Academy of Lunaria: Cursed Changes (SaphireTsuki and Anafal)

[SaphireTsuki]

The Academy of Lunaria: A school of magic and transmutation. The Land of Lunaria was simple, the royal family mages of the highest caliber, and contracted with knights and mages of all kinds. Unfortunately, however, fate didn't like their power. And so, an entity known as Nightmare took over, cursing the royal line to never be able to use magic again... and taking control. However, there was a way to break the curse... if the remains of the royal line could gain a contract without training... then they could once more gain control of their natural magic.


Until then, they were an above-average student of applied magical artific at the Academy. Which was split into natural-mages and Artificers. Artificers used external sources, like potions and artifacts, to use their magic, and Mages used the magic within them... the only use of an Artifact for the sake of helping focus. Mages are seen as better than Artificers, but really... they are about equal in strength, if enough study and practice is done to offset the natural advantages of Mages.


There is only one capable of using both... the long-lost former princes, cursed to remain.... until she meets her "knight".

 

[SaphireTsuki]

Another day of friction between the two sides of the school. Another day of Saphire sighing, pulling her hood up, and hoping neither saw her. It was always the same... more people trying to get her to make better focuses for them, but ignoring her needs. More jerks thinking that natural magic, Mages, were better than Artificers. More wishing she could just read... more wishing that the evil Queen Nightmare wasn't in charge. More wishing she could see the sky again. Or clouds. More wishing... but today was supposed to be different.


The blue-haired, pale-skinned girl snuck past a blond-hair-green-eye-big-chested woman, the leader of the Mages, hood covering all but her closed, impassive mouth. Up the stairs, billowing navy-dark-blue cloak the only sign of her movement... and she was gone, in the upper stairs of the dorm rooms. The heavy stone castle, thick forest, everything was in dark colors. The only brightness was in the people, but she wished there was a hint of light.... but today she was supposed to get a roommate. Someone who would maybe get along with her... if they weren't freaked out by her side of the room covered in books. And blank canvas. Because she couldn't get bright paints.

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes let her hair flow around her shoulders as she strode through the courtyard. Both Mages and Nulls sent her glares, as though she was a traitor to the cause. To be honest, she was. And she didn't care. A twitch of her cloak to reveal the hilt of her sword, and the glares were suddenly redirected with haste.


However, the problem of her roommate would not be solved by a flash of her sword. She knew that her roommate was a Mage, a talented one at that. And with Agnes herself being a Null, that could cause a lot of trouble. Not to mention the fact that she was trained in physical fighting, something disdained by Mages and Nulls alike, and there was a lot that could go wrong about this. But Agnes was used to danger. And she knew how to deal with it.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

((Powerful natural mage... unable to use her magic. Recipe for disaster.))


Forced to be an Artificer, despite her knowledge of all kinds of magic in either way, but she didn't care. She had books. She had canvases where she might get to see the bright light again, if only in the form of paints.... and a wish for the sky to clear before the week ended. These unusual months of gloom were saddening... but she refused to fall to it. And yet... yet she was worried of the eventual end. The Mages considered her and Artificer, the Artificers a Mage, and the Nulls? They were an odd group, and she wasn't sure how they had become students here. Apparently they had such a hard time with magic that even most Artifacts refused to work for them...


She shook her head, lowered the hood, and let her once-bright-now-dark blue hair cascade down her as she sat down, across from the still blank bed, and waited for someone to come in. WHo was her roommate? What were they like? Could she possibly get along with them? Did they expect her to tutor them? SHe would, of course, but... if their attitude was horrible she'd feel miserable. Nothing new there, actually.

 

[Ananfal]

Climbing the dark stairs, Agnes sighed softly. There was no use in worrying herself. She had to make her choice and it was already made. A swift walk down the hallway and she stopped in front of a door. A quick knock before she opened it and stepped inside. Her first thought was of the colors. A blank canvas constrated with the dark blue clothes of the girl sitting on the bed. "My name is Agnes Mariski. I will be your roommate." A decisive statement. No need to show fear to the Mage. They tended to take advantage of it, and She didn't want to hurt her new roommate on the first day.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"Oh, ummm... Hi. S-saphire, the cursed Mage." Best to get that out of the way right away. Everyone... well, most people had heard of her. They usually thought she was stupid, dumb... whatever. And this woman seemed so brave and strong... not like Saphire at all. Oh dear... that was not good. Nope, not at all. She probably would bully Saphire into making a new tool for her, or doing her homework... "S-so... nice to m-meet you?" Ah, that stutter was back... always when she expected someone to want to hit her. I want my magic back... or... or at least to be respected for it.

 

[Ananfal]

"No need to lie." The words were blunt, but there was no real force behind them. "I know that since you're a Mage, being next to a Null is bound to annoy you. But rest assured, I will do my best to remain unobtrusive and out of your way." A small speech that she had prepared in her head. A little bow at the end, for she'd found that Mages liked those shows of deference, and then she was gliding over to her bed and laying down the only possession she had brought with her: her sword.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

And then... the sword... "An Artifact? Can you use it?" SHe could feel the telltale hint of magic coming off of it... "My cloak's one too... umm, if you don't mind? I... I like studying them." Well, more like she had to since despite her large reserves of magic she couldn't actually USE them... but still. "I... I could let you see mine, if you wanted...." Not that it was all that useful, but still. She played with the clasp, biting her lip and looking down. Of course she thought she was lying... everyone did.

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes was now officially confused. No Mage had ever spoken to her like that after knowing who she was. With a small sigh, she took her sword in her hands and presented it to Saphire, still in its sheath. "I have no qualms about you studying Llosgi, but please be careful. Also, do not draw him. Llsogi will burn brightly for someone as talented as you."


Perhaps she had misjudged the young Mage. Not all were as she had predicted, she knew that, but they were so rare... Shaking her head, she tried to offer the girl a small smile. Maybe this could actually work out well, for a change.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

Her eyes wide she looked at the sword, studied every inch of it that she could see, and nodded. "Thank you, Agnes. He's a beauty... whomever crafted this sword was a master of their art, the magic is... it's..."wonderful. So perfectly melded with the materials that as long as the sword was cared for it would maintain itself..... "OH, and in such good condition! I wish I could make things like this... well, actually I don't, since a lot of the more rude people would be forcing me to make them...." She gently returned the sword, a slightly nerdy smile on her face.

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes couldn't help but blush slightly at the praise. "Actually, the person that created that sword... Is me." She hesitantly sat down next to the blue haired girl and allowed her to hold Llosgi once more. "My mother, a famous and praised magician, had created a sword at the pinnacle of her power, a melding of magic and steel that has not been duplicated since. Of course, being her only child, I was expected to follow her accomplishments. However..." And here she hesitated, but she could no longer go back. "When I was tested for my magical ability, and was asked to create a sword... Llsogi was my result. There is not much inherent magic within him, but he amplifies and expells the magic within you. Thus, he is the perfect weapon for a Null like me." She smiled, and didn't mention the fact that Llosgi wasn't sufficient to allow Agnes to stay in her own home, and the sword was the only thing she had been allowed to keep when she was thrown out.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"IT's ingenious! IF... if I could duplicate this it might significantly increase the chances of Nulls catching up to Artificers and Mages! MIght even end this pointless conflict they're in." And oh how she hated it... used to be they were just seen as different kinds of magic. And OOH THAT SUN WHY WA- no, nevermind. Not the right conversation. "I... I wish things were different..." That she could actually see bright colors again, from the sky and the ground... that people could live happily together, equal.

 

[Ananfal]

Her smile was sad and bitter. "I lost that hope a long time ago." When she was alone on the street at age eight. When she unwillingly lost her innocence at the hands of a stranger. So many tradigies she had been forced to go through... She no longer had hope. Only force of will kept her moving onwards, and not just giving up.


Shaking the thoughts from her head, she gave Saphire another small smile and took Llosgi in her hand. With a practiced gesture, she slid the sword from it's sheath. Almost instantly pink flames ran up and down it's length, illuminating her face as Agnes held it up before her eyes. "Llosgi is the only thing I have left in this world. Hope is something I no longer dream of at night." She murmured quietly, almost to herself.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

A sad, almost bitter smile, "I can't let myself give up. I don't know why, but I can't." Her mother had been vehement that she not. So she'd fought and fought, the curse that turned most colors into mixes of brown or darker shades, the inclusive sense of dark that hit her...how the only way she could see colors like normal people was from looking at near-neon colors. How the sky either looked bright enough to make her eyes bleed or dark enough that even the sun wasn't there for her... no, stop. The world is not dark, it's just everyone's mental states bleeding into your eyes, it's proof that you can destroy the curse! "A-anyway, I just fight on with the knowledge that it wasn't always like this... and that if we could just find the right... something. THe right spell, or artifact, the right mix of traits, or someone with enough charisma.... it is possible to change things. Not the past, but... maybe the future. And I hold tight to that." If she didn't she'd break, once and for all. She couldn't. She had talent, she had untappable power, and... and she might be able to do it if she could only figure out how.

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes gently patted the girl's head. "You're a better person then I am, Saph. Can I call you that?" She asked, as she rose to place Llosgi on her bed. As much as she longed to keep her sword with her, she doubted she would be allowed to carry a weapon around a school. Although if she passed it off as her artifact... Glancing back at Saph (she would call her that in her head, if no where else), she hesitantly asked. "May I carry Llosgi with me? He's my artifact..."

 

[SaphireTsuki]

Saphire, snapped out of her rapidly swirling thoughts, nodded numbly. "Yeah, anything that's registered as an artifact can be carried around with you. I have two... my cape and an old family tome. Took forever to get it for myself." That thing was a masterpiece. A true masterpiece. Not that she'd ever carry it around openly, but it was said to have spells written in it that only a select few were able to use... it was her hope that she could one day unlock those spells, an use them to fix the world. "Umm... I have the paperwork in my drawer, if you want to fill it out. Give it to your first teacher and we can... set it up before class starts."

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes blinked at the young girl, once more surprised, even though she shouldn't be. Saph had already proven that she was not like other Mages, and yet she had foolishly believed that the young girl would not deign to help her with paperwork. "The help would be... Appreciated." Agnes finally answered, unsure of what the proper response would be. No one had ever helped her before.


Heading over to the desk, Agnes prepared to fill out paperwork once Saph gave it to her. Then another thought leapt into her mind. "I was never given a schedule... How do I know what classes I have?" This was technically her first year at the academy, despite the fact that she was older then most of the inhabitants by a year or two.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"Sure. Just let me..." And she was digging through her drawer, and then it was out, and she handed it over. She then stood over Agnes' shoulder, reading the information silently, making sure it was filled out properly. Occasionally she pointed out a spot or two that were incorrectly filled out, or needed to be signed, not printed. Still, each correction she made was done quietly, timidly, and in the same barely-there voice she'd been using the entire time.


And then the question about schedules came. THis was a bit harder, as it depended on what year Agnes was in. Still, though she was a bit older than the other students she seemed to be... new to magic. So, the worst that will come from going to the first-year classes is she would get some review, be placed in the higher ones next to Saphire, and get upset about the goose-chase. "U-um... I-if you're a first year the schedule is... it's like this:" And she wrote it down on a piece of paper.

• Magic Practice
  
• First Year Magic History
  
• Break- 30 min
  
• Introduction to Theory
  
• National History
  
• Lunch- 1 hour
  
• Applied use of Focus/Artifact
  
• Alchemy Year 1
  

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes frowned at the schedule. She had learned most of this back when she was a child and living with her mother. Her mother had been teaching her about magic since she could read, before she was even allowed to go to school. Turning to Saphire, she asked. "And you don't have any of these classes, right? Because you're not a year 1 student... I think I may have to be moved up to your year. I know a lot about magic... Even if I can't use it." Unwillingly her tone turned bitter by the last words. She had long ago accepted her Null status, but couldn't help feeling resentful. Her life would have been so different if she just had magic... Shaking her head to stop that train of thought, Agnes smiled softly at Saphire. "Don't worry, you don't have to act so carefully around me. I won't bite." She said gently, having noticed the blue haired girl's timidness and shyness around her.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"U-umm.... I-I guess, if you think you can handle it..." she took out the pocketed and neatly folded paper, unfolded it, and held it out to Agnes. It was as high-level as she could get, since they refused to let non-active Mages into the really good stuff until later. Much later, when it's hard to get the materials. Written on the list was a few notes, mainly whether she thought the class would be worth the effort or no.

1. Magic Practice
   
2. Metaphysics Year 3
   
3. Alchemy Year 4
   
4. Magic History Year 4
   
5. Ancient National History
   
6. Forging and Craftsmanship in Applied Artifacts
   
7. Alchemy Lab- Free Reign.
   

 

[Ananfal]

"This seems much more my level." Agnes smiled at Saphire. "I guess we'll be seeing each other often then. I see you've been making some notes here. Mind tellin me which classes you think are the best? You've been here for a while, you should know." She was trying her best to get the blue haired girl to open up a bit more, to remove some of that shyness. She used to be like that too... Until she had been forced to grow up, until she was no longer able to open up to others like she used to. Perhaps she could stop this child from ending up like herself. No child should be like her.

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"W-well, there's Ancient National History... which is actually stuff on the age before Nightmare was queen, and... there's Alchemy lab, where as long as we can pay for it we can use whatever ingredients are in the lab for our potions. I... like that class because it doesn't matter what skill you have at practical magic. Umm... forging Artifacts is always fun, but... I hate the Metaphysics teacher, she refuses to accept that there's any point other than her own. A-and Magic History is... Mage propaganda basically."

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes snorted slightly at Magic History, and smiled slightly at Ancient National History. "It sounds like you have a good grasp on the subjects." She looked down. "Are there any classes today? Where do we go for lunch?" She hesitated before asking a few more questions. "What if you don't have the money to buy ingredients in Alchemy? What happens to the artifacts you forge? Are there any books I need for these classes?" She stopped there, for fear she would overwhelm the poor girl. Agnes was pretty sure that Saphire had never had a friend before. Just like Agnes...

 

[SaphireTsuki]

"There's two lunches, one for Mages and one for Artificers. We'd be going to the Artificer part later, but... umm, the rest of the day is free, as it's Moving Day." The other questions... well. They were reasonable ones, now she thought of it. "Umm... we can keep some of the lesser Artifacts we forge, and the big ones are sent to lower classes for study. I sell mine, usually, as focuses and such for the mages or artificers. In Alchemy there are some common free ingredients, and you have to go hunting if you can't afford the more expensive ones. Get your own and all that."

 

[Ananfal]

Agnes nodded. Made sense. "For the Artifact forging class... I don't think I'll do well..." She felt like face palming. She was a Null, of course she wouldn't do well. But she meant more then that. "I've experimented with making Artifacts like Llosgi before, But I discovered a problem. I need to use Llosgi to make another Artifact, but it always ends up as another copy of Llosgi unless I'm holding onto someone else during the forging process. Then I can use their magic and the artifact will become suited to their magic only." She was proud of that discovery, really. It was her first true discovery in her own about her own magic. It made her proud.