Fantasy Skyheart (1 slot open)

[AncientBird]

Valkyrie walked deep into the cave, ignoring all commotion that happened. She headed straight to a puddle with cool fresh, cavern water. She dipped her beak in the began drinking.

A moth landed on the slippy cold rock not so far away, fluttered its wings. Suddenly, something pounced from the shadow and grabbed the moth with lightning speed. It was small primate, similar in look to Momo, Leandra’s pet lemur, but a bit smaller. It also has flatter face and much bigger eyes, indicating a nocturnal habit. Its coat is light grey and soft, like rabbit’s pelt. Its fingers and toes are long and end with sharp claw used for climbing on rock surface and its tail is long and bushy.

The little primate made a chattering noise as it munched on its captured moth. It’s large rabbit-liked ear flicked but it hadn’t sensed or noticed Valkyrie who had already sneaked toward it with her long neck and beak...

Just as the deathly beak of the stork drake stabbed forward, the little primate leaped away, its tail missed the peck of death by the tip of hair. Valkyrie launched more attack, trying to capture the little critter. The primate was much more agile and leaped across the cave to a stalagmite nearby. It tried escape up the cave ceiling, but Valkyrie’s immense height and the lower ceiling of that area made it no different to flee up high. However, Valkyrie was way too clumsy in tight and dark place like this, she kept missing her target.

Eventually, the primate knocked something from the ceiling of the cave and it fell on Valkyrie’s head. The stork drake ignored it and with a quick move, she finally grabbed the primate tail.

The little critter helplessly squirmed as Valkyrie prepared to gobble it down whole. Just in that moment, a large throat pouch expanded from under the critter’s chin and it emitted a loud, devilish screech, echoing the cave... The sound of the deathborn...

Valkyrie startled and lost grip of the critter. The little primate bolted toward a crack in the stone wall and scurried to safety.

Valkyrie looked around for the potential attack but there was nothing there... She looked back for her prey but it already got away. Admitted her defeat, she let out a low grunt of frustration. However, when she was about to return to Serik, she noticed something lying on the floor...

It was a rock or stone of some sort, it glowed bright white in the darkness. It was the object that fell on her head earlier while she was chasing the little critter. Valkyrie inspected it curiously. Eventually, she picked the glowing stone up in her beak and with a quick jerk of her head, swallowed the rock down.

The stork drake then walked away from there. The little primate poked its head from the crack and watched its predator wandered away. At least it got to live for another night.

Featuring: Lioness075

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

Matthias stood back from the others, arms folded to keep them from fidgeting. He kept his lips pursed to keep them from saying the words that were on his mind. Matthias had seen an injury like Ord’s before. A hunter’s son had taken an Ice Boar’s tusk while on expedition. The party immediately rushed him to a healer, but by the looks on all their faces, Matthias could tell that they knew the outcome already. Finally, he asked,

”Who is Rhyne?” Who is this person that can heal the un-healable? And what other impossibilities awaited them at the Academy?

Tags: Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 Saturn_moon Naberius YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten SilverFlight
​

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nicknames: Lea, Firefly
Clan: Sudenta	Clan Job: Huntress
Equipment: Knapsack, Medicinal Pouch, Bow, Quiver (0/10), Twin Daggers

Spoiler: Momo's Appearance

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Leandra felt her right hand getting cut against the sharp bones she clung to, as she finally leaned sideways and was able to stab the orb in the monster's chest cavity. Abruptly, its body began to plummet and Leandra shouted a curse as she began to free fall.

Falarion snarled at the attacking Deathborn before him, tensed and ready to pounce again, but then Zephyr was suddenly charging and tearing apart the Deathborn. Falarion grunted a thank you to the gryphon and went rigid when he heard Leandra's shout over the chaos of the battlefield. Within seconds, he was airborne and flying to Leandra's side. Just as she began to fall, he flew under her and she landed with a grunt.
Grunting again with the exertion, Leandra reoriented herself on Falarion's back and they soon rejoined the others outside the cave. When Falarion landed, he stumbled forward, the fatigue of the fight starting to hit him all at once. Gingerly, Leandra dismounted him and then she hugged her right hand to her chest while she felt blood trickling from the wound on her cheek. Her hand had minor cuts along her palm, but was going to be stinging whenever she used it up until it would no doubt miraculously heal overnight. She concluded she just needed stitches for her cheek and even that would probably heal overnight as well.
Trailing after the group into the cave, Leandra glanced over at Falarion and saw he had similar wounds as before with minor cuts and abrasions along his muzzle and front paws. He too would heal through the night.

Leandra had overheard Ezekiel's sharp comment towards Kari before they had entered the cave and she already began to feel on edge because of it. This was really not the best time for any of them to be picking fights and she hesitated to approach Katja when she saw the state of Aldalf and Ord along with the few who were unconscious from overexertion. She quickly realized her wounds were very insignificant in comparison and despite Caliban's words, she found herself sitting a bit away from the group. Falarion lounged beside her, as Leandra began retrieving bandages from her knapsack. Unable to see her own cheek, Leandra winced as she dabbed at it to try and stem the bleeding to no avail. Sighing, she switched over to a damp cloth and then finally haphazardly applied her own bandage to the wound. It was crookedly placed and she tapped the outside of the bandage, dishearteningly feeling it soaking through. She would just have to keep changing it often.
Just as she retrieved fresh bandages to work on her right hand, Leandra looked up at the sound of Ezekiel's voice echoing through the cave. She blanched at what he said and then felt her spirits dipping more as most everyone began reacting in kind. Then Caliban threw a spear and the group seemed to finally quiet down. Ord arrived with Matthias and Keshka seemed entirely distracted by the state Ord was in. Leandra grimaced at the sight, wondering how they would make the journey in time for the man.
Returning to her hand, Leandra gingerly cleaned it and then wrapped her palm up in a fresh bandage. Mindful to not use it too often, Leandra then shifted over to face Falarion, kneeling in front of him while she carefully cleaned his wounds in kind. He whined at times, but would also gingerly nudge her with his nose to show he was thankful. Applying bandages to his wounds was difficult enough with his fur in the way and Leandra concluded most of it was minor enough to not need the extra care. He would be primarily flying for their journey, so he wouldn't bear weight on his front paws too often.

Just then, Ezekiel proclaimed he was going to step away from the group and Leandra was inwardly grateful for it. She did not understand why he had started anything with the group at this time, but she definitely did not feel inclined to follow him or check on him now. Of course, this was the exact moment that Aldalf decided to idiotically try to follow Ezekiel. Given his grievous wounds, Leandra rolled her eyes while she watched his failed attempt being ruined by both Katja and his own Skybeast. She had dealt with Caliban long enough to know some people's stubbornness could potentially be the death of them if they did not figure out how to better control it.

As Leandra settled down to sit with her back against Falarion's belly, she was greeted by nervous chatter and looked sideways to see her flying lemur companion materializing out of no where, or so it seemed. Leandra grinned at him and patted her lap, inviting him to join her. She had no clue where he disappeared to every time they had a fight, but he seemed to intuitively know where to hide and she was happy to know he was always safe. Using her right hand, she began petting him when Matthias asked about a name that Ord had mentioned not too long ago. With everything unfolding in the group, Leandra had not thought to inquire until Matthias did for the group. She felt her curiosity pique at this and glanced over at Ord while she waited for his answer.

SilverFlight Naberius Elenion Aura YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten Saturn_moon kase9187 AncientBird

 

[SilverFlight]

Kari would have thrown her hands up in the air would it not have hurt immeasurably. Those two were impossible.
Keshka watched the scene, but as it deescalated by itself there was only amusement left on her face. She sat back against the cave wall and closed her eyes for a moment.

Ord tried to sound confident as he answered. "Rhyne is a teacher at the academy...and a mage...he is also one of the most skilled healers I know. He has also been allowed to...experiment with newly-found magics...If I can make the journey...I will be all right."

*~*~*

With Katja's effort Ord was stabilized as much as he could be. As per usual the groups injuries healed quickly. Keshka chastised Gerel and Serik for over-using their magical skill but even they had recovered by mid morning and they were ready to travel.
Keshka returned from a scouting mission with Kari and one other. She was still weak, but strong enough to stay on Storm's back.
"No sign of the deathborn, and we're in luck, there's a storm front headed West. If we ride it we can cut half a day. It'll be rough, but Ord needs every second we can give him."

They struck out soon after.
Keshka was true to her word, the deathborn could not track them. Occasionally they caught sight of one or two, and it was almost no trouble now to dispatch them, but the huge hordes that had been sent after them before never appeared again, and never a beast so big as the one they had killed on Arebos. Kari very slowly began to relax.
Their next stop was a grassy island just out of sight of the mainland and Ord, to his credit, did as well as he could: He didn't complain at all, not about the pain, or the rough ride on the storm front and he always had a smile for those that came to check on him, especially for Matthias. His bandages were constantly damp with fresh blood, and he was getting paler every time Kari saw him, but he was fighting hard.

The air grew warmer with each passing day and at length, they came upon a piece of land that went on forever. They had reached the desert continent of Westeros.
It was grassland at first, but the grasses soon thinned, and the air became dryer wand warmer. Soon all Kari's furs were packed away in her kit, and she let the warm sun brush the bare skin of her arms under the rolled up sleeves of her cotton shirt.

Keshka had shifted their traveling schedule to avoiding the hottest hours of the day, and she pressed them harder, flying as long as they could before their beasts had to rest. Ord now had to be tied to the saddle, and he dipped in and out of consciousness throughout the flight. He didn't have long left, and watching him fade was agonizing for Kari, she could only imagine how Keshka felt, but the mage was stone-faced and calculating, and kept her emotions guarded closely.

Zephyr was visibly tired. The desert sand was hot, and oases were preciously distant. Keshka had fortunately packed extra water skins, so they could also take water for their beasts on the day they made camp without a fresh source.
At the end of the third day, dusty, hot and tired, the group caught their first distant glance of the river, a sparkling ribbon of moonlight draped across an endless sea of sand.

The houses came into view soon after, then the great white stone walls of a city, glinting with orange torches as the stars came out to dance overhead.
Keshka lead them soaring over the city walls, taking out a tiny device that sparked to flame at one end. She traced a pattern with it in the sky, and got a response from one of the guards on the wall. Kari couldn't make it out before, but she realized there had been arrows trained on all of them. Now the bows were lowered, and they passed by without incident.

The houses were often simple, one or two story white blocks, with open windows. Canvas was often tied between them to shade city streets, or over a balcony. They flew over a market with many stalls bustling with business in the late evening, when the air was cool enough to be outside. The city looked fantastic, but all Kari could think about was a cool bath and a soft bed, after they had seen to Ord.

Keshka didn't both landing at the gates, she flew straight over the walls and landed in a large sandy sports pitch, in the center of the most exquisite grounds:
There was lush grass lining the walls of ancient sandstone buildings, set with intricate carvings of skybeasts and scrolls. Flowering trees filled the air with a sweet scent. She could see a garden from here, and towards the river there was a green house, hanging out over the running water, attached to what looked like a dormitory. The campus itself was built onto the riverbank and Kari had a clear view of the other side, a few houses, and the dark, angular silhouettes of the famous Westerosi pyramids.
"Hey! Get the assistants! I need Rhyne now!"

But there seemed to already be people running towards them. Apparently someone had spotted them flying in.
Soon the team were being offered water, damp clothes, checked for scrapes and generally fussed over.
Keshka began giving orders: "Get their skybeasts to the stables and give them food and water, you can do the same with the people after they've met headmaster Candour. Ord, he needs Rhyne right away."
The assistants milled around Pasha, unsure of how to manage getting Ord down without hurting him. He wasn't responding, and Kari realized with growing shock that he was barely breathing. He was drenched in a cold sweat and there were shadows under his eyes.

"Step aside."
The voice was gentle, but it carried all the weight of a bellowing officer. A new man stepped into the circle and Kari caught her breath. 'Beautiful' was the only word that came to mind: his hair was brilliant as spun gold, pinned back, though plenty of it fell over deep, delicate blue eyes. He was dressed in Westerosi garb, white with gold trim. There were tattoos on his shoulders that seemed to shimmer white and opalescent. Gold earrings danced at the base of his jaw. I was only after gawking that Kari noticed his right hand, or, a white cloth tied where his right hand should have been.

He was followed by two men with a stretcher, a simple cloth tied tightly around a bamboo frame.
"Keep the torso straight, don't bother untying the ropes, cut them, we haven't much time."
He turned his delicate blue eyes on Keshka.

"I gave you phoenix tears for exactly this sort of predicament." His voice was so soft, but Kari heard every word spoken.
"Those were used to save another idiot." Keshka replied shortly. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly with that response.
Once on the stretcher the man had a careful look at Ord's dressings.
"Hmm, this is good work. I need the healer that did this. I'll have questions for them. Candour can have them after I'm done."
"Rhyne...is he..?"

Rhyne regarded Keshka seriously. "I don't know." He signaled for the stretcher to be taken away towards the senior dorms by the greenhouse, where the infirmary was located. "Come check in an hour."
With that, he was gone. He had asked for Katja, and wouldn't protest anyone else going too. Keshka looked like she very much wanted to, but she had another job for the moment.


Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Naberius Elenion Aura explosiveKitten Saturn_moon

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf finally saw the sun again as Spica finally got off of him. He'd quietly sobbed for what felt like an hour. Stitt flew back over to him and nestled herself into one of the pockets on his bag, clipping herself in.

Zeke rejoined the group while they were flying, as far as Aldaf could see, so he didn't have a good opportunity to talk with him about the argument or Stitt. He did hand Stitt back over once they landed for a short rest, but said nothing else.

Aldaf touched down alongside Keshka and watched wordlessly as Ord was tended to. At the mention of the stables, he regrettably let Spica go off to sleep in her own little bed.

With Spica off to rest in the stables, Aldaf waited for confirmation as to where they needed to go. He spoke not a word, his face empty and down turned.

SleepyCreamy SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro Elenion Aura explosiveKitten Saturn_moon Naberius AncientBird Lioness075

 

[explosiveKitten]

Katja was beyond excited to get to Westeros. To be honest, she just wanted a chance to relax. These past three days had been the most stressful in her life. Even throwing in all the abuse back in Northaria. At least that she was accustomed to.

She wasn’t accustomed to sitting backwards on the back of a furry, otter-dragon holding a full-grown man in order to prevent him from falling off the back of the furry otter-dragon. Whilst also trying to keep him stable and not bleeding out. Needless to say, Katja was feeling a little stressed. And tired.

When everyone touched down, Katja was happy to get off Pasha’s back. Her thighs were killing her, and her feet were numb.

The heat was affecting Katja. She was sweaty, uncomfortable, and when the people there started to lead everyone’s Skybeasts off, she found that was nervous. There goes the one ounce of familiarity she has.

Well, okay, yeah, she had the group.

She rushed forward to make sure that Ord was taken care of, but before she could even haul him off Pasha’s back, she saw a bunch of people rush out, with a stretcher and a... a very interesting man came with them. Pretty, blond, blue eyed, with sparkling tattoos that she just could not explain. Very pretty. Gorgeous. Very interesting indeed.

While the people rushed around Ord, Katja found herself shrinking away, trying not to catch anyone’s attention, and she stared down at the ground for a moment before she heard the man- Rhyne, apparently- ask for the healer who had been in charge of Ord. Her head snapped up and she blinked, looking over in his direction. It took her a moment to realize that he had talking to her, and he wanted her to go with him.

Slowly, she stepped out of the crowd and shyly raised a hand, waving slightly with a nervous smile on her face as she remarked, “hehe, hi! Yeah, that’s uh... that’s me. Hi.”

Before she could ask what exactly he wanted, he was gone. She squealed, looked around, then charged after him. “Um, hi, I um, I’m Katja. I was the one who has been watching over Mister Ord, I uh, I heard you wanted to talk to me??”

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Naberius Elenion Aura SilverFlight Saturn_moon

 

[AncientBird]

Serik woke up in the warm sunlight of the next morning. He felt weird in his guts and was quite hungry. Valkyrie sat not so far away, she looked at Serik and came over to check on him.

“I am fine, Valkyrie. Thanks for looking after me when I went out. I was afraid for a bit that you would abandon everything and leave... But you are here and everyone seem fi-... Well, alive.” Serik said and he patted the stork drake on her front leg and looked around the camp that was set up, his word stumbled when he saw Ord severely injured.

He eventually filled up in his ration and prepared for the journey. Keshka suddenly called him to her. She made a harsh comment of how Serik carelessly used all his power on magic and became helpless in the middle of the fight, which Serik wholeheartedly agreed that he was rather foolish in doing so... The strangest thing however, was that Gerel was also called to be preached about the same thing. Serik was surprised since he never knew that Gerel also had a magic power as well.

“Gerel, you have a magical power as well? Since when?” He asked. The more he got to know these teammates, the more surprises were found within them...

Soon, the band moved on. They had to be quick and hurried to Westeros as soon as possible. Ord’s condition was getting worse and their only chance was to get him to someone named Rhyne which resides at the academy in To’bai, the capital city of Westeros.

The journey was way faster but harsher. They all had to race with time and the pace was making it difficult for Valkyrie who was a rather slow flyer. Serik had to accelerated her constantly and cheered her spirit up along the way... At least the wind was in their favor and helped carry the band onward with ease.

The atmosphere became hotter and dryer... Soon Serik only left his vest and pants on as the fur was getting too hot to wear. He had to drink water from his water bag constantly. Valkyrie on the other hand, seemed to not be bothered by the heat and the dry air. Her species live in the more arid zone of Estendor and had adapted to conserve water in their bodies very well. Every time the band took a break though, she always headed off and eat as much as prey she could gorge in... The moisture from the preys were enough to cherish her thirst and thus, not having to share water with Serik.

Soon, they reached the new land... Westeros wad right in the scene. Grand desert began to show up and replaced the grassy coastal area. The team flew pass the passage that Keshka said would be less tedious and dangerous to cross. Serik could see sandy desert and dry savanna stretched across the land. Herd of wild hoofed beast, large and small like he never knew or seen before run under them. Occationally, several types of winged beasts flew pass them still Serik could swear that he never saw such a wide array of wildlife like this in his homeland before, despite being significantly less arid.

Finally, To’bai was in the scene. Grand sand stone building popped out like trees among the wood. They seemed much more well designed and complex than the simpler buildings in Ocris. Serik was excited to see all these marvelous setting that he almost forgot they were in a hurry to save someone’s life.

Soon, they arrived at the academy. Many staffs came and took Ord who was barely clinging in his life down from his skybeast. A Westerosian man came to inspect him. His name was Rhyne, the man that was said to be the only hope for Ord. He was a very handsome man with long glorious hair and even Serik got to admit that he had not seen anyone hair this gorgeous and well cared... Even Zaya and Saran didn’t even come close to his hair.

After Ord was taken away, Rhyne suggested that they all should meet up with the headmaster of the academy. Serik was excited, perhaps this would be the man that hold the secret of how the band lost memory and how they were taken from home? However, before that the staffs would need to take all their skybeasts to the stable first...

And just as expected, a loud screech of tantrum came from Valkyrie as one of the staff approached her. She raised her head up, puffing and huffing air with her beak ready to impale any strangers trying to get close to her. The poor staff was startled and fell on his buttocks.

“Stop that!!!” Serik shouted as he ran in between his skybeast and the man. “You are making scene again! These people are not our enemies! Why can’t you understand?!” He shouted at the stork drake. Valkyrie huffed air and stopped, she’s about to turn away. Serik know that he couldn’t let her run free in this place, this was city, not forest anymore.

“I am sorry Valkyrie, but this is for the best of everyone... Koray!” Serik said the encase word. Valkyrie eye widened as she heard the word that imprisoned her earlier and was trying to launch into the sky, but her body was drained inside Serik’s amulet first. Serik then helped the staff getting up.

“I apologized for my beast’s behavior... She was just scared of stranger... I will take her to the stable myself later, just tell me where the place is.” Serik asked the staff, who was still shocked from what just happened, yet he gladly told Serik and let him did thing himself...

Featuring: SleepyCreamy SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro Elenion Aura explosiveKitten Saturn_moon Naberius kase9187 Lioness075

 

[SleepyCreamy]

"Ezekiel? What's the matter?" A gentle voice soothed a young boy with bright yellow eyes, his face was streaming with tears. "Why are you crying, my child?"
"I lost it." Young Ezekiel aggressively kicked a rock near him with pure frustration. "I lost it, mother."
To this, the woman smiled and looked at her son with such kind eyes. "What have you lost?"
The boy fidgeted for a moment before finally meeting his mother's eyes. "Father's rings." More tears seem to have fallen down his cheeks the moment he told the truth. "I'm so sorry!" The boy wailed and hugged his mother for comfort.
His mother seems to understand as she returned the boy's hug back. "What do we do when we've lost something?" The woman said in a calming voice as she fiddled with the boy's ebony locks.
"We..." The child paused.
"Take a breath first." The two uttered at the same time as the boy inhaled through his nose.
"And then..." Zeke eagerly awaited his mother's answer as he was desperate to find the missing items. "We hope for it to come back to us." Once she said that the boy was surprised at his mother's answer and didn't understand what she meant.
"What?! That's stupid!" The boy's eyes have stopped spilling tears and searched his mother's eyes for more answers. How can 'hope' bring something back that's already missing?
"You'd be amazed at what you could achieve with a little bit of hope, young man. You're still young, Zeke. You'd understand that as you grow up. And I'll always be there for you when you need it. Every step, you hear? Now, let's find your father's rings before he has a fit. You'll see what I mean soon enough." She fiddled with Zeke's fingers in a meaningful manner and Zeke found comfort in her words and smile, even though he has no idea what his mother might be one about. As soon as she mentioned her guidance, a feeling swelled up in his chest and he wondered if that's what hope feels like. Moreso when she kissed his forehead in a loving manner. He loved it whenever she does that. It made him feel loved.
Later that night, the boy slept soundly with his father's rings still intact with his fingers. He was too consumed by fear to notice what was in front of him, and that was one of his mother's lessons that he failed to see.

III✦III​

As Zeke fiddled with the wooden carving to maintain his composure, a memory flashed before him and it only made him wish to be back in his mother's arms, back to the time when he worried about nothing but his father's rings. Zeke then stood straight and breathed through his nose. Soon, he'd see his mother and finally rest easy. Zeke stopped fiddling with the carving and gently placed it back to the pocket, he jester at the idea of Stitt's cute angry face if something were to happen with the item. The ebony-haired boy stared above the night sky and was greeted at the sight of the silver moon above him, giving the goddess, Lunenan, a silent prayer. He prayed for his mother's well-being and her mental state, he has been doing it ever since he was young. And he wondered if this faith of his is similar to 'hope'. Has he been praying to the gods for nothing? This thought alone broke Zeke and made him doubt his mother's words for the first time.

Zeke shook his head. No... There's no way her words would be untrue. I believe in what my mother has to say and that's it. She'll get better with or without any of the god's help. I just know it. And as for Stitt... She'll find her way back. He clung to Azurine's saddle with an iron-clad grip as the fear of losing both his mother and Stitt faded away and was replaced by the same feeling he felt when he was in his mother's warm arms.

III✦III​

To his luck, Stitt did found her way back to him once he has rejoined the group with the help of an unusually silent Aldaf. Zeke doesn't know what to feel as he received some weird glares behind his back as the group flew, or at least, he feels them staring but he couldn't muster up enough courage to look back. He knew what he did was unacceptable, but what could he ever do to redeem himself? He acted out of pure curiosity and mix that with his sharp-tongue and bluntness, this formula could only lead to disaster such as the one he's currently in now. Zeke wondered why Aldaf was being unbearably silent and it was certainly a new sight for him. He wondered if it was because of his actions from the previous night and honestly, Zeke wouldn't be surprised. He pushes people away for a reason, and his pride prevents him from ever speaking it out loud.

As the warm air hit his skin, he felt a nostalgic feeling overwhelm him. He urged Azurine to move faster, and with that, the Skybeast complied and was flying next to Keshka, who was leading the group. Zeke's eagerness to see his homeland was very much visible due to his fidgeting fingers along with the borrowed saddle and his sweaty face (both from the heat and from nervousness). It was evening when they saw the sea of sand below them. Azurine strayed away from the group for a little bit and lowered himself down to the sand's level and only have the tip of his wings graze the sand, creating tiny waves of sand ripple downwards. After that, Zeke knew his Skybeast would fit in well with this environment.

After a few moments have passed, the city of To'Bai came in view and his grip on the saddle tightened. Azurine only gave a sigh of relief as he was thankful that it was not his feathers. Zeke stood even straighter as they approached the academy. Zeke was debating if he should just ditch the group and go straight towards his home, but he knew he had to stick around to hear what the headmaster has to say to him. The headmaster was the one who aided Zeke the most after his exile. He gave Zeke a new life, to begin with, and he couldn't be more thankful for his father's connections. If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't be able to restore the Marcellius name back to its rightful place. As much as he hates to admit it, the academy was like a second home to him. His family is one of the wealthiest family in Westeros, and aside from his dear mother, he also has to worry about the thieves who wish his family's wealth some harm. Where were his other family members you may ask? They turned their backs on him the moment they heard of his father's work, and they only came back when they heard of Zeke's accomplishments as a Marcellius. Zeke didn't like that one bit, so he shut them out and only kept a few people close to him.

Before he could even start another thought process, Azurine has landed himself in a patch of sand and Zeke quickly hopped off of his exhausted Skybeast. The yellow-eyed boy then loosened his straps to help the feathered beast relax. "You did everything splendidly, Azurine." He said as Stitt perched herself up on Zeke's shoulders and gave Azurine a nod of appreciation. As Zeke stood did more adjustments to Azurine's saddle, he noticed a commotion with a certain Stork Drake and a dimpled person. Zeke paid no mind at this as his attention was suddenly centered around Azurine growling when one of the assistants touched Azurine's hind. Zeke then petted the beast's neck and looked him straight in the eye, he gave his beast a look and nodded for him to follow the assistant.

As Azurine gets dragged away towards the stables along with the other Skybeasts, Zeke took that time to reminisce the sight in front of him. However, he caught something strange, he caught Keshka and another familiar face. He knew Keshka was someone familiar, but seeing her in the academy grounds, made him remember of a memory. It was a memory of a student getting scolded by a faded figure, and that figure would soon reveal itself as Keshka. It was an interesting sight, to say the least. He'd have to inquire that later, but at the moment, he's just eager to see the headmaster and what he has to say with the group.

SilverFlight Naberius Saturn_moon YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten kase9187 Elenion Aura AncientBird Lioness075

 

[Saturn_moon]

As they made their way to Westeros, Marylka finally felt, for the first time in days, like she could take a proper breath. Occasionally, she would still look over her shoulders to check if they were being followed or startle at the smallest sounds but for the most of it, she no longer felt like anxiety was eating her from the inside. That being said, they still had one pressing issue to worry about: making sure they got Ord back to the academy in time.

Keshka managed their travelling schedule with a military-like fervor, pushing them and their skybeasts as fast and as long as possible before resting. For awhile, the only indication that they were making any progress on their journey was the increasing temperature and by the time they hit the edge of Westeros, Marylka's furs were long abandoned, stored away in the depths of her pack. Initially, the landscape that passed below as the group sped ahead was largely grasslands. If not for the heat, Marylka could have sworn they were in Estendor, but grass soon made way for large expanses of sandy desert and trees grew scarcer and scarcer... as did the number of water sources. Archie never made a fuss but Marylka could tell the weather and long flights were taking a toll on her skybeast. In an attempt to help Archie keep cool, she started freezing the water in her skins and slipped them between the gaps of the ill-fitting saddle to serve as makeshift ice packs. It wasn't much, but the hippogriff brightened up significantly, so much that he seemed to not mind the saddle anymore.

It was the end of the third day when they finally got their first glimpse of the capital, To'bai. Despite being tired, hot and absolutely filthy, Marylka's heart leapt with excitement and nervousness as she set her eyes on the great city. To'bai was a whole new world compared to what she was used to in Estendor. From above, the city looked like a labyrinth formed by short white buildings protruding proudly from the ground. Even in the late hour, the market was still bustling with activity as merchants sold their wares from stalls covered in magnificently coloured cloths and children delightedly played in the streets.

Marylka had been so fascinated by the city below that she hadn't notice the academy until they were within its exquisite compounds. There was no time to admire the architecture though, for the moment they landed people came rushing from the surrounding buildings towards them. Keshka, without missing a beat, started giving orders, calling for someone named Rhyne to tend to Ord.

Rhyne turned out to be a man, not much older than them although he exuded a maturity that far exceeded his appearance, with soft golden hair and piercing blue eyes set against smooth sun-kissed skin that was threaded with delicate, glimmering tattoos. He spoke with a gentle voice that somehow still managed to command the attention of the room. Marylka never cared much for appearances but even then she had to admit that the man standing before them was stunning.

Ord was rushed away to the infirmary on a stretcher with Rhyne and Katja following close behind. Like snapping out of a spell, Marylka was once again aware of her surroundings and the people fussing over them. A boy tapped her on the shoulder and offered to take Archie to the stables which she hesitantly agreed to. Logically, she knew he would be safe and much more comfortable there but in this unfamiliar place she felt the need to hold on to every piece of familiarity she could.

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Naberius Elenion Aura explosiveKitten SilverFlight

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Gerel's dreams of late had been strange to say the least. This one wasn't any different. He was floating in the middle of the sky. Above were brushstrokes of white clouds across a canvas of orange. Below him were spires of rock moving across a swirling sea of shadows. Held aloft by gentle winds, Gerel felt at peace. Once in a while, soft whispers would caress his ears, telling him things that faded into the open as soon as he heard them. He didn't mind. It was so quiet here. No deathborn. No life threatening experiences. Only him, the sky, and those lovely, lovely whispers.

When he woke up, it was already mid-morning. Remnants of the dream were replaced by images of eagle-like deathborn chasing them among rock pillars, companions bravely holding against the oncoming tide, and the volley of wind arrows he unleashed. To his side was Jeff, legs folded beneath him, eyes fixed on his in concern. He felt something soft and warm rubbing against his other shoulder, and for one heated moment he pictured Kari sitting next to him, brown eyes glimmering with that inner fire that drew him in like a moth, wide grin stoking the embers inside his chest. But instead it was Talon, cooing and rubbing her head against him, sharing Jeff's worry about their master. Chuckling, he raised a hand and stroked the eagle's feathers. It was a small comfort in the midst of his turmoil with newfound discoveries.

He used magic. He cast spells. What he considered Ventra's whispers back then were actually subtle manipulation of wind currents to pinpoint to location of his enemies, and to let his arrows fly swift and true to their intended targets. And yesterday, once the taint that drew deathborn to them was cleansed, he was able to command greater magics. He was contemplating about this when he heard Keshka's sharp words call him to her. She berated him -- and Serik -- harder than any wizened stoneshaper from Estendor, her concern hidden beneath the stern voice of an instructor of the prestigious Academy.

Of course Serik would be surprised that Gerel could cast magic. If only he could give the boy answers he himself was looking for. "I... don't know. Since we woke up back at Erebos. Since the year before. Since yesterday. I honestly don't know..."

Ord's predicament and the urgency of their trip distracted him from the questions of magic long enough to prepare his things for the journey ahead. As they flew, he lost himself in the thrill of flight, listening closely to Keshka's instructions. One day turned into three, and the cold winds slowly gave way to warmer air. For the first time in his life, Gerel felt sweaty enough to tuck his furs inside the pack and continue on with only his loose, sweat-damped tunic. An idea came to him, and despite Keshka's warnings on the matter, Gerel began testing the limits of his power. He got as far as controlling gusts of wind to relieve him of the heat, and even then he felt exhaustion creeping along the edges of his eyes.

Soon enough, sky turned into grass and then into sand as the grand Westerosi capital of To'bai came into view. The explorer in him leaped with excitement at the sight of the limestone houses and the colorful banners decorating the streets. The more careful side of him worried for what they might find inside the walls of the Academy, whether it was a lost memory, or an answer to his confusion towards her. Finally they landed in the middle of a courtyard fit for royalty. As soon as his feet touched the floor an attendant was by his side, reaching up for Jeff to bring them to the stable on Keshka's orders. If not for Gerel's mental rebuke, Jeff would've kicked the attendant for daring to touch him without his permission.

Confident that his skybeast could play nice with the others, he turned back to the commotion. There he saw a man with blond hair and a face that made Gerel feel incredibly conscious about his own. Could a man be this... beautiful? Gerel shook the question from his mind, unsure if he wanted to see where that road led. He introduced himself as Rhyne, and from the looks of it he was a healer, if not the Academy's head healer. He watched as he walked away, with Ord carried away on a stretcher. Katja followed suit, having been singled out by the beautiful man. Now, all that was left was for them to wait until Keshka brought them to someone named... Candour?

To the side, he saw Marylka looking like a lamb among rams. He walked over to her to offer solidarity as a fellow son of Estendor... only Marylka was no longer a daughter of Estendor. She had chosen to become part of Westeros for whatever reason. He considered how he should treat the girl given what she did, and was relieved to discover that he didn't care either way. Marylka was a companion, regardless of which tribe she belonged to. "After everything that's happened, finally seeing the Academy first hand is almost worth it," Gerel said to her, his eyes sweeping across the intricate murals of skybeasts on the walls. "How are you holding up?"

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 Saturn_moon Naberius Elenion Aura explosiveKitten SilverFlight

 

[Naberius]

Caliban Lupei

After the raised voices and flared tempers began to dissipate, things moved quickly again. Ord was in bad shape, and Katja was doing as best she could to keep him stable. He was worried about the older man, though. He had taken a pretty bad hit and he didn't know whether or not he would actually survive to make it to this 'Rhyne' person he had mentioned.

The following day was tense, and it remained that way until they reached their destination. The storm aided their travel, and it very well could have been what made it possible to get Ord to the academy still clinging to life. Caliban spent most of the flight in silence, occasionally pulling up beside Lea to see how she was doing, or over to Katja to check on her and Ord. The rest of the time, however, he spent pondering those small glimpses of memory he had managed to salvage from the torrent that spilled through this mind during the ritual. Very few fragments remained, the rest came and went and no matter what he did he could not bring them back. They were lost again, and it bothered him greatly.

As they traveled the temperature began to climb, and soon enough it was closer to what he was used to in Sudenta, and he was able to strip off the warmer clothing they had been given on Arebos for the climb up the mountain, but the only other thing he had on him to cover himself with was his leather jacket from home. So he fastened it around himself, securing it in the front and making sure it was cinched shut. The heat increased, and he felt far more comfortable than he had on the mountain. The cold was brutal, having not been used to anything nearly that cold even in the chilliest times of the year at home. He was amazed he hadn't noticed it much while there, but with the constant attacks and endless adrenaline it didn't really have time to set in. They passed over green landscapes first, traversing the very farthest edges of Westeros quickly as they made for the academy and the city that surrounded it. Ord was looking worse than when they had set out and he could tell it was having a toll on everyone, especially Katja. When they finally landed, they were immediately met by a group led by a...fairly attractive man, he supposed... who was apparently this 'Rhyne' character that had been mentioned in the cave. He wanted to see Katja, and for some reason the thought made him feel...odd. He couldn't quite place it, didn't have a name for the feeling but it was...bad. Not as though he didn't trust the man around her but at the same time...An odd feeling indeed.. He scowled slightly, looking from her to him, still unable to process what precisely the feeling was about but couldn't, he had no basis or context to draw from.

Their mounts were going to be tended to, and they were to be given room and board while they stayed there. The idea of a bath and something hot and fresh to eat brought that blazing smile back into place. He honestly didn't realize until that moment just how incredibly exhausted he had been the entire time since they had woken up in that tent together.

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 Saturn_moon YumenoTsukishiro Elenion Aura explosiveKitten SilverFlight

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

They were swarmed as soon as their Skybeasts touched down. People were all over. Matthias slid down Volos’ flank in time to catch an attendant reaching out to him with a cool towel. Eyes narrowed, Matthias growled like a feral animal at them and they beat a hasty retreat, their eyes gone wide. Good, Matthias thought. When it was clear that the rest of their beasts were being led away, Matthias relented and allowed Volos to be taken. ”Don’t eat anyone.” Matthias said to Volos in ear shot of the Westerosi waiting to receive his Skybeast, stroking the fur around his neck. He’d been joking, of course. But they did not know that from the low pitch of his voice.

Volos, to his credit, did not seem the least bit fazed by any this. He sniffed and clicked his tongue amicably as the handlers ferried him and the others toward the stables, leaving Matthias with nothing to do. Ord had been lead away, with Katja in tow, by the most beautiful man Matthias had ever seen. Matthias flexed his fingers into fists, glowering at any Westerosi that tried to offer him creature comforts. Impatiently, he rumbled to the group, and Keshka most of all, ”Lets get going.” Matthias was fed up with questions. He was prepared to hear answers. If this person, the headmaster, Candour, didn’t have any, then Matthias thought he may as well pack up and go home. The Deathborn following him was no longer a concern. Keshka had seen to that...

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​

 

[SilverFlight]

Keshka lead them to the southern complex, where a flight of steps lead to a large round building. Stone statues of great skybeasts, a gryphon and a dragon stood on either side of the steps, looking out over the courtyard with serious, stony stares. Above the double oak doors Kari saw a crest with the same creatures rampant upon it. The school's emblem, she decided. Keshka pulled open one of the doors and lead them into a rounded corridor lit by oil lamps that hugged the inner room of the rotunda, which was blocked from view by a set of hard iron doors that looked like they needed a team of people to open and close. Whatever was in there, it needed a lot of protection.

She lead them to a small set of side doors and opened them into a lit and mostly bare hallway, stone this time. A set of open doors on their left betrayed a grand auditorium and straight ahead of them the doors was slightly ajar, with warm light pouring from it...warm light, and raised voices:

"Elias, you need to be reasonable!"
"What on earth is your blasted guard for, if not to protect this city?"
"The guard isn't enough. We need mages. The school has those, the highest concentration of magical talent in the world! You can't sit on potential like that while men are being slaughtered!"
"What we have is children, Deralis, children. Not even proven and certainly in no condition to fight those monstrosities!"
"They wouldn't be on the front line! We would have them safely behind the guard and they can use their magic for distance attacks only. This is war Elias! People are dying!"

"I have been entrusted with the safety of the students. I will not break my oath, and maybe it's war to you, Deralis, but to me, its a magical problem, and the solution is research, not brute force, and certainly not a child army! I will not support your inane bid at the council tomorrow. Now get out of my school!"
A man forced the doors open and they slammed on their hinges as he strode past. He seemed surprised to see a cluster of people standing in front of the headmaster's office and composed himself quickly.

"I was...not aware there were others waiting. Are you..friends of the school? Newly graduated perhaps?"
Keshka gave him a venomous look. "I believe your appointment is done, guard chief Deralis. Always a pleasure."
Deralis scowled, but said no more, he left, walking swiftly out towards the main gates.

"Come." The voice from inside the office called to them. It was strained slightly, from the battle that had just taken place.
"What was that about?" Kari asked Keshka quietly. Keshka didn't answer straight away.
"The chief of the city guard has been trying to draft our students into a response team to fight the deathborn attacking the city. It's nothing you need to worry about."

The office was simple, oil lamps on wrought iron stands lit the space, which was sandstone brick and warm. There was a desk on an intricate red rug and a small door leading into the man's private apartments. The man in question, was sitting at the desk rubbing his temples. When he saw who was filing in, he stopped and stood up.
"You...found them." The amount of relief in his voice told Kari just how important they seemed to be to the academy.
"As per the letter, they don't have any more memories than we do...but...they are starting to get them back."
Kari had explained it to Keshka before they had left the little island.

"That is something then." Said Candour and bowed his head in respect. "My name is Elias Candour, headmaster of this academy. We have reason to believe you were once students here...around about the time when the deathborn came."
He didn't beat around the bush.

"I'll be even more frank with you: We need your memories, any clues we can get that would lead us to uncovering just what happened a year ago to bring these creatures down upon us. I believe I have a lead on information as to why you were here...however, we have hit a snag."
Keshka looked surprised. Candour continued.

"There was one teacher who seemed to be regaining his memory...he knew about ten mysterious students who learned skills at an alarming rate...he was also trailing leads into the appearance of the deathborn...but shortly after I sent teams to look for you...he vanished."
Kesh frowned. "Danubey's gone?"

Candour nodded grimly. He looked at the gathered youths.
"You may stay here as long as you like, we want to train you again, perhaps doing what you did here seven months ago might help your memories...in return, I would like you to help in our search for Danubey."

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Naberius Elenion Aura Saturn_moon

*~*~*

Rhyne asked very detailed questions about Ord's treatment as he lead Katja to the second floor of the senior dorms. He drilled her on every step, and only seemed satisfied when she had told him everything twice over.

"I need tools from my office." He announced and motioned for her to follow him into a room right next to the infirmary doors. The office was...unique.
Wall to wall, on every available space were sketches, sketches detailing the internal structures of human beings. Framed on the walls were more detailed works, inked and painted with excruciating detail. There was a full-scale map of veins and arteries and on several shelves there were organs in jars, sometimes they had been cut open, or sections removed to display the complicated linings. Where there were no drawings, there were books. Volumes and volumes with more ink drawings and detailed descriptions of physical injury and unique diseases. Despite the obvious clutter of paper, the room was fastidiously clean. Brushes, pens and ink were all set on a neat shelf, and there was a sink in the corner with a hand pump and a thick bar of soap.

Rhyne collected a small metal box with his hand and turned to a side door into a little room, painted white and lit well with lamps.
"Put this on, and these." He said, setting the box down to hand her a thick cloth coat and a pair of finely-woven gloves.
"Wash your hands at the sink first, then put the gloves on and dust them with this." He handed her a small vial of white powder.
Rhyne did these things himself and when an attendant opened a door at the other end of the room Rhyne waved him away.
"She will help me with the procedure, I don't need you."

The man didn't seem to take offense, in fact, he nodded and left without so much as a frown.
Rhyne lead her into the final room. Ord was laying on an elevated, flat bed. His shirt had been cut away from the wound and the area cleaned already. It looked like he had been given some sort of sleeping draught, his chest rose and fell slowly, and he didn't look to be in any pain.
"This will be tricky at first, and I need an extra hand." He glanced at her, and it wasn't obvious that he had just made a joke, because his tone and expression never changed.
Rhyne worked delicately, and his soft voice directed Katja only when needed, for the rest, he trusted her skill.
Once the talon was out, and the wound welling with fresh blood Rhyne stepped back.
"The wound is infected, I'm going to fix the tissue damage, but he might not survive the sepsis." He said it as casually as if he was remarking on the weather.
"It will help me if you take the tools, and help hold the tears together."
With Rhyne's careful guidance, the task was done and then he placed his hand just above Ord's chest.
The air around them seemed to hum, though the room was completely silent, and then, the flesh began to knit itself together. First the wounded lung, and then the connective tissue and finally the skin, all the while Rhyne guiding Katja through helping with the tools.
Finally, only a white, crooked scare remained, and sweat was beading on Rhyne's brow. He found a chair and sat quickly, looking like he had just run a mile, though he wasn't out of breath.
"That's the best we can do...for now. Take a break."

Once out of the surgery, cleaned and sitting in plush chairs with tea steaming in cups on a little table Rhyne spoke again.
"Headmaster Candour is probably now telling your friends that there is a man at the academy who has begun to remember who you are."
He paused to let that absorb. "However, Danubey went missing, not one week after Keshka left and found you. He will agree to have you trained, in magic and combat, in exchange, he wants you and your friends to try to remember, and to look for clues to Danubey's whereabouts...but, what I want...is to train you, provided you have a gift for healing magic...something tells me you do."
He then regarded her as if he had realized something. "What are you called?"
explosiveKitten

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf was quieter than normal, absorbing the information.

"Okay. I'll help, at least." His voice was diminished. His usual energetic nature was being suppressed.

SleepyCreamy SilverFlight Lioness075 Elenion Aura Naberius AncientBird YumenoTsukishiro Saturn_moon

 

[Naberius]

Caliban Lupei

Caliban walked along with the others to see the headmaster, taking in their surroundings. Things did somehow feel familiar but he couldn't really say why. The shouting drew his attention first. When the rather angry visitor left, Deralis apparently was his name, Cal watched him go. Certainly the students here at the academy were children, yes. But if there were more of these things out there attacking innocent people surely their group wouldn't just sit around and not help...Right?

They entered and were meet with the Headmaster who at least knew of them, even if he didn't know them directly. Or remember them if he did, anyway. The information he was unloading on them was a lot to take in, however. They appeared to be a bit more important than he had originally believed. Their odd healing wasn't their only talent, it would seem. If what he was saying was true, they trained here and learned their chosen abilities 'at an alarming rate'. He wasn't sure quite how fast that was, but the way he said it made it seem like they might be unnaturally gifted in that area as well. And again, he was only left with more questions than before.

"That's...quite a bit to take in. But let's just tackle this one bit at a time, yeah? I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm game. But uh...what exactly did we do here?"

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro SilverFlight Elenion Aura Saturn_moon explosiveKitten

 

[Saturn_moon]

Since she had discovered her magic when she was six, all Marylka wanted to do was go to the academy; To walk it's halls, read it's books, and converse with the greats that resided within it. She'd spent countless hours, days, years, imagining what it would feel like when she had finally made it through its prestigious gates. Jubilation, surely. Triumphant? Satisfaction? Excitement? Perhaps. Yet, standing in the Academy's courtyard, Marylka was instead filled with conflicting emotions; Confused, lost and wanting. Why? What was it exactly that she was so desperately searching for?

She was then abruptly pulled out of her ruminating by Gerel who had quietly made his way to her side. "It certainly is beautiful..." she replied to his comment about the academy softly, fully taking in their surroundings for the first time since they arrived. The well-preserved ancient sandstone buildings, the intricate carvings that adorned the walls, the lush gardens with their sweet smelling flowers. It was like they had stepped into some sort of paradise, trapped in a pocket of time from yesteryear.

"Honestly? I don't know how I'm feeling. This is all very strange and unfamiliar and..." Far from home. That was what Marylka had wanted to say, until she came to a realisation that shook her to her core. This was her home. Or at least, Westeros was. In the midst of all the madness of trying to survive, she had almost forgotten that she had chosen a new clan, a new home...

For so long, home to her was a little white yurt in an open field. Home was the space between her grandfather's arms. Home was with her parents and her siblings. Home was Estendor.
Here, she had none of that.
She was back at zero.
She had no home.
Tears threatened to spill over but she blinked them back. This had been her choice and hers alone. There would be no crying. She knew the consequences when she stepped into the circle at the proving ceremony and she would rise to meet them... no matter how painfully lonely it was.

Thankfully, Keshka was on the move before Gerel could inquire more. She had them follow her up a flight of stairs and through several doors before they stopped outside what she assumed to be an office. The tail-end of a heated discussion floated out to where they stood and Marylka caught words such as 'slaughtered', 'war', and 'child army'. Definitely not things she wanted to hear and it made her stomach turn.

When the man named Deralis eventually took his leave, the group was called in and greeted by a man who looked to Marylka about as tired as she felt. The headmaster had little concern for formalities and went straight to the point. He spoke frankly and honestly, detailing their struggles before asking for their help. Aldaf and Caliban were quick to agree but Marylka was uncertain.

"With no disrespect sir," Marylka spoke up, albeit with obvious discomfort at having to address someone of his stature. "but who exactly is Danubey? And if a group of highly qualified, trained magicians such as yourself can't find a man who also happens to be a highly qualified, trained magician... what can we do? Gifted or not, we're still just a random group of youths who if anything, have just been incredibly lucky to still be alive..."

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro SilverFlight Elenion Aura Naberius explosiveKitten

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Strange and unfamiliar. Gerel could sympathize. He sometimes felt that way even among brethren. But for Marylka, it was a heavier burden to bear, having to find her way in a foreign land that was her new home. It was the choice she made for herself, and all Gerel could do was respect that and help her when she needed it. Before he could say as much to Marylka, Keshka moved them along towards the Headmaster's office.

He fell into step with the rest of his companions, and as they walked Gerel marveled at the walls and ceilings and the murals on them. His eyes shot whichever way, trying to look at everything all at once. Each image tugged at the void in his mind. Every step he took faintly felt like forgotten habits. And each scent teased at memories that faded into smoke whenever he tried grasping at them. Finally they made it before the doors to the Headmaster's office, just in time for Gerel to catch the tail end of a fierce argument. He didn't quite get all of it, but from what he gathered the To'bai Guard wanted to conscript unproven child mages to fight off the deathborn. While he couldn't condone such a thing -- after everything they faced as freshly-proved children themselves -- he could understand the desperation of the Guard.

They entered the Office and was finally face-to-face with the Headmaster of the entire Academy. He was straightforward, telling them what he knew about their strange party right before asking them to look for a missing professor who was in the same circumstances as they were. Gerel nodded at Caliban's question, sharing the boy's curiosity with their lives before it all happened. But Marylka's words were sobering. She had a point. Gerel had a question, but he wanted to hear how Headmaster Candour would respond to Marylka's question.

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 Saturn_moon SilverFlight Elenion Aura Naberius explosiveKitten

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

Their group made the swift trek up to the headmaster's office in relative silence, for which Matthias felt grateful. Though, the Northarian was loath to admit, it did feel a bit uncharacteristic for this motley band of adventurers to be so quiet at a time like this, or at any time, really. He'd struggle to remember a precious moment of silence back during their Proving. Their time on the mountain felt like a distant memory now, though it could not have been even a fortnight since then. Matthias risked a discreet glance over a few of them. Mostly he just saw the tops of their heads, bobbing up and down with each hurried step. Somber, melancholy moods plagued more than a few of their number. Perhaps the reality, and gravity, of their situation was finally beginning to set in. Matthias thought it was about time that they'd grown up a little, and felt guilty for thinking it.

Keshka lead them on what was quickly becoming an impromptu tour of the grounds. Matthias glowered up at ornately carved, stone Skybeasts who were more than happy to glower right back, then at a massive pair of doors. Wonder what's behind there... He thought, but brushed it away as Keshka opened a smaller door and ushered them all through it. Inside, Matthias could make out the sound of raised voices, his ears straining to make out the words. Then another set of doors to another room - this place was like a maze - swung open and a man emerged. For a brief moment, Matthias and the man looked at one another. Then he was gone, dismissed by a harsh word from Keshka. So the Deathborn were attacking Westeros? Were there also attacks on Northaria as well? Were they happening right now? Had his attempt to protect his homeland by staying away for fear of leading the beasts to him been in vain?

”No one will be spared if the Deathborn overrun the city.” Child, or otherwise. Matthias mused, risking an over the shoulder glance in the guard captain’s direction, spying the man’s diminishing frame, before their group shuffled into the office headmaster’s office and Matthias took his place behind the others.

Naturally, Aldaf and Caliban agreed without protest. If someone asked them to jump off a bridge, they'd only ask to be pointed in the direction of the nearest one... Marylka asked sensible questions. She was a sensible girl, Matthias thought. And he thought he sensed something in her voice. Was it... mistrust? Or simply uncertainty. Matthias could understand that. There was one thing that Matthias knew now for certain. There were things this man was not telling them. Matthias couldn't explain how, or why. He just knew it. He felt it. Or perhaps he was paranoid. Losing a whole year of one's memories would do that to a man. Secrets and lies. This country reeks of them.

Matthias spoke up, finally, and in a voice as monotonous as ever, he asked, ”How can we be sure you are not behind the Deathborn?” It was an outlandish accusation, Matthias knew. But he was tired. Tired of these quests, with seemingly no end in sight. Tired of these constant questions with no answers. Matthias wanted the truth. Now. And if this man was not equipped to give it to them... Then why had they - why had he bothered to come all this way in the first place?

Tags: Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 Saturn_moon Naberius YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten SilverFlight
​

 

[AncientBird]

Serik felt the discomfort coming from his amulet. Even when being encased, Valkyrie's trantrum still leaked through to him. Serik couldn't do much but put his amulet back in his pocket and hoped that when he got to release her out at the stable, she would be more manageable by then. Trying to turn his attention to somewhere else, Serik started looking around the place. He admired the aesthetic of this place, it was made with such attentive care and uncontested talent. The pillars, the arc, the door way and statues, down to the pathway, everything was detailed from surface to tiny pattern.

As he was admiring the place, Serik noticed Marylka and Gerel were doing the same thing as he did, while also having a conversation. As he approached the two he overheard what Marylka was speaking. She didn't say much but Serik could hear the familiar feeling of uncertainty and perhaps, fear in her voice... Even though it was subtle, Serik knew. He witnessed the very same reaction from her when the girl opened her heart about the trouble of having to choose between what she desires and what she has... To walk the crooked path or the well worn path... Now that Marylka had chosen, it must be very hard for her to realize that she may have to face many difficulties that would certainly came obstructing her path. Serik wouldn't know what she's about the face, all his life he always choose the well worn path, never the crooked one... Still, Serik hoped that he would be able to help her getting through all her trouble. Even if they were seemingly on two different paths, he hoped they wouldn't be too far apart for his torch to help lighting her way in the dark or at the very least, for his voice to be carried to her so she wouldn't be lonely... However, he got to admit that as of current, situation may had already forced him on a crooked path of his own as well...

As Serik was about to join the two, Keshka had them followed her. The band moved on again and followed the Westerosian mage deep into the building, heading for the headmaster office. The marvelous wall and ceiling along the way were enough to distract Serik away from the troublesome stuff about Marylka earlier. The band eventually arrived at a room. The sound of argument came from the room, making the marvel of the place became duller again, followed by a Westerosian man who clearly wasn't amused by the argument he made within the room earlier. The man was about to greet and talk with the band but Keshka quickly denied him the chance to do so. Grumpily, he left the place, heading out for the front gate.

The band entered the headmaster's room. The headmaster was sitting in his seat, he seemed to be expecting to see them. The man whose name was Elias Candour revealed that the man earlier whose he was arguing with was the leader of the guard who wished to recruit unproven students to face the deathborns that seemed to be attacking Westeros. Serik didn't expect that at all. He thought the deathborns were only after them, just like how they singled them out at the central island and also issued a large swarm to follow them on the trail to Westeros... However, if the monsters had been attacking other places as well, then everyone's families could still be at danger despite being apart from the the youths...

Candour also told them about how he and the others at academy seemed to know the youths during their lost year once, however they too had lost that memory. He expected the band to stay here and regained that memory for it would be the key to stop the deathborns which somehow, he claimed to connect with them one way or another. Candour continued, saying that a teacher who served in the academy named Danubey seemed to regain some memories about the youths but he had disappeared before they arrived. The headmaster claimed that he was suspicious of involving with the appearance of the deathborns and thus wishing for Serik and his friends to help looking for this person.

Aldaf and Caliban were willing to help. Marylka and Matthias though, had the other idea. Marylka was suspicious of how they could be any help in all of this problem, while Matthias outright doubting the faction of the headmaster and his company. Serik always like to help other people, but he could totally see why both of his teammates were doubting the situation. Serik didn't speak anything... He wished to see how Candour would answer both questions first before making any decision.

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[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nicknames: Lea, Firefly
Clan: Sudenta	Clan Job: Huntress
Equipment: Knapsack, Medicinal Pouch, Bow, Quiver (0/10), Twin Daggers

Spoiler: Momo's Appearance

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

As they all made the journey to the Academy, Leandra's thoughts lingered on the mention of Rhyne and his skill in healing magic. She could not help but wonder if it would be possible for him to heal her left hand. She still could not fully understand when she had injured it or why it had not healed properly, but she felt like Rhyne might be able to help her.

When they finally arrived, Leandra quickly dismounted Falarion and then loosened the straps on his saddle. He purred with relief and was about to flop down for a cat nap when the workers approached to take their Skybeasts to the stables. Falarion happily followed them, as Leandra sent him comforting emotions and encouragement through their Bond.
Ord was quickly taken away and Rhyne made his appearance. Leandra could not help herself, she was awestruck. She had not accounted for every person involved in this situation looking, well, so good. Rhyne was gone before most of them got a chance to greet him, though, and Katja was left to run after him so she could help with Ord. Leandra watched them disappear and tried to quell the disappointment welling up inside her now.

Lagging behind the group, Leandra followed them to the headmaster's office and listened to the tail-end of the argument inside before the guard captain was dismissed. She felt a brief bought of nausea at the mere idea of forcing unproven children to fight against the Deathborn. Their own group had experienced several near-death situations with them and they were Proven now. If it were not for their unusually rapid healing process, Leandra doubted all of them would be standing here today.

Inside, Leandra listened to the headmaster's explanation and then several others asking questions and voicing their opinions. She was not too surprised by Caliban's rise to the challenge and while Aldalf seemed a bit more quiet about it, he too voiced that he would help. Leandra shook her head, as she felt panic slowly rising. They had been fighting for their lives the past few days since their Proving Ceremony and Leandra could not even sleep through an entire night now without waking up to the slightest twig snapping and assuming the Deathborn were there for them again. She was on edge all the time and she could feel the fatigue wearing her down now.

As the others began asking a few questions and even threw out accusations, Leandra began rubbing her temples and focused on trying to control her breathing. It felt like this was never going to end. Would they ever see their families again? Would Leandra ever get to find out what had happened to her little brother?

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[SilverFlight]

The headmaster stroked his beard as he considered Caliban's question.
"From our records, and what was left by Danubey, you studied nearly everything. Not all of you, in every subject, but fire magic, wind, lightning,water light, you studied with our weapons masters, our engineers, our botanists and alchemists...and your progress in five months rivaled the best performances from students that had been here five years. So, I believe that allowing you access to all the resources you had before, might be the best way to unlock the memories that we are all missing."

Marylka's question was next and the headmaster tapped his head quietly. 'Think'.
"I do not believe you are "random" at all." Candour began, "and the key to Danubey's whereabouts, I can only hope is locked away somewhere in our missing memories. So, training you here may provide our only lead to Danubey, and by extension, what he was learning about the deathborn that merited his disappearance. Danubey taught advanced magical theory, and fire magic, and he was also studying the deathborn...I assigned him that task. As for what he found...he has taken that with him."
He rose slowly, coming around from his big desk to stand with them, as equals.
"Ultimately though, I am worried about my friend. Danubey is part of the academy. I remember him, and I am scared for him. The matters of the deathborn, however political people try and make them, are still about survival, and in that, we must be unified...clans divided will only help our enemies..."

Keshka had been standing silently, and when Matthias hurled his accusation she glared at him.
Candour seemed surprised, and regarded the Northarian man with something between patience and sadness. "Indeed, you cannot, but if you are going to stand behind a claim like that I am very interested in your theories on my motive. I don't think you have much of a right to throw blame unless you can give me a good one...I am trusting you all a great deal with what I am agreeing to give you...I hope you will consider doing the same."
Keshka looked like she did want to call down the deathborn, right on Matthias' head, but Candour continued.
"You are all exhausted. I have had a dorm room prepared for you, there are bathing facilities attached, and I will have food brought directly to your room. Take tomorrow to explore and think about what I have said. There won't be anyone stopping you from leaving if that is what you wish to do, but I hope you will stay. The core truth, what it really boils down to is...you are linked to the deathborn, in some way I do not yet understand...I think you know that, and if we are ever to stop them...we need you."

Kari thought long and hard about what the headmaster had said. He seemed genuine...and he seemed like he'd been fighting a battle against more than just deathborn. Her thoughts drifted to the man that had stormed out of his office. When he'd seen them his expression changed. It was...almost eager. It made her uneasy. The headmaster however, was offering her exactly what she wanted, a chance to try and get her memory back, to develop these strange skills she had without knowing it, on top of that her curiosity about the academy and what they taught beyond magic was almost overwhelming.
"So, we help you find leads on this Danubey, and we get to study here? Learn everything you have to teach?" She couldn't see a downside so far. "I'm in." She was smiling.
"This is the best chance we have at getting stronger." She turned to her friends, "We got our butts handed to us fighting the deathborn up until now. I don't know about you, but I know I need their help. I need to get better, to protect myself, and the people I love. So I'm in, and it's also the best lead we have to figuring out exactly what's going on, why the deathborn were after us and how we shut them down."
She turned back to Candour with a smile.
"I'll be here for training when it starts headmaster."

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[kase9187]

Aldaf nodded tiredly. How could he forget the fact he nearly died in almost every fight so far?

"I agree, Kari. This is probably for the best, a way to get better." His voice had an air of apathetic tiredness to it. He looked and felt ready to crash.

He just had one thing to make sure of first.

"I'll meet up with you all at the dorm rooms. Keshka, where are the stables?"

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[Naberius]

Caliban Lupei

Cal couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face, even with the seemingly outlandish accusations. 'Seemingly' because nothing was ever as cut and dry as anyone made it out to be, even if the headmaster believed that he himself was being upfront, it was entirely possible that he was missing very vital information himself. But despite that, he couldn't help feeling excited and ready to go.

"Those bony bastards really get on my nerves, let's go get way stronger and tear'em apart!"

He flashed the whole room his award winning smile, while deep down worrying that if they didn't get stronger, they and everyone they cared about may very well end up dead. And many innocent people along with them by the end.

"Though, I'd be lying if I said a bath, a hot meal, and a nap didn't sound like something truly divine right about now.."

He looked to his left and gently nudged Lea with an elbow, switching from a smile to a worried expression seamlessly. He spoke quietly, almost a whisper.

"Hey. You okay? I know you're worried..."

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[AncientBird]

Serik listened to all of headmaster’s answer and he found the man to be genuine about it. So far, he seemed nice and dedicated to this matter on his hands... It was hard for the young man to not believe his word.

“If it mean we could bring the end to the deathborns problem, then you can count me in.” He said smilingly.

Serik was already on board with trying to recover the mysterious of his and his friends’ missing year. Also, perhaps the academy could make him explore new things that he never know before, probably his magic as well.

As the band about to leave, Serik thought up one question and he turned back to face Headmaster Candour.

“I am sorry sir, but I have another question for you... Do you happen to know if the deathborns are also attacking other continents as well? I... I am worried about my family in Estendor...” Serik said with a bit of concerned in his word.

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[SilverFlight]

Keshka nodded to an assistant waiting at the door, dressed in the school's blue and gold.
"I will take anyone who wants to go there right away." She said with a bow of her head.
kase9187

Candour looked grim as Serik asked his question. "The attacks have happened all over the continents...in every clan. So far they have been limited to the most populated areas, the capitals and large towns...independent households and villages have largely been left alone, though, the deathborn seem opportunistic too."
AncientBird