Fantasy Skyheart (1 slot open)

[kase9187]

Aldaf chuckled at Rhyne's obvious sarcasm.
"Yeah, didn't you hear? We had to solve a murder case with no witnesses and stop an evil god along the way!" Aldaf's voice had a certain chuckle to it, like he had to keep himself from laughing as he spoke sarcastically.

He helped Targus finally clean up most of the mess. "Well, Targus, if stuff like that amazing crushing hand can be made there, then I'm in!" His smile was brighter than it had been a couple of nights ago.

---

In the stables, Spica woke up to Valkyrie freaking out. A brief flash of panic crossed her mind as she realized Aldaf wasn't there, but was gone as she remembered that he was in a different building. After all, she could feel his excitement over whatever he was doing.

Spica watched the stablehands work with Valkyrie with mixed interest. With all of the hay in her stall, a good scratch didn't seem bad at all. Again, Spica rattled her scales, shaking the loose hay from in between her skin and her scales.

SilverFlight Elenion Aura explosiveKitten YumenoTsukishiro Naberius Lioness075 Saturn_moon AncientBird SleepyCreamy

 

[explosiveKitten]

Katja was awoken to the smell of food. Who didn’t like food? Katja liked food.

When she blinked her eyes open, she leaned up and yawned wide, sliding a hand up under her mask and rubbing her face. This was starting to leave indents on her face.

Slowly, she got out of bed and made her way over to the table of food, her eyes unfocused as she followed pure instinct to the food and began to eat absentmindedly, her vision blurry and mind foggy.

She barely listened to everything happening around her, digging into her pastries. The food seemed to help clear her mind and give her some energy. She’s looked up when someone charged into the room and started talking to Rhyne about replacing his... hand. Oof. Touchy subject. Katja sucked in a breath as she watched the failure of the machine, and when it sprayed tea everywhere, she held up her arms to shield her face from the spray.

She blinked and looked around, then stuffed another biscuit into her mouth and continued to chew. Man, this stuff was good. But while she was eating, a thought occurred to her that made her halt in her feast. Oh... OH. WE’RE IN WESTEROS! I- I need to go talk to the Headmaster!

She suddenly jerked away from the table and rushed to her little cordoned off area of the room, where she changed out of her sleep clothes, and made quite a bit of noise doing it. She stumbled out into the open with fresh clothes, and after she excused herself, she ran out like a hurricane.

After asking around for directions, she made her way to the Headmaster’s office and hesitated. She felt an odd sort of apprehension, approaching him. She didn’t have a chance to speak with him yesterday. Would he be okay with her intrusion? What was he even like?

Eventually she steeled her courage, lifted her hand and knocked on his door, waiting to see if he answered.

SilverFlight kase9187 Naberius AncientBird Elenion Aura YumenoTsukishiro Saturn_moon Lioness075 SleepyCreamy

 

[Naberius]

Caliban Lupei

Caliban slept like the dead that night. It would have taken a direct attack from the enemy to rouse him from his slumber. He snored lightly, sprawled out on his bed, sheet and blanket only covering one side of his body as the opposite leg was hanging off of the bed. He didn't dream this time, he was much more tired than he had realized. After having his conversation with Zeke and saying what he needed to say, he immediately went up to the showers where he was luckily able to just copy the others because he would never have figured out how to do it on his own. He was personally used to bathing in the river near the village or in a wash tub. A hot shower was basically the greatest thing he had ever experienced as far as personal hygiene was concerned.

The following morning, it was the smell of breakfast that roused the sleeping beast. He sat up, already fully awake and nearly floated over to the offered sustenance. His stomach made noises akin to that of wild beasts as he took everything in. Nearly with his mouth watering, he swiped a couple of the phenomenal looking pastries and nearly inhaled them. The taste was otherworldly, he had never enjoyed anything like this before. Or at least if he had, he didn't remember. Though there were many things he and the others did not remember, it would seem.

"Gods it's like tiny bits of heaven.."

Finally registering that there were, in fact, other people in the room he smiled brightly, and greeted them with the same cheer he always had.

"Oh hey guys! What's up? This definitely beats having meat for breakfast! Hope everyone slept well last night!"

He attacked the food and tea like a man gone days with no food or drink. Voracious and relentless. Then, suddenly, he heard a rather loud voice. Moments later as a...rather large woman burst through the door, practically bounding, his eyes went wide. Before he could actually fully register the sudden appearance and mention of Rhyne's hand, she had already pulled out what looked to him like a strange metal gauntlet from a suit of armor. He watched in a sort of confused awe as she activated the thing and crushed a teacup like one might crush a pine cone. More shocking than that, however, was the hug. The two of them, Targus and Rhyne, were about as different from each other as it was possible for two people to be. And yet he could somehow see that they were friends. Or at least, see that Targus saw them as friends. He couldn't quite keep the laughter down at the sight though, as she made her way out of the room.

"I think I like her already!"

When she returned, he followed suit with the others and made his own introduction.

"I'm Caliban! But everyone just calls me Cal. Pleasure to meet you!"

SilverFlight kase9187 explosiveKitten AncientBird Elenion Aura YumenoTsukishiro Saturn_moon Lioness075 SleepyCreamy

 

[SleepyCreamy]

Seeing as Zeke finally found a proper bed to lay down on, to get some proper sleep, he couldn't help but fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. And later on, he found the warm sunlight shining in his face, waking him up from his slumber. Zeke rubbed his groggy eyes and stretched his arms out. Just as he did that, Rhyne entered the room, with a nostalgic smell hitting his nose. TEA! Zeke was awake more than ever now. Zeke eyed the cart that held a teapot and followed it with his eyes. Zeke licked his lips as he remembers the taste of the drink. Zeke absolutely loves all kinds of tea and he craves the taste of it.

He was too absorbed in sipping and enjoying his tea to notice what was happening around him. Zeke sipped his tea like royalty with his pinky sticking out in an unconscious manner, it's simply one of the traits that he failed to get over it. Zeke did manage to catch the compliments people had about the delightful pastry and Zeke only hid his smirk behind his cup of tea. He's glad they're enjoying the food here, it just tells him that there are a lot of things Zeke could show them that they might enjoy. Zeke's eyes caught the image of a familiar woman enter the scene as her familiar build made it easier for Zeke to remember the one they call, Targus, the lightning mage instructor of the academy. Zeke was fairly familiar with the woman as she was one of the instructors Zeke would mostly converse with. Zeke was at the age of fifteen when he earned the librarian position and he certainly didn't expect a Northaria woman starting up a conversation with him. Zeke basically felt like she has adopted him whenever she would be around. He felt like he had an older sister to count on. Having a diverse staff and also a supportive Northaria woman as a friend, made Zeke respect the Northaria people and the same could be said as for the other clans.

Zeke didn't let Rhyne finish his explanation about Targus, as Zeke knew fully well who this lady is. As Targus re-introduced herself, along with a cart of food and some cleaning supplies, Zeke decided to take it upon himself to greet her. "Greetings, Targus." He nodded in her direction. It was just then that he noticed Kari helping in with her. Zeke stayed quiet as he snuck some glances at Kari, he wanted to talk to her but he wasn't sure how to approach it without angering her.

SilverFlight

Naberius Saturn_moon YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten kase9187 Elenion Aura AncientBird Lioness075

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

Matthias didn’t have the stomach to eat anything right then. He hadn’t slept well, nighttime forays to the stables notwithstanding. Targus was Northarian, and a welcome sight, even if she was... Eccentric. Perhaps if he spent enough time in Westeros, he’d lose his mind, too. He brushed a few stray glass shards off of his shirt front. He’d have to have a word with her, if only to remind him of home, the home his heart ached for.

Matthias stepped out to get some fresh air. He was eager to get going. The where of it didn’t matter to him much in that moment. He just wanted to go. Maybe it was because up until last night, his life has been nothing but running, and fighting. Maybe the calm made him anxious. Maybe he should have asked Rhyne about Ord’s condition. Probably, he should have. Or someone should.

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

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf grabbed another pastry before turning to Rhyne. He made sure to eat and swallow it before talking.

"Pardon me, Rhyne? I don't mean to abuse hospitality, but... may I get a new room? Preferably near the door to the stables?" He asked politely.

"Spica might need some time to... adjust. I already woke Serik and Matthias by accident, going to make sure she was alright. If I can be in a room where I won't wake anyone rushing out, that would be amazing."
Aldaf rubbed the back of his neck.

"Buuuut... I'm guessing that's not your choice. Do I talk to the headmaster about that?" Aldaf looked ready to go see how Spica fared, but was waiting for Rhyne's answer.

SilverFlight

 

[Saturn_moon]

Marylka stirred from her slumber as the morning light filtered through the tall windows and warmed her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so soundly and was reluctant to give it up just yet. Even the smells of freshly baked pastries and a fresh pot of tea wafting towards her weren't enough to pull her back from the edges of unconsciousness and she simply burrowed under the soft covers in hopes of blocking out the world once more.

Unfortunately, Marylka quickly realised that her efforts to go back to sleep would be futile for not a minute passed before a woman came bursting through the door shouting for Rhyne. She groaned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. As she sat up, she saw several of their group standing around a cart filled with food alongside Rhyne and a large, well-built Northarian woman who was picking up a mug with a strange mechanical device that was suppose to mimic a hand. Her brain had barely made sense of what was going on when the mug exploded in the device's grip sending tea and ceramic shards flying everywhere.

"Eek!" Marylka squeaked as she dove back under the covers. If she wasn't fully awake before, she definitely was now. As she peeked out from the corners of her blanket, she noticed Matthias quietly making his way out of the room. Since arriving at the academy, Matthias had seemed more dour than usual (if that was even possible). His aversion for all things Westeros had been evident before and Marylka guessed that being here wasn't sitting too well with him especially when all he had wanted to do was return home to his family and creature comforts. She considered going after him but Matthias looked like he could use the quiet for now.

It was then that she remembered Ord who looked like he had been at death's door just the night before. She looked to the golden haired man and momentarily forgot her words. He somehow managed to look even more beautiful now than he had the evening before. Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, she spoke up. "Rhyne, how is Ord doing?"

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 Elenion Aura Naberius YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten SilverFlight

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

For once, Gerel slept dreamlessly. All the exhaustion of the past week just came crashing down on him the moment he hit the bed. It didn't help that taking a shower turned out to be one of the hardest experiences in his life. He expected tubs of hot water, perhaps a scrubber. What he got was complex machinery that took him the better part of five minutes to figure out. As he sunk into the bed, softer than clouds, fluffier than fleece, Gerel was at peace.

Morning came, its light filtering through the windows and waking up Gerel with its warmth. He rose from slumber, just in time to see the man with unnerving beauty -- Rhyne, he was called -- walk into their dorm room with a cart before him. Sweet smelling pastries roused his appetite, coupled with the familiar scent of hot tea. It had been so long since he had a half-decent cup of tea since the first time he woke up in that tent with the rest of his companions. He was about to help himself to breakfast when the door opened once more, letting in the largest woman Gerel had ever seen. She had more muscles in her arm than in his entire leg, and he didn't know how to feel about that. However, the hand-shaped contraption she had held his attention more than the pastries or her build. He wondered how it was built, and how it was moving. Was it powered by magic? Or something else? Before he could think on it further, the contraption squeezed too hard on a teacup and it shattered, splattering tea and bits of broken ceramic over all of them. Thankfully Gerel only had to pat a few stray pieces off his hair.

To Rhyne, he agreed with Marylka's words. "We would appreciate it if we know what has happened to the man who helped save our lives. Twice."

To Targus, as the huge woman named herself, he said, "I would very much like to visit this workshop of yours. I admit I am more than a little curious about what happens there."

Glancing at Ezekiel, Gerel remembered that Westeros was his home. Ever since they arrived, he appeared familiar and at ease with the Academy and its people. Truly, it almost seemed as if he knew of them before the time they lost their memories-- from Rhyne, to Candour, and to Targus. Perhaps even Ord and Keshka as well. And if Gerel took into account the way some of the attendants acted around him... No, he shouldn't draw conclusions. Not until he asked the man about it himself.

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 Elenion Aura Naberius YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Targus laughed and slapped Aldaf (likely too hard) on the back. "I like your spirit!"

Targus responded to Cal with a wide grin. "Nice to meet you Cal."

The next voice made her pause, her eyes scanned the gathered youths and widened when they landed on Zeke. She gasped.
"ZEKEY!" She roared and charged forward, full intent on catching him up in a big bear hug.
"Candour said you'd be back! I can't believe you're finally here!"

Rhyne glanced at Aldaf as he made the request, then continued to watch Targus' antics with a neutral face.
"Of course you can request a new room." He replied quietly. "But the only room you could take would be Keshka's." He glanced over again. "She might threaten you with mild dismemberment. She probably won't act on it though."
"I could ask the stablehands to set up a bed in Spica's stall for you." Targus offered.
"I had to stay with Boulder a whole week before he settled down. Took me days to get all the straw out of my clothes."

Marylka was the first to ask about Ord, and Kari seconded the question with a nod along with Gerel's words.
Rhyne considered them all with his sapphire-blue eyes.
"The fever broke last night. He should be fully-recovered by tomorrow...if he can survive his juniors. I left them in the infirmary with him...I know he'd appreciate a visit from you."

Kari smiled and got out of bed. "Well that settles it. I'm gonna go get dressed, make sure Zephyr's okay at the stables, then see Ord anyone wanna come?, I'll meet you guys at the gate in a couple of hours, we can all go to the market together!"


Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Naberius Elenion Aura Saturn_moon explosiveKitten

*~*~*

Ord was sitting up in his infirmary bed, and when Kari walked in he was surrounded by young faces. Five of the children, no older than 13, held hands of cards, as did Ord. He put his hand down on the blanket. "Ha! Beat that!"
One of the youths grinned and slapped her cards down over his. "Okay I will!"
She laughed as Ord slapped his forehead with an exaggerated motion.
"Beaten again! I taught you too well."
Kari laughed from the doorway. "It's a shame you don't like kids."
Ord smiled back and didn't miss a beat. "Only because I can never find a good recipe."
Rhyne came in behind Kari and fixed the students with a passive stare.
"Class starts in ten minutes. I want you all out of my infirmary. Now."
They didn't hesitate, filing out as they talked and laughed. Clearly Rhyne had a reputation among them.
@ anybody

*~*~*

At the headmaster's door The hallway was quiet, so Katja heard him clearly from the other side.
"Come."
explosiveKitten

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf thanked both teachers.
"I'll go with the stall bed, I'd rather not intrude on Keshka's private quarters."

At Kari's statement, Aldaf grinned. "I'll go with you, Spica is probably waiting to see me. And I want to check on Ord too, see how he's doing."

Aldaf entered the infirmary after Kari. He smiled, happy to see Ord in such good condition.
"I'm glad to see you getting better, Ord."

After the students vacated, Aldaf turned to Rhyne.
"So how do classes work around here? Y'know, so we can show up on time."

SilverFlight

 

[AncientBird]

As Marylka asked about Ord, Serik's eyes widened. He totally forgot about the Sudentarian man who had been supporting them since they departed from Central Island and had risked himself fighting the deathborns to his injury. As Rhyne replied that he was well and should recover back soon, Serik lifted the concern off his heart. He noted to self that he would go to visit him later... And just as he thought, the others clearly had the same idea.

After dressing up, Serik went to the stable to see Valkyrie. He was surprised that all the hay, food bucket and water trough were all cleaned up, not to mention Valkyrie was sitting there, calmer than usual. "Wow, Valkyrie... You allowed the staffs to clean your stall? That's so unexpected, I thought I would come down here to see lots of mess and staffs fearing for their life." Serik teased his beast as he patted Valkyrie by her front legs. The stork drake watched him with her golden eyes, feeling a bit irritated at Serik's comment. "Come on, I was just messing with you." Serik said, feeling Valkyrie's irration. He gave her a soft smile. "You did a good job, this is going to improve your reputation a lot." He added.

As Serik left, heading for the infirmary, Valkyrie watched after him. Suddenly, she stood up, arching her neck and her gape opened wide. With a jerk of her throat, she regurgitated something out. It's the rock she found back on the islet. However, under the light of the day, it was dull grey with some white mottles painted around its entire piece... Looking like just any rock.

Serik arrived at the infirmary. Kari and Aldaf were already there, talking to Ord who's already able to sit on his bed. He seemed fine and cheerful like he was before. "I'm so glad you are alright, sir." Serik said to Ord. "You have helped us so much, it pained us to see you suffered on the way here." He added. Judging from what Serik could take seeing Ord condition is earlier days, he was almost hopeless. However, Rhyne seemed to be able to heal him back so easily... This could only mean one thing... Something supernatural was going on.

Suddenly, it reminded Serik something... He turned toward Rhyne. "Mr. Rhyne, sir... Actually there have been something going on with us." Serik began. "During the proving and the deathborns attack, some of us sustained numerous injuries, some very severe but soon after, we were all able to recover from it. My leg was crushed several days ago during my proving but now it felt as it never happened... This shouldn't really be possible but it did, right?" Serik spoke to Rhyne and then turned toward Kari and Aldaf for affirmation.

Featuring: SilverFlight kase9187

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf nodded. He turned to Rhyne.
"Right after I bonded with Spica, I used my magic to make a wind barrier filled with her very sharp scales. Unfortunately, I suffered quite a bit as the scales hit me as well. In less than a day, I was back in fighting form."
He gestured to his ribcage.
"And I'm also pretty sure a deathborn on the way here crushed something in my ribcage, but I feel completely fine."

Aldaf looked to Rhyne. He seemed to be looking for some form of explanation as to how they were healing supernaturally fast.

AncientBird SilverFlight

 

[explosiveKitten]

Cautiously, Katja opened the door to the Headmaster’s office, taking it all in for the first time. It was simple, and she was halfway expecting to find more macabre wallpaper like it had been in in Rhyne’s office. But thankfully, she was wrong.

“Erm... I apologize for bothering you,” She said as she poked her head into the room, “I hope I’m not interrupting something? I was just- I arrived yesterday and went a separate direction with Mister Rhyne to deal with Mister Ord,” At this point she was just rambling in her nervousness, “whom I’m sure you heard about, and while I was talking to him I had a question that he couldn’t be answer. So he told me to come talk to you, and I slept on and now I’m here. Hehehe! ... I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

SilverFlight

 

[SleepyCreamy]

As the mountain woman gave him a surprise hug, Zeke couldn't help but draw himself back from her sudden show of affection. "Oh! Uh... You know I don't do well with these kinds of things." Zeke only patted her muscled back as he awkwardly scratches the back of his head. He stepped back once he felt her grip loosen. Just in that very moment, Stitt came to view and greeted Targus with a happy chirp. Not only does Stitt get along with the students here in the academy, but she also has a few staff friends of her own. Stitt flew right in front of her face and her tail lit up with excitement. "Stitt, please contain yourself, girl." Zeke gave her a raised eyebrow and he could've sworn the little creature did the same thing.

"It's nice seeing you again, Targus. I'll just go over and see if Ord's alright. I owe him an apology for not remembering him sooner." Zeke gave the woman a respectful bow, before exiting the room. Stitt followed Zeke and he gave her one of his genuine smiles. "It's gonna be a long day, Stitt. We'll finish some errands here in the academy and I believe Kari mentioned something about going to the market. I might as well get some free clothes while I'm with them." Zeke shrugs to himself as he makes his way over at the infirmary. Stitt chirped happily as she settled herself on his shoulder, her favorite spot to lay on. On his way there, he bumped into a few kids younger than him as they scurried to their class, and Zeke gave out a sigh of approval.

By the time Zeke arrived at the infirmary, he saw Ord peacefully laying in his bed and he caught the sight of Serik and Aldaf with Rhyne, the academy's healer and a good one at that fact. As Zeke continued to stare at their direction, the more his eyes lingered at Aldaf, his silent behaviour from earlier was unsettling to Zeke and it was one of the few factors that made Zeke feel sich about his actions, he'd have to inquire about it later, as he saw Kari nearby. Zeke sighed and Stitt gave him an encouraging chirp.

This was bound to happen anyway. Just... breathe Zeke.

Zeke sighed and stood beside Kari, with his hands on his hips. "Goggles... I believe I owe you something."

SilverFlight

 

[Saturn_moon]

Marylka relaxed knowing that Ord was better. After all he'd done for them, it wouldn't have been fair if all of them survived and he didn't.
She decided to skip out on the pastries but helped herself to a cup of tea before getting ready for the day.

Once freshened up, she followed the rest to the stables where she found Archie just rousing from his sleep, his crown feathers fluffier than usual. "Hey there sleepyhead." She greeted the hippogriff with a laugh. In return, he affectionately booped her on the nose with his beak. Looking around, she admired the nice set-up their skybeasts were being treated to. Each stable had ample room for the beasts to move around, thick piles of hay to lay in, and troughs of water that were constantly refilled; an absolute life saver in this heat. Even Valkyrie looked quite calm and contented here which was an anomaly. Still, knowing Archie, he was bound to get restless eventually. She would need to check when they could take their beasts out to let them stretch their wings.

With a final pet and the assurance that she would return after their market trip, they moved on to the infirmary. Ord did seem significantly better; The colour had returned to his face and he was smiling and talking once more. Whatever Rhyne had done, it had to involve magic in some ways. Speaking of magic, Serik then brought up an excellent question to Rhyne. It was something that had confused all of them since the fight with the stonewargs and surely if anyone could make sense of it, it would be the academy's healer. She popped her head out from behind Serik to look at Rhyne, eyes wide with curiosity.

SilverFlight AncientBird kase9187 SleepyCreamy

 

[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

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Falarion actually has brightly colored wings that have a rainbow hue in bright lighting. In darker settings, they can seem muted into a dark grey or even black color. He also does not have the golden tattoos spanning his body or the necklace around his neck.

Leandra felt a smile growing on her face when Targus described the engineering workshop. She had gotten used to surprising and loud noises over the years with Caliban. It almost sounded like home the way Targus was describing it. She felt her mind firing ideas all over the place when Targus mentioned inventing and she even began to feel a bit giddy. The feeling was almost foreign after they spent the past few days on the run and trying to survive.

Abruptly, Katja rushed back to her space in the dorms and Leandra watched her go, curious about what had suddenly overcame the girl. As Leandra ate another pastry and listened to the idle chatter of the group, Katja rushed past dressed for the day and then was gone. Leandra blinked at this and wondered if Katja was alright. She decided whatever was on the girl's mind was likely none of her business for now and decided to simply ask about it later.

Hearing most everyone introducing herself, Leandra felt like she should probably follow suit since it was overdue, but it seemed every time she started to, another one of the group would interject with something else. Soon enough, everyone began splitting off and Leandra sighed.

While everyone dispersed to do their own thing, Leandra followed suit and went back to her area to change into her usual attire. She did look forward to getting new clothes later today. She had very few options back home as it was. It was actually rather exciting to be getting new clothes. She had never actually purchased her own clothes before. It would be an entirely new experience for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leandra caught up with Kari and the others visiting Ord just in time to see him sitting with the younger students playing cards. Leandra smiled at how well he interacted with them. She had mostly interacted with brats back at her home village, so Leandra knew her social skills with younger individuals was probably lackluster.

Leandra was certainly pleased to see Ord doing so well after yesterday. He had looked like he was on death's door then and Leandra felt a twinge of fear at the memory. She was certainly impressed by Rhyne's magical healing capabilities seeing how Ord was now. She had to wonder if Katja would be learning from Rhyne himself while they were all here.

Hearing Aldalf's question, Leandra perked up and curiously looked at Rhyne. She too was very intrigued about having a class schedule and something of a tour tomorrow. She never really attended any formal school back home and so she had a hard time envisioning what classes would even be like.

Serik made a good point in bringing up their unusual healing. While Leandra had suffered less grievous injuries than others in the group, she still had healed faster than the normal human being should. Absentmindedly, she itched at the scars mottling the outside of her right arm now. She also had a new scar along her left cheek, which was very prominent since she had not requested any stitches for it when they all were in the cave. She had actually avoided looking in the mirror last night because she was uncertain how bad the scar looked. She had felt it this morning, though, and the bump she had felt meant it probably was a bit obvious. She almost wished had thought to hide it somehow, but she had no idea how she could achieve that. She briefly felt jealous of Katja, as the girl could hide any scars on her face beneath her mask and then she realized with a start that perhaps that was why Katja wore the masks to begin with.

SilverFlight Naberius kase9187 Saturn_moon explosiveKitten Elenion Aura YumenoTsukishiro AncientBird SleepyCreamy

 

[SilverFlight]

Ord smiled at all of them. "Rhyne has kept most of us alive during the attacks. For the most part we have managed to keep his gifts a secret from the council." It was clear by his tone that he felt guilty about that. "Still, the soldiers he has healed have been grateful enough to keep the secret so far."
Rhyne didn't look happy, but kept his peace. There was clearly a lot more to that story, but it wouldn't be answered now.
Rhyne addressed Aldaf's question first.
"Classes begin at eight. There will be someone to fetch you from your rooms tomorrow, give you a tour, and introduce you to your teachers."
But at the mention of the rapid healing, Rhyne's eyes sparked.
"That. Is very interesting."
"It's true." Ord confirmed. "They heal broken bones in a day."
Rhyne drew right close to Serik, looking him up and down. "I would like to run some tests. Come back to the infirmary this evening after your trip into town."

Kari heard Zeke's voice and turned to listen. She was immediately on her guard. Zeke had been less than pleasant on nearly every occasion they had spoken, and after his un-provoked attack on their healer, she was not expecting anything good.
"Yeah what?" She said, ready for more harsh words. Her eyes said: If you're fixing for a fight, then we'll take it outside.

*~*~*

"A question Rhyne couldn't answer? That is unusual, I'm never too busy to attend one of my students, I suppose that may well include you by tomorrow too. How can I be of assistance?"
((I need to quit this interaction here, Katja can get the address "off screen" as it were, I have too many characters to manage atm with moving tomorrow.))


((Everyone, I might not be able to reply for a bit as I have a long drive tomorrow, I'll be pretty beat. I'll try and get settled so I can get back to some form of schedule. but it might be a few days of infrequent posting.))

Lioness075 SleepyCreamy AncientBird kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Naberius Elenion Aura Saturn_moon explosiveKitten

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf nodded. Just imagine how much they'd push both the soldiers and Rhyne if they learned of his healing.

"Eight. Got it." Aldaf committed the time to memory. He was used to waking up early for some good hunting, how was this different? "And I'll be sure to show up. This seems to be a matter of some concern."

He heard Kari and Zeke starting to talk again, and elected to make himself scarce. Just like before, when Zeke was with Cal. After all, he needed his personal space.

"I'm going to go... see if the bed is getting set up! Yeah, the temporary bed! For in the stables!" Aldaf inwardly kicked himself. He sounded like he was making up an excuse to avoid Zeke and was badly trying to cover it up. Whatever, he'll deal with it if and when Zeke came to talk to him.

With a quick bow and a rushed "Spica and I will meet you at the front," Aldaf moved off towards the stables and his Skybeast. He moved rather quickly for someone only walking, but his strides were longer than normal. He wanted to get to Spica sooner rather than later.

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[Saturn_moon]

There was something unnerving about the way Rhyne had looked over Serik, studying him with intent, that Marylka instinctively grasped the back of his shirt and took a step back pulling the boy along with her. "Er... when you say tests, what does that entail exactly?" She asked, eyeing the healer with skepticism. She tried to imagine what his words could have possibly meant but every scenario her mind conjured up involved Rhyne holding up some sort of sharp instrument like a mad man. They were far too morbid and macabre for them to possibly be true... she hoped.

Just then, Aldaf excused himself from the room in a fluster saying something about needing to go to the stables when they had just come from there. She'd been so used to his easy-going confidence that this side of him came as a surprise to her. I wonder what's going on with him?

Eventually, as the sun closed in on its zenith, they decided it was best to head out to the market before it got any later in the day. They bid Ord goodbye with wishes for him to get better and headed to the main gate where they were to meet up with the others.

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[AncientBird]

Just as Rhyne commented on wanting Serik to return for a test, Serik felt someone tugging him back. To his surprise, it was Marylka. She was holding his arm by the shirt and looked straight at Rhyne.

“Er... when you say tests, what does that entail exactly?” She asked with concern and scepticism.

Marylka was always the cautious one in the band, if anything caused doubt on her, she would be quick to react. Serik totally understood her feeling about this ‘test’ Rhyne was about to conduct on him.

“I think it will be fine, Marylka.” Serik said. “Rhyne is a healer and an academy teacher. He would not harm anyone under the care of the academy. And even if he had to, I for one would be willing to face all the trouble if we are to find out what happened to us during the missing year.” He added.

Serik then turned back to Rhyne. “I will gladly help you on this test, sir. I will be back here in the afternoon.” He said.

——————-

After Serik and the others left the infirmary. He and some of his teammates headed outside the academy. Walking through its grand entrance, Serik watched over the wide street full with people passing along. Men and women in Westerosian attire worked on their usual routine, some carrying goods, some pulling carts and some standing around, talking to eachother. Children played by the sides of the street and packed animals like horses, mules and camels were a common component.

Serik had seen the similar vibe from Ocris, but this place was far larger and more crowded. Suddenly, he noticed large amounts of people heading toward a direction, and by the end of his eyesight he saw something.

Serik’s eyes widened. It was the market place, the Bazaar of To’bai. The young man had heard a lot about this place, that it is the greatest market in the world where goods in every types, shapes and localities could be found. There is much to see and to learn of. Serik kind of wanted to see if the rumor was true, but he never thought he could have a chance to really go there... However, this time it was right in front of him.

“Let’s go over there!” He said cheerfully to his friends.

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

 

[kase9187]

By the time everyone had gotten to the front gates, Aldaf had rejoined them. He was rather quiet about why he left.

He had a small bag with him that rattled whenever it shook. He kept it on his waist, tied so no one could see inside.

At Serik's enthusiastic call, Aldaf nodded, moving beside him.
"Yeah, let's go! We're burning daylight, might as well get a move on!" His grin seemed half made of his actual enthusiasm, but the other half, if observed by itself, looked pained and tired. Aldaf was trying to cover up his bad mood with his usual energy, keeping more exciting thoughts on the surface.

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[SleepyCreamy]

Her sharp tone cut through the air it didn't go unnoticed by Zeke. Zeke hated himself at the reaction he revoked and had to take a deep breath to maintain his composure. He could even feel Stitt withdrawing herself from her tone of voice. He could feel Stitt's paws clawing at the back of his neck, a sign that she feels threatened. Zeke reached the back of his neck. To some, it may look like he was portraying an annoyed attitude, but in reality, he was only giving Stitt some much-needed comfort. Zeke maintained his composure and his irritated impression soon turned into a calm one. After all, fighting is extremely prohibited inside the school and he wasn't planning on breaking any single rule while he's staying there as a student. He doesn't even have a single ounce of magic in him, but the headmaster was once again kind enough to allow him to be a student in a school filled with magic. It was at that time that Zeke wondered if anyone besides him was in the same predicament as him.

However, he soon erased that train of thought as he spoke, "Look, I may be... inconsiderate sometimes, but I'm not ignorant either. My actions caused harm to someone and I see that now." Zeke wondered why the tone of his voice sounded like his mother's as he spoke, was it because he was speaking from the heart or was it something else? Guilt, perhaps? "I'll try and be more considerate about my use of words next time I speak." After he said that, he picked Stitt off the back of his neck and revealed it to Kari. "I believe I owe you an apology." Zeke sighed as Stitt finally used her wings to hover over Zeke's figure. "So, I apologize for my actions earlier. I know you're not the only one I should be apologizing too, but I figured you should at least deserved it after having to put up with me." He spoke in a calm manner, but if you would listen carefully, you would hear a tinge of distaste towards himself.

Zeke used to think that it's always important to always have his pride up, but as he spends more time with the group, he was slowly learning that even some people don't deserve to be treated such way. And besides, it wasn't as if Kari, Aldaf, Caliban or anyone else was trying to get close to him, he has displayed enough rudeness to have everyone in the group be at least cautious of him. He wanted them to be cautious of him so that none of them could ever touch his fragile heart, but as the time he spent with them grows, he was starting to believe that they might not be so deserving of this kind of treatment.

Zeke sighed. "You scared Stitt just a moment ago. If you were some stranger who did just that to Stitt, I don't think I would've taken that so very kindly. I've offended you and you've offended me, so I think we're pretty even now." Stitt rested herself on top of Zeke's soft ebony locks.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Kari listened, arms crossed, a look of complete surprise on her face. Zeke was...apologizing?
It took a moment for her to register that that was what it was. She hadn't even hoped. Still, Zeke had a long way to go...
Kari's voice was less hostile, but it wasn't all that friendly. "Zeke, I don't give a gryphon's ass what you do or say to me. You're a jerk because you have a hard time letting people get close, fine, I can deal with it, but I'm not the one who deserves an apology."
She jabbed a finger into Zeke's chest. "Katja didn't do anything but help you and care for you, and Aldaf's been way nicer than he should have. Neither of them deserved the horrible way you treated them. They need apologies Zeke. And until those are done, you're still on the hook."
She gave a half smile when he mentioned the little gryphon. "Did I scare Stitt or you? How do you think that little critter feels every time you raise your voice at one of us? You got a lot of gal calling me out for harsh tones."
She took a deep breath, "but if wounds are gonna be worried, it won't be by me. I'll call it even sure, but only if you some with us to the market." Her smile had turned sly.
"You're the only local here, stands to reason you could be really valuable as a guide. Front Gates. Ten o'clock. Deal?"

*~*~*

Kari came back from the racing stables bright and cheerful and together they all started for the market.
The sights and sounds and smells were almost too much for Kari to take in at once. Everywhere canvas-covered stalls, bursting with every item imaginable flooded the, Kari assumed what was once an open cobbled area. Clay pots and jewery, dates, rice, sugar cane, cloth in every colour of the rainbow. Each step they took a merchant held up something new and unique. There was a man with a stall full of animals, hawks, hounds and monkeys, and a tiny little sandy-brown fox with the largest ears Kari had ever seen. There were tapestries with the most intricate drawings of skybeasts, and a stall with glass charms, scarves and bangles. There were five stalls almost entirely dedicated to shoes, from heavy working boots to the most delicate silk slippers.
Kari held up the scroll given to them by Ferro's husband as thanks for helping them defeat the deathborn.
The symbol on the scroll matched a wooden sign posted outside a tall white-washed building, with rounded open windows and a silk curtain across the open door.
"That's the place!" Kari cried.

Inside the shop it was cooler than the bustling market street. The walls were lined in the most exquisite garments and rolls of bright fabrics.
A slender woman with dark skin and greying hair poked her head out from around a wall of silk bolts and waved.
"No orders today! I am backlogged as it is! Come back next week!"
Kari cleared her throat and held up the scroll. "I have this, it was given to me by a Sudentan tailor at the proving grounds."
The woman squinted, the stood and snatched the scroll, taking a pair of half-moon spectacles to read it. She was dressed in a sunning magenta sari with gold and turquoise trim.
Her eyebrows nearly hit her hairline.
"Ah!" She cried. "Sulivan! If you are friends of his you get anything you want! Pick pick!" She ushered them towards seven bamboo racks absolutely brimming with Westerosi clothes.
Kari browsed the beautiful garments; Growing up herding cattle she had worn whatever wouldn't rip during the job...she looked down at her dusty overalls and sighed.
"It...would be nice to change it up a bit..."
After looking at all seven racks, Kari chose something and held it up to the owner of the shop.
"Ah, good, but dull! No colour." The woman looked Kari up and down. "You like that scarf around you neck eh? Try this one. Take these boots too."
Kari took the scarf and went where the woman indicated, a small curtained room, to change.
She came out fiddling with the hem of the shirt, and brushing the pants, feeling very self-conscious.
"Okay...how do I look?" She had asked everyone, but unwittingly, her eyes fell on Gerel.

Spoiler: Kari's new clothes

((Just take away the earrings and makeup.))

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[kase9187]

"You look great, Kari." Aldaf reassured her before moving to find his new clothes.

Aldaf browsed the clothing, settling on some light clothes. He changed into the new clothes, a pair of tan cotton pants and a navy blue shirt. A short dark blue robe with gold trim caught his eye, and he added it to the outfit, draping it over his shoulders.

He found a bag, one he rather liked. It was a typical travelling satchel with slight embellishment. It had more room for his stuff than just his normal backpack, and it allowed him to use both.

Aldaf left the changing room, fit in his new clothing. The bag was hanging at his side, his robes hanging lazily on his shoulders. The collar of the robe half covered his mouth.

"Now how do I look?"
Aldaf struck a pose for comedic effect.


(The outfit, minus the bag on a stick.)

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Gerel walked with Kari all the way back to the market stalls, a goofy grin plastered all over his face. Sure their day together started a little roughly with Gerel's asinine imitation of a man, but the rest of their time in the corral was the most fun he had these past few days. He learned a lot from Kari about trick riding (nevermind that wipeout when he first tried to do it), and surprisingly he saw ways in how he could incorporate archery to create a way of aerial skybeast combat that was as flexible as he could make it. The thought excited him, especially on what his father would say when he finally returned home and showed him what he came up with. He could almost imagine it... riding atop Jeff as they twisted and wove among the deathborn, peppering them with arrows from unexpected places.

But more than that was the simple happiness of seeing Kari replace the first flower he gave with the ruined one he took when he wiped out doing the first trick. Even if the flower had long fallen off from their rough riding with the horses, that image remained with Gerel, and it probably would for quite a long time. Whatever his feelings for the girl, hanging out with her was fun. That should be enough for him.

Should.

They met up with the rest of their party near the entrance of the market. Gerel schooled his features into amiable neutrality, but he wasn't certain if one or two of them noticed the huge grin he had just seconds before. Kari took out a scroll while they walked, and with it she guided the party further into the market. Gerel's senses were assaulted by... everything in the market, from the colorful fabrics to the exotic (mouthwatering) scents to the holler of merchants and hawkers. It was all fascinating and overwhelming and by the time they arrived at the store Kari was looking for Gerel felt drained. As they stepped inside, Gerel gaped at the multitude of vibrant clothing on display. The owner of the place said they could pick any outfit they wanted, as a token of gratitude for helping save Ferro's husband. He looked through the outfits hanging on the bamboo poles, trying his best not to look absolutely confuzzled.

Kari was the first of them to pick an outfit. Gerel heard the shopkeep comment about the dull colors and he turned to look.

"Okay...how do I look?"

Their eyes met just as she asked. She looked a little conscious about her appearance, and Gerel couldn't see why. Perhaps Gerel's face was answer enough to her question, the way his eyes widened, the way the smile came unbidden to his lips, the way the words naturally rolled over his tongue.

"Like you're ready to wrangle some beasts."

And then Gerel went back to the rack, rifling through clothes looking for the one that fit him the most. His face felt hot, for some reason. Maybe it was the desert heat. Maybe it was seeing-- No, he would not go down that route again. He almost got burned for it last time. Turning his attention back to the clothes, Gerel tried to decide what exactly to pick. All the clothing seemed too complicated with too many layers for his liking. Finally he found one, an outfit that didn't expose so much skin like Ezekiel's, yet with just enough layers to keep out the desert heat. If he needed to use his bow, he could always take the scarf off. Or throw it away, depending on the situation.

He gathered the pieces of clothing in his arms just as Aldaf stepped out of the changing room in his new outfit. "It looks nice on you," Gerel said in response to his question. "You could do without the pose, though."

A couple of minutes of struggling later, he stepped out of the changing room. The clothing felt surprisingly light, and it actually made the heat more bearable than earlier. Not to mention that some of the embroidery reminded him of how his mother engraved patterns on her works.

"Not too bad, I suppose. What do you guys think?" he asked all of them, and he tried not to think too hard on what Kari would say about his choice of clothing.

Spoiler: Gerel's New Clothes

((Remove the white scarf and shorten the two tails at the back))

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