Fantasy Skyheart (1 slot open)

[Saturn_moon]

Marylka's frustrations and stress welled up once more upon hearing Kari and Aldaf's explanation on why they could not approach the city guards for help. "We're already at risk and we had no edge to begin with!" She cried out, her hands clenched so tightly that her nails bit into her palms. "Just because we have all these special abilities, doesn't make us heroes. We're teenagers with a huge gap in our memories no less. Why do we have to save everyone else when we can barely save ourselves? Why does it have to be our lives on the line? Why do we never get a choice?" With every line, Marylka's voice got louder and louder. The torrent of emotions was a surprise even for her and she quickly realised that their conversation was no longer privy to the ears of their group. Around the hall, students and assistants had paused mid-meal to stare in her direction, bewildered by the sudden outburst.

Dropping her head, Marylka let her hair fall forward and shield her watery eyes. Although said in a fit of anger, there was truth in her words. A truth which she had carried for far longer than the others knew. From the archives of her mind, she drew an image of her mother standing across the room, brows furrowed with disapproval. It's my life! Why don't I get a choice?! It's not fair! The words echoed in her head.

"It's not fair." She muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "It never is..."

AncientBird AquaMarie Elenion Aura explosiveKitten kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius pinnasina SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf looked at Marylka dead in the eyes, showing nothing.

"Marylka, I know it feels like it's unfair and that we're not ready or that this is so much to take in..."

He made a slow, sweeping gesture to everyone in the room.

"But none of us were given that choice. These things were hunting us before Keshka broke the tracking. These things and our circumstances are irreversibly linked."

His voice raised a bit in volume, but not through anger or rage.

"We're probably the best people present to help stop this thing. If we give up and go home, who's gonna save Danube? Who will protect the innocents caught in their wake?"

He let out a sigh, the pebbles above him a sharp contrast to his calm tone. They were constantly and rather chaotically shifting around, as if being torn apart by five different entities at once. Shapes and spikes and edges and curves all appeared and shifted around on them.

"I would love nothing more than to go home to my mother. But as long as these gods forsaken beasts are crawling around our fucking home, nowhere is safe. And despite the fact some people are just downright assholes and shitty as hell..."

For a split second, to any astute observer, the wouldve seen the pebbles turn into what looked to be a sharp stone matching Aldaf's scar.

"They don't deserve to die like this."

He walked over and stood near Marylka, his gaze softening. The pebbles floating around him started to calm down, returning to a smooth shape.

"Marylka, I'm sorry if it feels like you don't have a choice. However, I don't have the ability to make choices for you. You can choose to stay, or you can choose to go. Whatever you choose, I don't blame you for it."

Saturn_moon SilverFlight Naberius Lioness075 pinnasina AquaMarie YumenoTsukishiro AncientBird explosiveKitten Elenion Aura

 

[AncientBird]

Suddenly, Aldaf and Kari returned to the group. Both of them seemed hurried and just as they arrived, they immediately announced their opinions concerning getting help from Deralis. Serik frowned in confusion to the sudden distrust both of his friends had spoken. Deralis had been a good ally so far, and even though his idea of using children in the battle was rather bad... However, can both parties not find a way to cooperate at all?

Just as Serik was thinking, he got spooked by Marylka who was standing right next to him by a serious outburst. Clearly, Marylka wanted them to get the help from the military and not getting all the burden loaded on their back alone... Understandable, the past week was already pretty hard for all the the youths, having the fight for their own and each other's life... And now, it seemed the struggle would only get bigger and bigger now that they might have to fight for their society, or even for their world... Something that would require alliance and cooperation, something which Aldaf and Kari were suggesting for them to abandon here.

Serik reached out to pat on Marylka's shoulder, hoping to help calm her down and then turned to Aldaf who had approached them. "...I ...I don't know, Aldaf. I know Deralis was skeptical in some part, but would he really turned against us once he knows about the new magics? We basically are fighting the same enemy here and could be an alliance. I mean, we barely know him to judge everything now. Shouldn't we wait until we get to see more of him in the council to decide?" Serik said. His face showed concern and uncertainty.

Featuring: Saturn_moon kase9187 SilverFlight

 

[kase9187]

"Serik, I appreciate the concern, but like I said. We're too involved in this. Worst case scenario, they think that we might be the cause of all this and elect to kill us in order to stop it."

Aldaf sighed and rubbed his head.

"And what if he believes the other mages, the children, have these new magics? What's to stop him from sending inexperienced children to go die? He says the magic will protect them, but they're still children. The deathborn could reasonably paralyze them with dread and fear, making them targets rather than defenders."

AncientBird

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

Matthias tried to keep things simple. He had since he was a boy, never having the patience to see the world as anything but black and white. Cause and effect. Subtlety was not his way. Since this nightmare began Matthias had felt his worldview begin to shift as the cause of all this continued to elude them all. And Marylka spoke truly. He heard in her words the thoughts that crept across the floor of his mind, threatening to rise up and choke his certainty. To prevent despair, Matthias did as he had always done. He simplified. In his mind he reduced the frame of his thoughts to this moment. This breath. This beat. He was hungry so he had eaten. Now he was satisfied. He was centered. The harrowing reality of circumstance beat against the bulwark of his mind like a storm against a cliff by the sea. He would not waiver. He could not.

Marylka was waivering. He could see it in her eyes. Hear it in the tremble of her voice. A younger, more naive Matthias would have lashed out at this, frustrated by Marylka’s apparent weakness. He would have berated her, any sense of empathy lost to his own insecurities. This Matthias said what he felt as gently as he could, in a voice so low it was nearly a rumble.

"If you want to stay behind then stay. No one will force you." He did say these words to comfort Marylka. Nothing about their lives was comfortable anymore. He said them because they were true. Their circumstances had changed since Mt. Arebos. No longer did the creatures track them endlessly. If any of them were to risk their lives further, it would have to be of their own choosing. Matthias would fight any man, woman, or child who tried to tell Marylka otherwise. In the face of this seemingly insurmountable evil, they all had their own choice to make. It had taken Matthias time to make his. Weighed down by doubt, crippled by fear, he had avoided to make his choice for far too long. No longer.

I choose to fight.

Tags: Lioness075 AncientBird kase9187 SilverFlight pinnasina AquaMarie YumenoTsukishiro
Naberius Saturn_moon ​

 

[AquaMarie]

Spoiler: Emmaline’s Westeros Outfit

Emmaline walked closed to Eli as she followed the group into the dinning hall. She was unsure about going to this council meeting, it sounded a little boring to the short little girl. She felt tired and really did not want to sit and listen to discussions, but it had to be done. She was also unsure with the plan about heading out in two days, would they be ready?

Entering the great hall the smells of the food engulfed Emma’s nose, making her mouth water. The short girl excitedly grabbed a plate, as she looked around at all the food wondering what she would eat first. With a large pile of food she took a seat and happily ate. The food was delicious and the short red head showed it by her movements. She would close her eyes, dance in her seat, smile and kick her legs back and forward as she ate.

Emma did not say anything as the others talked amongst each other, observing the group she and Eli were now a part of. She watched as Aldaf got up and left, followed by Kari. She wasn't sure what was going on but the feeling around dinner was strange and that tension around the air continued when they all met up once again after dinner.

Again the short redhead just found herself listening to the group speak amongst each other. About Deralis, the council meeting and just what had been happening. Everyone just seemed on edge and she did understand they were all going through things. There seemed to be a very large expectation out of them, and she just didn't know how to feel about all this. There were a lot of points and views being pointed out and all Emma could do is just stand to the side lost in her thoughts as she listened to the others speak.

Tags: SilverFlight Saturn_moon Lioness075 explosiveKitten YumenoTsukishiro kase9187 Elenion Aura Naberius AncientBird pinnasina

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

( Lioness075 ) "I wouldn't say they aren't wholly trained to fight them, but I will agree that the new deathborn will pose a problem for them," Gerel said. The guardsmen fought well against those monsters back in the city square, but they did so under the strict command of Deralis. That made him consider other implications. "Not only that, if the place we're heading to truly is a nest of deathborn, either we come in as a small squad, as part of an army of sorts, or we go to meet the deities sooner than we want. If we do bring guardsmen with us, no doubt Deralis will want to come along under some pretense of protecting us."

Just then, Kari and Aldaf walked into the mess hall. A smile quickly worked its way to Gerel's lips, but seeing the resolve in their faces and the determination in their steps gave him pause. Looked like they talked about something more than the spat between Leandra and Aldaf. Sure enough, they gave voice and new insight to everybody's suspicions about Deralis. Gerel knew that the magics -- the ones he knew before he came to the Academy -- were manifestations of the deities' power and glory. But then the Academy instructors displayed other, previously unknown forms of magic. Which deity then did they represent? Were they divine sparks? And if they weren't... what then was the exact nature of magic itself?

If nothing else, there was one more reason not to trust Deralis, since he could end up treating them all as either weapons or heretics. Gerel--

--looked on in wide-eyed shock as Marylka let loose a torrent of emotions in her words. They resonated with his own doubts and questions about the path they were unceremoniously thrown to. He was supposed to be heading for Sudenta, not running from scores of ghastly skeletal beasts, and certainly not planning how to destroy them once and for all. Gerel definitely didn't expect to thrust himself into something decidedly twice as heretical... learning the magic of the deathborn.

Matthias' words offered an out. They didn't all need to go and seek the deathborn outside the walls of To'bai. Some of them could stay and learn more about their powers. Or just go home to their families and forget about everything else. But in Matthias' face Gerel saw a decision made; a decision he himself didn't want to make, but needed to.

"Deralis mustn't know," Gerel said, voice clear and cutting. "There are more risks than benefits in enlisting the help of him and his Guard. They could easily turn their spears on us at a moment's notice. And so far, we've overcome any obstacle thrown at us. Either by the grace of the deities, or our own tenacity, we survived. We are stronger than we realize.

( Saturn_moon ) "I will go, because I owe it to my family to keep them safe from the looming darkness. I will go, because I can't turn my back on history as it unfolds before us. I will go..." Gerel's voice softened as he turned his eyes to the agitated Marylka, "...because I want to protect my friends."

The young Estendorian desperately wished with all his heart that he believed in the words he just said. His voice quavered. His body trembled ever so slightly. Still he wished. Still he prayed.

SilverFlight kase9187 Saturn_moon AncientBird Naberius Lioness075 Elenion Aura pinnasina AquaMarie explosiveKitten

 

[Naberius]

Caliban Lupei

He laughed at Lea's quips, smiling like he always did.

"I'm fine. Tired sure, everyone is, but I've been through worse. You should know, you patched up the holes."

He gave his goofy, overly protective sister another gentle squeeze before letting his arm drop back to his side. Then things started to change. The words started flying again, and not for the first time he wished he could do more. But for the moment he sat quietly, taking everything in. It was unusual for him to be so silent and introspective, or to think before acting. But just maybe Lea and her constant yelling and lectures had finally done something. Or maybe it was because he was finally starting to remember things just like the others, and some small piece of him was coming back, lessons that his body remembered even if he didn't. He hadn't heard so much emotion from Marylka before. Or maybe he had and just couldn't remember.

While the others butted heads, he tried to puzzle things together for himself, truly understand how he felt about everything. That smile that came so easily was replaced by an odd frown and furrowed brows. It was Gerel's speech that finally snapped him out of the moment, bringing him back to reality and the situation at hand. He looked around the room at their assembled group. The ones who had been here from the beginning, as well as the newcomers who had apparently been stuck with them most likely for being in the same odd situation.

"I agree on only one point brought up so far. We can't let Deralis know. Aside from that, I pose this question to you. What happened before we lost our memories? Because it certainly felt like we were being trained very hard for this sort of thing. Months. We've all seen it in the small glimpses we've seen of our memories. So. How you propose we even survive if months of training in combat and magic wasn't enough last time? Seems to me like we lost pretty badly and our memories were taken because of it, somehow. We've had minor victories up to this point after waking up in that tent together, but that's it. Small groups. Sounds like we'd be walking right into a huge nest of deathborn even more dangerous than the one we've been facing until now. Do you think throwing our lives away needlessly would solve anything? Yeah. I know that's pretty strange to hear from the guy who flew into a giant skeleton monster's rib cage not very long ago, but it's still the truth. We are under trained, under prepared, have no allies except each other, and most of us can barely even grasp what skills we may have possessed at one point. That's not an army, or a battalion of soldiers. We all have skill, this is true. But with the exception of maybe a few of us, how many can say they've spent their entire lives doing nothing but training and getting stronger? Sure we had to hone our skills to survive and get our skybeasts, but beyond that how many can really call themselves a warrior? Matthias counts. Out of the people I see sitting around here, he's the only one that fits that description. We aren't ready, not yet. How can we protect the people we love if we die out in the middle of the desert because we didn't take the time to train up, remember our skill sets, get back at least some of our latent abilities? Again I know that's a strange thing for someone like me to say, but we absolutely cannot run head first into this without getting stronger, without a plan, without some kind of backup. We'd only have one shot if this is truly the way we're meant to go, and we'll need to make it count."


SilverFlight kase9187 Saturn_moon AncientBird Lioness075 Elenion Aura pinnasina AquaMarie explosiveKitten YumenoTsukishiro

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf nodded to Cal. He took in the idea.

"I get what you're saying, but none of us remember our previous year. Who says that we lost, necessarily? I'm not saying we won, Gods no. But we lived, and if these things were as interested then in killing us as they are now, we wouldn't have woken up in that tent. And Cal, while they have been small victories, we've still won. Untrained and still trying to recover from our collective amnesia and unversed in our magic talents, we still won not once nor twice, but three times."

Naberius

 

[Saturn_moon]

As Aldaf spoke, Marylka fought every urge to grab the nearest object she could get her hands on and chuck it across at the rocks spinning above his head for no apparent reason. She couldn't tell if the boy was being genuine or condescending, but either way his words sounded far too much like a preach and made as much impact on her as a leaf in turbulent waters.

"And if we're protecting everyone, who's going to protect us?" She retorted at Gerel. "What happens if we die without taking down the deathborns? Who's going to protect our families then? The gods?" While she occasionally admired those who managed to hold on to their faith in the toughest of times, it was not for her. If she was going to have to risk her life it was going to take a lot more than faith to convince her. To her immense surprise, it was Caliban who she ended up agreeing with the most.

"I'm not ignorant to the gravity of the situation." She continued. The initial white-hot surge of anger she felt was slowly tapering but her indignation remained. "I know what we stand to lose if we choose not to fight. Who we stand to lose. What I don't understand is why we seemed to have accepted these so-called destinies as the fates have handed them to us. Why is it that every time we try to even the playing field we are forced to play by someone else's rules?"

With a heavy sigh, Marylka took a tentative step away from the group. Somehow, the last five minutes felt far more exhausting than the entire day they had spent training. "They say defeated warriors are those who go to war first then seek to win... I'm going to wait to hear what Deralis and the rest of the council has to say at the meeting before I decide what to do."

AncientBird AquaMarie Elenion Aura explosiveKitten kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius pinnasina SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro

 

[explosiveKitten]

Katja looked up from her tired daze as the sounds of raised voices caught her attention.

She tiredly lifted her head to look over in the direction of everyone else. It seemed Marylka was having some doubts about the whole situation. It’s not like she’s alone in that regard, Katja thought to herself, resting her head on the table as she did.

This would be a crazy situation for anyone. It’s scary. We’re being hunted by forces we don’t know anything about, nobody can tell us anything about it, and we’re... we’re just teenagers. We don’t...

“... We didn’t have a choice in any of this.“ Katja muttered, resting her head on her arms and watching the group. “We never had a choice in any of this. The gods picked us, but why did they? What is special about us, any of us? ... I can’t even learn magic properly...”

“Though far be it from me to question the gods mysterious dealings, but what... what was their plan this time? We’re just children... I’m so confused...”


AncientBird AquaMarie Elenion Aura Saturn_moon kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius @pinnasina SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro

 

[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

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.

Spoiler: Leandra's Westeros Outfit

She's wearing the first, green one.

Furrowing her brows at Caliban, Leandra whispered, "Just make sure you take it easy the rest of the night. And please...don't make a big scene or anything at the council meeting."

When Gerel spoke next, Leandra nodded at his words, a bit relieved that someone seemed to be hearing her and even agreeing.

Hearing Kari's voice, Leandra looked up in time to see she had returned with Aldalf.
Almost immediately, Leandra felt sheepish and looked back down at her food to continue playing with it.
Listening to the what the pair had discussed, Leandra inwardly agreed with their consensus that they should keep Deralis and his city guard uninvolved with their upcoming journey. It was exactly what she had been conveying to the group before now and Leandra sighed, realizing her opinion must have not been strong enough to get the point across.

Just then, Marylka spoke up, practically shouting. Leandra's head shot up at this and she flinched each time Marylka raised her voice again. She had never heard Marylka raise her voice and had, in fact, barely heard her speak since everything had started.
Sadly, Marylka made a strong point and Leandra continued prodding her food, chewing the inside of her cheek now. Several in the group had barely survived their previous encounters. Just as Leandra had feared before, it seemed Marylka did not believe that two days of training would be nearly enough.
Leandra's heart began to race as Marylka's anxiety began to pour over into her own mind.

When Aldalf tried to give a rousing speech, Leandra scowled at her plate. She did not care for any fate that she was intertwined with. More than anything, she just wanted to go home and check on her younger brother. The visions she had started seeing since the Trial...
She was roused from memory lane when Serik spoke up. Leandra furrowed her brows, but knew that they should not rush to make any decision until after the council meeting. They would better understand what to expect from Deralis then.

But when Gerel gave his speech, Leandra felt an inkling of morale trickling in. The idea that instead of fate or any gods intervening, but that their own tenacity and determination had gotten them this far felt more encouraging. And when he went on to explain why he had to keep pushing forward, Leandra finally relented in silence with her shoulders slumping. She had to keep going for Manjano. For her parents, for their parents. She and her parents were all the family that Caliban had left.

When Caliban also spoke up with yet another speech, Leandra instinctively groaned, expecting him to encourage the group to charge into the throngs and throw punches at anything headed their way. Yet, she was pleasantly surprised when his speech took a different turn than the usual.
By the time Caliban concluded his speech, Leandra was staring at him, her mouth hanging wide open. She finally closed her mouth when Aldalf began speaking again. Where was Caliban and who was this newly matured person beside her?
Shaking her head at Aldalf's words, Leandra looked away from him and at Caliban.
Quietly, she said, "What in the world was that? Do I even know you anymore?" She was grinning now, both amused and impressed.

Marylka spoke once more and the note she ended on made Leandra's heart sink. She anticipated that Marylka may not stick with the group after this meeting, especially if things went sour. Biting her bottom lip, Leandra wondered if she could maybe pull their water mage aside after the meeting and at least check on her well-being. Everyone was frayed by what they had experienced thus far and Leandra feared what would happen to the group if they did not all stick together.

Nearby, Katja quietly spoke her peace and Leandra nudged Caliban in the side, nodding over at the team's healer. Unsurprisingly, she seemed to be feeling down now and Leandra had no doubt that all of the tumultuous emotions had done no favors in keeping up morale.

At this point, Leandra figured it was mute to bother adding her opinion to the cacophony. Instead, she kept quiet and waited for someone to make the first move to leave the dining hall for this seemingly ominous council meeting.

YumenoTsukishiro Naberius kase9187 explosiveKitten Saturn_moon Elenion Aura pinnasina AquaMarie AncientBird

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

Matthias listened quietly to the others, taking turns saying their pieces, most of which were towing the same through line, though each one was delivered with such zeal. This, coupled with the fact that he was hearing them one after the other, made Matthias uncharacteristically giddy.

"Mm...” Matthias’ lip quirked with effort as he spoke the words that his mind has conjured, barely containing the expression that wanted desperately to mar his otherwise dispassionate face. ”What was in the food... To make you all so melodramatic tonight?"

Serious once more, Matthias decided to speak on the matter of Deralis, Danube, and their mission. Most of them were of a mind to not rope Deralis in on their plans. While Matthias did not share their concerns about the guard captain’s trustworthiness, nor did he think that a contingent of guardsmen were any less prepared to face the Deathborn than they were – especially when he considered that the Deathborn attacks had become commonplace in the city of late, the fact that some of them would have to conceal their newfound abilities lest they risk exposing these new magics... His own mind had begun to change on the subject, an unfamiliar sensation for a man as stubborn as he, and with his newfound perspective came a new idea. He spoke slowly, methodically, choosing the words with care before saying them. ”Our mission in two days should be to rescue Danube... If possible. At the minimum, we should determine whether or not he still lives."

A rescue mission. Not an extermination mission. Truly, he did not think they were ready to waltz into a Deathborn hive and back out again. But if Danube were still alive, Matthias could not simply sit by and do nothing. With that, he clapped his hands on his knees and rose from the bench. It would be time for the council meeting soon.

Tags: Lioness075 AncientBird kase9187 SilverFlight pinnasina AquaMarie YumenoTsukishiro
Naberius Saturn_moon ​

 

[SilverFlight]

Kari hadn't expected Marylka's sudden outburst, and looked shocked for a moment.
Matthias said what she had been thinking.
"Yeah, there is a choice. Keshka stopped those things from tracking us. You can go home, stay here, you don't have to fight, but where the choice ends? Those things are still out there attacking people. They'll come for our families. That's a choice no one has."
Kari looked at Caliban, almost disappointed.
"Aldaf is right. Did those things at any point we faced them look like they'd have any mercy? Maybe we did fight, maybe we lost, but we lived. They were targeting us for a reason, and I've seen it, we have powers and abilities beyond what we know, and when we were really in trouble? Those abilities came out."

Eventually Kari made a grab for the rocks spinning over Aldaf's head.
"I know what I said, but maybe don't show the secret magic to the whole school. There are still students around."

At length Kari heard them all. Her heart went out to Katja, Marylka and Caliban, they weren't wrong. The things in front of them would be daunting to seasoned warriors. but Kari couldn't help but feel that she was right where she was meant to be.
"Anyone who wants to stay behind, they can. Not one of us is going to judge you. But the deathborn aren't going away, unless we make them. No, it's not fair, but when was life ever fair? If it was, I'd..." Kari was forced to pause, fighting back a wave of sadness. "I'd still have my brother."
She set her expression, hard and determined. She took a step to stand beside Gerel.
"I'm going to fight too. With or without the held of the guard. We'll scout the area, come up with a plan and run it."

~*~*~

Candour was waiting for them by the gate as he said he would be, with him was Ord, whom Candour had probably deemed the most diplomatic of the teachers in his employ. Kari was glad to see his smiling face.
As they began their short walk into the city Ord spoke to them:
"The council may seem intimidating, but remember, they are just people, at the moment they are frightened and desperate, and that is exactly what Deralis wants. He will be playing angles, so keep watch what he says and does. He's had his eye on using the academy to strengthen the city even before the deathborn arrived. He will not hesitate to use you if he can. Tell the truth while omitting the magic we've been teaching you."

The city hall was a large domed building at the top of a raised platform, sandstone steps, wide at the base, lead up to it, narrowing as they went. The doors were guilded each with a winged serpent coiled in relief upon it, a motif of the sun blazing over their heads. The sun split as the doors were open, revealing a hall lit by torches.
The council room was round, with seats arranged in an amphitheater-like semi-circle. The seats were empty however, and instead, the ten members of the council were seated around a circular stone table in the center of the room. Candour made the eleventh member, and the city leader, chief of the Westeros clan, was the twelfth.
There was a row of small wood chairs, set with blue cushions standing away from the table but nearby. Kari guessed those were for them.
Deralis smiled as they entered.

"Ah welcome! Please everyone, do sit. Candour." He looked up at the old professor with nothing but reverence. Candour nodded curtly, not to be drawn in by superficial pleasantries.
The chief was the last to enter, a tall, muscular woman with copper skin and hair braided into a gold headdress that coiled against her scalp. The motif was of the twin winged serpents they had seen on the doors, intertwining with arrow-straight lines of gold made to represent sunlight.
"The council will come to session." She declared as she sat in a high-backed stone chair.
Kari took a seat on one of the wood chairs and listened.

"The first order," Deralis began without hesitation, "is the deathborn. Their threat to the safety of our people is growing. They are improving their defenses, forming strategies. Soon my guards will not be enough."
He glanced at the group of youths with almost a little too much eagerness.
"We don't usually permit spectators Deralis." The chief stated clearly.

"Forgive the impromptu invitation my chief, but these youths have been of particular interest to Candour, I have it on good authority that he even sent some of his precious teachers out to fetch them from the proving grounds."
He turned to them fully, his expression placid and warm. "I would very much like to hear it from their mouths, why they were summoned to the academy."

(( explosiveKitten feel free to play Katja's grandma here too))


YumenoTsukishiro Elenion Aura Lioness075 AncientBird kase9187 Naberius Saturn_moon explosiveKitten AquaMarie pinnasina

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf made no attempts to keep the rocks away from Kari, the smooth pebble shape staying as she took them.

"I agree. If life were fair, my father would be with my mother right now."

-*-*-*-*-

Aldaf stayed with his cohorts, always keeping a side glance on Deralis. He noted his eager expression and sighed.

"Our Proving was not too long ago, and it had been interrupted by the Deathborn. We managed to drive them off both on the mountain and down in the celebration below. We were summoned because of it."

Aldaf specifically left out the amnesia, the magic demonstrated, the Deathborn's fascination with them or about their recorded void in the Academy records.

SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

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

Spoiler: Leandra's Westeros Outfit

She's wearing the first, green one.

Matthias spoke once more and Leandra could not resist rolling her eyes at his words. Though, he made a fair point. Parts of the conversation had surely gotten a bit dramatic and Leandra had not helped keep things calm to begin with.

He was right, too. Their mission was to rescue Danube, if possible. Not exactly to rush the Deathborn lair and fight to their own deaths. If they were smart about things and somehow managed to stay stealthy, then it could be doable. It entirely depended on where Danube actually was. And likely depended a lot on whether or not Aldalf and Caliban could manage a stealthy approach.
At this thought, Leandra side-eyed Caliban, who was acting oddly mature at the moment. She did not entirely trust that he was past his usual ways already.

Kari voiced their options and Leandra began rubbing the back of her neck, as she reached the same conclusion: They had to stop this Deathborn threat in order to protect their families and livelihoods. Whether or not they truly wanted to, they had to. Sadly, it seemed they were some of the most well-equipped people to handle this problem. Despite most of them still being teenagers.

When Kari chided Aldalf and snatched his stones out of the air, Leandra could not help herself: she quietly snickered while covering her mouth. She immediately began coughing after, trying to conceal the snicker. Just as quickly as she had found that amusing, she felt embarrassment wash over her again. She really hoped nobody had noticed that, though she doubted anyone sitting beside her had missed it.

Kari quietly mentioned her brother and Leandra's heart ached for her. Flashbacks came of the vision she had witnessed during the Trial. Her shoulders tensed and Leandra stared down at her lap, fiddling with the pinky of her leather glove that was stuffed, due to the fact that the pinky was in fact completely missing.

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

When they left the dining hall, Leandra stuck close to Caliban and quietly listened to the group's instructions. She nodded and then walked alongside Caliban as they headed to the meeting.

Fiddling with her glove again, Leandra quietly said to Caliban, "Hey, just try to focus on how doing all of this insane stuff will keep our parents and little brother safe back home, yeah?"
Pausing, she added, "And, uh, maybe keep quiet during the meeting. We need to say as little as possible and mostly listen there, okay?"

Once they arrived, Leandra felt her anxiety rise at the sight of so many important leaders in one room. One misstep here and they would be walking right into whatever Deralis was planning. He certainly had some goal in mind by inviting them here.

Grabbing Caliban's wrist, Leandra pulled him over to sit beside him, as everyone got settled for the meeting. She looked right at Caliban and raised an eyebrow, hoping he got the memo to stay quiet. She hated to treat him like a child this way, but Leandra feared he may be one of the first to misspeak.

Naberius SilverFlight

 

[Saturn_moon]

During their walk to the meeting, Marylka remained purposefully silent. She had a lot to think about and was hoping the meeting would offer her some clarity on what and who they were dealing with. To'Bai's city hall was a stunning work of architecture with its domed roof and ornate gilded doors. Had they been there under more ideal circumstances, she would have taken the time to explore every nook and cranny, examine the intricate details, or inquire what the two winged serpents represented.

Once the Chief called the meeting to session, Deralis wasted no time bringing up the topic of the deathborns and by relation, them. After Aldaf's input, Marylka took a steadying breath, hoping the oxygen that filled her lungs would also bolster her courage, and raised her hand to speak. "I apologise if I'm overstepping any boundaries, but Councilman Deralis seems to be implying that we might somehow be connected to the Deathborns or at the very least potentially helpful in fending them off." She got up from her seat and stood as tall as she could manage. While she didn't know much about politics, she had on multiple occasions been overlooked or underestimated by people simply because of her size and demeanour. As a result. she quickly learnt that confidence, even when it was an act, went a long way when she wanted people to listen. "Headmaster Candour was only looking out for the well-being of his students when he sent the teachers to fetch us from the proving grounds. I believe others would do the same during these dangerous times. As Aldaf has mentioned, we've only engaged with the deathborns a handful of times and each time it was with the aid of others far more skilled than we are that we were able to make it out alive. Some of us might not be sitting here right now if the city guards hadn't shown up at the market square yesterday. From what we saw, they displayed excellent defenses and proved to be more capable at handling this situation than Councilman Deralis gives them credit for."

Choosing her next words with extreme caution, Marylka continued. "I don't know what the council was hoping to learn from us, but I can assure you that we're just teenagers looking for a way to safely return to our families." While she had so desperately wanted to share the fact that the group was considering travelling out to the middle of nowhere in hopes of rescuing Danube from what was essentially a death trap, it would have been hypocritical for her to do so. She didn't want to force anyone's hand especially not after she had gone on at dinner about not having a choice. She gave a polite bow before taking her seat once more. It was then she realised how incredibly sweaty her palms had become and discreetly wiped them off on the hem of her tunic.

AncientBird AquaMarie Elenion Aura explosiveKitten kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius pinnasina SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro

 

[AncientBird]

Serik was completely silent after the team left dinner hall and met up with Headmaster Candour and Ord, who would accompany them to the council meeting. Along the way, Serik thought of all the points his friends had exchanged earlier. He never was someone who would quickly brand someone as bad and untrustworthy in just a few encounters, however if his friends were right about Deralis and to get help from the guards was not a possible option, then it's up to them and them only to face against these dreadful enemies. Marylka brought up the point that they were just a bunch of youths that so far, have only barely survived every encounters with the deathborns. Like what Gerel said, Serik will stand and fight with his friends, so that he could ensure the safety of his family and each others, but he couldn't help but think if they were biting off than they could chew...

The group finally arrived at the place. The city hall was indeed a grand sight to behold, with its massive sandstone structure and beautiful sculptures and decorations. The twin winged serpents at the entrance were especially eye-catching and Serik would be more interested in them had his mood been in better condition.

Entering the meeting room. There were less people there than Serik first thought, however the atmosphere was no less stressful for him. Serik had never been into any important and serious event like this before and every minutes in the room made the herder boy getting more and more nervous. Being told by the accompanied instructors about them having to be careful and not letting any secret about their new magic slipped out didn't make it any easier for Serik as well. So, considering that the easiest way he would survive this meeting without being a hindrance to the group was to sit still and keep his mouth shut... And prayed that none of the council members would single him out with any question, especially Deralis, who seemed to be eager to talk about the deathborn more than anything and immediately brought it up as soon as the meeting started.

Featuring: SilverFlight kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius pinnasina AquaMarie Elenion Aura Saturn_moon YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Given Marylka's current state of mind, Gerel should have expected her frustration to find a new outlet in him. His words, spoken to encourage, served only as kindling to a smoldering pit. He should have expected it, prepared himself for it, but it hurt all the same. Especially knowing that she was a tribe sister... well, no longer a sister. She let go of all that when she chose Westeros over her homeland. That hurt in its own way, but thinking about it, his father had to make the same choice. He chose Estendor over Sundenta, Qacha Sarnai over his tribe, and love over duty. Gerel couldn't really fault Marylka for what she did. He couldn't, but for a few moments he understood how the Sudentans must have felt when his father left.

Caliban's somber and reasonable speech nearly knocked the wind out of Gerel's sails. For one, Caliban never struck him as reasonable (and the man was aware of that at least in his words). For another, the seriousness of his delivery almost made Gerel think that somebody else was walking around in Caliban's skin. But then given all the experiences they've gone through, it shouldn't surprise Gerel that grey clouds could dampen their ever-bright ray of sunshine.

Gerel knew where Caliban was coming from, but he wanted to point out that nobody was saying to head out without proper preparation, without proper planning, without exhausting any possible option of gaining advantage over the deathborn. Gerel wasn't suicidal, and he was sure not one of them were. He was about to point it out when Kari stood beside him, giving word to his thoughts. That faint whiff of smoke and cinnamon immediately calmed his nerves. For a short while, he felt that he could stand brave in the meeting later with the Council and Deralis.

By the time they were out of the Academy, escorted by the Headmaster towards the City Hall, Gerel's morale boost had melted into a dull pain in the pit of his stomach. He distracted himself by looking around the sandstone buildings, taking in the colorful robes of the people passing by, and relishing the scents of spice and meat wafting from food stalls lining the street. As they stepped up into the entrance of City Hall, Gerel barely noticed the impressive architecture. As they took their seats before the Council, Gerel felt like he was staring down a matron bear in its scarred eye.

There were thin threads everywhere in the room, taut with tension and ready to snap at the slightest touch. Each of those thread could spell trouble for their party if they weren't careful. Deralis threw a jab by pointing back to the events of the Proving. Aldaf deflected it by highlighting the mundane and leaving out the more fantastical details. But Marylka went ahead and released a controlled wave of words that aimed to knock Deralis off his pedestal, while highlighting the achievements of the Academy professors and playing down their own actions. So far everything was going good. Gerel held his silence, keeping watch of the others and noting anything he could use.

Featuring: SilverFlight Naberius kase9187 Lioness075 Elenion Aura Saturn_moon AncientBird explosiveKitten pinnasina AquaMarie

 

[AquaMarie]

Spoiler: Emmaline’s Westeros Outfit

Emma followed the others to the main gate where they met up with Candor and Ord. As they walked they were told about the council and what to expect. Reaching the large domed city hall building Emma followed the group up the sandstone steps and into the building. She took in her surroundings as they entered the building, the torches lighting the hallway, the round shaped council room, the chairs lined in a semi-circle and in the center people sitting around a circular stone table. Emma quietly followed the others and took a seat on one of the wooden chairs with blue cushions. The short redhead sat down next to Eli, her feet not fully reaching the ground as she leaned forward to look at the others taking a seat. The meeting started and Emma leaned back in her seat, placing her hands on her lap she quietly listened to the council members speak. Her attention moved towards Aldaf as he spoke up, leaning forward and to her right to be able to see him as he spoke about their Proving. He kept the information very short and simple, leaving out any information that should not be said. Marylka then got up from her seat as well, Emma’s attention turning to her as she spoke. Marylka spoke for a bit longer, but as Aldaf did, she made sure to choose her words. Emma was quite impressed with how Marylka spoke to the council, something she would never be able to do.

 

[SilverFlight]

"'Students'?" Deralis asked with a surprised expression.
"You seem a little old to be students."
Candour stepped beside Marylka in support. "They were students, at my academy."
"Odd that you put so much interest into these particular students, I recall you training more than ten youths when they were old enough to join?"

"Is there a point to this line of questioning?" One of the council members asked impatiently. "We are here to discuss the deathborn threat, not attendance records of the academy."
Deralis glanced in her direction briefly, but relented. "Of course councilman Sannan, I only meant to ask, because of their incredible feet at the proving grounds, I assume you've heard the tales, if they could tell us anything new about the deathborn, anything at all that would help our forces."
New...Kari thought. They didn't know about the small deathborn, the spy, not which direction it went, though if Kari told Deralis that, he may want to send guards with them, that could endanger the mission.

"There was a new type of deathborn today, the one we fought together, with the reinforced plating around the orbs that give them life." Kari began with a glance at Candour to confirm she could share it. "We've never seen those before. I think...I think there's a mind behind them, something that can learn and adapt, and create new ones depending on how the old ones are defeated...but that's just a theory."

"A good one." Another council member added, "We need strategy here most of all. Intelligent placement of the guard, scouts in the dessert, specialized training. Derlis these tasks should be your focus."

"I couldn't agree more." Deralis fell in line completely. "Though..."
Here it comes, Kari thought.
"My guards are stretched thin as it is. If we are to protect the city properly I truly believe scouts are vital, however putting civilians in that position, untrained and inexperienced I believe is too much of a risk for our city. I was hoping to appeal to Candour's benevolent nature to volunteer some of his mages for that task."

"I am not sending students anywhere near the deathborn." Candour stated adamantly.
"Oh of course not, of course not." Deralis nodded sympathetically, "But these fine youths are too old to be students aren't they? Surely while they remain here they can help with the task, at least until I can train some new recruits to take over...unless...they are actually studying...in which case I would be very curious to know what they are learning, seeing as they should have completed their schooling already."

Candour clenched his jaw, and Ord looked at him nervously. Deralis had backed them into a corner, it was either explain why it was that Kari and the others were being taught so late, or agree to have them become scouts for Deralis' guard, though, Kari thought, the scouting mission may just give them an excuse to find Danube without being suspected.

The aging headmaster sighed and put it to his young students. "I cannot speak for them, they have undergone the proving and will make the decision on their own. Of course, they have a right to refuse."
Suddenly all eyes in the room were on them, waiting for their answer.

"I'll do it." Kari took a step forward. She glanced back at the others, nodding, hoping they understood her strategy in the move.

Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro AncientBird Saturn_moon Elenion Aura kase9187 AquaMarie pinnasina Naberius explosiveKitten

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf listened to Deralis spout off his drivel, wanting nothing more than to punch his face and demand why the inner workings of the Academy are of such a concern when there were undead monsters battering down their gates.

"As will I." Aldaf piped up after Kari. He realized what she was doing: Making a way out. If they were scouts for Deralis, just them alone, they could go out with his blessing and do what they needed to without arousing suspicion.

'Plus it will feel amazing lying to his smug face.' Aldaf thought inwardly, his face an unmoving mask of emotionless stoicism.

SilverFlight AquaMarie pinnasina YumenoTsukishiro Saturn_moon explosiveKitten Elenion Aura Lioness075 Naberius AncientBird

 

[Lioness075]

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

Spoiler: Leandra's Westeros Outfit

She's wearing the first, green one.

Leandra kept quiet as others rose to the occasion to speak for the group. Leandra did not know how to speak formally in this kind of situation and figured it was probably best that she keep an eye on Caliban and ensure he stayed quiet and in his seat.

Marylka was impressive with how she spoke and took command of the room. Admittedly, Leandra tuned in and out of her speech, as she absentmindedly wondered what Deralis was going to do to try and trap them in this meeting. She knew he was up to something by inviting them here, even more so after it was announced that this sort of thing was unusual to include any visitors.

Almost immediately after Marylka finished speaking, Deralis called them out for being considered students. Leandra had to resist the urge to give the man a dead-panned look, as she looked at each of the council members in turn. He quickly turned the conversation back on their group and Leandra glanced at Marylka first, wondering if she would return the banter just as quickly. But then Kari spoke up first and Leandra hoped she would not accidentally reveal anything to give Deralis more ground. Just as it seemed that the council would focus on more important matters, Deralis trailed off and Leandra inwardly groaned.
Sure enough, Deralis requested the students under Candour's leadership and Leandra rolled her eyes just as he defended himself and the students. And then it quickly turned around on their group and Leandra glanced sideways at Caliban to make sure he was staying quiet when Deralis casually hinted at them being unique students.
Leandra was momentarily distracted from the important conversation when she noticed just how quiet Caliban was being. She was about to whisper and ask him if he was feeling alright when his mouth opened and she instinctively reacted by kicking him in the shin. She winced the same time he did and gave him a sorry expression before tuning back into the conversation just as Kari agreed to them being scouts for Deralis.
Before Caliban got another chance to try and speak, Leandra spoke up for them, "Caliban and I will also do it."
Leandra did not really get a chance to think through the group's plan, but was more worried about what Caliban might say if she did not agree quickly.

(with permission from Naberius)

Naberius SilverFlight Saturn_moon explosiveKitten kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Elenion Aura AquaMarie pinnasina AncientBird

 

[Saturn_moon]

Marylka was tempted to shoot back with a sarcastic remark when Deralis questioned their status as students but decided instead to bite her tongue. It was probably not wise to prod Deralis any more than she already had especially not after Headmaster Candour had stuck his neck out and backed her words. She would only be throwing him into deeper waters which was the last thing she wanted to do.

Listening to Deralis, Marylka very quickly understood how the man had earned his place and reputation in the council and amongst the people of To'Bai. He was charismatic, smart, and cunning. In order to uncover the secrets the academy was hiding, he would require the support of the council. Yet, rather than pushing forward with blind determination, he knew when to step back, alter the course of his attack and work the situation in his favour. She could almost picture the gears in his head shifting every time the group offered up a counter argument or he was met with resistance from the council members. If this was a waltz, Deralis was certainly leading and they were all just doing their best to keep up. This thought was both fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

Before she knew it, Deralis had expertly worked them into a corner and Marylka was not thrilled with the choice they were left to make. Under her breath she let out a string of Estendorian swear words that would have caused a warrior to blush. It seemed that whatever they chose, it was inevitable that they would have to face the deathborns. Kari was the first to agree to Deralis's request for them to serve as his scouts. However, it was evident that she intended to use it as a cover for them to pursue Danube. Marylka watched as one by one, the others followed suit. While obviously the better option of the two, the sense of uncertainty she had arrived with still lingered strongly in the pit of her stomach. Arms folded, she remained quiet in her seat. The majority would decide their fate in this room, but until she had cleared her doubts, it was best that she did not commit to an answer.

AncientBird AquaMarie Elenion Aura explosiveKitten kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius pinnasina SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro

 

[explosiveKitten]

Katja was mystified by the building, and the room where the meeting was being held. It was all so very grand and special, she felt like she was being allowed a glimpse into the home of the gods.

But that was far from what was happening here. This was a meeting of mortal minds, people with high social standing, generals, leaders... and Katja’s grandmother.

Delila was sitting at the table, her blind eyes staring towards the sound of voices, and while Katja was eager to greet the kooky old woman, she noticed the look on her face. A surprisingly cold and calculating look the old woman’s leathery face. She was deep in thought.

Katja, however, as incredibly nervous, visibly so. This was her first time in this kind of situation, where all the attention was on her and her friends, and she had no idea how to respond to anything. Everyone was chipping in to try and throw Deralis, the accomplished speaker and leader he was, off their trail. But it was clear that he was way too far ahead of them. He was intelligent, cunning, and driven. He saw what he wanted, and he went for it. Everyone was trying their best, but they were now pinned into a corner. It was either refuse to help him and look suspicious, or run off and become his lackeys? Scouts? Katja wasn’t sure how she could possibly worm her way out of this. She was terrified of the deathborn. She would be useless out there with everyone. The little voices in her head were starting to pile up when the sound of a chair being pushed away from the table, squeaking harshly against the stone floor.

“I’ll be honest with you, Guard Captain,” The old woman at the table finally spoke up, “I find your fixation on the students at the Academy to be getting rather tiring.”

The old woman took up her walking stick and started to make her way around the table towards Deralis, “‘Oh but Delila,’ I hear you say, ‘these students are an untapped resource, a veritable army just waiting to be sent out!’. Yes, I suppose these students are young, and combat trained, and magical to boot!”
“But you’re wrong!” The old woman slammed her cane down on the floor to emphasize her distaste, “These students are not an army!“
She swung her head around to look at Deralis (or in his general direction) and grimaced.
“They’re children.”

“But for this small group,” she gestured towards the group in the stands, “they are unproven, and inexperienced in real combat. All they have ever done is spar with each other in safe, controlled environments. Being monitored by teachers! The Deathborn are undead killing machines, that send even your most grizzled and war torn soldiers running with their tails between their legs!”

She took a moment to take a deep breath, regaining her calm and respectful tone before she continued to hobble around, talking to the air and gesturing vaguely with her cane. “So what makes you think that these children should be going anywhere near a deathborn?”

“Sure, these ones have already offered to serve, and I suppose as fully grown, proven adults, they can do that. But what of the others? The young, the inexperienced. Would you ask them to go and fight flying skeletal monsters?”
”Nevermind that not all the children in that school are even trained in combat! There are engineers, healers, artisans in that school? Will you march them to the front lines as well?”

She turned to everyone else on the council.
“Now, I understand that the deathborn are a new threat we have never dealt with before. But their appearances are small and infrequent at best. You would conscript our children, grandchildren, great-grand children, into fighting beasts that they have seldom even seen in person? I know I would be unhappy! I have great-grandchildren in that academy!”

She wheeled back on Deralis. “And I suppose you will take responsibility for when these children, I repeat, CHILDREN, are brought back from the city’s limits, torn asunder? You will take the remains to their grieving families, with your sincerest condolences that can never bring their child back? Why? Because you think a bunch of spell-slinging teenagers can do better than fully grown adult soldiers on the backs of Skybeasts?”

The old woman stared at Deralis with a frown for a long while. “I do not claim to entirely understand the situation, but throwing the young and inexperienced at a brand new threat is foolish at best.”
She sighed and started to hobble back to her seat while she pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand. “... But I suppose, if you must swipe some children, take the ones that have already volunteered. Think of it as a test run. And we’ll happily send all the letters of complaint from concerned parents straight to your home.”

Katja was staring in wide-eyed wonder the entire time. This old woman is the most savage person I’ve ever met! I love her.

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