Fantasy Dominion Academy IC

[NightzEnd]

INTRODUCTION​

The arcane sciences have been essential to the growth and advancement of civilization. From medicine to simple comforts like running water, there is seemingly very little that the combination of magic and artifice cannot accomplish for the benefit of society. Unfortunately, it is nature of man to misuse their knowledge in the pursuit of power and fortune. Aurelian Empire has been a looming presence on the continent of Eifos, it's military forces having slowly conquered nearly all of it's neighboring territories. Empress Elenda now sits on the Dusk Throne, and she is just as ambitious to continue the work that her mother began. It is only through the united effort of three nations that western Eifos is free. The combined military forces and arcane knowledge of Bastiel, Obann and Weissland have proven to be a match even for the seemingly overwhelming might of the empire. While a loose armistice currently exists between the Alliance and Empire, it is only a matter of time before outright war begins again. Key to the Alliance's continued resistance is quality of their mages which is thanks to Dominion Academy, a facility specializing in educating promising students in the arcane sciences and the art of war. Potential students travel from all across Eifos for chance to be accepted by the academy, those who graduate capable of joining the Alliance's military as an officer. All you have to do is survive which is not a guarantee.

Currently accepting, refer to character page for status of open spots.​

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[NightzEnd]

Jinn shivered as he departed the private cabin of his lightning rail, the early winter air carrying a significant bite for someone not accustomed to the northern climate. His attire offered little protection; a thin, long-sleeved tunic, a pair of cotton sarouel, a waist sash, unadorned leather boots, and his keffiyeh which he readjusted to better protect his neck. Jinn immediately began to regret his decision to pack light now realizing how beneficial an overcoat would have been as he stepped off the train platform and pushed into the bustling crowd of people with luggage in tow. He saw humans, half elves, and even the occasional dwarf as he attempted to navigate through the Grand Dominion Terminal, his ember eyes absorbing the foreign sights all around. Most commuters were prepared for the weather, woolen great coats and various winter garb that fought against the chill that was currently setting into Jinn. Bastielian fashion was not uncommon in Obann, particularly their formal wear being something of fad amongst lesser nobility. Even Jinn owned a set practical work attire inspired by the artificers of the Republic. Still, it was strange to see so much of it now even if realistically he was the one out of place. Nothing made him more aware of that fact then all baffled glances he received, some followed by snickering or less than acceptable comments in their native tongue.

Jinn had been speaking Bastielian since he was ten. There weren’t very many of their words he didn’t know at this point. Regardless, he ignored their remarks and focused on finding the pickup point mentioned in his acceptance letter. From his understanding, most if not all of his squad were to arrive today. This particular terminal was a central point for the Joint Allied Nations, and as such any traveling from Obann or Weissland would likely arrive here. Having had his own private cabin, Jinn had no idea if one of his fellow countrymen happened in route to Dominion Academy as he was. It had not been a luxury he requested. As his father had exclaimed: No son of King Najem Al-Sama would seek passage with those below his station! It has been only with some persistence on Jinn’s part that he not arrive by airship. As grand as the gesture was, he had been eager to see the countryside and enjoy his journey to the capital of Bastiel. If his father had gotten his way, Jinn would have been escorted by a full retinue of bodyguards, servants, and likely a cleric of Chol that would sing praises of House Al-Sama.

Jinn did not want to die of embarrassment.

There was also the importance of the agreement that was made with the Chancellor of Dominion Academy, the infamously renowned Marie Renault. A decorated war veteran and combat mage without rival, she had directly corresponded with Jinn and and said that if he were to attend the academy, he would be treated as any other cadet. For Jinn, it was an easy decision. The war artificers trained at Dominion were exceptional, and there was no better way to honor his family then to graduate a fourth-year student from the most prestigious military academy in Eifos. An additional benefit was knowing how infuriated Halkir was by the prospect, particularly since he had been denied admission. The thought of his older brother’s wounded pride brought a thin smile to Jinn’s face.

Jinn finally made his way to entrance of the terminal which gave a remarkable view of the urban sprawl that was Dominion. Both vehicles and even some carriages filled the streets in front of him, large multi-tiered buildings with domes, colonnades and archways that differed remarkably from the architecture in Skytear. He made an active effort not to gawk as he instead searched for his escort to the academy. While there were plenty of vehicles parked immediately outside of the terminal, none of them struck Jinn as one that might deliver him to the academy. He shivered again, this time rewrapping his keffiyeh to even protect his face, especially now that he could feel his lips begin to crack from the cold air. Jinn hadn’t noticed the towering figure that loomed over him until he felt a light tap on his right shoulder. Glancing behind himself, Jinn saw a tall, lanky looking human man dressed in the uniform of a JAF infantryman, a Private based off of his collar devices. The soldier had bags under his eyes, but a blissful smile that Jinn would have associated with a simpleton.

“Pardon me, sir. I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you’re cadet Jinn? From Obann? Clothes are kind of a dead giveaway.”

Jinn straightened his posture, lowering his keffiyeh slightly so his voice wouldn’t be muffled by the cloth. “You’re are correct in your assumption, Private-” Before Jinn could even finish, the soldier cut him off, his smile broadening. “Eckels. Nice to meet ya’.” The soldier offered his hand which Jinn awkwardly accepted. He wasn’t use to anyone shaking his hand. Ever. He was familiar with the custom, but he regretted not offering his aetherium hand after receiving a bone-crushing, arm-stretching hand shake that nearly pulled him off balance. “Once we get the others here, we’ll climb into the truck and drive back to the academy.” Jinn nodded before he registering the word truck in his head. Once it had, he scanned over the parked vehicles again to notice the utilitarian truck with the fenced bed that he had overlooked early. It was the kind of contraption Jinn assumed you would transport livestock in, not people. Jinn didn’t show it on his face, but his mood soured significantly.

Seems the Chancellor has a sense of humor.

 

[Mirgris]

ആസിഡ് ഗോബ്ളിൻ is a cruel vicious little monster, who would happily eat a childs fingers for pointing to much at him. Yet on the train the goblin is covered in robes, and bindings so that not an inch of skin shows. Steps taken by a representative of the school so as not to cause a panic on the train. Yet even though he is gleefully preparing to cause people incredible pain and suffering his behavior gives away not an inch of it.

He sits quietly in the back of the train having taken over a dinning table so that his various notes books and flask have places to sit. He choose the table for being a nice little corner and because it allows him to see a clock. He carefully carves the runes for protection from acid on a small wood chunk and drops it into a clear vial of acid. He watches the clock counting how long it takes to burn through the protection. He sniffs it as it burns, he looks closely at the vial, and he holds it up to his ear. He takes notes on all of these things, comparing the time taken with what it looked smelled, and sounded like. He pulls up his glove and pours a drop on his wrist and makes a note of the texture and temperature. Finally he takes the entire flask and pours it into his mouth. He swishes it around a few times making note of the taste before swallowing it and going back to writing in his note book.

It's simple, his protection from acid allows him to experiment with it, with all of his senses. Making him one of the only chemist in the world that knows the strength of various acids by taste. He is learning to tell them apart by all of his senses in fact. The clock giving him a base line for strength so he can learn what are the signs of a stronger acid and which are the sign of a weaker one within each particular type of acid. Knowing those signs is the first step to making stronger varieties, it will allow him to quickly experiment and ascertain which acids are good and which are weaker, as well as being useful in general for both his alchemy and chemistry.

He holds the empty vial in front of him and concentrates on it and it slowly refills from the bottom as more acid appears and he starts the whole process over again. After a few minutes he has to turn the page of his note book have filled another page with notes on his various acids.

Eventually the train arrives and he throws his books and notes into his bag and the acids get put into various pockets on his full body robe and is all to happy to leave the metal prison. He almost skips as he finds the uniformed man who he is supposed to meet. As he walks up the uniformed man is talking to someone else, and the goblin reaches into his robe and pulls out a metal flask, and gestures offfering it to each in turn. Before either has a chance to take it he panics and pulls it back taking a swig out of it before spitting a bit of onto the ground. The ground bubbles and small divets and holes burn into the ground where individual drops landed. He places the flask back and pulls out a different one before offering the new one to either.

"Need to label those, huh?"

 

[The True Plague]

(This post was made possible by the efforts of RoninN7 Hubub101 Elekta Kount The True Plague )​

To say it had been an annoying day for Rin was an understatement. Shortly after getting ready, she thought she’d lost her train ticket, which forced her to spend over an hour searching for it only to be forced to give up. By the time she left her home she was already 20 minutes late, which meant that she really needed to move as fast as he could through the city and find transportation that would take her to the station. Once there, Rin really had to put herself out there, talking to anyone she could find in an effort to get herself another ticket to replace the one she’d already lost. I swear if I have to stand throughout this train ride after the week I’ve had I’m gonna… Before Rin could finish her thought, someone tapped her on the shoulder which prompted her to turn around. It was a young woman who had a curious look in her eyes, and who caught Rin’s eye since her attire seemed quite foreign to her. The woman didn’t say much, but she managed to produce a small ticket from her pocket with her left hand, raising her right hand and sticking three fingers up. Rin smiled and sighed a little, pulling out the money and handing it to her, taking the ticket and holding it within her hand.

She walked onto the cart and found her seat, which was situated right next to the one stamped on the ticket she’d “lost.” It wasn’t until Rin had taken a seat and gathered her bearings that she decided to reach for her knife, at which point she heard the soft sound of something hitting the ground. Looking at her foot, Rin’s eyes went wide with frustration as she noticed her original ticket gently sitting next to her foot. That second ticket wasn’t exactly cheap either… Rin simply sighed and put both of the tickets in her pocket before going back to handling her knife. Her outfit was more revealing than was wise considering the cold weather, but Rin hadn’t even had the time to get her coat that morning so now she was stuck relying on her body heat and will to keep her warm. She took the bag where she’d hidden her bow and arrows and placed it on the seat next to her, deciding that she might as well take advantage of having bought two seats next to each other. With everything in place, all that was left was for Rin to wait, so she sighed and rested her head on the back of her seat, palming the blade of her knife in one hand and keeping the other on her bag to make sure it wasn’t stolen. Despite the fact that Rin should be able to relax, she realized that getting through this train ride in silence would be difficult, to say the least.

Adalwolf Beltz sighed softly to himself as his gaze went up and down the crowded aisle. Supposedly, he had reserved a seat with the money he had managed to scrounge up for this ticket. Damn shame he couldn’t find it though. The simple thought that someone else was partaking in what he had paid for crossed his mind, but he decided to ignore it for now. It wasn’t like he absolutely needed to sit after all. He’s used to running about chasing siblings and then heading out to hunt. Standing straight was hardly the worst his body has been through. However, when it was reaching the first twenty minutes, he was beginning to get a little impatient. Yes, he was aware he hadn’t exactly paid to travel alone, and could expect something like this, but who would go about taking a seat that didn’t belong to them? Someone who deserved a good punching, if he were to guess. He’d possibly considering worse than a single punch, but not go through with it. It would hardly do for him to be arrested and ruin the chances he had to work out his anger and potentially make a difference. Not to mention the shame his family would feel when they find out their son got arrested over murder for a damn train seat. Not happening, nuh-uh. Not. At. All. Five minutes later led Adal to throw in the towel, and approach the nearest worker about the damn seat, resulting in… His seat being found in seconds, and the idiot sitting in it was pulled aside and away from the seats. A huff of relief left him, and he celebrated his small victory by looking about, observing all the people. He’d be dumb to believe it impossible one of these people may be a classmate of his. Might as well committ faces to memory, and learn the names along the way. Thankfully, he was used to the biting colds, and was able to pack lightly and didn’t have to keep too much of an eye on his things. Only an idiot would steal a knife or three from a boot, or a bag that clearly held a bow and arrows, when said bag rested on the lap of the man it belonged to.

This people watching wouldn’t last long though, due to a rather prominent figure. Not because she was beautiful, or due to her being tiny in comparison to him… No, the true intrigue came from the pendent she had on, and really, did he need any other reason to be interested in her? Far as he could tell, she was definitely a human, but that necklace? Beastkin style jewelry. Which is rather rare, since far as he knew, it normally belonged only to the family, passed down from one to the other. “Sorry if this seems a bit rude, but… Mind if I ask about that necklace?” I find it rather fascinating, since I’ve seen similar where I lived…” One hand made its way to his chin, a soft humming noise leaving him. He had a vague idea of why a human might have a Beastkin necklace. However, he didn’t want to outright ask her did she have a Beastkin lover. That is extremely rude, and mother taught him better than that. Not to mention, if he said that outright, and she did not have one, she might think he was hitting on her. Which he’d not mind, but is not his intention by a long shot. He just wants to sit down, and pass the time until he makes it to the Academy. “You didn’t happen to live in Lady Fang’s barony, did you?”He carefully traded his way down the line of seats to be closer so he didn’t have to speak too loud in this train. It is mildly polite to at least be able to have a clear view of whom you’re speaking to, instead of just being able to see a head.

As the train halted during one of it’s stops on the journey to the Dominion Academy, a well dressed couple had entered the front of the carriage, arguing about something or another, before they started spitting names at each other. Didn’t take long for one of them to leave the train cart, followed not long after by the other.

As the ruckus continued, a young man quietly entered the train car and slipped into an empty seat just as the previous occupier had vacated. Most people, if not all, the passengers didn’t notice his entrance during the commotion. The young man himself had been wearing a cloak, but the hood laid hanging from his back. Much of the cloak covered the young man’s body, but enough was revealed to indicate that he was some sort of...fighter. Although said young man had his hands crossed over his chest, his metal cuirass was still visible for all to see, and the knife looking weapon was sticking out of his jackboot like a sore thumb. Despite this, the young man didn’t seem all that remarkable, and most people simply glanced over his face despite what he was wearing. When the young man had entered the cart, he carried what looked to be a brown duffel bag and some sort of pole that was tightly wrapped with cloth. He had placed the duffel bag underneath his seat, and leaned the pole-like object against the seat immediately right next to him.. As the train started up again, the young stayed quiet, swaying to the rhythm of the train car. The young man kept his hands folded, leaning against the back of his seat, staring out the window. Sometime along the longer journey, the young man decided to lower his head and close his eyes. He would have appeared to have dozed off...but his posture said otherwise.

Rin heard a voice which, at first, she drowned out assuming that it belonged to a conversation which she wasn’t a part of. That’s when she heard something about a necklace and her eyes shot up to find the source of this voice. There was a large man standing there with fangs and eyes that were clearly uncommon for a human male. It seemed that he tried to pass as human and he did a decent job at it, concealing some of his wolf-like aspects well enough that, at first glance, it wouldn’t be obvious what he was. Rin, however, lived with wolf beastkin for almost half of her life and could recognize one from a mile away. He kind of looks like Mike… Rin’s thoughts were interrupted once again when the man’s words continued reaching her and clouding her mind. She looked down, taking her hand off her bag and grabbing the necklace, gently caressing it before turning back to the man. “This was my… dear friend’s pendant. He gave it to me a couple of years ago before leaving, and I’ve been wearing it since…” Rin clearly didn’t want to reveal too much, not too keen on diving into the painful memories of Mikhail or explaining their relationship to a man she’d just met. She was, however, intrigued by this man and wanted to keep talking to him. Rin noticed that he took a seat away from her, and quickly let go of the necklace, taking her bag off the seat and resting it between her legs. She then pulled out one of her tickets and held it out towards the man with a sweet smile on her face. “Here, I ended up with two tickets so you can just sit next to me. Unless you really want to have a shouting match in which case you’re welcome to sit all the way there, but I personally like my vocal chords when they don’t hurt.” Rin’s slight sarcasm was showing through, but she did her best to tone it down as she didn’t want to scare this stranger away. “I actually lived in the White Fox’s barony for a number of years, but I assume you are from Lady Fang’s barony right? How’s life there?” Rin’s smile remained, but softened a little as she began studying her new conversation partner.

Adalwolf nodded slowly in understanding. He could probably envision a Beastkin doing so for someone close to them. How did he infer they were close? Well, she pretty much said as much with the addition of dear friend, instead of just saying it was her friend’s pendant. However, he’d not press that issue too much. After all, he could somewhat tell she wasn’t too interested in revealing the information. Else she’d have given the story, and not just a brief explanation. When Rin moved her bag and offered him the seat, he accepted the offer. He’d have sat next to her immediately when he started speaking, but there were the issues of the baggage and being unsure if she’d want to talk. Wouldn’t be the first time someone was a bit scared of talking to him when he just got close and started conversation then. Something about that being extremely awkward and mildly creepy... Oh well. “Oh, you’re much too kind madam, much too kind!” He let just a small bit of sarcasm through himself, seating himself as comfortably as he can whilst ensuring his bag didn’t bump into her or encroach into anyone’s space too much. “Well, I’d not know too much beyond the tiny part of it I grew up in, but I’d say it’s nice.” He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking back on his more formative years. “Didn’t really find much to do, outside of hunting and maintaining the homes of our friends and neighbors. I’d like to imagine it’s that way throughout the barony. Couldn’t really imagine a different life and still associate it with where I grew up.” He had really kept to his family, and town, so honestly the Barony as a whole is mildly unknown to him. Unless it involved watching his siblings, doing tasks around the town, or hunting, he didn’t pay it too much mind back then. “And how was life under the White Fox?” Common courtesy demanded he ask as well, however he couldn’t help but feel he was missing something… Oh son of a- “By the way, the name’s Adalwolf Beltz, though most just stick to Wolf or Adal.” Quick, easy, rolls right off the tongue. Perfect for grabbing his attention, and not so pretentious sounding when trying to scold him meaning he’d not laugh.

Rin’s eyes narrowed a little and she raised an eyebrow mockingly at the man’s own sarcasm, and a light chuckle escaped her lips. “I try to keep myself ladylike.” Her response prompted a different kind of smile out of her which presented itself as more of a playful smirk. She laughed internally at his body language as he tried to keep to himself, probably finding it hard due to his impressive size. Rin listened intently to him as he spoke, still playing with her knife idly in her right hand, but making sure to show him that she was paying attention. “That actually sounds nice… not having too much to worry about…” Her gaze remained on the man but her mind traveled elsewhere, back to her childhood and everything that she’s been through. The man’s words brought her back to the train and she refocused on him. He had asked her about her own life, but before she opened her mouth to answer, he seemed to reprimand himself internally before introducing himself. Rin giggled at this, finding it quite amusing. “Oh good, I was wondering if I’d ever know your name or if you’d just have to remain ‘Wolfman’ forever. Adalwolf… it’s a little on the nose but it has a nice ring to it, I like it. I’ll stick to Wolf though since it seems awfully appropriate and I wouldn’t want to sound like your mother. My name’s Rin Dhorhan, but most people call me… well, Rin since there really isn’t much more to my name.” She laughed playfully before going back to the question he’d asked her. “Well, truth be told I’m actually from Rittersburg, which is a very militaristic place: lots of fighting and training, and people generally don’t notice you unless you’ve shown some sort of strength, which is consistent with King Magnus and his ideals. I moved to the White Fox’s barony when I was about eight. It’s fairly different… definitely not as militaristic though I did get the majority of my training there. I’d say life there is more… breathable, as in I had more opportunities to have fun and be myself than I did in Rittersburg.” Rin seemed satisfied with her answer and even reminisced on the good times she’d had with Mikhail and his friends, which brought a longing smile to her face. “Speaking of militarism and training, what’s up with you?” She’d noticed his bag was similar to hers and assumed he must’ve also been carrying weapons in there, which made her more curious about Wolf. “Are you going anywhere special?” Rin didn’t want to be overly pushy but she was curious so she kept her question open, and looked at Wolf intently with anticipation of his answer.

Adalwolf, henceforth known as Wolf for the sake of time for the writer, listened intently as Rin began to speak. He’d call himself mildly surprised when it came to the state of life in Rittersburg. Mostly on the part of it being heavily militaristic. He couldn’t quite imagine that, but he’ll probably get an idea of what that can be like soon enough, all things considered. At least, considering that he’s signed up for four years of military service regardless of passing or failing, he’ll know how military life is, and can guess from there. “Well, I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you Rin. Not often you run into such a kind lady on the train. Oh, and I’d not say that my name is too spot on.” He was, however, glad that Rin had a place she could be herself, or at least, more like herself. He saw that as the same way he saw hunting alone in the forest. A place where the rules are lifted a bit, and life can just be lived with little responsibility. “Oh, I’m just making my way towards Dominion Academy.” He looked up at the ceiling. “Figured I’d give military life a try, since hunting isn’t quite cutting it sometimes in getting out my more… Violent feelings. Much as I love my family, they can just be so infuriating sometimes. Figured if I could serve and survive, I’ll be a better person for it, and much more adept at controlling those feelings.” He opened up the bag a little bit, showing the edge of his bow and a few arrowheads glinted before being swallowed up by the darkness provided by the bag’s interior. Wolf had no real reasons to hide anything. He was just a simple guy, with slight violent tendencies he wanted to try working out of his system. So what if people knew he was going into an academy for military mages? If he’s been accepted, he must clearly belong. “Mind if I ask where you’re heading, since I’ve so kindly answered that for you?”

Rin simply chuckled quietly at Wolf’s comment. “Thanks for the compliment, Sir Wolf… though I can only wish I was a lady.” She listened to his comments about his feelings and motivations. Rin’s interest was particularly piqued at the mention of Dominion Academy, which happened to be where she was headed as well. At least something’s going right today… Rin was just happy to know that she was guaranteed someone to talk to at the Academy. It also gave her some perspective on who Wolf was and his capabilities, and it gave her another reason to try and become his friend. “Military life isn’t all it’s made out to be, but I will say that you get plenty of opportunities to let out all those violent feelings you mentioned… Even though you’ll probably find that a lot more of them crop up throughout the process.” She looked down as Wolf opened his bag a little, revealing a bow and arrows as she’d expected, and she let out a soft chuckle before mimicking his actions and showing her own bow and arrows, as well as lifting the knife she was playing with so Wolf could see it before setting it back down on her lap. At his next question, Rin smiled. He had revealed his destination, so why shouldn’t she? “I’m actually also headed to Dominion Academy, though my reasons are a little more… personal. I just want to do everything I can to put an end to this war.” Her smile faded and her mind flashed back to the day the soldiers carried Mikhail’s body into his home. “Too many have died for our freedom and I’d feel useless if I didn’t do anything about it. The war has to end and we must win…” Rin’s tone turned somber and heavy, as her own sadness seeped into her words.

“Perhaps it is time for the war to end…though I wonder...” A voice suddenly came from across the two soon-to-be students, it was the young man with the cloak. His head was still down and his eyes closed, but it was apparent he had made the statement. A moment later, said young man lifted his head, abmused look was on his face, as he glanced first from the wolfkin to the young lady “...what makes you so certain you could end it? When so many have failed thus far?”

Rin was, once again, forcefully pulled out of her own head by another voice, which emanated from nearby. She heard the words and understood her meaning, and where she should have probably felt some anger at this comment she only felt confusion. Her eyes were busy scanning the cart to find the source until they landed on another man who was rather unassuming who sat with his eyes closed. Before Rin could say something the man spoke again, lifting his head and opening his eyes. She chose her words honestly, deciding she might as well keep opening up, at least as much as she felt comfortable. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t know that I could end it… or that I could make much of a difference for that matter. What I do know is that I have to try because I know too many who have failed and they can’t die in vain.”

The young man grinned, snorting as he did. The answer seemed to have amused the young man, but he still decided to press on. “Hmhm...curious explanation, a contradiction within an explanation…” The young man began to rub his chin, looking out the window at the scenery zoning past. “...you don’t want them to die in vain...yet your contributions won’t mean much to their death…curious indeed.”

The young man began to chuckle, before looking over to the young women. “From what I hear, it takes a right pretty penny to keep the academy up and running...and even more resources sunk into training it’s students...resources that could probably be better spent on the war effort, don’t you think?”

But the young man wasn't quite done, his gaze now settled on the individual next to Rin. “And what about you big guy? Think you’ll survive the training? Military life ain’t nothing like living in the woods...I should know…”

Wolf simply smiled politely at the stranger. He was, in fact, a big guy. “I feel I’ll be able to adapt a bit. Between having to take care of my family, and my solo excursions, I have at least some of the basics down.” He carefully raised a hand, giving a small wave. “Awful rude of you to not introduce yourself when you joined the conversation though. Nonetheless, I’m Adalwolf, normally shortened to Wolf or Adal based on your preference. You are?”

Rin smiled a little, realizing that this stranger might be more interesting than she originally had assumed him to be, and she decided to play along. “War follows a trend: people die over and over until something eventually breaks. Here’s hoping to be part of those who cause the break… or at least get us closer to it…” Before she could continue, Wolf spoke up next to her, responding to the stranger and introducing himself. “Ever the gentleman, Sir Wolf.” Rin chuckled a little and changed her tone to a more friendly one. “As my fellow ray of sunshine pointed out, it is rude not to introduce yourself so… my name’s Rin, and as far as I know I have no nicknames. I assume from your comments that you’re also headed to Dominion?”

“Ah, so you do believe that you can make a difference, and you rightfully should…” Fredrick responded, leaning back in his seat. “...if you couldn’t, than the academy would merely be wasting it’s valuable time, time it could be used to train someone...who can make the difference... But I’m assuming there’s a reason you were accepted into the academy...perhaps it was your skill, or the innate magic you possess...or perhaps it was the fortitude of your will that impressed someone important.”

The young man started chuckling at the mention of the word “will”, as he rested his hands back into a fold.

“Will...a word that could describe so much about a person...it’ll be what makes or breaks many warriors and soldiers...and can be very likely a deciding factor between victory...and defeat…” The fellow was now looking at Adalwolf, his eyebrows raised. “...takes more than violence to win a war...even more so to make a real difference, as the saying goes: violence begets more violence…let’s just hope your capable of more than that…”

It was after those words, the young man turned his head towards the window of the train once more. His expression had turned into a solem one, as he watched the scenery continue to fly by.

“...the road ahead is long...even treacherous... for all of us...for now, I travel the same road as you…” The young man said, shrugging his shoulders. “...but further down...who knows? Maybe our paths will split beyond Dominion... or perhaps it will continue...fate’s truly a funny thing, but only time will time…

“Ah, but indeed, where are my manners?” Frederick said with a smile and a nod. “The name is Fredrick, it’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance...Pretty obvious you two are going to the academy...If I was a student, I’d be quite excited for the adventure...tell me, any of you two ever been to Dominion?”

“Dominion, you say?”

The voice sounded low and rolling, yet tame like bottled thunder. The source was a tall, yet young man who had approached the three passengers a mere moment ago. He had overheard the tail end of their conversation, and the mention of the prestigious academy had piqued his interest. If these three were headed to “the place of beacons” as he was, then now was as good a time as any to make their acquaintance. What else was there to do on a train?

“Forgive the intrusion, but that just so happens to be my destination as well. It is indeed an exciting prospect.” The new man looked back and forth between the beastkin, the female, and the one called Frederick as he spoke, making it clear he was addressing all of them. Despite there being open seats, he seemed content to stand in the isle. “I am Ajax, and proud to be so. If you don’t mind me asking, if you are going to Dominion, what kinds of magics do you specialize in?” The smile on his face was as genuine as one can be, and his eyes fluttered with legitimate interest. Ajax was always fascinated by the different kinds of magics in the world, and he never passed up an oppertunity to see more.

Wolf smile seemed to simply brighten as another joined their conversation, and offered their name without him prompting. Finally! Not that he could complain too much about that, considering he himself was a bit bad about doing so to start with. However, he’d not be ‘Sir’ Wolf if he didn’t look into being polite as he could be given circumstances. No need to turn people away by being gruff and grumpy without reason. However, first… “I’m capable of more. I’m sure of that. If I could claw my way from a simple hunter to learning magic and being accepted into Dominion, I could at least make some form of a difference!” He seemed mildly annoyed, which he was. However, with that annoyance came a fair bit of determination to show this Fredrick that he could indeed back up his words. He’ll make some difference, no matter how small, or he’ll die trying! Well… That part goes without saying, but regardless. “Well… No. I’ve not been out of my hometown before today.” He rubbed the back of his neck, gaze resting on the ceiling. “Have you been to Dominion?” He returned his gaze to Fredrick, as if waiting for an answer before shifting his gaze towards Ajax once said answer has been supplied. Queuing actions, so to say.

“Well Ajax, I’m Adalwolf, though most call me Wolf or Adal.” Third time’s the charm, eh? “As for my magic? I’m what others would call a Druid… I think. That’s what my mentor said anyways.” He chuckled softly. “I can control some plants to an extent, and can change parts of nature to better suit my needs. Which so far, has been hunting. Hard to lose an animal if it can’t climb a tree due to its bark suddenly having no purchase for them.” This grin was more… Wolfish.

“Perhaps… whatever my reasons for being accepted I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.” Rin’s confidence shone through, and she let out a smirk. She could feel the adrenaline building as the train moved ever closer to Dominion, and as she began to get an idea of her fellow prospects and who they were. Almost unconsciously, Rin began expertly twirling her knife with much less subtlety than before. Internally, she was way more excited than her face would show, and she couldn’t wait to get to the academy. Her thoughts drowned out the exchanged Wolf was engaged in until she heard a question directed at both her and Wolf. Then, finally, the man introduced himself as Fredrick. Fredrick… this should be interesting. Rin didn’t dwell on her thoughts too much, and answered his question. “Can’t say I’ve been there… but my brothers are there right now and I trained with several others who’ve gone.” Before she got much of a chance to wait for any sort of reaction, another voice reached her, the speaker introducing himself as Ajax. “Well it’s good to see another person with manners around here. I’m Rin. With regards to my magic, well… you’ll find out soon enough what I’m capable of, as I’m sure I will you.” Her voice seemed to pick up a little as her excitement grew, which matched the speed at which she spun the knife around in her hand. Rin recognized Ajax and his confidence, which made her smile back at him. “This is going to be very fun…” She spoke somewhat quietly, more to herself than the rest of the group.

“Hmhm, you may have been accepted into the academy, but let’s hope both of you have enough resolve to stay…” Frederick said, as he leaned his head back against his seat. When Rin responded, it prompted Fredrick to raise an eyebrow, as it almost looked like he wanted to say something, but decided to look out the window.

“Dominion? Nah...I’ve heard stories of the academy there, but I’ve never been there personally...the academy is said to produce some of the best mages on the entire continent, although for what reason, I wonder...outside of that, I hear it’s cold, just like home.”

But than the big fellow came, asking a question of his own.

“Magic, eh? Can’t say I’ve put much thought into it…” Frederik shrugged, keeping his posture. “...not to sure what I am capable of...but I think I can do a little of everything...although, my true capabilities are yet to manifest themselves...perhaps with time.”

Frederick than looked up to the larger fellow, his eyebrows still raised. “And what about you? Got any special magic talents you’d like to share?”

Ajax listened intently to everything they had to say, even if only half of what they said was directed to him and his question. First was the beastkin, now dubbed ‘Adalwolf’. The spark of conviction was present in his rebuttal to whatever had been said prior. There was a fire in his soul. Good, Ajax thought to himself. As for the response to his inquiry…

“Ah! Fascinating! I have heard stories of the druidic arts but have never seen them in action. I look forward to that changing. If, of course, you would fight by my side.” Sincerity was laced into every syllable he spoke. As he made his proclamation, he gave Wolf a once over. By his physique, his magic of choice, and his affinity for hunting that he mentioned, Ajax guessed the beastkin relied more on speed and environmental advantages than on anything else. It was just a guess though.

Next was the female, now called ‘Rin’. Ajax took note on how she refrained from giving any details about her skills or abilities. Her acceptance reasons could have been written off as modesty, but her response to his question made it clear she wanted to keep her cards close to her chest. Upon giving her the same analysis he gave Wolf, he drew a similar conclusion. She likely focused on speed and precision, and considering the speed of her knife twirling, she was no pushover in her skillset. “Ah, I know a competitive soul when I see one. I suggest you be careful about who you refuse to trust. They may end up ruling the world one day. Ha-ha!”

Last was Fredrick. The human male had Ajax on edge, though he refused to show or admit it. His attire gave the impression of a combatant, but Ajax could not be sure that he was a fellow student. Was it possible the other two students had struck up a conversation with a similarly aged stranger? Unlikely. Ajax felt safe assuming he was going to be a fellow student. However his answer to the genasi’s question puzzled him. A jack of all trades in magic? Was not unheard of, but it did throw his assumption into question. He found it possible that Fredrick, too, was keeping his cards close at hand.

Ajax was able to stop himself from becoming lost in his own head when the subject of his deep thought returned his question. “Are you familiar with Sir Gottwald’s account of the battle of Richenbeck?” He paused, allowing someone to answer. Regardless of what was said, he continued. “Well, in it, the writer refers to the battlemages as “Beacons of Hope”. I strive to emulate that ideal, and use it to suit my ambitions. My magic of choice reflects this… Behold!” With that said, he raised his right arm in front of himself and focused his will. As his hand clenched, a winged bracer made of arcane energy appeared over his gauntlet. “This is the power of inspiration. Just as those who fought beside the Beacons of Hope were strengthened by their resolve, so too shall those who fight beside me be strengthened by mine.” His eyes were wide, his smile was broad, and every inch of his posture radiated confidence. He looked like he could take on the world. Little did his company know, that was exactly what he intended to do.

From beneath his feet, Ajax could feel the lightning rail begin to slow. They were approaching the next stop, which if Ajax was right, was Dominion itself. With that in mind, he dispelled the bracer and returned his arm to his side, where his cloak fell over it. “I believe we are almost at our destination. How exciting! I can hardly wait!”

“Inspiration manifested, hm?” Frederick said, his tone carried doubt as did his facial expression, yet within his facial expression contained a hint of intrigue. “You would think inspiration would come from the nature charisma of the individual, but it appears you’res is a magic of manipulation…” Frederick said, idly looking at the larger newcomer. Admitabbly, the man was built to suit such magic, and apart of Frederick wondered...was his body molded to fit the powers. “...I imagine leaders of greater stature would commit quite the gross atrocities to obtain such a power…but by the way you speak and carry yourself, you seem more like the heroes of old.”

Frederick began to rub his chin again, as the Grand Dominion Terminal appeared upon the horizon.

“Tell me, Ajax…” Frederick spoke once more. “... what is your purpose for traveling towards Dominion? Perhaps a lust for knowledge at the academy? Or perhaps you wish to hone your skills at your magic of choice? To become a hero? Or to “make a difference”, such as these two? Or perhaps something...grander.”

“No need to be so subtle about it mister.” Rin chuckled a little at Ajax’s comment about ruling the world, not because she thought it was stupid or anything, she just found it amusing. She then let out another, shorter chuckle at the next words he spoke. “Yep, more than I think I need to thanks to my father… he’s really into military stories and whatnot. Guess you could call him a fan.” Rin tried not to laugh anymore, and instead got lost in thoughts of her father as she heard Ajax talking in the background. His display of magic was quite interesting to say the least. It was clear that, whoever he was, Ajax was skilled and obviously strong if he was headed to Dominion of all places. As the train began to slow, her head turned to face outside the window, where she saw the terminal coming up. Flashbacks to her brothers and Mikhail began cropping up, blending with her vision as the train approached the station. Almost instinctively, and without turning her gaze from the window, Rin put her knife away and simply sat there staring at her future as it approached her quickly. Her thoughts occupied all of her attention, and she could barely make out the words her new “friends” were saying, she was too busy thinking about Dominion and what awaited her.

Wolf nodded slowly, a slight smile on his face. Inspirational magic… Sort of like a hero should have, based on the stories he used to tell his younger siblings. Generally something that seemed too good to be true, but the poof stood right there in front of him, making it particularly hard for him to ignore it. “So long as you prove that you’re worthy of fighting alongside, you’ll have no need to fret over whether we’ll fight side by side.” He wasn’t just going to casually fight alongside someone that he didn’t feel was worth him doing so. After all, there are too many ways for that to go wrong for him. Out of all of them, Wolf felt that Ajax would probably be the biggest competition in terms of trying to lead anything up coming… Which is fine by him. Makes it all the more fun, assuming they don’t just randomly assign people. Though he supposed Rin might make a fine leader as well, if not him or Ajax. Fredrick gave him the creeps just a little, since he seems to focus so much on the negative, but that can’t be helped he suppose. Some are predisposed to being prickly. The Beastkin allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts over dynamics and personalities, trying to figure out this little group. Much like he’d take care of and watch his siblings, he’d try to take care of and watch out for his friends, which he felt he could call this group. If, for nothing else, they’ll always share that they seemingly all are from Weissland.

“Have I not made it obvious?” Ajax spoke in response to Frederick’s question. He couldn't help but get a little more excited at the question. “I come to Dominion for a number of reasons. While it is true I seek to improve my strengths and widen my pool of knowledge, that is not why I chose the academy. I have come seeking allies, and the garner a reputation, so that I may achieve my true ambition. I had mentioned Sir Gottwald’s Beacons. While that is an ideal I hope to live up to, it is not the end of my quest. You see…” At this point, Ajax brought his fist to bear and looked down at it. His eyes glazed over, as if he were visualizing something. There was a longing expression on his face, a sharp contrast to the smile he had worn moments ago.

“I walk the greatest of paths. My quest is grander than seeking the furthest ocean, the highest peak, and the darkest depths combined! I seek the ultimate ambition, the one greatest thing mortal man can accomplish in a lifetime!” His eyes then began to glow a pale blue, a sign the genasi was really excited. He looked up from his fist, now wearing a smile of pure determination. Everything about him in that moment spoke of a compromise between joy and rage. He looked like a symbol of conviction. “I am going to take over the world!” The worlds sounded like rolling thunder with an authority that only the bravest would dare question. Then, slowly, the intensity he was giving off died down. His eyes returned to normal and he unclenched his fist. He turned around so he no longer faced them, but before he started walking away to retrieve his belongings and depart the now stopped train, he had one last thing to say.

“I would hope that when I do, each of you are by my side.”

“I suspected as much, you indeed harbor such grand ambitions...but fair warning…” Frederick grunted, crossing his arms once more, as his image seemed rather unaffected by the bigger man’s voice. “...the friendship of the powerful are not easily gained...why would they side with you? When they can take the cake themselves?... and that is not to even talk about trust...you talk a lot about grandeur, but are words are cheap...doesn’t take much to silence those words...a little train accident here...a knife to the back...it’ll take more than magic to sway such people to your banner...your purpose...your cause...to uniting the world?...if you even have one...if not...one would be forgiven to be unconvinced…a stranger with nothing to his name, aside from the potential magic he possess.”

Frederick paused for a moment, taking that chance to gage the man he was speaking, but he did not give him a chance to response, as he continued.

“They’re have been many before you and I, with greater powers, greater intelligence, and of greater statue, who’ve lusted after the same ambition....and most, if not all, have failed...time and time again...as those who have risen to try to control the world, there have been others just as quick to oppose...just look at the sorry state of affairs today.” Frederick said, it pretty obvious he was referring to the Empire and it’s Empress. Ferdreik glanced over to Rin and Adalwolf, looking at them for a moment as if he was thinking of something, before looking back at Ajax questionable demeanor. “As I’ve asked these two before, I will ask you something similar: What make you so special? Because aside from your magic, your no different an individual than I, or her, or him, for that matter...what about you, that makes you worthy, no...capable, of conquer this world?...and I do hope you wouldn’t carry the future of an entire civilization solely on your magic...because if that is your answer, it’s safe to bet your ambitions will be snuffed out at the first sign of calamity…:”

The whistling sound of the train signaled that they’d had pulled into the station, which caused passengers from all around the four to begin standing up and collect their baggage. “It appears we have arrived…” Frederick said, glancing over at the window. Indeed, the train had pulled into its final destination: Grand Dominion Terminal. Frederick looked to those whom he had been talking to for the past...while, nodding as he did. “...it has been a pleasure to pass the time with all of you...but I’m afraid I’ve an appointment to attend to…” Frederick stood up, grabbing the duffel bag from underneath his seat, before flinging it over his shoulder.

“Perhaps we shall see each other around...I have a feeling we may…” With that, the young Frederick grabbed onto his pole-like item, hosting it on his shoulder, and began filing out with the crowd.

However, just as he did, he passed by Ajax, grabbing his shoulders, he made eye contact with the bigger man...and grinned a bit...as he patted his shoulder. “...I would think on your the purpose behind your conquest, friend...perhaps one day we’ll be calling you Emperor of the world...that...or we’ll find you with knife in your back...but until then...”

With that, Frederick melted away with the crowd, dispersing into the terminal...

As the one called Fredrick placed his hands on Ajax’s shoulders, the large genasi returned the gesture and spoke in kind. “I would have it no other way, friend.” With that, the two seperated and Ajax lost sight of his mysterious new friend. I like him, he asks all the right questions… Ajax thought to himself as he grabbed his own luggage and made his way off the train.

However, as he passed his other two future classmates, he smiled. “The future is unwritten, friends. It is our job to take up the pen!” With that, he too melted into the crowd. Well, melted as much as a man of his size and stature can.

Departing from the train, Ajax scanned the terminal for any signs of Dominion faculty. The closest he found was a man in a JAF uniform speaking to a fire genasi. He quickly approached and made his presence known. “Excuse me, sir. Are you the one that is to take myself and my comrades to the academy?”

Rin could barely hear what any of her “friends” were saying, as her only focus was on the fast approaching terminal and her thoughts. She didn’t really have much time to consider her future comrades, but they did briefly cross her mind. Wolf was clearly the one she considered herself friendliest with thus far since he was the first one who spoke to her and showed genuine interest in her story, plus he was strong and she knew he’d be a valuable ally. Next was Fredrick, who she assumed most of the others would be freaked out by, but she honestly didn’t have much of a problem with him. It’s true that he challenged her and, probably, anyone he met and their ideals but she thought it had more to do with curiosity, and she respected that in a weird way. Ajax amused her a lot, and she could tell that he was strong but Rin found him to be a little over-the-top. Even then, she enjoyed his company and didn’t mind hearing him ramble on about his epic tales or desires to rule the world. Before she could think much more, the train came to a halt and Fredrick took his leave. Next was Ajax, who Rin flashed a quick smile at before seeing him disappear. “Well, Sir Wolf, I do believe we’ve reached our destination. Come on now, we wouldn’t want to be late for our first day of school, now would we?” She laughed a little as she stood and slung her bag across her shoulder before stepping off the train. Rin’s eyes scanned the people around her until they landed on Ajax, who was talking to someone in a JAF uniform, who she assumed to be the one to take them to Dominion. “So you’re our one man welcome committee, huh? Let’s get this show on the road then!” Rin smiled at the man and stretched her arms above her head, reaching down for a bit to stretch her back, which was bothering her after sitting on the train for that long. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It’s going to be a good day.


Wolf had been rather caught up, all things considered. He had to think about this rather delightful group of three he’s met that already has made things more interesting than if he had stayed in his hometown being a hunter. Out of them all, he really did have to say Rin would probably be the easiest to get along with, not to say the others were particularly hard to get along with… Just vastly different than the small town people he knew. It was just she seemed the most approachable. Fredrick reminded him somewhat of the kids that would try to be tough or wise if they were rolled up into one. Throwing doubts at the resolves of others, whilst passing it off as some sort of deep or important question. Sure, it was a good question, he’d begrudgingly admit that, but he didn’t have to exactly be happy about that. He could be annoyed about it all he wanted. Ajax fell into the same boat as Fredrick, but was more approachable and didn’t act wise. He spoke simply as he felt was needed, and Wolf could appreciate that. A sorta simple honesty that not only he believed, but got others to believe him just due to the sheer confidence in which he spoke what he spoke. Still seemed to be acting tough though, invoking legends of old heroes and claiming a desire to rule the world. Like any other rambunctious child. One of his brothers have said they’d do the same, only to realize that’s kinda tough when ya can’t stand getting hit in the face by a stick. Regardless, he could perhaps see himself as friends with this strange crowd, given time. Till then, at least he’s certain he could stand hanging out with Rin. Might also serve as a good way to avoid any homesickness, talking to someone from at least the same country of the Alliance as him, who at least has hung out with Beastkin before. He was somewhat out of it when Fredrick decided to address the group before leaving, but tuned back in as Ajax addressed them. Had to give it to him, he at least knew some inspirational quotes. Shame Wolf didn’t know how to write, else he’d gladly take up this metaphorical pen to write the future he desired!


Then Rin addressed him, and he got himself in motion, standing back up with his own bag slung over one shoulder. “Course not, Lady Rin. It’d be such a shame to be late before we even started.” He chuckled softly to himself, and joined her in the approach of their welcoming committee in this rather crowded terminal. Besides the three he has met, he also sees a Fire Genasi, and a… Weird munchin thingy… Goblin? Maybe. Not that he would know, but he thinks that’s what those small creatures are called. Oh, this is pretty much guaranteed to be a fun four years… Maybe not as fun if he fails out, but no time for any such worries. Now is the time to get to know his fellows on a possibly short trip the rest of the way to the academy they all belonged to! Only time will tell how this all turns out.

 

[HellKnight]

Luckily for Vivian, she lived not too far from where the Academy was. She had made preparations for her departure the following day, so that morning was rather carefree for her. She met early with the Knight's Order, had an early morning spar with her usual opponents, gave her favorite knight a goodbye kiss, and headed back to the estate to get ready. She got dressed, chastised her still sleeping brothers and went to see her father before she set off. She could tell that he was going to miss her but at the same time was glad to see her go, seeing as though she didn't fit into his perfect picture of what a daughter of a Duke should be like, and probably secretly hoping that she'd see the error of her ways. She didn't mind too much, plus, she was really looking forward to the opportunity to see what awaited her at Dominion Academy. She truly looked forward to seeing what kinds of students would be arriving.

Having been restricted from leaving the human territories, she hadn't gotten an opportunity to see the Beastkin or interact with them, so she was truly looking forward to the new experience. She wore a big smile on her face, as she made her way to the front gate, where her ride to the Academy awaited.

"Good Morning, Ms. Algrave, I hope you slept well," her driver, Sebastian asked, opening the door for her.

"I was almost too anxious to sleep, but I somehow managed." She replied, jumping in, pulling out a book and reading.

The train could have gotten her to her destination faster, but she liked the leisurely ride through and scenery. The anticipation of the new experiences that she had yet to undertake was slowly building in her, and she found it rather hard to concentrate on the book she was reading. She eventually gave up on the book after finding herself empty reading for the fourth time, having re-read half a dozen pages due to her lack of concentration. She was eager to get there and now wish that she had, in fact, taken the quicker route rather than the scenic. It would be a few hours later, but felt like an eternity, until they reached the capital. It was always a sight to behold, regardless of how many times she had walked the streets there.

"I do hope the young miss gets what she's looking for out of this experience, I'm sure you'll make your father and family proud." Sebastian had been with them since she could remember, and although he didn't necessary understand Vivian's tomboyish nature, he never once scolded her for doing what she loved.

Vivian gave the white-haired old man a hug as she disembarked from the carriage, gathering her things that she had prepacked a day earlier. "I'll be sure to write back to the family and let them know how things are going," she grinned, "Be careful on the way back, and give them my best." She remarked sarcastically with a wide smile and wink before turning heel and heading toward the academy. She could see someone wearing the academy uniform up ahead, waving her on as she made her way toward them. She dropped her smile, replacing it with an observant gaze, she was about to take her first steps to actually being of some use to her country and being able to immerse herself in numerous new experiences. She was truly looking forward to the what the future would bring and just hoped that that the others would be as receptive as she was to this experience.

 

[Elekta Kount]

"Fancy glove you have there." A voice would come from behind Jinn. If Jinn turned around, he'd notice a smiling young fellow dressed rather similarly approach him and the soldier.

"I heard about the truck, I'll be good to go when you are, sir." The young fellow looked over and nodded at the soldier, approaching him and said somthing to him. It would appear that the noise of the terminal was quite loud, as what the young man said to the soldier was only audible to the soldier, who at first looked at him for a moment, before checking his name off the list...

The young man himself didn't seem that imposing, his face rather dull in the presence of those around him, but his uniform was comparable to those around him. In his hand, he held a brief case, and in his other some sort of undistinctiveness object. It was no doubt a student, although compared to those around him, he didn't seem all that special...at least his brief case was nice to look at, seemed like somthing that was quite well crafted, almost pretty to admire...

"Hey look, there's someone else in uniform..." The young fellow pointed out, as he returned to Jinn's side. The young fellow took a moment to give a friendly wave to said girl in uniform. Her facial expression seemed to change on sight of him, causing Fredrick to chuckle a bit as he folded his arms. "...Well...girl's on a mission..."

As the girl approached, the young fellow glanced at Jinn with a inquisitive grin, suddenly asking: "So...there a story behind that glove...'cause if I ain't mistaken, those things are really expensive....You either must stole it, or you have a lot of money to blow...either way, I bet it makes you quite an interesting person."

Directed: NightzEnd
Mention: HellKnight

 

[HellKnight]

It would seem that she'd get a chance to meet up with a few of her fellow students right off the bat, responding to a wave with a flimsy wave of her own. Approaching the two boys, she let out a slight huff as she took the two of them in. It was hard to place the one who had waved to her, as he looked rather ordinary, definitely human though, so she surmised that he might be a local. The other had the tell-tale signs of being a citizen of Obann, the tan skin and the hair. His eyes caught her off guard or more so drew her attention away from the fact that he was both shorter than her and may have a more slender form than her.

"Vivian Algrave." She spoke to the soldier standing there holding a clipboard, waiting patiently for the man to find her name and mark it. Once she was finished with the soldier she turned her attention back to the two young men standing there.

Upon a second viewing, the young man's eyes brought back a memory, one that eluded her mind exactly, but she was sure it was something perhaps her father had said. The uproar of clashing noises around her rocked her concentration and she soon let go of the dangling thought, as the harder she seemed to try to focus on the the thought the more it hurt her brain.

She turned her attention, now, toward the the other individual among them. "Where are you coming from?" Curiosity getting the best of her.

She had done her fair share of traveling throughout the Dukedom of her father and even traversed a bit of The Republic, against her father's and her guard's best wishes, she hoped that he'd say something that she didn't have firsthand knowledge of.

Directed: Elekta Kount
Mentioned: NightzEnd

 

[NightzEnd]

Jinn was not one to wear his emotions openly. Being able to maintain impassive expression to conceal his true feelings was a simple skill he had learned growing up in the palace. Every furrowed brow or tilt of the lips was like giving away territory in a battle of wills. While this was mostly relevant in regards to diplomacy, it had been useful at times when his brother Halkir made one of his pointed remarks about mother or the unflattering scar across his face. Even if it were closer to pretending, the effort helped Jinn keep his composure at times where he might have struggled otherwise. With all this in mind, the arrival of the bald, hideously green creature spitting corrosive chemicals from its mouth made Jinn’s ember eyes widen in horror. He tried to speak, but instead his voice caught awkwardly in his throat. The scent of vaguely familiar fumes from the acidic dribble on the pavement caused his eyes to water slightly. Jinn was confident that were he to attempt such thing, no healer in all of Eifos would mend the damage.


The artificer gave a quizzical glance to Eckels, who instead of being equally horrified was instead reviewing a clipboard with several sheets of paper work that he shuffled through. Eckels nodded, giving a welcoming smile to the newcomer. “Well, I ain’t gonna try to pronounce that name or yours, but welcome to Dominion all the same. Congratulations on being the Academy’s first Goblin cadet by the way! I’d shake your hand, but according to your dossier, that might be unwise.” Eckels chuckled, Jinn making an active effort to keep the nameless Goblin in his peripheral vision, and going as far to shift his luggage away from the creature. Luckily, the next arrival was not another living embodiment of nightmares. A massive young man with deep blue eyes and an air of unquestionable confidence approached and spoke directly to Eckels. The private nodded, actually having to look up to the newcomer. “Yessir, that would be me. I’m gonna take a bet, and assume you’re Mr. Gearhart judging by stature.”


Next to show up was a young woman closer to Jinn’s height with light brown hair and blue eyes. She was practically beaming with excitement, and her statement left no questions on whether or not she was a student. Following her was unmistakably a Beastkin of some sort, another formidable figure who was a direct contrast to his companion. His demeanor was casual, but his posture was reminiscent of a vigilant predator. Instinctively, Jinn tensed a little though inwardly cursed at the unintentional response. Halkir Al-Sama held himself in a similar manner, and he felt a brief pang of shame considering how a stranger had managed to put him on edge by that alone. Next was blonde haired woman of average height and dressed more richly than the other arrivals. She approached with a nature of authority, a quality that Jinn recognized from his years of being raised in the presence of nobility.


The final arrival had snuck up Jinn. Literally. He felt his heart skip a beat, his at first startled expression changing as annoyance took over. Jinn felt his eyes burn, his inner fire stirring for a moment before he cast his most withering glare at the stranger behind him. The young man had a forgettable face and rather unimposing figure considering their difference in height. Jinn found the man’s tone displeasing and his implications more so. “My glove, you say?”, Jinn asked coldly. In a very measured motion, Jinn raised his left hand so it was clearly in view, the aetherium prosthetic glimmering in the daylight. “Just a fashionable knick-knack I picked up during my travels”, Jinn offered plainly. The mechanical hand clenched into a fist, producing an audible click.


After Private Eckels finished reviewing his roster, he gave the group before him another one his charming smiles. “Seems we got everyone here for today anyways. I hope your journey here was pleasant. We got a half-hour ride to the academy from here, but I imagine for some of ya’ll, that ain’t much of considering where you came from.” Eckels laughed awkwardly before continuing. “There’s plenty of room for ya’ll in the back of truck, so let’s do as young lady said, and get this show on the road.” Jinn was far from pleased with the arrangement in transportation, but he didn’t hesitate in climbing into the truck bed, taking the top passenger side corner for his own. He hoped Dominion Academy was all that he was promised.

 

[RoninN7]

Rin turned to see Wolf followed behind her and smiled before turning back to everyone else. Her excitement had gotten the better of her before, but at that moment her mind cleared and she was able to get a good look at her peers. The first one to catch her eye was the short green humanoid who seemed to be enjoying whatever he had way too much. Rin's face wouldn't indicate it, but that particular sight freaked her out way too much. With a quick blink, Rin turned away and faced another member of the group: a shorter man standing next to the man in the JAF uniform who had an interesting-looking glove. Before she could think about it any more, Fredrick appeared and made a comment which followed her train of thought with regards to the glove. Rin did catch an air about this guy, almost as if he was someone who had some sort of importance but she was only guessing and couldn't quite place where she thought he fit. Then a girl approached and introduced herself as Vivian. Vivian looked as though she trained her body often and her eyes had a beautiful glow to them Rin couldn't quite get over. Aside from these new people, Rin obviously knew Wolf, Ajax, and Fredrick from the long train ride to the station.

Rin didn't pay much attention to the conversation that was going on, but she could assume that Fredrick was prodding into topics he probably shouldn't and Vivian was trying to involve herself since she'd just gotten there while the JAF officer sized all of them up. She assumed that he would look at each of them and estimate how much he believes that they're worth. Her eyes scanned everyone around her, as she kept closest to Wolf. They all seem to have varied fighting styles and talents, judging by how different each of them looks from the others and their demeanors, now it's just a matter of finding out what they're capable of and hopefully have a good time... As she looked around, her eyes landed on Vivian again, as she seemed almost mesmerized by her eyes. They certainly did have a particular glow to them and an uncommon hue. Whoever she was, there was something more to her than she probably let on at that moment. Rin flashed a smile at Vivan before turning back to the JAF officer who finally began addressing all of them directly.

"Oh don't worry, welcome buddy. I'm used to lengthy rides, and 30 minutes ain't a problem." Rin smiled and chuckled softly at her own statement before continuing. "Well, you all heard our buddy here and the wise statement he just quoted, so let's get going. Let's make it a party." This last sentence came out through Rin's lips as she eyed Vivian and Wolf before she followed after the man with the glove with a smile on her face. As she walked closer to the truck, Rin sighed at the thought of being hauled into a truck like this. She didn't sigh because she was bothered by the truck, but because memories of Mikhail flashed through her mind. He must have ridden on a truck just like this before... Before she could trail off into darker thoughts, Rin shook her head and climbed onto the truck, doing her best to restore her smile before anyone noticed her mood shift. She found her seat on the opposite row of where the guy with the glove sat and took the middle seat as she sighed to let go of her thoughts. I need to stop this. I can't let my memories get in the way of this new adventure... MY adventure. Rin finally managed to put on a genuine smile and rested her head against the metal wall of the truck.

 

[Mirgris]

“Well, I ain’t gonna try to pronounce that name or yours, but welcome to Dominion all the same. Congratulations on being the Academy’s first Goblin cadet by the way! I’d shake your hand, but according to your dossier, that might be unwise.”

"The human child had it coming, if you poke a goblin you get bitten, I make no apple-O-Gees"

The goblin watches as others approach and start to speak among each other, they ignore him, but he doesn't care. As a goblin his greatest foe has presented itself, a foe which has killed countless goblins and now stares him in the face. With fingers gripping his staff tightly he prepares for the most heinous of battles. He takes a few steps back knowing he will need all of his speed. With his staff held with both hands he rushes forward and plants the bottom of the staff hard into the ground lifting himself up into the air, pole vaulting towards the truck and slamming face first into the back panels unable to reach the bed of the truck.

Heights, heights are a goblins greatest enemy.

A vial shatters as he hit the ground and his robes bleed an acid that drips onto the ground leaving more divets and tiny holes in the ground. He grasps his robe and shakes it a few time getting most of the acid onto the ground, before reaching in and swatting the glass to the ground.

RoninN7
"You, can you help me on to the truck?" He ask while still dripping a small amount of acid and glass shards. The goblin simple choose the closest person to his fall, but would accept any help at the moment, and is only slightly offended they are forcing him into a position to need help.

 

[HellKnight]

At one point, as they were all gathered, Vivian caught herself locking eyes with a shorter girl with skin almost as white as freshly laid snow. Her bright blue eyes had her staring just a little too long, but they were a beautiful combination that complimented her complexion quite well. The next one that stood out to her was the goblin, of course, as they were more of a blight species than one that one would suspect to be going to an academy. She nearly did a double take when she finally noticed the small creature, raising a brow out of curiosity. However, she nearly cracked up hearing the goblin pronounce "apologies", but that idea disintegrated, much like the ground beneath the liquid from one of its broken vials.

Before vaulting into the truck, to be sure to get a safe spot, she opted to give the small creature a lift, handling him like a volatile substance. As she got in after, she eyed the muscle-bound giant of a man, sizing him up a bit and admiring the build. As she hopped in she found a seat to the left of the girl with the dazzling blue eyes and near flawless skin. She gave the girl a smile as she sat down, again taking notice of the smaller boy that she had seen when she first arrived. She got the sense of nobility from him earlier and wondered if she gave off the same vibe. The prosthetic arm he had produced earlier was pretty cool, she wondered what the story behind that was. Probably a question best left for later down the road, she thought to herself.

"We certainly have quite the cast." she said to the girl next to her, leaning up against the side of the interior.

Mentions: NightzEnd
Directed: RoninN7 [/USER] Mirgris [/USER]

 

[RoninN7]

Rin suddenly heard a loud thud as someone seemingly crashed into the back of the truck, which prompted her to turn her head quickly towards where she'd come from. She heard something made of glass shatter and heard some shuffling outside before a voice called out to her. It was the goblin who wanted some help to get into the truck. For how freaked out she'd been earlier, Rin couldn't help but find the situation amusing. Something as simple as height made the goblin suddenly seem more like her, as it "humanized" him in a way. Rin let out a chuckle before getting off her seat and motioning towards the back of the truck. "It's okay little guy, I'm coming..." She couldn't stop herself from laughing at the expense of the goblin before she spotted Vivian approaching from behind him. "But I guess you have another savior today my acidic friend." Rin had taken notice of the liquid that the goblin held and how it reacted when it hit the floor, so she assumed that it must have been acid. As Rin fell back into her seat she found that her eyes had once again fixated on Vivian's, their glow pulling her in like some sort of mirage.

Once the goblin was in the truck, Rin laughed a little at the events that had taken place, as well as the staff that he seemingly used in his failed attempt to get in the first time. "Welcome to the high ground!" Her comment wasn't mean-spirited at all and her smile indicated that. In fact, she found that she felt considerably less freaked out about the little guy now that she'd seen him in a somewhat "vulnerable" position. Considering her entire life, Rin's size had been her biggest obstacle, she empathized with him a little. When Vivian stepped into the truck however Rin's smile changed somehow as she turned back to look at her, curiosity pulling her towards Vivian. As Vivian took a seat next to her and spoke, Rin chuckled and her head rested back on the metal wall of the truck. "You can say that again, Golden Eyes." Rin laughed a little at her nickname, and at the fact that she called people lots of things but rarely used their full name. "Sorry, where are my manners? The name's Rin, most people call me Rin, and I'm from Weissland. If you don't mind me asking, your eyes are quite the glowing attention grabbers, but they don't look common. Are they hereditary? If so then congratulate your parents for me because they really are something." With her head leaned back, Rin had her head tilted so she could look towards Vivian as she spoke, and she kept a small smile on her face the entire time she spoke.

Mentions: Mirgris HellKnight

 

[The True Plague]

Adalwolf, or Wolf as the author just remembered he was going to be called, was mildly surprised by the goblin's acidic mixtures that it just... Openly carried. Not because it was a goblin, that seemed to make sense. No, the thing that bothered this Beastkin the most about the goblin was just the unsafe storage of acid. What if that were to break, and get onto something important like this truck, and ended up ruining the inner mechanisms or something and they ended up crashing? That was always a possibility, and the thought led him to believe that'd it'd be kinda funny for them to die in a horrible accident before they even made it to Dominion Academy. Not because he'd be happy about that, but because the idea of potentially great military value is just ruined because of one Gobby boi with some acid stored unsafely. After a few minutes of taking in this goblin, and the acid, and the myriad of slightly amusing possibilities... He figured this Goblin would probably be something like a little sibling. Petulant, mildly annoying at times, insanely curious... And could be surprising. Leave that to be seen, but just guessing based on what he thinks he might know about goblins, and how this one is acting... Yeah. Slightly moody younger sibling.

Wolf then turned his gaze to the Fire Genasi with the fancy hand. Not quite sure why that is exactly interesting, to be honest. He was absolutely certain that there was some significance to the glove, and one that he should perhaps be able to pick up on... But he couldn't. He didn't care at all. They were meant to be comrades, working together. Therefore, there was nothing that made him more important than Wolf, and thus he could only judge on personality and what few things he has heard. Therefore, it wasn't too good of a judgement, but if he had to guess... Perhaps a bit snobbish. Might see himself as above certain things based on how he held himself. Could potentially be using that as a cover for something, but he'd guess it was more just attitude developed from how he grew up. Of course, this could just be a feeling of nobility... But Wolf has no idea what that feels like, since he never met nobility. So instead, if he thought about his family, he'd say they were sorta like a middle sibling, so to speak. Not exactly the youngest, so can't get away with acting childish, and wanting to prove something to someone, in this particular comparison being an older sibling or perhaps parent, so as to earn some form of respect. However, these are merely guesses, and only interactions will ever tell him if he were even close to being correct in this matter. So note to self, interact with fire man. At least he didn't unnerve him as much as Fredrick did whenever he opened his mouth. Doesn't make him question the big questions. Oh, also don't expect him to not have noticed the little bit of tensing up before when he had seen him. Wolf notices all, and he will do his best to ease any possible fear. Afterall, s'long as you ain't messing with his family, or in some way pissing him off, he'll not have reason to get any form of protective or fierce. He just happens to look that way often.

Finally, of the three newcomers in his perception, there was another female making a grand total of two women in their group. She seemed rather athletic based on build, and if he had to compare to his siblings, as he's done this entire time because the most interaction he's had in terms of people has been taking care of his myriad of siblings... He'd guess she'd be a tomboy. Somewhat rough and tough, might have something to prove. Probably has a softer side hidden under the gruff personality, either just as a way to protect her softer side, or as a side effect of finding people to care about in her life regardless of the attitude she receives for being who she is. Though this is only a guess, he felt sure that if he went in with this mindset, things would work out just fine. Course, no point in thinking this hard, you'll never interact then. Absolutely the worst, truly. All this thinking is just a wee bit too much for lil' ol' him. Let us actually try for interactions... After he climbs into this truck of course, for it is necessary to get to school. As a friend said, don't want to be late for the first day of school, do we?

It took mere seconds to find his seat, opting to sit across from Rin. She has been his favorite he's met so far, so if all else fails, he'll have someone to talk to... Whenever she finishes speaking with the other lady, or if they for some reason included him in the conversation. Here's the first thing he had to note, because she would comment whenever he did so... "Aww, Lady Rin remembered her manners this time. Don't tell me I'm already rubbing off on you!" Wolf smirked and rolled his eyes as he stretched out slightly to relax easily within the truck. "Though, I feel perhaps we should all introduce ourselves? Gonna be a boring ride if we don't know each other a little. Couldn't have made it through the train ride if not for talking each other's ears off." Wolf placed his hand on his chest, unslinging his bag from his back to ensure it doesn't get damaged. "I'm Adalwolf Beltz, and most call me Wolf or Adal. Beltz if you're feeling particularly formal. Just like her, I'm from Weissland. Y'all are?" Wolf gestured first to himself, than Rin, and finally to the group around him in general. "More specifically, you three I haven't met yet. Especially you, goblin. You seem rather interesting, and I'd love to hear more about how an acidic goblin got so good at making acid! Must truly be an interesting story, no?" "Oh, and you, metal hand! I'd like to know more about you. You seem rather knowledgeable about things... Probably. More so than I from my little village anyways! I'm sure you've seen some amazing things. Come, come, let us while away the journey, non?"

Mentions: RoninN7 HellKnight
Directed: Mirgris NightzEnd

 

[HellKnight]

The nickname forced a chuckle from the brunette, it had been a while since she had gotten a compliment on her eyes, making it an almost sarcastic chuckle. Her father didn't like them, and others whispered in the dark about them. As her father had been an advocate for keeping races apart, before his appointment as a liaison for the Alliance, it was very clear that her eyes weren't an inherited human trait, which created a bit of a rift between the two of them. She had grown so used to the criticism that she had was genuinely taken back by the compliment. Granted, she got words of admiration from those in the Knight Corps, but she felt that it was merely circumstantial.

“Vivian, feel free to call me V,” she replied to the introduction, “As for these…” pointing to her eyes with a smirk, “My father isn’t too fond of them, but I definitely appreciate them. A sort of gift from ancestors long from this world.” She smiled at the girl. “However, I’m not the only one with eyes that asked to be stared into.” She gave a playful wink, following the comment.

As more passengers got in the truck, she watched as a guy sat down across from Rin. His skin was nearly as white as Rin’s. However, there were quite some noticeable differences; the greying hair seeming to be the most peculiar to her, there was the sharp features of his ears and his teeth that shown. It was quite clear that he was a Beastkin.

She listened as he spoke up, learning that his name was…Wolf, the more natural name, in her opinion, that easily matched his appearance and answered internal questions she had. He seemed like an alright guy, quite the talker, from the looks of things. He was right, though, this ride would get rather boring if they were all to simply keep to themselves on the ride to the academy. As the jolly fellow called the small-framed boy Metal Hand, she nearly lost it, her cheeks puffing up as she caught her laughter in her mouth. She was a bit curious as to the goblin, too, having never seen one up close before, so she figured this would be a good learning experience.

If this truck ride was a prelude to their academy experience, then Vivian was sure to look forward to it.

Mirgris NightzEnd The True Plague
Directed: RoninN7