After the boys were finished writing their intended plans James and Julius sat down by the table.
-"So James, about this 'test' you were mentioning..." Julius approached tentatively.
-"I don't really know a whole lot but I can tell you what I saw. I noticed Jan approaching master Goldenfold after class to talk to him. He asked him what the lords have told master Goldenfold and he answered that they weep within a moon. Jan then responded with 'I schedule the examination to be held five weeks, tell the others for me.' And that's it, nothing more was said between them."
-"What does 'the lords weep within a moon' mean exactly?"
-"I got no idea. Master Goldenfold can be very difficult to interpret at times, especially when caught out of context."
-"I guess time will tell."
zZzZz
Tuesday, 07:13
-"How are we feeling today Desmond?" Gertrude's kind voice pierced the silence inside her office.
-"Like shit. I can't stand the darkness, it's more black than I can bear." Desmond, still a bit shocked, sat up in his bed. Realizing his eyes were gone had taken a toll on him.
-"Don't worry Desmond, Hans is going to help you transplant a new pair of eyes today. He should be around any minute." Gertrude had barely finished talking before a click could be heard from the door.
-"Who's our little subject today?" A mans voice was heard as someone came through the door. It was filled with confidence.
-"Hans I have told you several times not to call my patients subjects. It is very degrading!" The nurse's voice completely flipped from kind and loving to harsh.
-"But sweetheart, you know I love doing it! Besides I heard the news from Massan, these injuries are the result of his magic alone. So that would make him a test subject if we are going to do this within the rules." The confidence in Hans' voice had easily been washed away. The nurse sighed as she left the edge for your bed.
-"You know I can't thank you enough Hans. All you've done for me..."
-"Eh... don't mention it sweetheart." Though Desmond couldn't see he was sure he felt the nervous man blush. He took a few moments to gather his voice again. "Now Desmond, is there any specific eye colour you would like?"
-"I don't care, I just want a pair of eyes so I can see again!"
-"That's completely doable. Gertrude will put you to sleep now while I go and fetch a pair of spare eyes back in my class room."
Desmond heard the man walking out as he felt the soft touch of the nurse's hand on his fore head. A few seconds later Desmond fell into a calm slumber.
zZzZz
-"What have you done Hans!? What went through your mind when you let this happen!?" Dozy Desmond woke up to hear Gertrude's upset voice.
-"I- I didn't know I only had one eye left! He said he just wanted a pair of eyes so I got him just that." Forcefully Desmond opened his eyes to find the nurse and an older man with grey lank hair and an bloodied apron arguing. He also wore an impressive tool belt filled with saws, knives and pliers.
-"But where did you get that eye!? You didn't do what I think you did right? Please tell me you didn't get this one from Mister Fluffington!" Putting his hands over his right eye Desmond made a wry grimace in pain.
-"Don't worry sweetheart! M-Mister Fluffington dresses well in an eye patch!" My head, my eye, Why does it hurt so much?
-"Are you insane!? Do you think Nightgale won't notice that his cat is missing an eye? The first person he is going to blame is you and you know it!" Is it supposed to hurt? Why is my head pounding so badly?
-"He will understand me! From one creative to another."
-"Umm, is there something wrong?" Desmond stop the bickering teachers.
-"Oh, Desmond! You're awake! How are we feeling?" Hans put his hands together and walked up beside Desmond.
-"My head and my right eye throbs and hurts. Is that normal?"
-"I would say so yes. Sweetheart could you find a mirror or something reflective?" Hans instructs the nurse. "I am a little reluctant to say this but things might not have gone as you planned. When I was checking back at my classroom I noticed that I only had one eye spare left. I didn't know what to do so I panicked. You had clearly asked me to get you one pair of eyes but I only had half a pair, a disaster! In my panicked state I tried to think out where I could get a second eye for you. Certainly I couldn't just rip out another students eye again or I would have Jan on my back again. That was when Mister Fluffington, the dreamologist Nightgale's very fluffy but ugly cat, passed my classroom. Time was of the essence so I took a quick decision and rid Mister Fluffington of one of his eyes, treated it with a bit of magic and ran back to you."
Desmond was stunned, shocked and slightly terrified. A disheartened Gertrude walked up next to Hans with a small hand mirror to show Desmond his new countenance. His reflection showed Desmond a perfectly healed face, no burn mark or scars. His eye lashes and eye brows had completely been burned away by the accident and some of his bangs as well. His left eye looked fine, a nice hazel colour, yet it was the right one that he had hoped was just a mean prank. Where his right eye once were sat indeed a cats eye slightly reshaped to fit in the socket.
"Your brain is not yet calibrated to your new eye, hence the pain. It could take months or even years before you are fully accustomed to it. Until then you'll have skewed depth perception and occasional migraine and nausea. Otherwise it will work just fine." Hans gave Desmond an assuring look, yet it failed to inspire any confidence.
-"Here, take this." Gertrude held out a black eye patch for Desmond. "Until you're ready to show your eye you can wear this. It might even help against the pain." Desmond took the eye patch and got out of bed as he put it on.
-"Thank you." Desmond said with a measly tone before walking out. Almost immediately after Desmond close the door he heard someone running after him.
-"Desmond! Wait up would you?" Hans put a hand on Desmond's shoulder to stop him. "This ain't the end of the world alright? Consider yourself lucky you don't have to walk around blind. And besides..." The older man leans in closer and lowers his voice to a whisper. "There are certain benefits to that new eye. If you know how to control it. If you're curious come visit me in organic magic class."
Following the stream of students were Julius, Auron and James, marching down the path to school. All three of them had noticed that the older, and most likely more experienced, a wizard got the weirder his taste in fashion gets. Robe, armour, regalia, accessories and anything mixed or in between were adorned with strange patterns, colours, embroidery and/or jewelry. If there was a dress code it had to be elaborate for sure. Accidentally Julius bumps into a pale boy wearing a black eye patch who weirdly enough walks away from the school.
-"Sorry! Didn't see you th... Desmond?" The three boys stops and turn around to find their now healed room mate. "Wow Desmond! They really did a great healing you, err.. But what is the deal with the eye patch?"
-"They only had one spare eye." Desmond answered after some hesitation.
-"Where are you going? Morning class is about to begin and we are not allowed to skip those." Auron stated bluntly.
-"I got permission to skip it this time. I'll find you during lunch." That was probably a lie. Desmond couldn't recall Gertrude telling him it was okay to take the morning off, but his mind were in no state to learn or even care right now.
-"Okay, take care then!" Said James in an attempt to encourage an obviously melancholy Desmond.
When the boys arrived at the entrance to the school they split ways to find their respective classrooms. Julius picked up his pamphlet and looked at the map. After confirming where the raw magic classroom was he walked over to it with determined steps. Upon entering the classroom Julius became a bit puzzled. It was completely empty! Or almost empty, at least the teacher sat behind the rostrum. The classroom was organized in a simple way much like the general education one. One big difference however was how the room felt more fortified than the others. The walls was made out of a different material and looked more sturdy, even the windows were strengthened with iron bars. Dismissing the thought that this was some kind of isolation chamber Julius sat down behind one of the benches like any good student would and began to observe his teacher. It was a young man with red hair splaying wildly. He wore ragged simple clothing and some kind of thick collar around his neck. It looked like he had trouble focusing on some kind on paper he was writing while tapping his foot disturbingly fast. Minutes passed without anyone else entering the classroom or the troubled teacher leaving the rostrum. Just as Julius patience ran out and were about to say something the man flew out of his chair and jumped over the rostrum. He ran all the way up to a scared Julius and pulled him up by his shirt while staring at him with wide open eyes.
-"Want to do something wild!?" He asked almost screaming while his face and body twitched and shook.
Auron entered the corruption magic classroom with both anxiety and excitement. Only a few students were inside standing around and small talking. The moment Auron stepped inside the room went deathly quite. The older students glared at Auron as he sat down behind one of the benches. He couldn't care less though which seemed to only aggravate the other students further.
-"I thought Sandor threw you out last time you were here. You got some nerve coming back." One of the other students walked to Auron's desk and slammed her fist on it threateningly. She was dressed in a dark robe with purple marks all over her face. Auron only stared back at her with disdain. Infuriated she punched the young boy off the chair and pressed his face against the cold stone floor. "If I would kill you right here and now no one would even bat an eye. I hope you and your family burn in hell or whatever you place you're going to." Struggling but still silent Auron tried to wiggle out of the girls iron grip. His efforts proved to be worthless as he got nowhere. No sweating Auron felt how some kind of magic pierced his skin, slowly digging it's way to his heart. Auron's vision slowly began to fade and his breath became faint as the spell squeezed his heart.
Suddenly the spell disappeared and a weight was lifted from Auron's back. Quickly rolling over Auron saw the girl being pulled away by her hair, screaming at the top of her lungs. It was her teacher's doing, raw and without mercy. He slammed her into the wall with anger and kept her pinned by her throat.
-"Worthless piece of trash! How dare you pick a fight without a teacher's permission? And with a student way below your own rank, despicable!" The teacher's anger and rage was overwhelming. I was so prominent and strong one could feel it through the school walls. Auron couldn't help but puke because of the fury emanating from the man.
-"Why are you defending him?" The student screamed in terror at her teacher. With a powerful thrust the man stuck his fingers through her throat. Auron watched in indignation as she shrunk and shriveled like rotten fruit until only a limp and emaciated body remained. Stupid family name.
-"Why are you still laying on the floor? Get to the back room with you!" Half scared by the teacher's mad voice Auron hurried into the room they spoke in yesterday.
Nothing had changed inside the back room since last time except for one detail. Placed on the floor in the center of the room stood a small flower in a pot. Auron didn't have much knowledge of flora but any slightly educated guy can recognize an orchid when they see one. Auron didn't have to wait long before his teacher, who seemed more collected, was finished instructing the class.
-"I swear I did not do anything!" Auron defended himself quickly in front of the teacher.
-"I know. If you did you would have already been dead." He answered with barely restrained anger. "I didn't want to kill Louise. She was a good student and a promising witch. However I had to make it clear that you are out of boundaries when it comes to enacting vendetta."
-"I thought you didn't like me?"
-"I don't, so stop pushing it. But I may have let myself get slightly persuaded by Tohrd, damn smooth talker." The last part was said with resent under his breath. With a grunt the masked teacher sat down behind the orchid, motioning Auron to do the same. "Could you feel it when I killed Louise? The feeling when something dies?" {Psyche check successful} How couldn't I?
-"Yes. I could feel how her living force simply escaped her. Like a hot sand streaming lightly over your skin, every grain burning softly, leaving a cold stinging emptiness." Auron did not intend his words to come out so poetically, but it was a very good way to describe it.
-"Impressive words Zecane. I want you to keep that feeling as you channel your magic through this flower. Steel your mind, focus on emptiness and raw death." Stretching out his hand toward the flower Auron closed his hand and focused. Only one thing came to mind though: Gregory Zecane. Auron had never felt anyone reek as much as death as his own father. The boy's fingers turned cold as the spell began working it's magic on the poor flower. Before his very eyes the flower began to wilt and wither. One petal after another turned from white to gray, the stem began to crook and break. I didn't take much longer until only dust remained.
-"How did that feel Zecane?"
Desmond sat on porch smoking. He had taken his eye patch off and was looking at the direction of the school. Damn! This eye really hurts. Yet... Desmond had been thinking about what Hans had said earlier, about benefits. I wonder what he can teach me exactly. Will I be able to see in the dark? Will I get animalistic senses? Stupid Hans and his tempting promises. Screw it, let's see what he's up to. Fed up with wallowing in pity Desmond put on his eye patch and decided to head back to school and seek out Hans. With the help of the handy pamphlet Desmond found his way easily through empty corridors.
When Desmond arrived at the classroom door he froze on the spot. As he place his hand on the door knob he can hear the scream of someone in pain. With a nervous gulp he open up the door.
-"Lay still! This will only hurt for a little longer." Desmond hear Hans' crazed and desperate voice from behind a curtain. Blood is running everywhere on the floor. At another corner of the room is two older students, busy pulling each others limbs off. From below the curtain a freshman girl crawls toward a now terrified Desmond. She is missing her lower body, bleeding immensely.
-"Please help me..." She begs Desmond with a weak voice.
-"Don't move Elisa! You will get yourself killed!" Hans bursts through the curtains, sweating badle with his lank hair hanging messy over his face. In his right hand is a big saw covered in blood, just as bloody as his apron. His expression is filled with fascination and fear.
-"Save me... please..." The girl in front of Desmond pulls him by his leg, begging faintly. However Desmond is to scared to help, stunned with fear.
-"Enough of this nonsense, relax!" Hans voice turned more desperate as he pulled the dying girl, screaming with her last breathes, back behind the curtains.
Desmond sat down on the bloody floor staring at the curtain in shock. He sat completely still listening to the meaty sounds and whimpers coming from behind the curtain. The blood kept pouring on the floor, soaking his pants and underwear. Eventually he fainted from the stress, laying face down dirty, crimson blood.
zZzZz
Sweaty and panting Desmond rouse up, eye's wide open. Panic-struck he look around you finding himself laying on top of a wooden table surrounded by curtains. Only a meter away is Hans sitting in a chair smoking his cigarettes. Hans eyes shift to Desmond as he tries to sit up.
-"Oh, you're awake?" His voice was a lot calmer than earlier. "I must say you're a boy full of surprises. I didn't expect a boy of your age wandering around... these things. They certainly helped me relax but I can feel my body getting sick with every breath." The remark was rather concerning. Hearing Hans voice stirred Desmond's memories to life.
-"What happened to the girl? Is she alright?" Desmond said terrified, but he could see no trace of the huge amount of blood on the floor, nor the screaming girl.
-"She is, and she would have been even better if she hadn't rolled of the table."
-"What exactly is going on in here!?" Desmond said in confusion and great anxiety.
-"I take it as you've never seen organic magic before. Organic magic, or blood magic as it also is referred as, is about controlling your own body. We bloodshifters know how to control the flow of our blood, expand and shrink our muscles and tear our or very bones from our body."
-"So the girl just failed with a spell?"
-"Not really. She is a freshman like you who wanted to learn magic. But If you want to partake in my class you’ll need to go through the bloodshifter's trial.”
-“And she didn't make it?”
-“Definitely not. The trial is to experience how it is to be truncated for a whole week and I had to put her legs back after ten minutes! Usually we only cut off an arm or a leg, but she was so cocky I decided to give her a real challenge. Maybe I went a bit overboard.” Hans laugh nervously.
-“What is the purpose of the trial? Why don’t you teach any magic before you force your pupils to take the trial?”
-“It is a test to see if they can truly be bloodshifters. Many times have we organic mages lived without parts of our body before we could regrow them again. I don’t want to give my wisdom to someone who can’t handle it." Hans paused and put out the cigarette. "Now that you know about the trial, do you want to partake in my class?”
Desmond
A) Hell no!
B) Not even if my life depended on it!
C) You're sick in the head!
D) *Faint*
E) Will it hurt?
*Well being decreased.*
*New Afflictions.*
Auron
A) It feels wrong...
B) It feels strange...
C) It feels wonderful!
*New spectrum acquired!*
*Learned a new element!*
*Learned a new spell!*
Julius
A) If it's really wild, I'm game!
B) Ehh.. Like what?
C) No thank you very much!
-"So James, about this 'test' you were mentioning..." Julius approached tentatively.
-"I don't really know a whole lot but I can tell you what I saw. I noticed Jan approaching master Goldenfold after class to talk to him. He asked him what the lords have told master Goldenfold and he answered that they weep within a moon. Jan then responded with 'I schedule the examination to be held five weeks, tell the others for me.' And that's it, nothing more was said between them."
-"What does 'the lords weep within a moon' mean exactly?"
-"I got no idea. Master Goldenfold can be very difficult to interpret at times, especially when caught out of context."
-"I guess time will tell."
zZzZz
Tuesday, 07:13
-"How are we feeling today Desmond?" Gertrude's kind voice pierced the silence inside her office.
-"Like shit. I can't stand the darkness, it's more black than I can bear." Desmond, still a bit shocked, sat up in his bed. Realizing his eyes were gone had taken a toll on him.
-"Don't worry Desmond, Hans is going to help you transplant a new pair of eyes today. He should be around any minute." Gertrude had barely finished talking before a click could be heard from the door.
-"Who's our little subject today?" A mans voice was heard as someone came through the door. It was filled with confidence.
-"Hans I have told you several times not to call my patients subjects. It is very degrading!" The nurse's voice completely flipped from kind and loving to harsh.
-"But sweetheart, you know I love doing it! Besides I heard the news from Massan, these injuries are the result of his magic alone. So that would make him a test subject if we are going to do this within the rules." The confidence in Hans' voice had easily been washed away. The nurse sighed as she left the edge for your bed.
-"You know I can't thank you enough Hans. All you've done for me..."
-"Eh... don't mention it sweetheart." Though Desmond couldn't see he was sure he felt the nervous man blush. He took a few moments to gather his voice again. "Now Desmond, is there any specific eye colour you would like?"
-"I don't care, I just want a pair of eyes so I can see again!"
-"That's completely doable. Gertrude will put you to sleep now while I go and fetch a pair of spare eyes back in my class room."
Desmond heard the man walking out as he felt the soft touch of the nurse's hand on his fore head. A few seconds later Desmond fell into a calm slumber.
zZzZz
-"What have you done Hans!? What went through your mind when you let this happen!?" Dozy Desmond woke up to hear Gertrude's upset voice.
-"I- I didn't know I only had one eye left! He said he just wanted a pair of eyes so I got him just that." Forcefully Desmond opened his eyes to find the nurse and an older man with grey lank hair and an bloodied apron arguing. He also wore an impressive tool belt filled with saws, knives and pliers.
-"But where did you get that eye!? You didn't do what I think you did right? Please tell me you didn't get this one from Mister Fluffington!" Putting his hands over his right eye Desmond made a wry grimace in pain.
-"Don't worry sweetheart! M-Mister Fluffington dresses well in an eye patch!" My head, my eye, Why does it hurt so much?
-"Are you insane!? Do you think Nightgale won't notice that his cat is missing an eye? The first person he is going to blame is you and you know it!" Is it supposed to hurt? Why is my head pounding so badly?
-"He will understand me! From one creative to another."
-"Umm, is there something wrong?" Desmond stop the bickering teachers.
-"Oh, Desmond! You're awake! How are we feeling?" Hans put his hands together and walked up beside Desmond.
-"My head and my right eye throbs and hurts. Is that normal?"
-"I would say so yes. Sweetheart could you find a mirror or something reflective?" Hans instructs the nurse. "I am a little reluctant to say this but things might not have gone as you planned. When I was checking back at my classroom I noticed that I only had one eye spare left. I didn't know what to do so I panicked. You had clearly asked me to get you one pair of eyes but I only had half a pair, a disaster! In my panicked state I tried to think out where I could get a second eye for you. Certainly I couldn't just rip out another students eye again or I would have Jan on my back again. That was when Mister Fluffington, the dreamologist Nightgale's very fluffy but ugly cat, passed my classroom. Time was of the essence so I took a quick decision and rid Mister Fluffington of one of his eyes, treated it with a bit of magic and ran back to you."
Desmond was stunned, shocked and slightly terrified. A disheartened Gertrude walked up next to Hans with a small hand mirror to show Desmond his new countenance. His reflection showed Desmond a perfectly healed face, no burn mark or scars. His eye lashes and eye brows had completely been burned away by the accident and some of his bangs as well. His left eye looked fine, a nice hazel colour, yet it was the right one that he had hoped was just a mean prank. Where his right eye once were sat indeed a cats eye slightly reshaped to fit in the socket.
"Your brain is not yet calibrated to your new eye, hence the pain. It could take months or even years before you are fully accustomed to it. Until then you'll have skewed depth perception and occasional migraine and nausea. Otherwise it will work just fine." Hans gave Desmond an assuring look, yet it failed to inspire any confidence.
-"Here, take this." Gertrude held out a black eye patch for Desmond. "Until you're ready to show your eye you can wear this. It might even help against the pain." Desmond took the eye patch and got out of bed as he put it on.
-"Thank you." Desmond said with a measly tone before walking out. Almost immediately after Desmond close the door he heard someone running after him.
-"Desmond! Wait up would you?" Hans put a hand on Desmond's shoulder to stop him. "This ain't the end of the world alright? Consider yourself lucky you don't have to walk around blind. And besides..." The older man leans in closer and lowers his voice to a whisper. "There are certain benefits to that new eye. If you know how to control it. If you're curious come visit me in organic magic class."
Following the stream of students were Julius, Auron and James, marching down the path to school. All three of them had noticed that the older, and most likely more experienced, a wizard got the weirder his taste in fashion gets. Robe, armour, regalia, accessories and anything mixed or in between were adorned with strange patterns, colours, embroidery and/or jewelry. If there was a dress code it had to be elaborate for sure. Accidentally Julius bumps into a pale boy wearing a black eye patch who weirdly enough walks away from the school.
-"Sorry! Didn't see you th... Desmond?" The three boys stops and turn around to find their now healed room mate. "Wow Desmond! They really did a great healing you, err.. But what is the deal with the eye patch?"
-"They only had one spare eye." Desmond answered after some hesitation.
-"Where are you going? Morning class is about to begin and we are not allowed to skip those." Auron stated bluntly.
-"I got permission to skip it this time. I'll find you during lunch." That was probably a lie. Desmond couldn't recall Gertrude telling him it was okay to take the morning off, but his mind were in no state to learn or even care right now.
-"Okay, take care then!" Said James in an attempt to encourage an obviously melancholy Desmond.
When the boys arrived at the entrance to the school they split ways to find their respective classrooms. Julius picked up his pamphlet and looked at the map. After confirming where the raw magic classroom was he walked over to it with determined steps. Upon entering the classroom Julius became a bit puzzled. It was completely empty! Or almost empty, at least the teacher sat behind the rostrum. The classroom was organized in a simple way much like the general education one. One big difference however was how the room felt more fortified than the others. The walls was made out of a different material and looked more sturdy, even the windows were strengthened with iron bars. Dismissing the thought that this was some kind of isolation chamber Julius sat down behind one of the benches like any good student would and began to observe his teacher. It was a young man with red hair splaying wildly. He wore ragged simple clothing and some kind of thick collar around his neck. It looked like he had trouble focusing on some kind on paper he was writing while tapping his foot disturbingly fast. Minutes passed without anyone else entering the classroom or the troubled teacher leaving the rostrum. Just as Julius patience ran out and were about to say something the man flew out of his chair and jumped over the rostrum. He ran all the way up to a scared Julius and pulled him up by his shirt while staring at him with wide open eyes.
-"Want to do something wild!?" He asked almost screaming while his face and body twitched and shook.
Auron entered the corruption magic classroom with both anxiety and excitement. Only a few students were inside standing around and small talking. The moment Auron stepped inside the room went deathly quite. The older students glared at Auron as he sat down behind one of the benches. He couldn't care less though which seemed to only aggravate the other students further.
-"I thought Sandor threw you out last time you were here. You got some nerve coming back." One of the other students walked to Auron's desk and slammed her fist on it threateningly. She was dressed in a dark robe with purple marks all over her face. Auron only stared back at her with disdain. Infuriated she punched the young boy off the chair and pressed his face against the cold stone floor. "If I would kill you right here and now no one would even bat an eye. I hope you and your family burn in hell or whatever you place you're going to." Struggling but still silent Auron tried to wiggle out of the girls iron grip. His efforts proved to be worthless as he got nowhere. No sweating Auron felt how some kind of magic pierced his skin, slowly digging it's way to his heart. Auron's vision slowly began to fade and his breath became faint as the spell squeezed his heart.
Suddenly the spell disappeared and a weight was lifted from Auron's back. Quickly rolling over Auron saw the girl being pulled away by her hair, screaming at the top of her lungs. It was her teacher's doing, raw and without mercy. He slammed her into the wall with anger and kept her pinned by her throat.
-"Worthless piece of trash! How dare you pick a fight without a teacher's permission? And with a student way below your own rank, despicable!" The teacher's anger and rage was overwhelming. I was so prominent and strong one could feel it through the school walls. Auron couldn't help but puke because of the fury emanating from the man.
-"Why are you defending him?" The student screamed in terror at her teacher. With a powerful thrust the man stuck his fingers through her throat. Auron watched in indignation as she shrunk and shriveled like rotten fruit until only a limp and emaciated body remained. Stupid family name.
-"Why are you still laying on the floor? Get to the back room with you!" Half scared by the teacher's mad voice Auron hurried into the room they spoke in yesterday.
Nothing had changed inside the back room since last time except for one detail. Placed on the floor in the center of the room stood a small flower in a pot. Auron didn't have much knowledge of flora but any slightly educated guy can recognize an orchid when they see one. Auron didn't have to wait long before his teacher, who seemed more collected, was finished instructing the class.
-"I swear I did not do anything!" Auron defended himself quickly in front of the teacher.
-"I know. If you did you would have already been dead." He answered with barely restrained anger. "I didn't want to kill Louise. She was a good student and a promising witch. However I had to make it clear that you are out of boundaries when it comes to enacting vendetta."
-"I thought you didn't like me?"
-"I don't, so stop pushing it. But I may have let myself get slightly persuaded by Tohrd, damn smooth talker." The last part was said with resent under his breath. With a grunt the masked teacher sat down behind the orchid, motioning Auron to do the same. "Could you feel it when I killed Louise? The feeling when something dies?" {Psyche check successful} How couldn't I?
-"Yes. I could feel how her living force simply escaped her. Like a hot sand streaming lightly over your skin, every grain burning softly, leaving a cold stinging emptiness." Auron did not intend his words to come out so poetically, but it was a very good way to describe it.
-"Impressive words Zecane. I want you to keep that feeling as you channel your magic through this flower. Steel your mind, focus on emptiness and raw death." Stretching out his hand toward the flower Auron closed his hand and focused. Only one thing came to mind though: Gregory Zecane. Auron had never felt anyone reek as much as death as his own father. The boy's fingers turned cold as the spell began working it's magic on the poor flower. Before his very eyes the flower began to wilt and wither. One petal after another turned from white to gray, the stem began to crook and break. I didn't take much longer until only dust remained.
-"How did that feel Zecane?"
Desmond sat on porch smoking. He had taken his eye patch off and was looking at the direction of the school. Damn! This eye really hurts. Yet... Desmond had been thinking about what Hans had said earlier, about benefits. I wonder what he can teach me exactly. Will I be able to see in the dark? Will I get animalistic senses? Stupid Hans and his tempting promises. Screw it, let's see what he's up to. Fed up with wallowing in pity Desmond put on his eye patch and decided to head back to school and seek out Hans. With the help of the handy pamphlet Desmond found his way easily through empty corridors.
When Desmond arrived at the classroom door he froze on the spot. As he place his hand on the door knob he can hear the scream of someone in pain. With a nervous gulp he open up the door.
-"Lay still! This will only hurt for a little longer." Desmond hear Hans' crazed and desperate voice from behind a curtain. Blood is running everywhere on the floor. At another corner of the room is two older students, busy pulling each others limbs off. From below the curtain a freshman girl crawls toward a now terrified Desmond. She is missing her lower body, bleeding immensely.
-"Please help me..." She begs Desmond with a weak voice.
-"Don't move Elisa! You will get yourself killed!" Hans bursts through the curtains, sweating badle with his lank hair hanging messy over his face. In his right hand is a big saw covered in blood, just as bloody as his apron. His expression is filled with fascination and fear.
-"Save me... please..." The girl in front of Desmond pulls him by his leg, begging faintly. However Desmond is to scared to help, stunned with fear.
-"Enough of this nonsense, relax!" Hans voice turned more desperate as he pulled the dying girl, screaming with her last breathes, back behind the curtains.
Desmond sat down on the bloody floor staring at the curtain in shock. He sat completely still listening to the meaty sounds and whimpers coming from behind the curtain. The blood kept pouring on the floor, soaking his pants and underwear. Eventually he fainted from the stress, laying face down dirty, crimson blood.
zZzZz
Sweaty and panting Desmond rouse up, eye's wide open. Panic-struck he look around you finding himself laying on top of a wooden table surrounded by curtains. Only a meter away is Hans sitting in a chair smoking his cigarettes. Hans eyes shift to Desmond as he tries to sit up.
-"Oh, you're awake?" His voice was a lot calmer than earlier. "I must say you're a boy full of surprises. I didn't expect a boy of your age wandering around... these things. They certainly helped me relax but I can feel my body getting sick with every breath." The remark was rather concerning. Hearing Hans voice stirred Desmond's memories to life.
-"What happened to the girl? Is she alright?" Desmond said terrified, but he could see no trace of the huge amount of blood on the floor, nor the screaming girl.
-"She is, and she would have been even better if she hadn't rolled of the table."
-"What exactly is going on in here!?" Desmond said in confusion and great anxiety.
-"I take it as you've never seen organic magic before. Organic magic, or blood magic as it also is referred as, is about controlling your own body. We bloodshifters know how to control the flow of our blood, expand and shrink our muscles and tear our or very bones from our body."
-"So the girl just failed with a spell?"
-"Not really. She is a freshman like you who wanted to learn magic. But If you want to partake in my class you’ll need to go through the bloodshifter's trial.”
-“And she didn't make it?”
-“Definitely not. The trial is to experience how it is to be truncated for a whole week and I had to put her legs back after ten minutes! Usually we only cut off an arm or a leg, but she was so cocky I decided to give her a real challenge. Maybe I went a bit overboard.” Hans laugh nervously.
-“What is the purpose of the trial? Why don’t you teach any magic before you force your pupils to take the trial?”
-“It is a test to see if they can truly be bloodshifters. Many times have we organic mages lived without parts of our body before we could regrow them again. I don’t want to give my wisdom to someone who can’t handle it." Hans paused and put out the cigarette. "Now that you know about the trial, do you want to partake in my class?”
Desmond
A) Hell no!
B) Not even if my life depended on it!
C) You're sick in the head!
D) *Faint*
E) Will it hurt?
*Well being decreased.*
*New Afflictions.*
Auron
A) It feels wrong...
B) It feels strange...
C) It feels wonderful!
*New spectrum acquired!*
*Learned a new element!*
*Learned a new spell!*
Julius
A) If it's really wild, I'm game!
B) Ehh.. Like what?
C) No thank you very much!
