pantothenic

O R I F L A M M E

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”Prepare yourself Birger. Our task begins at the first sight of smoke.” Gerard expectantly touched his staff, which was hidden on his back by his slightly oversized traveller’s cloak. The two men stood at the ready near the base of the hill next to a wooden cart, waiting for their fellow infiltrators throughout the city to follow through with the plan. They were accompanied as well by three Parrenchmen in disguise. The nearby civilians had either evacuated the immediate area or locked themselves in their homes. Word of the rampaging pinniped was spreading quickly.

”I have been prepared for this long before you set foot on our motherland. I knew it would come to this someday.” Birger looked solemnly up at the majestic Grontempel, its richly decorated spires just barely visible over the hilltop. Gerard’s expression was inscrutable as he looked sideways at the Eskandr convert.

”Get a good look. This will be the last time you’ll see it again.” He warned. Birger looked back at the wizard but made no reply.

After several minutes passed, the signs of the raid became visible. A grey plume of smoke rose from the northwest quarter of the city, growing darker and larger until a cloud began to form over Meldheim. The fire attack had begun. Clandestine agents had been distributed at key locations with jugs of oil. At the predetermined time, they were ordered to set parts of the city ablaze in order to sew chaos and occupy the garrison. The Parrench had purposefully set the fire upwind so that it would continue to perpetuate through the wooden city on its own. The flame would become an inferno within the hour.

Long have I waited for this. Gerard pulled out his staff and held it up high, drawing upon the infinite power of the sun. He greedily syphoned as much solar energy as his four wheel capacity would allow. Once he was at his limit, the priest opened the door and let his magic free. Hundreds of little flames erupted from the staff’s dragon pearl core and set every house in the vicinity on fire. There was an immediate reaction as a few dozen civilians escaped their homes in a mass panic. When they saw the overwhelming amount of smoke and ash blowing in from the west, the disorganised mob began running towards the seaboard. Gerard and his followers gave the people a wide berth as they passed by, going mostly unnoticed as the herd mentality overtook the fleeing citizens.

Using the torched houses as fuel, Gerard pulled the blaze towards him and sent a tongue of fire towards the green temple. It was a beautiful work of art, and impressively large too, but it was not a stone castle of the north. The Grontempel exploded into a wildfire just as easily as the rest of the wooden city.

”Okay, let’s go.” Gerard ordered. Birger and the other men started pushing the cart up the hill as fast as they could while the Rezaindian gave them all an invisible push. During their hurried advance up the hill they passed many fleeing pilgrims, some of whom were being carried by their friends and family. Whether knocked unconscious by smoke or scorched by the heat, many failed to escape the burning temple uninjured. When Gerard saw the harm he had done, for a moment he felt guilty. However, the compassion he had shown when rescuing a child was now quieted by seething hatred. These people had chosen to turn from the Pentad’s light and now he was here to deliver their punishment. If they wanted to be spared the coming fire they should have converted long ago, as Birger had.

”Wait.” Gerard stopped his squad a few metres away from the gate. He closed his eyes and reached with his mind towards the ocean. He channelled the endless motion of the waves and, wielding his magic like a hammer, ripped apart the ancient double doors. It was not an elegant solution by any means, but his teacher was the murderous witch named Thorunn Silverhair.

The wagon was brought into the temple while Gerard held the flames at bay with sorcery. Much of the treasure had been damaged by his unrestricted assault, but there was still enough loot within to buy a small castle in the countryside. Anything made of valuable metal was pilfered. Every heirloom neskal was plundered. The Parrench took what they could and left the rest to collapse, desecrating generations of Eskandr history in less than an hour.

“The wagon is nearly full!” One of the soldiers yelled out as he dumped one last armful of silver candelabras. Gerard nodded and marched to the exit.

”Then let us be off!” The troops threw a pelt over the top of the wagon to protect their plunder and proceeded with dragging it out of the temple. It was a considerably heavier burden now with all the valuables piled within. Getting downhill without dropping the cart wouldn’t be easy.

Before the team exited the temple, Birger caught the priest’s sleeve.

”Wait a moment Sir Castello. I would ask a favour of you.” There was a grave tone in the man’s voice that caught Gerard’s full attention. He stopped in his tracks and faced the Eskandr conspirator.

”Explain yourself Birger.”

”There is one more thing I must do here, but it will not be possible without your help. I beg thee to hear my request.”

Gerard’s face was even more severe as usual as he studied Birger’s face. He looked for signs of dishonesty and cowardice. There was a great deal of tension in the air, and heat as well. Were it not for the red Rezaindian’s arcane expertise they would already have been cooked alive. Staying in this place for much longer was inadvisable.

”...Take the wagon and go to the meeting place ahead of us. I shall hear what our friend has to say.” Gerard half wondered if the men would protest, but maybe they were too concerned with escaping the burning building to care about his intentions. They departed the scene without complaint and took the spoils with them.

”What is it that you want Birger?”

”Many of us are expected to die before this stratagem reaches its completion. If I fall in battle today I would like my soul to go where it truly belongs…”

The Hourglass Order

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔊𝔲𝔫𝔟𝔬𝔞𝔱 𝔇𝔦𝔭𝔩𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔱𝔰

---

Zeno Mozaru’s biros had more or less come together just when the first portals began to disburse their foreign passengers. However, while the five students could be counted on to arrive at the plaza on time, little else could be said regarding their merits as a team. There was an invisible tension hanging in the air around them as they silently stood, or sat, near the front of the massive crowd, observing the stage as the representatives of each school arrived. Of all the cohorts in the academy, theirs was likely the least unified of the bunch. Whether it was a lack of common history, personality clashes, or just distrust, Zander’s pupils were more comfortable ignoring each other than they were forcing a half-hearted conversation. Not even the optimistic Yalen could force people to be friends overnight. It seemed like only he and Jocasta got along. Unbeknownst to them however, the team’s lack of camaraderie would soon lead to serious complications…

Jocasta didn’t see a lick of it. Sitting amid a forest of giants, she listened to the various oohs and aahs and overheard the excited conversation. She could’ve risen from her wheeled-chair and hovered there, but it would not do to bring too much attention upon herself. “So…” she twisted and looked up at Yalen. “Wishing you could stand on your tippy-toes right now?” she teased.

“I would make a witty reply, but I’d rather not stoop down to your level…” Yalen replied. The number of sassy women in his life was slowly turning him numb to japes regarding his insecurities. However, despite his growing bravado his face was still a bit red with embarrassment. “Some of these people look so exotic. I’ve never stepped foot outside the Twin Continents you know.”

“Yes, I’ve never stepped foot either,” Jocasta replied, deadpan. “Tell me, do the Eeaiko’s faces look all fishy? I’d look myself, but I’m playing little miss helpless here.”

It was at this point in the conversation that Carmillia decided to interject. Ever since they were introduced to each other, animosity between them had been brewing. Though it was unlike her to break her friendly and kind facade, the opportunity presented was far too tantalizing to forego.

“Appearances indeed are deceiving, Jocasta. I wouldn’t have guessed you had a talent for stand-up comedy,” said Carmillia, with the most charming smile she could muster.

Jocasta smiled back with nearly equal charm. “Oh but of course, hun, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” She glanced Yalen’s way and visibly winked.

Being underestimated was normally considered a boon to Carmillia. It often created many gateways and paths but the idea that Jocasta deemed her insignificant felt intolerable.

“I’d be inclined to agree with you but then it'd mean we'd both be wrong.”

“Pffft,” Jocasta replied after a moment, grinning. “You win. You’re smarter than me. Hee hee.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyways, have the two holy teams beat each other up yet?” she prodded. “And Yalen, why aren’t you on one?”

“Jocasta, I’m sure the Holy See would only want the cream of the crop to represent her interests. Even if I had the will, I am simply unworthy.” Yalen shrugged.

She was all ready with some sort of witty riposte, but something about his reply struck Jocasta deep and true. She looked up at him and shook her head slightly. “You’re the worthiest person I know. Strength isn’t everything. Trust me.”

“Oh. Thank you.” Yalen clammed up for a moment, as he was taken aback by the unexpected compliment. “That… that means a lot to me.” He said with a growing smile. His focus on his tethered friend was too narrow for him to detect the animosity between the two girls.

With the conversation taking an awkward turn, Carmillia refrained from any additional towards Jocasta. That might have been unbecoming of me, she thought. Fortunately, this confirms my suspicionsl. Yalen was most definitely the key to Jocasta.

The silence droned on for several moments before Carmillia ended it with a polite cough. “On to the matter at hand, this year’s lineup for the Trials look formidable.” She motioned toward the representative of Vystha’s Favoured. “Tyrel’yrash’dichora,” she said, enunciating the Yasoi name with no issues. “A mage capable of both the temporal and dark schools of magic. Conveniently blessed with one of the highest RAS scores in gifted history.”

“Dichora…” murmured Evander pensively. “Is that not the name of another student at this school?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jocasta waved a hand dismissively. “I can deal with her easily enough. Besides, this town isn’t big enough for more cripples.” She paused. “We should be more worried about the Hegelans. I’ve heard they have ways of increasing one’s mana capacity and I would love to know how and by how much.”

Evander reacted to Jocasta’s dismissiveness with his face contorting into a pinched expression. He was annoyed. She casted away his question without any consideration. Noted. He would forgive her, but he would not forget. After all, they were a team…for now…so he chose to act like it.

Trypano had been silently standing by for the while. Small talk was not something she indulged in. With fingers steepled she listened on to the mild chitter chatter and talk. It didn’t really add up to much.

What she may have found interesting however, was the creeping chill that suddenly swept through the plaza. Carmillia and Yalen, healthy as could be mere moments ago, now looked strangely ill. Something or someone was exerting an invisible pressure that soon brought everyone with a modest RAS to their knees, and even the stronger participants were visibly uncomfortable. As this anomalous event transpired, it seemed like even their breath was beginning to crystallize as it left their lips.

To some extent, Yalen recognized the source of their discomfort. Jocasta created the same effect any time she cast at her full power. There was someone in this plaza who was even stronger than her. Stronger than Hugo. He wanted to say as much, but it was taking all his strength just to stay awake.

Jocasta furrowed her brow. “Someone’s really letting us know they’re here,” she grumbled, unmoving but casting about with her energy sense. She wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of her attention. “Here and really strong.” Stronger than me, she thought with some alarm, stronger than the Paradigm. And they wanted people to know it. Aside from sunblessed, she could think of no others who would carry that much energy constantly around with them but for intimidation purposes. It would get exhausting before long.

Evander’s cheeks began to rise in color from white to red as his warm blood gathered to the surface to combat the layer of chill entering the room. He crossed his arms as his body became more rigid. The weight of a power tugged at him as he anchored his body in frustration to the discomforting pull, “How dramatic…” Evander stated. Anyone who felt compelled to demonstrate this amount of force on their environment while surrounded by kids was not impressing him, “...how unnecessary,” he rolled his eyes as if this display of power was beneath him.

Trypano herself took her left hand and brought her index and middle finger up to the side of her neck, checking her pulse.

“Heart rhythm regular, blood alkaline levels stable at seven point forty four, adrenal glands output at standard rate. Nerve activations operating as expected.” She muttered under her breath, evaluating her condition using her magical arts in tandem to measure out her state in a calculated manner. It seemed the pathology of this condition was originating from an outside exertion of magical force, likely quite powerful given its radius. For the time being however she did not weigh in on the comments regarding it.

Yalen eventually recovered from his fainting episode and put a hand on Jocasta’s roller to steady himself. Luckily he didn’t black out this time, having been strengthened considerably by his experiences in Torragon. “For a second there I thought I was going to lose my breakfast. How could someone that powerful go unannounced by the proctors?” He sent a mental probe out into the crowd to see if he could find the culprit, but whoever they were they had cut the flow of power. However, there was a considerable amount of movement in the crowd a few dozen feet away. The person responsible was likely to be found there.

That strange occurrence temporarily took the wind out of the team’s sails, and they remained silent for a time as the school’s guests continued to trickle in one portal after another. When the processions were finally over Zenith Upta took over the stage and began announcing the order of this year’s events. The Melon Derby was an unmovable staple and came as no surprise. The Dragon was the second event to be announced, and Jocasta’s eyes may have lit up a bit when Roses & Neskals was announced as the third. “We’ve got a good shot in that one, I think,” she remarked. Thin Air and Tug of Peace rounded things off to a nice and orderly five. People began speculating and pre-planning their strategies immediately, causing the plaza to fill with chatter that nearly drowned out the rest of the Zenith’s speech. This caused her to amplify her voice even louder, and what she revealed next was unprecedented.

“The moment that I ring this,” she declared, picking the bell up, “your team will have three minutes to find a second team - not from your school - to pair with. So long as you are in physical contact with them at the exact moment that your three minutes is up, you will be allied to them for the first event. Your points will be their points and vice versa. However, those teams who are unable to find partners will participate on their own, at a severe disadvantage.” The chatter in the crowd turned into a loud panic, as nobody had anticipated this development. Zander Mozaru’s cohort was no exception, and they began to bicker right away as soon as the bell rang.

The news of picking a team to pair with was surprising and exciting. More people, meant more opportunities to score. Evander looked at his team and immediately strove for interest toward the team he identified strong Revidians in, “I say we pair up with the Angels of Pentad, what say everyone else?”

“And find ourselves targets for the Varennes team?” Jocasta replied. She shook her head. “No thank you. The two Optimal teams always go after each other. I’d rather not have to obliterate any monks.” She glanced Yalen’s way and smiled puckishly. “No offense, brother Yalen.”

Was Jocasta scared? Why did she care if they were targeted, after all, she could obliterate them…her words. Evander sensed there was more hesitation than confidence in Jocasta’s comment, Did she talk big because she felt small? Evander then followed the line of conversing to Yalen who spoke next.

“None taken. And, while I agree with Evander’s choice, Jocasta has a point. If either of the Holy Sees make a target out of us we will face serious setbacks. They will possess magics that wouldn’t normally be trusted to the common wizardry. Does anyone else have a suggestion?” Yalen questioned.

Was Yalen not confident? Did he not believe in our team to deal with the Varennes, especially with the Angels of Pentad on our side? Evander continued to listen to Yalen ask for suggestions without offering any of his own, What indecisiveness… Evander’s patience began to wear thin.

“Hmm.” Trypano considered Yalen’s open inquiry. “I can agree that simply opting for a team simply off of their strength opens us to risk of being targeted by other teams. Given how our team is fairly competent already I would recommend a team that demonstrates cohesiveness both internally and externally.” She pursed her lips, deep in consideration.

“While I’m not specifically a specialist on Eeiako culture I am aware of what little is known regarding them, including their inherent ability to cast in union. It would be interesting to see how that could be incorporated into our existing skill-set.”

Was Trypano confused? To state that choosing a team solely on its strength opened them up to risks of being targeted by other teams, while offering a team suggestion based on their strength to cast in unity, and recommending a team she admittedly knew little about except for her own interest about the Eeaiko did not make for a reasonable suggestion. Evander was puzzled, How did I end up on a team that feared to be seen, indecisive, and confused?

“It’s a risky play if they can’t,” Jocasta responded, “but could pay off if we can make it work. If not, I’ll flex these RAS muscles of mine.” She giggled a bit and blushed.

Evander laughed and tagged off Jocasta, “It isn’t risky, it’s nonsense. You do not choose a team you know little about. The Angels of the Pentad and our team in this Trial together would be targeted, sure.” He paused to acknowledge Jocasta’s input, “But, are we afraid of being targeted? I mean if you do not believe in our ability to contend with the best, then why even contend at all?” Evander did not care if the Varennes targeted them, hell, he did not care if several teams targeted them, it was about challenging their abilities together, not evading the competition to ‘steal’ a win. He continued, “Let’s act as if there is a fire behind us and stop wailing on specifics, hell, I’d even take the passionate light-hearted Weggos at this point if it meant we made every other teams experience difficulty when they crossed us.” Evander looked to Yalen, “We have five trials, not one, and whether we win or lose this one, if we punch hard, we can leave every other team hesitating against us in the other rounds, even you Yalen, an average RAS monk might put the fear of Pentad in them before even running into you.” Evander’s passion for competition was not to win the battle, but the war, and the war was five trials, if they could get into the head of their opponents on trial one, then there would be more opportunities in later rounds.

Deep down Evander knew they had to make a decision, it did not matter who they got, as long as everyone felt that their team was going to win The Trials regardless of their pair, “We need to decide now!”

We’re going to get nowhere at this rate, thought Carmillia. A minute had already passed and she was not fond at all of any of their choices. The chilling pressure from earlier was enough of an indication that this year’s Trials was full of monsters that were on par or exceeded Jocasta.

Pairing up with a random run of the mill team was pointless but simultaneously working with a powerhouse and dealing with multiple Jocasta-level egos would likely be detrimental to their success.

No, Carmillia already had an ideal team in mind. One that was capable and cunning, one she could envision endless possibilities when working with.

She needed to get through Yalen. Jocasta would be more open to the suggestion if the decision was made through him. Trypano would agree if she did and Carmillia wagered she could handle Evander.

Another 30 seconds passed and at this point Evander was deep into a discussion with Jocasta and Trypano. It was at this point she made her move.

“Yalen, what do you think of Blaze of Glory?” she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “Blaze of Glory? Er, I’m not sure what to say about them. I know very little about Weggos, and the rosters for the teams were very brief. I guess I’m not particularly interested?”

She could work with this. Carmillia sent tendrils of chemical energy into Yalen’s brain, making his already amicable personality more so.

“Likewise, they didn't catch my attention at first glance. But that was before I caught wind of the rumors,” she responded.

Yalen's interest was piqued at this point. He had turned his whole body towards her to focus fully on the conversation.

“Their RAS scores aren’t by any means huge. But their members all possess unique skill sets and personalities that I believe would work well in the Trials.”

She continued with a more detailed breakdown over each member. Jemar with his boundless energy. Moriah being the calm intellect. Brandi who somehow always gets the job done. Dante the mad genius and Jodi, the sneaky tethered.

“With three tethered, we'd possess a powerful advantage during the Melon Derby. Are you in?”

“I guess so.” Yalen answered without really wondering why. “We’re running out of time though. Where do you suppose they are?”

“South west of the Plaza, next to the Sawandi Biros. There's no guarantee that they're still there but my gut tells me they're still within the vicinity. Go, I'll keep the rest of them busy.”

In any event, Jocasta didn’t really need to be ‘kept busy.’ She had mostly checked out of a conversation that fast looked to be going nowhere. She was surrounded by idiots and egos: people used to thinking that they were the smartest in the room, regardless of whether they were or not. She reached under her seat cushion, where she often stored things, took out a roll of chicle, and popped some into her mouth. The tethered crossed her arms and let her eyes wander. It didn’t really matter who they allied with, truth be told. She would do as she needed to. They would succeed or fail based upon that.

Everyone’s apathy would work to Carmillia’s advantage, for Yalen found Blaze of Glory exactly where she said they would be. Yet, there seemed to be an issue regarding the Weggosi team.

“We need strength!” one was insisting. “The other stuff’s aight, but we’ve gotta be able to beat these teams man for man!”

“And woman for woman,” added a petite girl with hot pink afro–puffs.

“Jemar, I love you, man, but we’ve gotta find the smart people: the ones who know this place and have a plan.”

“Uh, guyyyz, isn’t like… the timer gonna end soon? Or something?” A tall, pretty girl with bleached blonde dreadlocks looked up from examining her nails.

The fifth member of the team, however, was headed straight for Yalen, and their eyes met. “I’m Moriah,” she said simply, holding her hand out. “We got thirty seconds left. We should ally or we’re both in deep shit.”

“I’m guessing you’re having trouble reaching a consensus?” Yalen asked the girl while shaking her hand. “The same goes for my team unfortunately. We’re standing over there.” He pointed to his four team mates, who were still in the middle of bickering. Carmillia caught his gaze and sent an innocent smile their way.

“Jus a word, fools,” Moriah shouted, “We got twenny seconds left. It’s this team or nobody.”

“Twenty!?”

“Bumba!”

“Ipte’s tits!”

Yalen cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to Carm. “Get everybody over here, and hurry! We’re out of time!” Whether by choice or via Carmillia’s manipulation, Mozaru’s cohort sprinted over to the Blaze of Glory team and began haphazardly grabbing whatever parts their hands could reach. The same could be said of their newfound allies. The pink-haired girl, tethered and unable to run as quickly as the others, was prey for Jocasta, who teleported over and laid a hand on her just as the bells began to ring. After a moment, Yalen looked about, only to notice a slight shift in the position of the other two tethered. “Yes, they froze it,” Jocasta confirmed.

“But we good, right?” asked one of the Weggosi. They didn’t even know each other’s names yet. Jocasta nodded. “We are, whatever that means.”

“Iiiiirie,” breathed another of their new allies.

“Blouse an’ skirt, that was a close one,” announced a third. “Les’ hope we married good, huh?”

The Hourglass Order

For anyone else looking to join the party, feel free to drop a character sheet in here. The open spot isn't promised to anyone, you just have to be the first person to impress the GM!

The Hourglass Order

Hey, can I join? I've been following this for a while now.

@Dragonfly 9

Thanks for showing your interest in the RP Dragonfly. We do have a open spot right now, so you're welcome to post a character sheet in OOC for review. I strongly recommend you use other people's sheets for reference and also check our posting guidelines. This RP is more demanding than your typical Casual Roleplay game.

Code Vein (Closed)

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There was only one fighting style Dallas knew: brawling. He held his axe in front like a limbo stick and charged in, clotheslining five thralls at once. He could hear the gunfire behind him slowing down, as the humans had to adjust their aim to avoid hitting him in the back. While cutting the Lost apart was usually his one and only game plan, Dallas had a much easier method for dispatching them today. He was going to chuck them off the bridge. The dumb bastards barely remembered how to fight let alone do a breast stroke, and the river underneath was easily six feet deep by his reckoning.

Whether by pushing, tripping, or throwing, Dallas sent the thralls careening over the side one by one. Here and there they would get taken out by his axe or a stray bullet from the rear, but a lot of them ended up taking a swim. The bridge was too narrow for the thralls to surround them with sheer numbers, and after a few minutes of fighting the cannon fodder were cleared away.

And then there was the infernal. The moment it had a clear line of sight on Dallas it started shooting lasers at him, and with little room to maneuver he had no choice but to deflect them outright. With his reflexes it was well within his ability to block the leader’s attacks, but these beams felt heavy. Every time an energy bolt hit his axe blade it felt like his weapon was going to shatter into pieces. The metal strip holding the handle together groaned with every impact. The force of the infernal’s beams kept pushing Dallas back, and he couldn’t get close enough to take its head off.

Luckily Dallas wasn’t the only revenant on the scene. Mr. Balaclava had apparently been waiting for his opening. The axe wielding handyman could see where the type B’s shadows manifested behind the humanoid Lost. It was a pincer maneuver the Commune had used many times with Cerise. The fight ended with an unceremonious burst from the man’s assault rifle. Infernals were immortal, but they weren’t bulletproof.

O R I F L A M M E

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Location: Meldheim Harbor
Characters: Gerard, Birger

---

"So this is the thing they found in the prison." Birger watched from the safety of the harbor as Meldheim’s bay slowly filled with blood. All along the horizon, Eskandr vessels could be seen retreating towards the city as a behemoth the size of a dragon attacked everything in sight. A fishing boat disappeared in seconds when a mass of flesh broke the water’s surface and shattered it to pieces. Try as they might, the doomed sailors had no chance of swimming to safety, for the hungry beast had no intention of letting them escape. Their hopeless screams lasted only an instant before they were swallowed whole.

”I can’t sense its presence at all. Asier told us that it can disable our magic usage.” Gerard pointed out, having accompanied him to the scene. He was still dressed as a Kressian pilgrim.

"Aye. It was the only way they could keep your best soldiers under lock and key." Birger replied. "But for it to bring about such carnage, they must have tortured the pitiful thing."

Gerard grimaced. ”It would be much easier to pity the creature if it didn’t want to use our bones as nourishment. Our escape will be very difficult now that it is loose.”

The two men weren’t the only ones watching the destruction unfold. They had to speak in whispers, as Meldheim’s citizens had also gathered in droves atop the docks. They too could only watch helplessly, for without magic there was little hope of saving those still stranded on the water. Taking any more ships out to sea for the sake of a rescue would only cost them more lives.

“Where is it going to hit next?” Gerard heard someone ask. Others began speaking of friends and loved ones whose lives were at risk aboard the ships.

It doesn’t matter to me. The red Rezaindian thought to himself. ”Let us move on before it targets us next.” He murmured so only Birger could hear. The Eskandr convert tipped his head in reply and the two attempted to skulk away from the crowd. Although the monster’s rampage did complicate their long term plans, at the moment it was a welcome distraction. If word spread up the chain of command that Meldheim’s people were in danger, it was possible the detachment headed to Rigevand would be called off. It would also create some breathing room which the Perrench in the capital could use to make preparations for the fire attack.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Gerard’s sixth sense returned, though only for a few fleeting moments. Yet that flicker of awareness was all it took for him to immediately turn back around.

”Birger.” The bishop hissed.

The older man gave his ally a strange look. "What is it? Do you want to watch more of my countrymen die?"

”No! It’s coming!” Gerard reached into his clothes and drew his sword, which had been kept hidden under his robes.

The bystanders only had seconds to notice the giant shadow growing underneath the waves. Before those who realized could warn their fellow men, a giant pinniped covered in blood breached the water’s surface. Many stumbled backwards in fear as the monstrosity proceeded to tear the wooden walkway apart.

”By the gods, it’s huge!” Gerard exclaimed.

”Got a good look have you? Great! Now let’s go!" Birger wasted no further time and sprinted off to their next destination. Perhaps he was too hasty in his retreat, for he would not bear witness to what happened next. He had not seen what Gerard had seen. The fiery priest had every reason to follow his colleague away from the carnage, but his feet were frozen in place.

It’s…! Gerard watched as the monster jumped straight out of the water and land on top of the walkway, crushing a man to death underneath its massive bulk. As the breath was forced out of his lungs, his pitiful scream echoed through the open air, sending a chill down the priest’s spine.

“Papa!” A little Eskandr girl emerged from the fleeing mob in a dead sprint towards the sea monster, completely oblivious to the danger she was exposing herself to. The child’s desperate cry shattered Gerard’s state of mind, replacing it with a dormant instinct that had long been buried deep. In that moment, the life of an innocent weighed heavier on the scales than any hatred Gerard had for Hrothgar and his people. Conscious thought ceased as muscle memory and adrenaline took over. The holy warrior unleashed a battle cry and charged forward, armed with nothing but the sword in his hands. He knew the beast was blocking his magic, but training was a suitable remedy for despair. A soldier of Echeran knew no fear.

In the instant before the bloodthirsty creature fell upon its next victim, Gerard’s blade struck true. A lucky strike buried his longsword deep inside the beast’s vulnerable nostrils. Its frenzied vocalizations were loud enough to push him back through sheer pressure, making the Rezaindian lose his balance and topple to the ground. He quickly snatched the girl up and scrambled to his feet. The monster was too maddened by pain to pursue them as he made his frantic escape.

The Hourglass Order

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Assani 29th

Location: Yalen’s Dorm -> Society Faire
Day of the week: Lepdes
Time: 5:30 HI
Characters: Yalen, Colette, the IRS, Jonas, Derriere

When Yalen woke from his slumber that morning it was not to the boisterous antics of his enthusiastic older sister. As he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, his half-awake self noticed that a muffled commotion could be heard outside the front door of his dorm room. He instinctively sent out a mental probe, and what he could feel were three human presences, though the nature of the Gift couldn’t tell him enough to realize who they were. The clock on his night stand informed him that this was right when Colette would normally be breaking into his bedroom. Yalen wondered if she was one of the unseen presences.

After hastily strapping on his supportive legwear and donning his vestments as fast as he could, the tethered priest rushed to the door and pressed an ear to the crack.

”I don’t give a damn about your stupid regulations! You D.R.A.G.O.N. pricks need to learn some manners! How about making an appointment or something!”

”The law requires that-”

”I know what the law is! How was I supposed to know the kid didn’t register the egg? He practically fell out of the sky after going missing for a whole week! All I’m saying is you government lackeys need to show some class! Who in the hells would be in the mood to talk about taxes at this hour!?”

Are they talking about me? Yalen thought. While his sister continued to argue back and forth, he looked towards the shrine of Oraff erected in his sitting room. At the foot of the shrine was his froabass egg, which was resting in a brazier full of warm coals. The young monk had no experience with raising dragons, but the eggs of warm blooded creatures always need to be sat on right? He’d been doing his best to keep the unborn froabass comfortable since coming back to Ersand’Enise.

So dragon eggs need to be… registered? After a head scratching moment, Yalen opened the door to greet his guests. Though his view was mostly blocked by his taller sister’s Century cloak, he could see the two unhappy gentlemen from D.R.A.G.O.N.. Perhaps it was due to the demands of travel, but the way they were dressed the men looked more like sheriffs than civil servants.

”If you want your money so bad why not just mail us a bill so we can-” The sound of the door swinging open caused Colette to look backwards. The two men likewise craned their heads to get a look at Yalen.

”Well Ms. D’aureville, it looks like the man himself is now available. How about you step aside and let us speak with him?” The man on the left, a mustachioed gentleman with fair skin, appeared to be doing the bulk of the talking for the pair. His partner, a northeastern fellow with a dark complexion, merely stood at attention with one arm behind his back.

Colette let a growl escape her throat, but after exchanging an apologetic glance with Yalen she finally relented and moved behind him so the boys could all speak.

”What business do you have with me that is so important?” Yalen demanded. ”You’ve made my sister rather upset.” The more talkative man stepped forward and removed his hat before taking a shallow bow.

”Forgive my impropriety Brother Castel. My name is Thomas. We tried to tell your sibling here that we require only a modicum of your time to settle some paperwork. Unfortunately she seems rather overprotective of you… I assure you that any distress on her part is entirely self-inflicted.” Thomas sent a calculated glance towards Colette, who clicked her tongue but maintained her composure.

”Very well. Who sent you?” Yalen analyzed the man’s attire in order to find some kind of identifying mark. There was a silver pin stuck to the officials’ jackets in the shape of a grape dragon, but he did not recognize its purpose.

”The Draconic Regulatory Association and Group for Organizational Nomenclature. D.R.A.G.O.N. for short.” Thomas held his hand out to the man from the northern continent, who produced a roll up piece of paper and handed it over. This was then unsealed and passed to Yalen. It appeared to be a primer on their organization’s philosophy and goals, as well as a disclosure on D.R.A.G.O.N. 's regulatory authority and the political entities that grant it.

”We received good information that you are in possession of one unregistered Froabass egg originating from Torragon. We are not here to arrest you nor confiscate any of your property. We merely wish to discuss the terms that would allow you to raise your potentially dangerous fire breather in captivity, while also providing necessary information regarding its health and enrichment.”

---

Thanks to Colette the impressions made by the D.R.A.G.O.N. agents were somewhat sour, but once Yalen started flashing his hidden emergency fund the two men did a complete 180. At the end of their hour-long deliberation, the newly minted dragon keeper was left with an exhaustive list of resources to help take care of his baby froabass. They showed Yalen where to find reputable dragon related services such as ranchers, trainers, and even groomers. They also pointed out a number of books on dragon rearing that could be checked out from Ersand’Enise’s grand library. So long as he paid his yearly dues and didn’t cause any serious damage to infrastructure, the priest wouldn’t need to worry about any more face to face visits save for the occasional welfare inspection.

Once the siblings had seen the agents off Colette slammed the door behind them. Yalen had no idea what they’d said to her when he was still asleep, but it was clear they found a way to set her off.

”Is everything alright Colette?” He squeezed her hand reassuringly. The older girl sighed and gently gripped his in return.

”Yeah. I may have acted a bit immature. Command has me running ragged around the city dealing with this incident or that without end. Blast that Traveler and his lapdogs. Some nights I have to use magic just to keep myself awake.” Colette pulled her hand away and fidgeted with her equipment. ”Say, you have the day off today right? The faire is about to start in a few hours. How about you skip the training for today and go have some fun?”

”What will you be doing all day?” Yalen questioned.

”Well, that’s what I came to tell you this morning before those tax men showed up. My squad will be patrolling on high alert today. I have to watch over the streets and make sure nobody tries to bomb Parade Street, or assassinate a politician on their vacation. We’ll all be pulling a double shift thanks to the record high attendance. I’ll have to let Rita know I’m coming home late tonight.” She uttered Rita’s name with a measure of fondness.

”By the way, how is she doing with her new tutor?”

”Well, Rita isn’t a bad student or anything. It IS pretty hard to get her attention on anything other than sports, but she’s got a brain in that head of hers.” Colette’s helmet, normally hung off her shoulders with a thick string, was now tucked firmly over her head. The design had a strange curvature to it, and the ocularium was like nothing he’d ever seen. It stood out from the bucket helmets most of the other Centuries were wearing.

”That is some odd looking headgear.” Yalen commented while poking at the helmet’s hinge.

”You only see these in Kerremand. I forgot what they call ‘em. Technically it’s not to be used for real fighting, but armor doesn’t do much good against magic anyways and I think it looks cool.” Colette opened the door and took a step past the threshold before looking at Yalen one last time. ”Good luck with your clubs. You should join as many as you can. I don’t want you to spend your entire stay here eating, sleeping, and studying.”

”Don’t treat me like a hermit! I’ll try to enjoy myself today. And don’t sneak a wineskin onto your belt alright?” He started pushing his sister out onto the street.

”Wow Yalen. I swear you’re only this rude to me.”

---

It was still early in the hours of Shune, yet Ersand’Enise was teeming with activity. Yalen thought he had grown accustomed to life in a big city, but the amount of people on the street today made him realize just how rural his hometown was. There was so little room to walk that people were spilling onto the street and blocking carriages. Parade Street alone had enough people on it to outnumber the entire population of Vilamòs. It was exhausting trying to navigate through the crowd without bumping into someone.

After signing himself up with the Magicians Guild, Yalen quickly had enough of the hustle and bustle and began searching for somewhere to sit down. Without thinking about it he chose to walk in the direction of the Violet Enclave, but his search for an empty bench proved futile. Even the inns and taverns were unnaturally full, to the point where people took to standing outside with their breakfasts in hand.

”Pardon me ma’am.” Yalen squeezed through a group of gossiping ladies who were blocking the sidewalk, earning him a few grumpy stares. Despite his hasty apologies he nearly got smacked in the head by a fan. He stumbled westward for a bit, passing by some of the society stalls as he did so. The Bards’ Society was putting on an exotic performance behind the Academy, which momentarily drew the biro’s interest. A musician, dressed up in a long robe and turban, was cradling a strange looking lute in their arms. Yalen didn’t know anything about the construction of musical instruments, but he had seen street performers before. Their lutes had longer necks and frets underneath the strings.

I wonder if Ayla has played an instrument like that before. Yalen thought to himself. The melody produced by the performer’s skilled fingers was hauntingly beautiful. The student became hypnotized by the acoustic soundscape and lost track of time. The music transported him back to the high desert of Torragon, the place where his fate had been changed forever. Every string plucked brought back a new memory. The crunching of sand underfoot. The riding of camels together with his friends. The sight of waxing Juni as she bathed the desert in her faint white glow. It was hard to believe that he’d gone through so much in a mere week.

When the number was over, Yalen suddenly realized that he was no longer tired. With renewed vigor, he dove back into the crowded streets and set off in search of new societies to explore and perhaps even join. As he walked he repeatedly consulted the guide he’d received from one of the information desks, which provided a helpful reference for locating each society’s stall. There was a group that called themselves the Pragmatics which caught his eye, for reasons known only to him.

On the way to his destination Yalen spotted an arrangement where people appeared to be enjoying themselves with some table games. A glance at his primer informed him that this display was sponsored by the Gamers Union. There were several games on offer such as chess, backgammon, and dominoes, along with foreign ones that Yalen did not recognize. His eyes were drawn to one table in particular, where a sharp looking man with a monocle was sitting next to a big wooden sign.

”Beat the society head at chess and win five Incantors…?” Yalen rubbed his chin. While a part of him was intrigued by the offer, he was interested in neither money nor bragging rights. Still, while he was no expert he did enjoy a good chess game. Perhaps he was standing there for too long, as the man sitting at the table began waving to him.

“Hello there friend! There’s no need to be so indecisive! It won’t cost you anything to play!” With some reassurance from the monocled stranger, Yalen eventually pulled up the opposite chair and took a seat.

“How goes the society hunt lad? My name is Jonas Hahn. Were you interested in joining the Gamers Union?” Despite his face, the man sounded quite friendly. His Drudgunzean accent was barely noticeable.

”Actually I was looking for the Pragmatics... I just happened to bump into your setup along the way.” Yalen replied.

“A man of the sciences eh? I thought all the worldly types were with the Stresians, but I guess I was wrong. As a fellow scholar, would you do me the honor of having a game with me?” Jonas gestured towards the chess board, where the ivory carved pieces were already neatly arranged in anticipation of a match.

”I suppose I could play one game.”

“Excellent! As the current King of Games, I will let you pick which side to play.” The man of Huulendam leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers together excitedly.

King of Games? Yalen put the thought aside and, after some deliberation, chose to play white. His opening move was to place his pawn on E4. Jonas immediately blocked it with his own pawn. The priest was stunned by how fast his opponent made his decision, and it showed on his face. The master gamer smiled and said nothing.

Suspecting he was outmatched from the start, Yalen resolved to hold out as long as possible. He advanced his knight on the right side, and Jonas did the same. The game truly began once the opening moves were made and the big pieces were unleashed. The bishops entered the middle of the board and started devouring pawns with impunity. Knights jumped back and forth. With no queens in the middle of the field, both players decided to perform a two space castle maneuver.

Apparently Yalen was playing quite well, for a crowd was starting to gather around the table. A mix of Gamers and curious observers watched as the players jockeyed for a superior position. Yalen was penetrating the left side with his knight and two pawns, while Jonas had sacrificed one of his pawns to allow his queen to enter the game. Unfortunately there were too many pieces blocking the way, and Yalen was forced to retreat within range of his own queen. It took a few dozen turns before either player managed to capture something bigger than a pawn. Jonas and Yalen both sacrificed a knight at E4. Then Yalen made some errors. He moved one of his pawns too far, which allowed Jonas to capture it En passant. Then he hastily captured a black pawn on the left, which left his H1 rook defenseless. A series of trades ensued which ended with both colors lacking rooks. Yalen had one knight over Jonas’s zero, but the latter had an extra bishop. The black queen also had a superior position in the middle row that made it difficult for the monk to push his own queen forward.

I’m being overwhelmed… Yalen bit his thumbnail and contemplated his next move. The spectators were respectfully quiet. Nobody interrupted the duel by making jeers or shouting out suggestions.

“You’re doing quite well Mr. Castel. Most of my challengers would have been in checkmate twenty turns ago.” Jonas complimented him.

”You praise me too much Mr. Hahn.” Yalen continued moving pieces around noncommittally, trying to preserve what was left of his pieces while probing the black side for openings. Jonas continued to force sacrifices out of Yalen, picking his line apart with threat after threat until his remaining pawns were all blockaded by Jonas’s. All that was left for the white player was a queen and a bishop… and yet somehow the same could be said for the King of Games. However, while the pieces in play were nearly identical, Jonas had a better position. In a few turns, he easily captured Yalen’s pawns from behind. Then Jonas started dancing around Yalen’s king with his own queen. Yalen panicked and ended up making another couple mistakes, losing both his queen and bishop. After that it was over. Jonas slowly walked him into a checkmate with ease.

“Checkmate.” Jonas announced. “But, it was a close game. You have a talent for chess Mr. Castel. I applaud you.” He clapped his hands together encouragingly, leading the crowd of spectators to follow suit. “If you enjoyed yourself as much as I did, I would love to welcome you to our society.”

---

Yalen continued to wander around the faire grounds looking for clubs to fill his quota with, and eventually he found himself standing in front of the Five Thrones Tavern. Having been founded early in the city’s history, the establishment was a major attraction in Ersand’Enise. The high quality food served here brought in sophisticated clientele that wouldn’t normally be seen around commoners. Thanks to the tavern’s reputation the price of entry was higher than other places, yet there was a society with pockets deep enough to reserve the entire building for the faire.

When he reached the door, Yalen was met by a posh looking woman a few years older than he was. She looked too gaudy to be an employee of the tavern, so he assumed she was a member of the Tasters.

“Good morning sir.” The lady cooly greeted him. “Are you interested in buying a membership to the Tasters’ Union?”

Yalen nodded. ”Yes ma’am.”

“Splendid. If you just want to sign up then you may simply flag down one of our members inside the venue. Additionally, if you’re willing to pay a single Incantor you may take part in today’s wine tasting event.”

”Hm…” Yalen crossed his arms and tilted his head. He didn’t really have a taste for alcohol. The only time he drank was when a religious ceremony called for it. That being said, the point of the faire was to have fun and experience new things. This might also be a chance to become a little more grown up. The price wasn’t an issue either.

”Okay, that sounds lovely.” Yalen palmed a coin into the hostess’s waiting hand.

“You won’t regret it, I assure you.” The woman stuck a small pin onto Yalen’s collar, likely to indicate that he was a paying visitor. She politely ushered him through the double doors and then left him to explore the tavern unmolested. The interior was magnitudes dimmer than the outside. He had to stop and wait for a second so his eyes could adjust. There were at least a hundred people inside, sipping on wine glasses and quietly chatting amongst themselves. Most of them looked like merchants and noblemen. Servers rushed this way and that with horderves and buckets while society members solicited attendees with sign up sheets.

As this was his first wine tasting, Yalen wasn’t entirely sure what to do. He stood to the side and watched some of the other guests. Rather than swallow, it looked like they were spitting the wine out. Between samples they would consume a morsel of food and sip some water, probably to keep their mouths from getting tired.

“Welcome to the Five Thrones Tavern sir.” A staff member finally appeared to notice Yalen and approached him. “I apologize for the wait. I will be happy to serve you today. We have two menus available for tasting today: local or imported. Which shall I prepare for you?” The server showed Yalen two sheets of paper, each one with a selection of drinks listed on it. He scrutinized them briefly, but gave up as soon as he realized he recognized none of the vintages.

”The local menu will be fine, thank you.”

With his selection made, Yalen was left alone for a minute while his server went to retrieve the correct wines. She returned with a basket containing four bottles, a wine glass, and a spit bucket.

“Here you are.” The server offered Yalen the glass, which he accepted. She uncorked a bottle and carefully poured the liquid so that he had about two ounces at the bottom of his glass.

“This cabernet is made with red grapes from the Solenne Riviera region. The vineyard is owned by Jean-Claude le Farriere himself. It is quite popular for its blending process which offsets some of the bitterness.”

”Jean-Claude? The professor of Fine Cuisine or the dragon rider?” Yalen inquired while looking at the wine in his glass. It had a dark purple coloration to it. When he brought the glass up to his nose, he could smell something spicy beneath the alcoholic aroma. Peppers?

“I would be the former, my boy.” A masculine voice called out from behind. Yalen turned around to see a face he recognized. The Tan-Zeno couldn’t be missed with his long, curly hair and expensive suit. He was known among the student body to be quite boastful, and many found it difficult to tolerate his company.

“I happen to be the head of this here Tasters’ Union I’ll have you know.” Jean-Claude continued. “As you may already know I also own many famous vineyards in Perrence.” He rubbed his chin while looking at the glass in Yalen’s hand. “If you don’t mind, could you share your opinion on that glass of wine?”

”Er, okay…” Yalen spun the wine in his glass a bit and then poured the lot straight into his mouth. His tongue was not accustomed to liquor, and he was momentarily overwhelmed by the taste of alcohol. However, he resisted the urge to immediately spit it out. He closed his eyes and swished the wine around.

After spitting the wine into the bucket, Yalen proceeded with his commentary. ”It- it’s a little dry. Um, it was blended with a dark fruit of some kind. I think it’s cherry but also something else… Cassis perhaps? It’s also a spicy and herbaceous. I believe you added a touch of bay leaf and Virangish pepper.”

“Interesting. I had you pegged for a first timer, but your palette is pretty good.” Jean-Claude grinned from ear to ear.

”You flatter me professor.” Yalen’s eyes drifted sheepishly downwards. He wasn’t used to dealing with caricatures of nobility like Mr. Ferriere.

“What is your name?”

”Yalen Castel.”

“Well Mr. Castel, when you’re finished with your round of wine tasting, maybe you’ll be interested in a bit of competition. We’re doing a blind sampling over there and our top performers get a month of membership free. How does that sound?”

”That sounds wonderful. I’d be happy to partake.”

---

Assani 30th

Location: Society Faire (Day 2)
Day of the week: Victendes
Time: Early afternoon
Characters: Yalen, Isabella, Colette

---

Yesterday was a blur. Yalen had spent all of Lepdes signing up for clubs. After joining the Pragmatics, Gamers, and Tasters he continued to walk back and forth between the stalls trying to finalize his decisions. Here and there he had bumped into one of his friends and kept them company for a while, which usually led to him getting pressured into a particular society. After chatting with the other tethered students he was led to the Unchained Society, a group dedicated to supporting people with the tethering. Ayla was especially pushy with her suggestions, having roped him into joining not only the Egalite Fraternite, but also the Draconic Order and the Fauna Society. These he didn’t mind. The societies suited his personality and interests just fine. However, the fact that he was also joining the Fingersteeplers? He just wanted to forget about the embarrassing performance they made him do on stage.

Today was going to be all about fun. With his quota met, Yalen was free to enjoy everything the faire had to offer. First he wanted to try some desserts made by the Pumpernickel Clubbe. Then he wanted to make a second visit to the petting zoo. Then he wanted to visit the Fireflies again and ask some questions about dragon riding.

Before I do any of that though, I need to go help out the Carnation Accord… wait, how did that happen again? Yalen zipped around his room trying to get ready while organizing an itinerary in his head. Once he was good to go he exited his dorm and walked in the direction of Cathedral Square, where the walk-in clinic was being hosted nearby. However, there was something odd about his surroundings that he noticed. The street was still quite busy like yesterday, but almost half the people that should have been attending the faire were absent. On top of that, there was something off about the looks some people had. They looked stressed out, and anytime Yalen passed a group of pedestrians he could hear them whispering urgently to each other.

”What is going on?” Yalen muttered to himself. When he finally reached the location of the Carnation Accord, he found that the entire building was surrounded by bystanders. A perimeter of Lamplighters had been formed to block off the entrance while Centuries worked to fence the place off with binding magic.

Did a bomb go off in there or something? This is weird. The young monk worriedly paced around the edge of the mob trying to assess the situation. It didn’t look like they were bringing any injured people out, and the building itself was in good shape. Was someone carrying an infectious illness in there?

”Yalen!” A familiar voice rang out from Yalen’s left. He looked to see Isabella rolling towards him from behind the crowd.

”Isabella!”

”Dude, did you hear? An aberration popped up right in the middle of the clinic. They’re sealing the building and canceling the Carnation Accord’s entire event.”

”A what!?” The color left Yalen’s face.

”Yeah. Mrs. Tomaras absorbed it before it could touch anyone else, but she got really sick. They took her somewhere. I dunno where. I saw everything go down while they were treating my heat rash.” Isabella scratched at her shoulder, which was noticeably reddened where it wasn’t covered by her dress.

”This is bad. Aberrations were popping up in people’s bedrooms a few weeks ago too. Now it’s happening again…” Yalen’s face darkened with anxiety.

”Someone said the aberrations are popping up all over the city right now. A girl in my class said she saw a chick go crazy and start attacking people. Maybe we should head back to our rooms and wait for this to blow over.” Isabella suggested.

”I agree. Let’s get out of here.”

The two tethered traced their steps back to their dorms where they would hopefully be safe until the next morning. While Ersand’Enise had quite a bit of security, aberrations were unpredictable and could appear anywhere they wanted. Holing up in their rooms wouldn’t necessarily quarantine them from the anomalies, but at least they wouldn’t be at risk from other people who had absorbed one. Yalen and Isabella split up in front of the former’s room as she was staying in the common dormitory.

”If something happens, pinch me with your magic. I’ll come over right away.”

Isabella lightly punched him on the arm. ”I’ll be fine you dummy. See you tomorrow.” Yalen rubbed the spot where she hit him as the pigtailed girl rolled herself out of sight. Their respective dorm assignments weren’t too far from each other. If needed he could be there in just a couple of minutes. Still, he couldn’t help but worry. It wasn’t good to take Izzy lightly though. She was a year older than him after all.

Eh? Who is that? When Yalen began walking to his front door he saw that someone was waiting there for him. They were small like a child, but strangely their feet weren’t touching the ground. Furthermore, as Yalen got closer he observed that this person didn’t have any identifiable features. They were like a void in the shape of a human. Like…

An aberration. The moment the thought solidified in Yalen’s head it was like his mind was ejected from his body. He screamed at his legs to take him far away from there, but physically he continued to get closer and closer to the distortion in reality. It was reaching for him. Beckoning towards him. The thing in the shape of a person held its hand out welcomingly, and when it did his own hand mirrored it. Something had him in its thrall, and all he could do was watch in horror as his body was puppeted by a terrible desire.

”Stop!”

Just when Yalen was about to make contact with the void, he was tackled to the ground by Colette, whose presence he failed to notice in his state of insanity. The impact broke the hypnosis, allowing him to sit up and watch as his sister marched towards the aberration and pushed her hands into it.

”What are you doing!?” Yalen screamed. His voice was ignored, for she was too focused. He could sense the flow of energy within her body. She was absorbing it, just like he and his friends had in Torragon. The aberration vanished in seconds, and when it did the knightess collapsed to her knees.

”Colette!” Yalen pushed himself up and ran to his sister’s side. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind and shook her.

”Colette! Are you okay?” He started drawing energy in preparation for a healing spell, but his concentration was interrupted when an armored hand pulled his wrist away. Colette abruptly stood up and brought her face close to his, though Yalen could barely see her eyes through the slit in her helmet. Her breathing was ragged, like she had run a marathon at full sprint.

”You and I… will take about this… later.”

clubs and tldr

After paying D.R.A.G.O.N., Yalen signs up for clubs, plays some chess, and goes wine tasting. He nearly gives in to the aberration addiction but is rescued by his sister.

Egalite Fraternite
Unchained Society
Pragmatics
Gamers Union
Tasters Union
Fauna Society
Draconic Order
Fingersteeplers

Code Vein (Closed)

---

”So where are you from stranger?

”The next city over.”

”You came this far on foot? You must be one of those AB types then. Did you come for business or are you just looting?”

”I need to replace a window in my house.”

”Hey, I guess that makes you a window shopper then!”

”...”

In a strange turn of fate, Dallas was currently linked up with the party in the pickup truck. Their leader noticed Mr. Navy Seal holding him at gunpoint and called the guy off immediately. Apparently the strangers had been attacked by bandits a few days ago, which had made their bodyguard a little paranoid and trigger happy. As a form of apology for troubling Dallas, the scavengers offered to give him a ride in their technical for a while. The big revenant was now laid down in the back of the truck keeping the gunner company. Her cringey sense of humor was testing his patience, but she was nice otherwise. Dallas wasn’t that worried about them trying something on him where he was. He could easily jump out of the back of the vehicle.

The tires hit a bump in the road causing Dallas’s head to bang against the truck bed. He cursed and threw his bag behind his head to use as a pillow. The roads were cracked from disrepair and full of garbage. He would actually rather be walking right now, but staying in a group would keep the weaker Lost off his ass until he got what he came for.

After about fifteen minutes of slow, bumping driving the truck gradually braked to a halt. Dallas lifted his head to look at the machine gun lady.

”Why’d we stop?”

”I don’t know. Let me find out.” She grabbed the radio clipped to the front of her vest and pressed a button on the side. ”Beard, everything looks clear out here. Why aren’t we moving?”

“Sky says she saw something. Lots of movement a quarter mile ahead of us. Home team is recommending we stop while she comes back for another sweep.”

”Well, there you have it big guy. You can still hoof it if you like?”

”I’m in no rush.” Dallas stretched his arms out and closed his eyes. It sounded like they had someone watching over them from the skies, so he was more comfortable with letting his guard down. The weather out here felt nice - the wind kept his skin feeling nice and cool. It was hard to resist the temptation of falling asleep right here, right now. His eyelids were already starting to close on their own. Because of that, he didn’t see the moment when the gunner lady got hit in the chest by a beam of energy. She practically collapsed on top of him, unconscious. Her radio was blowing up with traffic.

”We’re being engaged! Contacts 12 o’ clock! Everybody dismount!”

Dallas pushed the human off and got up to peek over the side of the truck bed. It looked like they were right in front of a bridge crossing, though he had no idea what river it was. Trees and buildings were blocking visibility all around, but several humanoid figures could be seen on the other side of the bridge, one of which was throwing beams at the truck. It was exactly like the infernal that Vincent had killed a couple days ago. The human passengers had gotten out of the vehicle and were taking cover behind any wrecks and debris they could, as well as the unfriendly revenant in the ski mask. They put some rounds downrange and took out a line of thralls charging across the bridge, but an uncountable number of them were swarming across the narrow passageway. Dallas could hear someone shouting:

“Someone get on the fifty!”

Look at ‘em all go. As usual, those freaks have no concept of self preservation. He jumped behind the mounted gun and pulled the trigger on anything he could see moving on the other side of the bridge. The sound of gunfire was deafening without any ear protection. Dallas could barely hear the others as he swept the barrel left and right. The infernal was still throwing energy attacks, but its accuracy left something to be desired. The first strike must have been a lucky hit.

Then without warning, the bullets stopped coming out of the gun. Dallas kept trying to pull the trigger, but all he heard was a clicking noise. He pulled open the feed tray cover and saw that the weapon still had ammunition left.

”This thing is jammed!” He called down to one of the humans to his left. The bearded man looked over his shoulder at Dallas and slung his rifle before crawling over to the truck.

”Let me take a look at it!” The man reached a hand up and let Dallas heave him into the truck bed. While the guy tried to clear the jam, Dallas grabbed his battle axe and jumped off the car. He would have to help these people out or they’d run out of ammo before all the Lost were dead.

The Hourglass Order

---

Asani 15th

Location: Merchant Dorms
Day of the week: Victendes
Time: 2:?? HD
Characters: Yalen, Colette, Rita

---

The portal provided by Hugo dropped Yalen and Rita right outside of his dorm room door. Miraculously the priest trainee didn’t land on his face this time, and was able to step out of the gateway with ease. The tiny Segonese girl was all giggles as she followed her guardian out of the rift in space.

”Dat was so coooool!” Rita started jumping up and down while flapping her arms in excitement. Yalen smiled fondly at her antics. It was amazing how, despite everything that had happened to her, she still had the capacity to express such joy. It wasn’t hard to understand why she was so energetic. It wasn’t just the amazing display by the paradigm; this was also the tethered child’s first step outside the refuge. Like a pet goldfish released into a lake, she had a vast world waiting before her.

”Come on Yawen! ‘et’s go play somewhere!” Rita pulled on the back of Yalen’s robes to try and get him to cooperate. While he was all smiles, he had to remain firm and not go break curfew just to humor his new friend. It was as dark as could be outside save for the street lamps that dotted the main arteries of the city. The time difference between Torragon and Perrence would take time to overcome for her. He knelt down and messed with Rita’s hair a bit.

”Aw, there are a lot of places I want to show you Rita, but we have to stay indoors tonight. Sorry. This city is a little bit like the Refuge. All magically gifted students in Ersand’Enise have a curfew and I’ll be in trouble if they catch me out here.” Yalen could apologize all he liked, but Rita still puffed her cheeks up indignantly.

”Boooooo. Fine, but you gotsa feed me some’ting tasty for breakfast!”

A second rift in space opened and closed behind the pair, leaving behind the hastily prepared skid carrying Yalen’s auction spoils. Ten wyrm scales, twenty wyrm teeth, a sizable wyrm pearl, and a froabass egg were tied to the wooden planks. It was easily several thousand neskals worth of treasure. For the frugal Dordian priest, it was a mind boggling amount of money to be entrusted with. He still needed to decide what to do with it.

”Good thing they gave us this. I wouldn’t be able to carry it all by myself otherwise…” Yalen yanked the ropes over his shoulders and leaned his body forward. He wasn’t athletic by any means, but the proper use of weight and leverage allowed him to drag the heavy load all the way to the door of his dorm room. If there were two things to be thankful for, it was the city’s well paved roads and his luck in getting a place on the ground floor. As he fished around in his bag for the room key, Yalen realized he had forgotten something.

My hat! Yalen had forgotten his hat in Hugo’s study. There was no way to go back and get it now, at least until the paradigm called upon him once again. That was a shame. In the meantime he would have to use an umbrella. With a click the door was unlocked, but before Yalen could twist the handle the door swung open on its own. No, not quite on its own. Someone was standing there in the doorway. Someone whose face he recognized very well.

”Colette!?”

An armor-clad woman with platinum blonde hair strode out of the dorm, ignoring Yalen, and made a beeline for the Segonese girl.

”Go to sleep for a minute kid.” Colette waved a hand over Rita’s head, causing the child to gently collapse. The Quentic knightess put a gauntleted hand under Rita’s arm to keep her from falling to the ground, then hoisted the tiny girl over her shoulder. With her immediate objective accomplished, the older woman fixed her eyes upon Yalen. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

”It’s been a while, Yalen. Good to see you.”

The younger teen couldn’t meet his sister’s gaze. They couldn’t have crossed paths at a worse time. He bowed his head regretfully and clasped his hands together. ”...I can explain everything.”

Colette released a long, heavy sigh and rested her head in her hand. ”Let’s just go inside before she catches a cold.” She spun around on her heel and doubled back to Yalen’s room with a pint sized package in tow. As she passed by the stack of wyrm treasure, the ropes binding them to the skid unraveled and the entire cargo floated into the air before trailing behind her. Her little brother stood dumbly with his mouth agape. He’d never seen her use magic to this extent when the two were still together. How strong had she gotten while working as a knight?

Jocasta might still be stronger though… Eh? Yalen had no idea why that thought came to his head. Whose side was he on!? His ears felt hot as he closed the front door behind him. The candle sconces were already lit, filling the dorm room with a pale yellow glow. He had to wonder how long Colette had been here.

Yalen’s dragon bits were dumped unceremoniously in the corner of the room while Colette laid Rita out on his bed. Getting manhandled the way she did should have woken her up, but a mega dose of melatonin among other things would ensure that no such thing occurred. She was out until morning; thus, the two ‘siblings’ would have plenty of time to hold a private conversation. After tucking Yalen’s new friend into an oversized quilt, Colette breathed another sigh and rubbed her temples.

”Alright Yalen, who the heck is this?” She questioned while pointing at the bed.

”Her name is Rita.”

”Mmh. And? What’s she doing here in school?”

”I brought her with me after uh…” Yalen licked his lips nervously. ”Saving a refuge from destruction up in Torragon.”

Colette went silent then. The duo stared at each other awkwardly, him waiting for her to reply, her for him to say that this was all a joke.

”Seriously?”

”Y-yeah.”

”Merda! Sei proprio un coglione Yalen! Arghhhhh!” Yalen’s sister started pulling at her hair. She made the sign of the Pentad as well. She made it three times just to be sure.

“Calmatevi mia sorella…”

”Calm down!? You went to Torragon! I can’t believe you’re skipping classes in your first semester! And this kid? You’re adopting children? Are you trying to be like your father now? You’re barely of age yourself!” Yalen winced a bit. She sure had some pipes on her! Colette stormed over to the kitchenette and levitated an opaque bottle off the top of a shelf. It was a sample of wine that had come with the room. Yalen guessed it was a type of champagne but never took an actual sip. His sister poured some into a cup and quaffed it.

”Huff… huff…” Colette wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and braced her hands against the wall. She closed her eyes and took some diaphragmatic breaths.

”Alright. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s you after all. I’m just gonna… try to keep an open mind about this and listen to what you have to say.” The beleaguered swordswoman shuffled over to the dining table and took a seat there. She slapped the top of the table to get Yalen to join her, so he went over and took the chair opposite to hers. As he bent to sit down, the joints on his leg braces made a sound that got Colette’s attention. She reached her foot out under the table and poked at the metal and leather contraptions.

”Those are new. Did the school provide you with them?” She kneeled down and pinched at the various joints of her brother’s leg supports.

”No, I borrowed these while I was in Torragon.” Yalen replied, now feeling a bit out of place because of Colette’s intrusive examination.

”I see.” She got up from under the table and sat back down. ”Gosh, this room feels like an inn. The only evidence that you live here is a drawer full of your clothes and that shrine over there. Do you even touch the money Charles sends you? I thought you’d be staying in the noble quarters.” The two blondes looked towards the side of the room where Yalen had set up a shrine dedicated to Oraff. It was a small one made for portability, crafted with the infamous “axe-breaking birch” and covered in a generous portion of gold plate and orange sapphires. It was likely one of the most expensive things he currently possessed. Despite him being gone for a week there was a freshly lit stick of incense sitting in the receptacle. By now it was clear that Colette had been house sitting.

”But there’s really nothing I need.” Yalen admitted. ”I have all my textbooks and study materials. I eat three meals a day. I have a bed. Is there something else I should be spending money on?”

”How about a new outfit? Are you seriously wearing your vestments in class? You stick out like a sore thumb.”

Yalen self consciously tugged at his collar. ”But I’m comfortable in this… Besides, everyone knows I’m here as a priest, not the son of a nobleman.”

”That’s a fair point, but as long as you’re a Castel I think you should try to look a bit more important. By the gods, at least hire a maid for appearances sake. It would also give you more time to study.” Colette shrugged. Well, it’s not my business anymore. You’re old enough for me to stop nagging you about things like that.” She drummed her fingers on the table thinking about which way to steer the conversation next. ”Before we get to the bottom of your week-long absence, perhaps you would like to know why I’m here.” Yalen nodded in reply.

”This city has become a hot zone. A recent string of assassination attempts has the politicians on edge, and they’re cashing in every favor they have. The monastic orders were bombarded with pleas for reinforcements, so the Century has been dispatched by the Holy See of Verano. 100 elite mages are coming from every corner of Perrence and the surrounding territories. Until further notice, I have been granted a permanent visa in Ersand’Enise.”

Yalen got the gist of what she was referring to. Ever since the ceremony of the five thrones, ill rumors had been spreading amongst the student body. Some were even talking about the ruler of Belzagg going missing. If a head of state was harmed within the safe haven of Ersand’Enise, then even a hundred extra soldiers was too little. However, she called them the Century. While he was not familiar with the title, he assumed that these were top notch mages being dispatched to the academy city.

”I looked for you as soon as I arrived, you know. You had me worried sick! Couldn’t you have left a note or something? The day after you disappeared I interrogated every teacher in the academy. I even kicked down the door of the Zenith herself! That move almost earned me a whipping. Thankfully Ms. Upta was understanding and declined to report me. It didn’t do me much good though. I could tell she knew where you were, but her lips were sealed. I at least knew you were alive, so I spent the last week stalking your dorms waiting until you got back. With that all said”, Colette finished her cup and refilled it again, “How about we talk about your recent adventure?” Her eyes slowly drifted towards the dragon hoard piled up in the corner.

”Okay. Please bear with me, this might take a while to explain.”

Yalen walked his sister through the first night when he received a mysterious summons. He talked about the birds, and the journey through the Forked Tower. When he revealed his chance meeting with the paradigm, Colette raised an eyebrow.

”You met Hugo Hunghorasz? Isn’t that, like, the most powerful wizard in existence? What business would he have with a shrimp like you?”

”I was wondering that myself…” Yalen ignored her commentary regarding his height. ”But I wasn’t the only one there. He needed help, and a lot of it. A refuge in Torragon petitioned the school for assistance and a team of Biros was slated for dispatch. We were headed to a sanctuary full of tethered.”

”A tethered refuge? I’ve heard about those. They’re supposed to be like fancy hostels for sick people right?”

”On the surface maybe, but that place held some dark secrets. More on that later…”

Yalen skimmed through the battle with the halassa and the first encounter with the royal sand wyrm. The mention of the latter caused Colette to squeeze her cup until a crack formed in it.

”A sand wyrm? A beast like that would normally call for a military intervention! Was the paradigm trying to get you all killed?”

”He warned us of the possibility. I knew what might happen to me. Don’t forget, I volunteered to go. It was my decision to make.”

”Ugh. I wish you’d think about yourself a little more.”

”I know I don’t have long to live, but I can’t choose to do nothing when I have the power to help someone. I’d rather die fighting for what’s right.”

”That’s so like you… so are you okay? Hurting those animals must have been difficult for you.”

”You’re right, it did make me sick. They were aberration mad though. Even if I left them alone they no longer had a place in the natural world. It’s regrettable, but I had to do it.”

Yalen described his first meeting with Rita and his first impression of the refuge. He declined to talk about the dreams he had that night and quickly moved the story to the second morning. There was the communal breakfast and the mission briefing, and also his little pool party with the children. He briefly talked about the camel ride to the canyon where the aberration had been spotted. That was where the party discovered the sand wyrm’s consumption of the aberration and encountered a massive flight of froabasses.

”How in the five hells did you make it out alive?” Colette inquired.

”Well the girl named Jocasta…”

The rest of the events were a blur. Yalen told his sister about the death of the warden and everything they learned thereafter. He informed her of the plan concocted by Manuel and Amanda. He revealed the suffering Jocasta was made to endure when she was still living in the refuge, and the program for training tethered children to become assassins.

”That poor kid. And you’re saying she wasn’t the only one?”

”Her story was disturbingly typical, or so I was told.”

”That’s… I don’t even have the words to describe how disgusting that is. I can’t believe it was happening right under our noses. The church must be made aware!”

”I’m not sure how far your words would reach sis. Severa is home to a massive Darhannic population. I also cannot say with certainty that this is a problem endemic to all the refuges in the system.”

”Still… maybe I could convince someone to open an investigation.”

The hundreds of tethered in the refuge had to be trained in preparation for the wyrm’s assault. To further complicate things, Duke Frannemas and his people came to inspect his territory and Hugo was sending more and more students to intercede. With some shrewd negotiations and ample preparation however, the Biros were able to save the refuge from destruction and also gain its independence.

”Pffft. An apprentice teaching magic? The Zenith would have your head.”

”It was for the greater good! Besides, many of them were surprisingly quick to pick up on the Gift. Especially this one called Isabella. I believe some of the tethered are attending the school now.”

Yalen ended his summation of the adventure with the death of the sand wyrm, the mock auction, and the final goodbyes they all shared. He purposefully omitted the battle with the froabass alpha. There would be a time to talk about the disturbing things he’d seen and done at that time. He didn’t have the courage to do it right now.

”When this little one begged to come with me I was just about to step through the portal. She nearly tore my robe off.” He nodded towards Rita, who was snoring quite loudly. Colette leaned back and whistled. The whole story took an hour to finish.

”You’re such a softie, Yalen. I’ve always liked that about you. You may have been a little too impulsive though. How are you going to take care of a kid when you still have a full course of magical studies to complete?”

Yalen scratched his head. She was right, he hadn’t thought that far. ”I honestly don’t know. I figured I would sort it out as I went.”

”Yup. That’s so you. Intelligent as hell, but impulsive. Well, until she gets used to life outside of the refuge I don’t think it’s right to ship her off to Miatto. She can’t stay with you or it will interfere with your studies. Hmm.” Colette started rocking her chair back and forth. ”How about you leave her with me? I’ve got a room to myself in Cathedral Square. If you transfer some of your savings over to me I can use it for her living expenses and hire a nanny. Maybe we can even arrange a tutor to continue her education.”

”That’s- that’s a really good idea. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

”You’re not the only one here with a heart kiddo. I’ve been watching over squirts like you since you were in diapers. One more can’t hurt.” Colette chuckled and gulped down a fourth cup of wine.

This is perfect! Yalen couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He had a ton of new friends, his big sis was in Ersand’Enise, and now he could see Rita any time he wanted. He couldn’t think of a more perfect school life.

”Yaleeeeennnnn.” Colette slurred. Her face was getting red now. The booze was finally starting to reach her head. She fumbled out of her chair and sauntered over to Yalen with her arms stretched out.

”I’ll forgive ya for disappearing from school, but you gotta give your sister a hug!” She wrapped him in a bear hug and dragged him out of his seat. Yalen felt his cheek getting rubbed against her steel armor and tried to push her away, but she was too strong.

”Colette, your breastpl-!”
”So you’re old enough to be interested in my breasts huh? You little perv!”
”Breastplate! Your breastplate! Take it off if you want to hug me you lush!”

Colette switched her grip so she could give Yalen a noogie. He started to kick at her shins in desperation, but she was wearing greaves. In the end he was forced to humor her drunken frenzy until the clock ticked past 4:00 HD. He still had a full day of classes tomorrow. When the knightess finally began settling down, her armor had been scattered around the room and she had Yalen’s head resting in her lap. She was stroking his head like a dog while he stared at the wall in contemplation.

”Colette?”
”Hm?”
”Do you think I can become strong like you?”

Colette stopped her hand.

”Why do you ask?”
”I can’t save anybody as long as I’m the one who needs saving. I don’t want to be a burden any longer.”

His serious tone seemed to sober her up somewhat. Colette let Yalen out of her lap and stood up to collect her equipment. ”I don’t know if you can be as strong as me, but you definitely have potential if you try hard.”

”I would like you to train me.”
”Pardon?” Colette looked back at Yalen while strapping her gauntlets back on. The look in his eyes was one she hadn’t seen since he begged to come to Ersand’Enise. It was an intensity that she rarely witnessed from him. He looked like a soldier.

”Yalen, I’m not a gym teacher you know. Asking me to train you is a very serious thing. I didn’t build muscles like these by jogging in the park.”

”I’m prepared to puke blood if I have to.”

”...” Colette walked towards Yalen’s study desk and looked at the class schedule he had glued to the wall. She picked up a fountain pen and tapped it against her chin. After a minute of thought she scribbled some words onto the parchment and circled them. ”If this isn’t a joke then let’s do it. But make no mistake, it’s going to be your funeral. We’re going to have to build a regimen on top of your classes using the available free time. I don’t want this to affect your grades so we’ll have to find a way for you to study too…” She circled a few more spots on the schedule. ”I’ll have to schedule my patrols to line up with the times you’re in class. We can do physical conditioning in the morning and evenings and use your free periods for magic combat training. As for study time, I’m sure we can figure it out together.”

Yalen came to look at the training schedule being drafted and crossed his arms. ”Is it okay for me to be doing this every day? Doesn’t the body need to rest after intense training?”

”With the church’s methods, you could push boulders for 24 hours and not even feel it the day after. Trust me, those Rezaindians know their stuff. No more prayers first thing in the morning, you’re waking up early for me now.” Colette patted her little brother on the back. ”Alright”, She went to the bed and scooped Rita into her arms, blanket and all, ”I’ve got to take this one home. I hope she won’t start bawling her eyes out when I tell her she’s staying with me.”

Yalen took off his Dordian necklace and placed it around the tethered child’s neck. ”It’s alright. I’ll visit her every week.”

”Heh, you’re a sweet kid Yalen.”

”I’m just imitating my pushover of a sister.” Yalen smiled and hugged Colette one more time. ”I’ll see you tomorrow.”

---

Asani 16th

Location: Merchant Dorms -> All over Ersand’Enise
Day of the week: Taldes
Time: 4:?? HI
Characters: Yalen, Colette

”Attention maggot!” Colette shouted. Yalen’s desperately needed rest was interrupted when his new drill sergeant started banging a pair of cooking pans over his head. In his panic to get up he accidentally rolled over and collapsed onto the floor. His sister dropped the pans and picked him up by the arms before sitting him back on his bed.

”Good morning sleepyhead, looks like you slept in! That business in Torragon must have tired you out huh? Come on, up and at ‘em!”

Slept in? Most of the academy will be asleep for another 4 hours… Yalen rubbed his eyes with shaking hands. His heart was beating out of control even though he had been laying still all night. His throat felt unnaturally parched. The symptoms of aberration absorption were beginning to manifest.

Colette rushed about the room trying to speed up Yalen’s morning preparations. She handed him his leg braces and a fresh pair of clothes. She also put a basin of hot water at his feet and passed him a towel so he could wipe himself off. While he groggily got himself prepped for the day, the older woman placed a cup of black tea on the dining table next to a sandwich wrapped in rough parchment paper.

”Here! I brought you breakfast! Hurry and eat!!”

After 20 minutes of hasty preparation Yalen was hustled out the door by Colette, a piece of his sandwich still hanging out of his mouth. First light hadn’t even broken over the horizon yet. The whole street was covered in the dark blue shade of astronomical twilight. Other than the skeleton crew of the night watch there was nobody in sight. A soldier in ornamental looking armor just happened to pass by right as Yalen finished locking his door.

“Good morning Lieutenant D’aureville! You taking a squire on a ride-along?” The person’s head was covered by a full face helmet, but they sounded male. Colette gave the man a friendly wave.

”Oraff keep you Manon! Meet my brother Yalen!” She ruffled Yalen’s hair despite his protests.

“The rumored brother? Good to see you’re okay boyo! I’m glad you’re here because she just wouldn’t shut up about you!”

”Thank you Sir Manon. I wouldn’t tease my sister too much. She’ll take it out on you later.” Yalen gave Colette a sideways glance.

”Hey, I’m not the type to hold a grudge! I’ll just break one bone during our sparring session later!” She sent Manon a wink while gripping the hilt of her bastard sword. Her fellow Century knight shuddered and marched away as quickly as his plate armor would allow. Once he was out of sight, Colette turned to Yalen.

”Okay so before we begin, I want you to drink this.” She opened a small bag attached to her hip and retrieved a vial of clear liquid. This she handed to Yalen, who eyed the tincture a little suspiciously.

”What’s this?” He asked while shaking the glass container.

”It’s an extract the Rezaindians concocted a few years ago in conjunction with the Stresians. I have no idea what it is, but it’s something they use to keep their ranks filled with able bodied recruits. Those Eshiran worshiping zealots have the highest fatality rate in the monastic orders, so they’ve developed some interesting shortcuts to address that.”

Yalen uncorked the vial and sniffed the medicine before downing it in one go. It was one of the worst things he’d ever tasted, and he’d once been fed a sardine pie from Enth. The young monk coughed and thumped his chest. Colette rubbed his back encouragingly and took the empty vial out of his hand.

”Awful stuff ain’t it? I’m not actually allowed to give this to people outside the warrior sects, so keep it a secret.

”It tastes exactly as bad as it smells.”

”Get used to it, since you’ll be sucking it down every week. When you combine that drug with hard training, a year’s worth of body sculpting can be done in only a couple months. Follow me.”

The pair walked until they were at the large fountain built between the merchant and common dormitories. There were a handful of windows faintly illuminated through the curtains by candle light, but the dorms were still mostly asleep and the siblings were the only ones loitering outdoors. If Yalen was caught out here without his chaperone he’d be cleaning floors after school.

Several empty buckets were scattered around the fountain. Colette took two of them and beckoned Yalen over. She filled the buckets with an inch of water each and forced them into his hands.

”Lift your arms up so they’re parallel to the ground.” She commanded. Yalen obliged, hoisting the buckets up so his body formed a T. ”How do you feel? Is it too heavy?”

”Actually, it’s not too bad.”

”Pass them here again.” Colette filled the buckets until they were just under half full and then asked Yalen to lift them again. This time he could only hold them in place for a few seconds before he was forced to let his arms hang to the sides.

”Great. That should be the right amount of weight. You’re going to follow me on patrol while carrying your water buckets. Our route will take us through the merchant’s quarter to the Queensgate, then we’ll circle back around. After that we’ll do some body weight exercises and cool off with light running.”

”How long will my morning training be if I might ask?”

”Um, I also need to perform magical therapy on you afterwards, so two hours I guess? Don’t forget, I’ll also be picking you up tonight. Ideally we’re aiming for four to five hours of physical training per day.”

Yalen clenched his teeth. I’m going to die!

---

Asani 18th

Location: Oliviere Bakehouse
Day of the week: Orredes
Time: 2:35 HO
Characters: Yalen, Isabella

It has now been three days since their return from Torragon. Yalen was on his way to enjoying his lunch period when he was unexpectedly intercepted by Isabella outside the school gate. The pair of tethered students were now casually strolling side by side, one of them on four and the other on two. According to the pigtailed brunette there was a great bakehouse in the Merchant’s Quarter they could eat at.

”These streets are suuuuuper flat. This is even better than the refuge!” Izzy boasted as she rolled her wheels over the cobblestone.

”Are you sure you don’t want me to push you?” Yalen offered.

”A gentleman are we? Nah I’m good, thanks.” Isabella turned her head to check out a horse carrying a pair of lovers down the road. ”Whoa, check out that lady’s corset. Was that thing made of leather? It must smell sooo bad.” The four eyed fashionista was forced to suddenly angle her wheels to get out of the way of a trio of giggling Biros. ”Man I hate when people take up the whole sidewalk like that.”

”Aren’t we walking next to each other too?” Yalen interjected.

”Yeah, but we’re uh, disabled people aren’t we? Where’s my special treatment!?” She loudly complained.

Is she the type to only garner sympathy when it’s convenient for her? Yalen secretly thought to himself. He jolted in surprise as a bird dropping landed inches away from his foot. He looked up to see a flock of seagulls circling overhead, likely scouting the city for food scraps.

”Hey, there’s the sign for Cutter Street. We turn right here.” Yalen followed Isabella around a corner, and instantly a delicious smell hit them like a wave. There was a sweet, yeasty aroma with a subtle herbaceous undertone. From where the two were they could see a fair amount of townspeople lined up outside a modestly sized building. The front of the bakehouse had a wooden stall erected in front of it with a row of slanted planks overhead for shade. A blonde Parrench girl about Rita’s age was politely manning the stall and taking orders, while someone who looked like her older brother walked up and down the line to keep it organized. People were leaving just as fast as new customers lined up, delicious treats in hand.

”Let’s grab a spot in line!” Isabella spun her wheels madly, leaving a trail of dust behind her. Yalen picked up the pace to catch up with her, narrowly avoiding bumping into a few strangers on the way.

”I’m so glad to be living here. I was getting sick of churros.” Izzy chuckled. ”Hey, do you think they have those sandwich looking things? The ones that look like they got dipped in paint?”

”Macarons?”

”Yeah! Those! I bet they’re super yummy.”

“Believe me, the macarons my father makes are delicious.” Seemingly out of nowhere, the tethered pair were suddenly addressed by the Parrench gentleman. He spoke to them while continuing to direct people with his hands. “Is this your first time visiting our bakery?”

”Yes.” ”Mhm!”

“Enchanté! Mother loves getting new customers. If you show this to my little sister you’ll get a free fruit tart with your order.” The kind youth handed Yalen and Isabella small blocks of wood with the name “Oliviere” carved into it. He gave them a shallow bow and continued to walk down the line.

”Uh, score!? I’ve never been one to turn down a freebie.” Isabella pumped her fist in the air.

”You can take mine too if you want.” Yalen dropped his share on his friend’s lap. ”I don’t think I could handle two portions.” Truly fruit tarts were one of his favorite things to eat, but the diet Colette had him on required cutting down on the sweets for a while. He’d been eating nothing but bread, meat, and cheese for a few days now.

”Oh, are you sure? Thanks a lot.”

The pair chatted for a few minutes while slowly advancing towards the bakery stall, and the closer they got the more their mouths began to water. It smelled so good that one could almost get full off the scent alone. Every few seconds a stocky looking woman pushed the doors open and handed a basket of goods to the waiting customers.

”How’s your homework coming along?”

”It could be better. I kept poking myself with the sewing needle last night.”

It was now their turn to order. The sandy haired girl gave the students a dimpled smile.

“Good afternoon! What can I get for you?”

”Fougasse for one, miss. Oh, and a spice cake.”

“One Hugo sir!”

Yalen produced a coin purse from the inside of his robes and dropped some coins in the girl’s waiting hands. She fondled the money for a second and then stuffed them into the pocket of her apron. She ran up to the bakehouse’s front door and stuck her head in to holler the order at whoever was working inside, likely her parents.

”I thought you weren’t that hungry.” Isabella said with a raised eyebrow.

”Oh, the cake is for my sister.”

The Parrench girl hopped back up to the stall and looked down at Isabella. “And for you ma’am?”

”Hm? Oh. Six macarons please! I also have these.” Isabella dropped the wood blocks in front of the young lady.

“You must have talked to my brother then. Fair warning, the next time you show up he’ll probably ask you on a date.” She covered her mouth and giggled. “Your face is his type.” Isabella made a face like she was choking in response to the comment, causing the cashier to laugh even louder.

“Yeah, he’s rather shameless. Twelve owls please.”

Once the two paid up they stood off to the side to wait for their purchases. It did not take long though. After about three minutes the big woman kicked open the door and handed the teenagers their food with a toothy smile. When they finally received their items Yalen and Isabella wandered north to the Arboretum. The park was full of other Biros in various states of activity. Some were studying quietly, others were enjoying their own lunch or walking along the river.

”Hey, I think those two are making out.” Isabella pointed at a pair of lovers who had attempted to hide themselves in a thicket of trees, rather unsuccessfully. They were so enamored with each other one might assume they needed each other’s lungs to breathe. The display caused Yalen’s cheeks to heat up.

”L-let’s just sit down.” There was an unclaimed bench nearby where they were able to relax out of the way of others. At least, Yalen was able to. Izzy simply rolled her chair around so she was sitting close by. The pigtailed girl picked a sandwich cookie at random and sank her teeth into it. She slapped her arm rest and squealed.

”Sho goooooooooooooooood!!!” Isabella screamed with a mouth full of pastry. Seeing the delight on her face made Yalen’s mouth water a bit. He had to try this. He unwrapped his food and marveled at the delicious slab of dough on his lap. The loaf was lightly moist with olive oil, dotted with cured black olives and seasoned with some kind of herbs. He could smell a hint of lemon as well. He bit into it without hesitation, and as soon as he did he was struck by a tidal wave of flavor. It was zesty, salty, and herbaceous. The surface was perfectly crisp, while the inside was moist and chewy.

”This is incredible. I’ve never had such delicious fougasse.” Yalen licked some oil off his finger. He and Isabella were so engrossed in their meal that they didn’t speak another word to each other until they were finished eating.

”My waistline is gonna hate me for this later.” Isabella brushed some crumbs off of her skirt. ”Phew. I wonder if I should go back though. I might end up looking like the baker’s wife pretty soon.”

”Hey now, if she heard you say that she’d have every right to hit you with her rolling pin.” Yalen chastised. ”Shall we start heading back?”

They continued to exchange small talk on their way back to the academy. They made some commentary on today’s theology class. Isabella boasted about all the plans she had for her free period later in the day. They talked about the progress of their magical studies - Izzy moped about accidentally making a bowl of water explode yesterday.

”If you don’t mind me asking, how are you feeling?” Yalen asked.

”What do you mean?” Isabella strained her arms to get her wheelchair up the ramp in front of the school gate.

”The…The madness. Has it affected you at all?”

”Well if you want an honest answer, I feel like shit. I’m just trying to power through it. I’ve been ignoring the voice in my head telling me to look for more reality holes to suck on. How about you?”

Yalen shook his head. ”Every morning it feels like I’m dying. If it weren’t for my sister’s help I don’t think I could get out of bed in the morning.”

”That must be nice... Oh, I have to go this way. I guess we’re splitting up here.”

”Yeah. I enjoyed this. We should meet for lunch again sometime.”

”You getting sweet on me Yalen? Careful, your other girlfriends might get jealous.”

”Hey!” Before he could throw something back at her Isabella zipped away, gliding her wheels along the ground using her newfound kinetic clout. Yalen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed like every girl he knew enjoyed teasing him. He checked his basket to make sure Colette’s cake was still there and then shuffled off to agriculture class.

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Summary

The night before classes begin again Yalen is greeted by his big sister Colette. As a member of the elite Century unit, she has arrived at Ersand'Enise to help protect its citizens. After a brief reunion she agrees to take custody of Rita and help train him per his request. Life goes on as usual. He shares a lunch period with Isabella and discovers a high quality bakehouse.

O R I F L A M M E

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Location: Meldheim - The Green Temple
Time: Late morning to early midday

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Gerard walked quietly through Meldheim, his wool cloak flapping vigorously in the icy southern wind. The Rezaindian was feeling much more comfortable now than he was when the expedition first landed at Rigevand. With his new disguise he could now hide his face under a hood, and he could also speak with the locals more freely using his pilgrim’s alibi as an excuse. Those whose lands bordered the northern kingdoms tended to have a more noticeable accent compared to the core Eskandr cultures.

Using the directions given to him by Trygve, Gerard found his way to the foothill atop which the Grontempel had been built. As despicable as the Eskandr were as a people, their skill in woodworking could not be denied. Every inch of every plank used in the temple’s construction had been decorated with patterns ranging from knots and diamonds to trees and longships. As he stepped closer to the towering structure, he noticed the faint tool marks left behind by the craftsmen’s carving knives. The roofs were slanted to prevent snow buildup, and wood carved dragons peeked out from where any two corners met. The draconic reliefs were studded with jewels of all colors, a detail Gerard took note of. They would be worth tearing apart before the church was destroyed.

Gerard made sure to prostrate himself in front of the temple doors before entering. He felt none of the euphoria experienced by the genuine believers who made their way here, but right now he was playing a role. There were many residents and pilgrims going in and out of the Grontempel and he needed them to believe he was a sincere worshiper of the Five Wardens. When he was finished making a fool of himself the Quentic priest stepped up to the Grontemple’s massive double doors. It was difficult to tell due to the wood’s color but one could make out Eskandish script cut into the door at various elevations. Gerard spotted familiar words like ‘Father’ and ‘Home’ and ‘Afterlife’, but most of the text was indecipherable.

This dialect is so old. I can’t read it at all. Were these doors brought in from somewhere else? Just then the doors groaned open as a congregation exited the temple, causing a wave of air to hit Gerard in the face. Despite wearing a thick double tunic, he still shivered involuntarily. The sooner they returned to the green hills of Perrence the better. He pulled his hood up tighter and slipped past the crowd to enter the Grontemple proper.

It was not as dark inside the temple as Gerard expected. Circular glass portals allowed slivers of light to cut through the shadowy inner sanctum, and a large number of torch sconces had been bolted to the walls. The scent of smoke was strong here. Keeping the Grontemple insulated against the freezing conditions outside must have required them to give up on proper ventilation. Thankfully the fiery priest was unbothered, for the smell of ash was well known to him.

Gerard confidently strode down the aisle while scanning his eyes around the sanctuary. Unlike the Quentic churches he was used to, there was a distinct lack of seating available. With the exception of a few long benches for the elderly and infirm, all of those who came to worship did so on their feet. Guessing by the subtle differences in their clothing, Gerard saw a diverse mix of Drudgunzeans standing in prayer among the Eskandr, mainly those from Kressland and Lindermetz.
The Grontemple was just as richly decorated inside as it was outside. There was plenty of expert woodcrafting on display, but on top of that Gerard saw more jewel encrusted statues as well as neskals being used as ornaments. Even the candelabras and braziers appeared to be made of valuable silver. The Eskandr apparently dedicated a sizable share of their wealth towards making their gods comfortable.

Good. If this was just any old chapel then razing it to the ground would serve no purpose. Under his hood, Gerard was smirking. His feet had finally carried him to the end of the aisle. This far into the temple the light had become scarce. The disguised Parrenchman could only see a couple feet in front of him now. He had to stop now, as there were two other congregants lined up ahead. The one in front, a woman, was kneeling in front of an unfathomably deep basin which had been carved into the stone floor. The basin was filled to the brim with water. At least, it was a liquid that had the same visual appearance as water. She scooped some of the liquid into her hands and drank while Gerard watched her intently. He felt alarmed when the woman suddenly collapsed backwards and stared at the ceiling.

The red Rezaindian leaned forward and whispered to the man in front of him. ”What’s happening to her?” The Eskandr turned his head to look at Gerard.

“Is it your first time standing in the hall of the Family, traveler? In that case, Brother’s blessings upon you. What you see here is the holy well of the Grontemple. When a true son of Eskand drinks the hallowed elixir, their spirit is partially freed from its mortal shell. The things you are able to experience in that state between life and death… it is indescribable. Some have claimed to see the dead, while others hear the voice of the gods themselves. If you'd like then you can go ahead of me. Be warned though: your first experience may frighten you.” The amicable stranger stepped aside to make way for Gerard. The latter was hesitant to proceed after seeing the effects the water had on the woman, who was still in a semi-catatonic state. Still, he couldn’t back out after coming this far. It would be too suspicious. Gerard steeled himself for the worst and knelt in front of the pool.

See the dead eh? What a load of horse shit. Did they put drugs in here or something? The priest thought to himself. He formed a cup with his hands and dipped them into the water just as the lady had done. If he was going to do this he saw no reason to hesitate. Gerard drank quickly before his nerves could fail him. The moment the liquid reached his stomach, he could feel something happening to him. A throbbing migraine crawled up his neck and into his head, and colors were randomly flashing before his eyes. As the seconds crawled by, an alien presence began to make itself known to Gerard. It was hard to put the sensation into words. It was as if the very air he breathed had attained sapience and was now silently moving through him, examining him, and judging him. His eyesight gradually failed, and when only the darkness remained he felt a thousand invisible eyes gaze into his very being. It was hard to breathe, like he’d fallen to the bottom of the sea.

Gerard didn’t know how long he was paralyzed for. When he finally regained his senses, the Grontemple looked the same as it always did. There were more people inside the temple now, and a line was building in front of the well. The two pilgrims he had met were nowhere to be found.

”This is dangerous…” Gerard shakily got up off the stone floor and hobbled away. He resolved to make sure none of his allies touched this stuff when they came to plunder the temple. The intoxicated priest mingled with the gathering crowd so that he was close to the entrance, but still hiding in plain sight amongst the throng of people. There was a very low chance of him being watched, but he remained cautious. He meditated inside the Grontemple for some time, though he was undoubtedly the only man in the building praying to Echeran. If the Eskandr gods could read minds they surely would have smote him on the spot for his contempt.

Scut! Gerard felt a sharp pinch on his ears and nearly let out his voice. His first instinct was to turn around, but he knew the touch of Force and recognized it as the signal. It was time to head back to Rigevand.