said something about that name a long time ago. Can’t say I remember too much about it, apologies.”

It seems that the smirk had already faded from her face, now being filled with a rather apologetic look instead.

Seeing as Dorothea knew little of her, Carmillia went on to explain briefly about her family business—though her ‘family’ basically only consisted of her. It was necessary to hint at her influence since there was a caste difference between the two girls. Carmillia took particular care to make it come off as ‘sharing’ as opposed to bragging. She wanted Dorothea to view her as an equal and it wouldn’t do if all she achieved was appearing as a poser.

“But it’s a pleasure to finally meet you nonetheless! I guess I should introduce myself properly as well. I’m Dorothea of House Hohnstein… Our house is a branch of the Albesatz
Family, specifically the Danzau branch.”

You finally introduced yourself properly! You make the family proud, Dory. Moments after introducing herself a soft chuckle came out of her mouth.

“Oh please, the pleasure should be mine,” she responded. “I’ve seen how you’ve carried yourself during Statecraft with Zeno Serra. You’re an inspiration. We should pair up during the mock debates. I have much to learn from you.”

Pleasantries were constantly exchanged between the two as they talked amongst themselves. Carmillia shared about her business dealings and the travels and experiences that came with them. Dorothea talked about the Spratz and how it linked back to Feska, thinking that it might be some nice information for the mission.

Carmillia had been planning on steering the conversation back to the mission once Dorothea was comfortable enough but the young woman had done the deed herself.

“It still feels a little bit crazy, doesn’t it?” asked Carmillia. “I wasn’t exactly expecting Ersand’Enise to be a normal school but to think we’d be personally selected by the Paradigm himself for secret missions?”

“Well, it is a school that managed to stay neutral through all of this. I did not expect to be chosen for any sort of mission though.”

Dorothea knew how bad she was in general magic, thinking that would’ve been the reason why she shouldn’t be chosen.

With her attention hooked, Carmillia went in for the kill.

“The Lorentine Queen… Truth be told, the riots don’t come as a surprise to me. I’ve heard some…”—Carmillia broke into a whisper—“nasty rumours regarding the noble regime there.”

Carmillia pretended to look around to see if others were listening in on their conversation before continueing.

“Particularly about the House of Rheinsburg, the House of Benrath and the House of Rednitz.”

Dorothea tried her best to keep a rational mind around those names.

“What have you heard about them…? Anything out of the ordinary?”

“You mentioned Feskan Spratz earlier, right? I’ve heard from fellow merchants that local taxes have been raised multiple times. Perhaps with all the trouble that the Traveler has been stirring up, they wanted to pad their financial reserves.

“It’s a prudent decision—if you don't care about the moral implications. I may be a merchant but even I believe there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. What ever happened to Noblesse Oblige?”

“Don’t bother trying to rationalise their actions. They’re filth that will do anything to stay in charge of the other dog houses. If need be they’ll bring another house to near extinction. If only we expected such a betrayal… People wouldn’t be suffering this much for all those years…”

A pained expression would show on her face, this was something she’d only ever told Manfred about.

Carmillia had envisioned Dorothea’s desire for vengeance to be sealed in a vault but it was clear it was closer to an unlocked door. All Carmillia had to do was open it. Whether it was ultimately due to her feeling comfortable around Carmillia herself or that it was simply impossible for her rage to be kept under wraps; it didn’t matter, the cogs of fate were now turning.

“Betrayal…?” asked Carmillia.

"Yeah, it was a betrayal alrighta. Those dogs turned on us. All while we gave them peace, gave them independence... Gave them our trust…"

Her face didn't change much, however her eyes… Her eyes had a sense of flame inside of it.

"They burned and took our estate… They killed my family… My great grandfather was mockingly executed in public."

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” said Carmillia.

She gave Dorothea a moment to steady herself. During this period, her eyes fleeted around her other teammates. Though her conversation with Dorothea was held slightly aways from them, some might have heard the edge in her voice.

“I was on the fence earlier, Dorothea. I’m not one to simply believe in rumours but hearing this directly from you—and I trust you—then the ones we should be aiding should be the common citizens and not those nobles.

“Paradigm Hugo did not specify whom we were to give our aid to. I believe it was yet another test. A test to see if we could see through the smoke and shadows to find the real victims. Reihnsburg, Benrath and Rednitz are not fit to rule.”

The Feskan started cheering up slowly but surely, seems like this little talk just now made up for the hate she spewed.

"Thank you… for believing in me. They are not fit to rule anything… They're boot licking dogs… And finally someone who gets it… Mind if I tell you a little secret?"

“You can trust me with it,” said Carmillia reassuringly.

“I’m trying to convince the Kerreman queen to help me overthrow the Feskan nobles… Sorry if it sounds weird…”

Her face would have a slight blush on her face, waiting to see if Carmillia took her seriously. In response, Carmillia slowly nodded her head whilst looking deep in thought. This was no pretence.

Her inner thoughts were most likely different from what the Feskan girl was expecting though.

“It’s not,” she responded. “That said, I doubt the queen would be able to overthrow them without any justification. It all depends on the scale of the riot. Too small and it will be quelled without consequence. Too large and the aid of those three houses become essential to maintain order. Either way, her hands become tied.”

Carmillia went on to explain.

If utilised correctly, the riot could serve as an ideal catalyst. If they could seize control of it, they could force the queen to move. They needed the riot to be the right size and cause enough damage that the queen had justification to remove the nobles from power. If the students were able to quell the riot at that point and return the Lyre, the queen would rightfully owe them. All Dorothea would have to do then would be to propose alternate noble families to help manage the state.

The queen would be able to solve her issues and solve the matter of reward. The rioters would be appeased in seeing their efforts result in an actual change and Dorothea would restore renown not only to her family but as well as her own personal glory.

“Well, it’s easier said than done.”

“I want to sow seeds of discontent in the public, making sure that the houses are beyond saving. My family’s renown should be enough for me to help them direct their anger to the noble houses. I do not care for independence any longer. I just want my people to stop suffering like this. This pain they had to go through has lasted way too long and if servitude will make it stop, then I’ll be the queen’s servant…”

It really seemed like she was thinking about her nation’s interest more than her own. Was it a ploy or just the flat truth.

“As someone from the merchant caste this might seem absurd, doesn’t it? Why would a noble care about their people?”

“It’s not as absurd as you make it out to be. I’ve met my fair share of nobles. Some fit the stereotype and are obnoxious and arrogant as they come, others… surprised me. Take me for example, do you think I’m unscrupulous and only think of profit, as most people view merchants?”

“My view on merchants might not be too mean thanks to my family’s dealing with them, but you don’t seem like a merchant at all… You’re way too sincere to be a merchant.”

“Just as I’m different, so are you. We’re the sum of our own actions and not our labels.”

“That’s a different way to look at things… but I like it. Let’s make the most of this riot..”

Just as she finished her sentence, Paradigm Hugo called for the students to gather. It was time.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Hugo Hunghorasz's Study -> Feskan Riverboat Gambling House
Interactions:Manfred:@Force and Fury, Eun-Ji @Medili, Carmilla @Animus, Dorothea @jasbraq, Zarra @BreathOfTheWoof

---

Truth be told, even as cynical as she was, Carmilia had not expected to be warped in front of Hugo Hunghorasz himself the moment she completed the riddle to be warped via temporal magic to what seemed to be Hugo’s study. She doubted any of the rest did either. According to Hugo, only the twenty-five of them present had passed his 'test'. She had to refrain from scoffing. Though she didn't know the exact number of failures, she found it laughable anyone could have failed them. They were rudimentary riddles.

"If those items are on campus, you will step outside the door with Jocasta here, and she will assist you with them. If not, you will come to me."

At least you have the decency to grant us that, you old fart, thought Carmillia. Not that I need it.

While even Carmillia could not predict being kidnapped via temporal warping, the previous fiasco with the assasination on King Rouis had left her on her guard. Direct combat was nothing something she was supposed to a regular part of; she always had others ready for that. However, Ersand'Enise and it's unforeseen surprises had made her realize the necessity of being prepared.

Concealed within her clothes laid an array of vials and cannisters. From all manner of things such as liquid napalm to smoke grenades. Bernhard had acquired them for her.

She had saw it fit to carry them with her the moment she had set off to solve the raven's riddle. Additionally, Flavius was supposed to be trailing after her at a distance but there was no doubt that he no longer had any clue about her current whereabouts. Not that it makes any difference, she thought as she stepped through the portal. It was not possible to bring Flavius along for this.

As Carmillia gathered to meet with her assigned teammates, she caught her gaze landing on a young man that was flamboyantly dressed. As to why he chosen to dress in such a way before beginning the 'test', she had no idea.

"A night on a riverboat sounds nice this time of year. I hope you all have the right clothes for it. At least one of you, and I won’t say who, is a tad underdressed."

Carmillia sighed.

Her teammates for the mission were mostly familiar faces. Leon Solaire was one of them. Though she originally considered him to be a potential ally, she had grown weary of seeing his face and dealing with his antics. At this point she wasn't even surprised that she somehow ended up with him again. The only surprising thing was how he had managed to solve the riddle and arrived at the Forked Tower. Though any respect that was due was quickly spent when he relied on her and the rest to solve the riddle.

Manfred Hohenfelter and Seung Eun-Ji were faces she recognized though she didn't have much interaction with them before. From Zeno Zemana's old group.

Of the remaining two, Zarra Travendour was mostly unknown to her. From what she knew of him, he was of a low ranking noble family and didn't possess any traits that made him stand out to her.

Dorothea Hohnstein on the other hand...

Though her family's current influence was nothing to brag about, Bernhard had brought to her attention the Hohnsteins' past glory. As a result, she had been one of the dark horses that Carmillia had kept her eye on.

And it's about to pay off...

Though Carmillia was unsure of what metrics the Paradigm had used to select the teams—seeing as how Leon was here—she knew Dorothea's participation was no coincidence. Bad blood existed between the The House of Rednitz and the Hohnstein Family. Whatever Hugo's intentions were, between the Lyre of Ipte and their family feud, there was a mountain of profit to be made here. It was a long shot, but aiding Dorothea in restoring her family's prestige was far from impossible.

I wonder if she'll be attached to the Lyre?

Carmillia drew a small amount of energy from her surroundings and trickled it towards the noblewoman. A little bit of friendship magic never hurt.

"I don't know about underdressed, but I'd say he's a tad bit overdressed," Carmillia whispered to Dorothea.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Near the southern border of Ersand'Enise, Ersand'Enise Student Dorms

Flavius Cueller could only gawk at the ongoing battle happening before his very eyes. After recovering his bearings, he had planned on aiding the Tan Keoulian girl. His plan was to stay hidden and save the day at the last moment. It had sounded solid in his head and would wash away the unease the man in the white mask had given him. His honor would be restored.

But... this?

It was out of his league.

It was clear the girl had not shown her true skills against the fodder earlier. Earlier, he believed her to simply be a gifted student. Now? Her battle prowess indicated years of training and combat experience. She was strong... which meant her opponent that could afford to fool around whilst fighting her was a whole other beast. He was wearing a mask as well.

In the end, Flavius found himself unable to enter the fray and was left watching on the sidelines. He breathed a sigh of relief when the cavalry finally arrived.

Carmillia flicked open the letter. Its contents contained the new student groupings.

'Eventful' as a term didn't seem apt enough to describe the previous night. She hadn't needed Bernhard to update her. The rumors had spread like wildfire. King Rouis had not been the only one. Assasination attempts were made on King Jobanzaggah and Horik as well. Only the latter had survived. Of the student casualties, Carmillia recognized several names. Of those, two stood out. Jomurr was gravely injured but alive, thankfully. It would have been a waste otherwise. Anesin Bjelke was dead. She was one of the ones Carmillia kept tabs on. She was the one who led the Eskandish students during the parade. A young woman of influence.

"Death treats all equally," she said to no one in particular. It didn't matter if you were a royal or a noble.

She returned her gaze back to the student groupings. No doubt due to the dead, a shuffling was in order. Her Biro group had already been short one due to Illanaq so this was already inevitable. Jomurr was no longer part of their group but what was odd was that Carmillia was expecting him to be on medical leave. Instead, he was now under Zeno Mozaru. She was still with Leon alongside Onarr and... Penny?. That would prove amusing. Their Zeno had been replaced by Zeno Sienna Afraval.

Flavius' update when she returned to Ersand'Enise was concerning. He had lacked his usual arrogance when recounting his perspective. Two men in masks... and they possessed unnatural power. The Ten Hidden Faces. Legendary Assassins.

She folded the note and placed it by her bedside and went to change. Classes were cancelled. That meant it was time for work. She could ruminate over these things after.

For now, she needed to pay Jomurr a visit.

Summary

We see Flavius' point of view during Eun-Ji and Soldato's fight. He had remained hidden, unable to contribute whatsoever. Carmillia plans to visit Jomurr. If he's awake, there's information to be obtained. If he's not, then letting him know she had visited him would be an act of goodwill.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Near the southern border of Ersand'Enise
Interactions: Seung Eun-Ji @Medili, Various @Force and Fury

Carmillia took in the praise of the Perrench King unabashed. Given how things have been going since he enrollment, she was almost surprised something had went her way for once. The attack was ultimately an opportunity for her to flaunt her skillset.

“… Please step forward,” he said.

“You honor me, my king,” she responded.

As King Rouis continued his ramblings, Carmillia stole a glance at Penny. Though she was trying to appear calm, Carmillia could sense her unease. She must have realized her earlier folly by now. Had the king realized too and was playing the fool? Or had he been too focused on battle to hear Penny’s earlier call?

Penelope de Perrence… or is your first name false too? pondered Carmillia.

She had now obtained a powerful card that could serve multiple purposes as long as she played it right. All that was left to do was to tie up the loose ends. Fortunately for her, the others present at the time had been those two.

Yvette Chamonix was currently a mess despite the fact she never directly contributed to the battle, she was currently doing her best to reign in her sobbing. It was a possibility she had already forgotten but it was clear she was not currently thinking anything of the fact that Penny had called King Rouis papa.

Maddeleine Marchand on the other hand… was failing superbly at concealing the fact she was glancing between the King Rouis and Penny. They would need to have a talk.

Though things had initially looked grim, the battle took a turn for the better when the fire started. Flavius had not seen it first hand but he had an inkling it was the handy work of the young lady.

He was currently situated some distance away from King Rouis and his entourage. The Tan Keoulian girl which had been the catalyst to his participation had strayed further and further away during the battle, targeting those lurking in the back. Seeing as the Honor Guard had been doing fine, he had followed after her in order to lend his aid if it was necessary. It had not been. In the end, Flavius’s final contributions to the battle was a total of two men but it was likely the result would not have changed even if he had chose not to step in. The battle was over now and whatever remnants of the enemy were already scattering.

What caught his interest was the magusjaeger that the Tan Keoulian girl had just attempted to fight. He had vanished. It was nothing more than a simple illusion; a conjured projection and likely invisibility that concealed him. However, it had been performed at such a high degree of skill that he had been unable to discern it until the illusion was released.

Again? thought Flavius.

It was not an easy feat to elude his senses. And yet he seemed to be encountering such people repeatedly recently. The numerous men who had snatched away the Rettanese girl—Illanaq Sigmundottir and now this maegusjaeger.

Flavius clenched his teeth. Normally, such matters did not bother him but his pride was acting up. He needed to prove himself by-

"The next time you see her-“

Flavius whipped around and took defensive action, drawing his dagger and leaping back off his perch onto another one.

"-tell your lady that she is on the wrong side."

The maegusjaeger was one thing—he had been at a distance. For someone to so casually sneak up on Flavius while he was on guard was unthinkable. It was a man in a white mask standing atop a tiny branch a short distance away from him. The men that had wounded his pride were of similar skill to his. The man before him was not. This… this man was an another level.

“Also,” he continued. "You may want to watch your footing."

Flavius fell.

His perch had disintegrated into nothing. The man in the mask had disappeared without a trace. Revidian? He had not concealed his accent. It was possible the accent was a ruse but Flavius couldn’t imagine someone of such strength relying on such petty tricks.

Normally he would have been able to recover mid-air from such a trivial thing but perhaps it was the shock or Flavius wanting a more… physical wake up call. He let himself crash into the ground below with a loud thud.

Summary

Carmillia takes in the praise from King Rouis while scheming. Yvette is too busy crying to remember that Penny called him her papa but Maddeleine clearly remembers. Flavius has fallen from a tree near Eun-Ji.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Near the southern border of Ersand'Enise
Time: Pandes, Vardes 29, Dami-Zept 54, 3:30 HD
Interactions: Seung Eun-Ji @Medili, Penny Pellegrin and Various @Force and Fury

---

"One of you take the reins. I'm needed in the fight!"

Next to Carmillia, Yvette and Madeleine shrieked at the horror of the current events.

Carmillia felt like rolling her eyes. Though both of them possessed a high RAS, they both led relatively cushioned lives of the merchant caste. Combat was a foreign concept to them. That said, things were looking grim and Carmillia was not capable in combat. She needed them.

"Yvette, take the reins."

Yvette had the lower RAS of the two and specialized in binding. She wouldn't be of much help if she joined the fray. Though that could be said of Carmillia herself, she wanted to have control of the situation and taking care of panicked horses didn't exactly fit her concept of control.

"M-me? I can't!" she squealed.

"Yvette, calm down. You can do this. I believe in you."

It was a load of hogwash but Carmillia funneled her magic into the panicking adolescent. This, combined with her charisma, calmed her down to a certain extent. It also helped that Yvette picked up on the fact that handling the horses put her out of direct combat. The girl clumsily clambered over to the front of the carriage. With her on the reigns, it would allow Zeno Lascand to aid the king.

Carmillia watched as King Rouis charged off the carriage. One might consider the act foolish but Carmillia felt a modicum of respect for the man. Him joining the fray would serve as a boost of morale and cause the rest to rally to him. Though the situation was chaotic, Carmillia didn't miss the fact that Penny had called after him as Papa. She always knew that was more to Penelope Pellegrin.

The carriage was slowing. The road up ahead was blocked by a fallen tree and Yvette was managing to calm the horses down.

"Sons and daughters of Perrence!" Penny shouted, "around your king!"

The honor guard flocked to King Rouis who was in midst of snapping an unfortunate black-clad man in two.

Carmillia assessed the battlefield. The number of enemies were unknown but judging from their initial attack, they had Maegusjaegers. The fact that there were black-clad individuals revealing themselves meant some of them specialized in close combat. A standard combination that allowed them to fight up close with ranged back up. On the Perrench side, the notable ones would be Zeno Giroux, Zeno Lascand as well as King Rouis himself, who was battering aside people as a mass of muscle and kinetic force. One other that stood out was the Biro from Zeno Zemana's group. The Tan Keoulian girl was in swooping about in the air, clearly no stranger to violence. Other than these few, they had the ten students that formed the honor guard and the half dozen trained guards, few of whom had already fallen.

"Madeleine."

"Y-yes?"

"You're still carrying those vials? Hand them over."

Madeleine was prominant in wielding fire and specialized in arcane and external chemical magic. She often carried around vials of petrochemicals to use as fuel for her magic. Carmillia quickly grabbed the vials from her and after kinetically enhancing herself, tossed them towards the surrounding trees, smashing the vials in the process.

"Fire."

The merchant girl looked confused at first but quickly caught on. Using her magics, she lit up the trees and amplified the flames. The fire quickly spread, lighting up the battlefield.

The fire had multiple benefits. The enemies taking advantage of the cover of night and Carmillia wanted to erase that advantage. The smoke would hamper the vision of snipers in the distance and the flames and the light that came with them would flush nearby enemies out. The flames would also serve as a source of heat energy. Though said energy could be drawn on by both sides, Carmillia wagered that enemies who specialized in covert operations would not specialize in offensive arcane magic.

All that was left to do was to stay with King Rouis and stop him from getting killed. Fortunately for her, King Rouis seemed to belong firmly to the side that did the killing.

Moments earlier...

Flavius Cueller was cursing his luck.

Today was supposed to be his off day and he had very well intended to spend it perusing the pleasure houses of Mudville. Then the Conclave happened and the Perrench got dropped and Carmillia got roped into the King Rouis's Honor Guard and Berny had ordered to follow after Carmillia.

He understood why; the young lady may have been a force to be reckoned with but not in combat and he was the de facto stealther of the group. Only he could follow after King Rouis's entourage without being detected. He still considered it bad luck nontheless. It was one thing if he could actually spend time with the young lady but he was instead trudging after her from a distance.

Flavius had following after Carmillia on horseback. The black steed he rode was a capable 'bush horse'. All it took to remain undetected was to follow after them off the trail and a little bit of sound nullification.

It was supposed to be a simple if not tedious and monotonous task.

That was... until the attacked happened.

In the present...

Flavius whistled to himself within his sound bubble as he watched the Tan Keoulian girl whisk through the air. Seung Eun-Ji, she was one of the students that the young lady had interacted with, albeit briefly. Bernhard had made them all keep track of whom the young lady had met. Watching her move, it was clear she was not your regular everyday student. She was trained.

Flavius felt his groins tingle. He had a thing for women who could hold their own which was why he served the young lady.

As Eun-Ji was in the midst of taking down another attacker, Flavius caught sight of a Maegusjaeger taking aim at the girl. He had remained hidden up in the trees til this point. One of Ol' Berny's instructions were to remain hidden unless it was completely necessary to intervene. The young lady did not want any attention drawn to The Crimson Hand. He wasn't to make a move unless the Honor Guard seriously needed it.

Nevertheless, Flavius considered the act of lending aid to a pretty woman a necessity.

Whipping out a dagger, he launched it and propelled it with kinetic energy. Since he was completely hidden in his sound bubble, the Maegusjaeger never saw it coming. He fell with a soft thud. Though no one was there to see him, he gave a theatrical bow towards Eun-Ji.

While the battlefield was chaotic and it was unlikely for his assasination to be noticed, Flavius quickly swapped his location, hopping silently away atop the foliage of the trees, seeking another vantage point. Since he was committed at this point, Flavius was on the lookout for oppurtunities to take out any enemies while remaining unnoticed.

Bernhard Holler

Bernhard is one of the five members of The Crimson Hand that Carmillia chose to infiltrate Ersand’Enise. Despite being the only one among them who is unable to use The Gift, he’s the de facto leader of the quintet. He’s resourceful, level-headed and has unquestionable loyalty towards Carmillia. Bernhard has proven himself time and time again, showing that while The Gift is a significant boon, it isn’t necessary.

Flavius Cueller

Flavius is one of the five members of The Crimson Hand that Carmillia chose to infiltrate Ersand’Enise. He was originally a wagewand (magus equivalent of a sellsword) but was personally recruited into the gang of thieves by Carmillia after proving his worth. Though Flavius has no official training, he has a respectable RAS of 6.1 and years of experience in using kinetic magic. He specializes in reconnaissance, using his magic to move about quickly and stealthily. While Flavius is arrogant and flamboyant, he is charming in a cheeky sort of way.

Summary

Yvette takes care of horses. Carmillia and Madeiline make a fire and follow Penny's orders to guard King Rouis. Flavius who had been following after Carmillia, kills a Maegusjaeger taking aim at Eun-Ji and goes back into hiding.

The Hourglass Order

This looks really cool.

@NotAnimus

WHO ARE YOU

The Hourglass Order

Food, Music and Revelations

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Collab with Leon @Jumbus, Jomurr and Fades-in-Moonlight @Force and Fury

Fades-in-Moonlight's Townhome. Evening after the Tour.

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The spit was turning. Rabbits were roasting. The soup was bubbling. Luna had reached into the other place and pulled from its easy power. She continued to pull. She could not explain it. It simply was, to her, and always had been, since perhaps a couple of years before she had gotten her first blood as a girl.

She quirked an eyebrow—"Hah! Silence, impudent whelp!"—but then let out a sigh and prodded at some of the coals with a stick. "In all seriousness, what I have in store for youse guys?" She furrowed her brow for a moment, thinking of the coals, of back home, sitting around the fire in the longhouse with Sunny and her parents, or those nights on the great wagon train, under the pure bright stars, away from the great stepped pyramids of the city and its torches that burned into the night, drowning the darkness. Luna was drowning the darkness now, literally and figuratively. Perhaps that was her purpose. Perhaps that should've been her name: Drowns-the-Darkness. She'd always struggled for a purpose.

She'd sat staring pensively for a moment and the kids were looking at her like she was some sort of senile old codger, lost in thought.

"Sorry," the Zeno joked, "Senior moment." She was only nine years Leon's senior. That was crazy. His face... he reminded her of a few boys from her hometown. "The Academy's real purpose is not to teach magic. I think you're smart kids—most of you, anyways." She needed some levity. She watched their reactions with an expectant smirk. "You've figured that out. Anyways, it's really here to study magic, to regulate it, and to control it—make sure it stays within the right hands. Some of that is well-intended and some is...not."

"I get a foreigner pass." She continued, shrugging. "There are perhaps a dozen Nashibansek in all of Constantia and I'm certainly the only..." She tried not to scowl as she said the hateful word. "Greyborn."

No family for you, Luna, no future, no happy ending. Gone by forty. Of late, she had already begun to feel that tug—the tug toward the other place. "So I get away with saying things." She took the soup from the fire and set it down on some stone tiles nearby. From the other place, she sculpted bowls and spoons and brought them to her apprentices' hands. "Truth one: there was an assassination attempt yesterday. The arch-zenos and a member of the Dieci Volti stopped it, but it was a diversion." The Zeno swept some hair from her face, a nervous anticipation twisting her insides.

Why are you doing this!? She could not say. It was stupid, but the untruths had built up upon her like a weight and she needed to drop some. The arches were unfathomably powerful. She had never encountered anything else like them, except for... him. Strong as she was—and she was strong—Luna doubted that she'd be able to stand up to even the weakest of that cabal... nevermind a monster like Hugo. "The Traveler or his agents broke into the Forked Tower," she continued. "Something was stolen, but they couldn't have done it without inside help. The arches spent hours last night searching, but at least one of them is on the other side, secretly." Soup poured itself. She tried a spoonful and was satisfied with it. Momentarily, she hesitated, not sure whether to continue with this insanity and say more.

So much for getting Bernhard to do more snooping, thought Carmillia. Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight was basically spilling the beans on nearly everything. She now knew for sure why her and likely the entire student body had their memories tampered with.

Even though she had her suspicions, having it confirmed in such a matter of fact way left even her perturbed. The Traveler's involvement was one thing but that at least one of the Arch Zenos was a double agent? All this and more that was yet to be said given that this was merely regarding truth number one. Not to mention the cherry on top that was the dark magic bomb she had dropped just prior. Carmillia had certainly expected many things to occur in Ersand'Ernise but not this many and in just two days.

She turned to face Leon, who was sitting in the middle of the three Biros.

"And to think, Leon, we were just worrying about love letters a few hours ago," she said. "I don't suppose you know how to lighten the mood up for this?"

Leon found himself agreeing with the true purpose of the Academy as Luna had described. Magic is supposed beautiful, it need not be dangerous. But so often can be used to empower those who would use it for their own ends at the cost of others. Nothing better confirmed Leon's belief than the attempt on someone's life just to cover up a heist. Control is nessecary.

As for the matter of double agents, Leon could assume this was the same thing the Doge had talked about. He needed a way to sneak in that tray to the Arch-Zeno's tower. Maybe then they could pull back the veil of how far the Traveller's claws had sunk into the Academy. He needed help for that but he wasn't sure who to trust just yet.

It took a while for Leon to register that someone had addressed him. Snapping out of his thoughts, he shook his head a bit. "Ah, yes from love letters to regicide, quite a shift in the day's events" he let out a small laugh. "The Traveller is certainly an intimidating fellow, I've seen that first hand. But I'm just a student who is looking to learn some magic. I don't exactly have plans to beat the guy in a magic duel or anything." Leon laughed to mask the half truth.

"Plus, we have such a feast in front of us. How about we enjoy the meal and worry about the impending threats later." Leon said in a very reassuring way. "And to answer your question Carmilla, I do have a way to lift the mood." Leon left the table and took a jog into back into the house. After a while, he reemerged with lute in hand, giving it a strum has he peacefully walked back to the table with a smile. It didn't take long before he had a good tune going.

Luna had been in a mood. That girl was gone, people were lying, and she felt like nothing so much as a fraud. She'd been about to spill it all out, damn the consequences, like a child pulling a tantrum. Leon was a blessing. She'd chosen him for his relaxed nature. It usually matched hers, but he was sunny like Solstice, where Luna was usually melancholic (and even more so now). She breathed a long sigh and took another spoonful of her soup. "Thanks, Leon I needed that. Maybe we all did."

Almost sheepishly, Jomurr raised his hand and she smiled in his direction. They sat there for a bit, listening to the lute. Luna hummed. The tune was oddly familiar, like one from back home, and she wondered where he'd learnend it. Jomurr drummed on his knees and snapped his fingers, and things quieted down.

"I'm sorry if I freaked youse guys out," she said after a bit. She took some corn and bit into it, using a touch of kinetic to pick the husks from her teeth. "I don't want you to worry. This kind of intrigue seems... normal, believe it or not. You're kids going to school. I was in your shoes ten years ago. Enjoy your first classes tomorrow and know that I've got your backs. If you ever wanna know anything, I'm an open book. That includes spooky ol' Dark Magic." She took another bite and swallowed. "Now feed your faces and we'll worry about the scary stuff when it's relevant."

Carmillia silently cursed at how effective Leon had been. She had wanted a lighter mood to ease their Zeno into spilling more information. Instead, Leon had calmed their Zeno a tad bit too much and despite her words. It looked like she wanted to save the conversation for another day.

Jomurr was also oddly quiet. Carmillia wagered his elitist worldview had crumbled upon learning that the Arch Zenos were not all united. Even high nobles and mages were not immune to the folly of men.

"Thank you Leon," she said with a smile. Carmillia silently took spoonful of her food. As delicious as it was, her foul mood meant the taste was lost upon her. She would have to seek out Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight another time in order to learn more.

As Leon played, he didn't seem inclined to say much at all. He seemed happy just letting his new friends enjoy the song over their meal. He only took breaks in order to enjoy the meal himself. His mind wondered to what the future had in store.

Jomurr was quiet, deep in thought. That there was a traitor among the Arch-Zenos, that the corruption of the Traveler and his titillating, corrupting message for the lower classes had spread so far had the potential to be a sobering realization and yet... Zeno Moonlight was, herself, common. She was clearly no fan of the school or the establishment. People often paid much attention to what was being said and precious unquestioning little to who was saying it. He ate his food, he went with the flow of things, and he kept his opinions to himself. Much as the people around him acted friendly, it was profoundly clear to the young duke that he was among enemies of the most insidious sort. And to think that I almost trusted you. He tore deep into the rabbit with his next bite, thoughts and intent hidden under the guise of eating.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Orientation at Ersand'Enise was surprisingly mundane. The new students spent the entirety of the day being brought around campus. She had identified several targets worth befriending but she refrained from action. Opportunities would show themselves if she waited, it served her no purpose if she came off as eager.

As a result, the day itself had been rather uneventful for her.

Her Zeno did not seem content in letting that remain the case. Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight had finally made her appearance when they were in the midst of her dinner in her townhome. Carmillia had been waiting for her arrival. Illanaq’s disappearance still weighed on her mind and while she doubted her Zeno would reveal any information to her Biros, Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight was never one for rules. It was a possibility she would leak useful information. Alas, she revealed nothing other than the fact Illanaq was still missing; something that Carmillia was already expecting.

As if to make up for it, Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight proceeded with an extraordinary display of the Gift. Even Jomurr was flabbergasted. Indeed, her magical prowess was astounding. To top it all off, Carmillia was unable to detect where the source of the energy she was drawing from came. It likely was related to her momentary phase out of reality. Greyborn, thought Carmillia. It was included in the profile Bernhard had procured for her. She had only sparse knowledge of viral mana type and none of it explained what the Zeno was doing.

"W-where!?"How? Where did all of that energy come from? How are you maintaining it?"

Although she refused to display such uncouth behavior, Carmillia understood his reaction.

Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight seemed to take pleasure in their shock. As she materialized three stools for each of the Biros, she revealed she had just used dark magic

Dark magic… was something that Carmillia considered to be nothing more than a rumor. Little to nothing was known about it and whatever was known of it was unreliable due to stories always being embellished. And yet, her Zeno had just casually revealed herself as that white whale.

Desire welled up within Carmillia. All her life, she had lacked talent in the Gift. Her accomplishments were a result of her making do with the shitty cards that life had dealt her. If she could achieve this much with her limited magical capacity, the possibilities with dark magic were endless.

Carmillia contemplated her Zeno’s thought process. All the Biros were hand picked by their Zenos.
She had figured the four of them were picked haphazardly given their Zeno’s personality but this changed everything. Jomurr was a prodigy. Leon was rumored to be sunblessed. Illanaq had appeared to be relatively mundane but recent events have linked her to the Traveler. Carmillia was no ordinary person as well but only her merchant influence was publicly known. Perhaps there was more to their Zeno that she had given her credit for.

Calm down, she thought. There was a golden opportunity in front of her and she would be damned if she did not seize it. But first, she needed information.

“Forgive me for my impudence if I’m too direct, Zeno,” she said politely as she took her seat on one of the materialized stools. “You clearly aren’t talking about our studies when referring to our ignorance. Telling us all these things. Displaying the elusive school of dark magic. What exactly do you have in store for us?