Children Of Infinity (IC)

[Atlannia]

"Damn," Alfenn muttered under his breath, his eyes flicking from one heathen to the other. I should go after him he thought, focusing on the one who had attacked Jynna and more recently freed themselves from a binding spell from one of the aspirants. As long we keep up the pressure we can whittle down their shields over time. That's the most reliable course to victory. In most games it was generally acknowledged that if one side managed to acquire a significant advantage in terms of pieces than their victory was certain as long as they played carefully and made no mistakes. As long as thye managed to trade pieces with their opponent at a one to one rate then numbers would inevitably win out. Theoretically the same rules would apply here, the heathens were undoubtedly more skilled but as long as their shields continued to be drained at this rate they'd be empty at some point. However...

If this were to turn into a drawn out battle of attrition we would almost certainly lose someone. Alfenn thought, gritting his teeth. There had been a couple of close calls already, even the aspirants were injured although that was in part due to them taking on the brunt of the fighting. If the fight carried on at this rate eventually someone would make a mistake and against warriors this experienced and ruthless it would likely be a lethal. IF one of the aspirants were killed would some of the first years begin to panic? If Jynna was killed wou- Alfenn shook his head. I can't let that happen! We have to end this as soon as possible! With that in mind he began studying the enemy once more, looking for some kind of exploitable weakness. It was then he observed Arcander switch off the energy on his hammer and strike direct blow against the enemy.

AN interesting tactic. Thought Alfenn I'll have to- wait... Suddenly he realised, or perhaps realised the significance of the fact that the enemy weren't wearing anything except robes underneath their shield generators. Arcander's blow had merely stunned the man temporarily. But if I turn off the field on my sword, I could probably just run them through. I'd need an opening though, or else they'll just block and shatter my sword. Alfenn dismissed his dagger temporarily and raised the now empty hand to his mouth, speaking into it. Flicking it away produced an odd bubble of slightly distorted space that floated away towards the Ayendor siblings, whereupon it popped and the words Alfenn had said made themselves audible to anyone close by.

"Can you all hear?" asked Alfenn's disembodied voice. "I have an idea but I'll need you to create an opening for me, if you can, organise as many people as possible for a group attack on the one with the sword I'll move after that. If that plan sounds okay than nod at me and I'll be ready to go whenever you make your move, otherwise I'll just move in normally and we can try for a basic pincer attack."

[Esternial]

Though she had vastly greater reserves of energy now than before, Ritz couldn't do much standing still, especially not in a different cavern. Abruptly pulling back her funnels like a fisherman reeling in his line, she followed the others through the passage, walking into an ongoing battle between a group of strangers and her fellow students and guides.

Though the shapes of friend and foe in mortal combat faded away next to the massive skull that sat in the cavern, two hollow eyes peering at Ritz. She had read much about dragons, but seeing a fossil like this before her eyes was something else - it felt vaguely exhilarating. Though dead, there seemed to be some kind of energy oozing from it, but what is was Ritz could not tell. This was unexplored territory, in some respects quite literally.

But there were more pressing matters. Focus.

Lunging weapon-first into battle would do Ritz no good. Ellyn and Eamonn were two of the most formidable warriors in their group, not to mention the had two aspirants on their side, but the strangers fighting them were on a completely different level of ability. For now everyone held their own - more or less - but time was not on their side. Fortunately, Ritz had built up enough reserves - now she needed to appropriate them.

The funnels in her hands still shone with the energy they had stored within, light flickering between the gaps of white metal sheeting that covered them. As Ritz took a deep breath, all that light vanished along with the energy, pouring into Ritz body and rushing throughout her body as she guided its flow, containing it - condensing it. It was more than she could accumulate herself, forcefully drawn into her body rather than gradually absorbed. It was painful, as if every cell of her body was about to burst with raw, overflowing energy. Her breathing got heavy, her limbs grew numb as if she had run a marathon, but the pain was a blessing in disguise - it focused her mind on the task at hand. With all her might and focus, she forced the energy deeper into her core and erected a barrier to contain it. Then another. Then a third. Three barriers kept the energy that felt like it could vaporize her entire body contained in a small core that was not even the size of a plum. It was nothing short from agonising, but it had to be done. She would not to push herself to her limit. Nobody would die today, the odds be damned.

Her movements were twitchy and slow, as if she had gotten a beating already. That was about to change.

It was like pulling away a twig that supported the weight from an entire dam. The core expanded and raging white hot fire burst outwards like an explosion, smashing against the second barrier that contained the brunt of the energy while a fraction seeped out into her limbs - - the first barrier had been opened.

The pain numbed, but still remained present, only superseded by an intense and reinvigorating power. Ritz could feel her muscles tense up, to the point of almost tearing apart, bursting with potential power. Her limbs were burning as she remained idle. She needed more.

She heard Alfenn's voice. I'm not ready. Time to speed things up. Again the core of shining energy expanded and burst through the second barrier like it was nothing. The third will have to wait. A last resort. The energy she had at her disposal now would have to do, rushing through her arms as she focused its shape and intensity. She was ready. If she stood in that spot any longer her muscles would rip themselves apart merely with all that unspent power. With a hesitant, but determined glare she focused all her attention on the man with the sword, raising her arms and stretching her hands. The aura surrounding her was not calming or warm as it always had been. It was ferocious, burning with the intensity of a star. Her hands were enveloped by a sheath of energy, shaped into a sharp blade that ran down her forearm. How long her body could keep up was a question she didn't feel like dwelling over.

There is very little a naked hand can do by itself to a blade. Professor Xan's words at the beginning of her training at the academy resounded in the back of her mind. She smiled.

"I guess we're about to found out, aren't we?"

The ground cracked beneath Ritz feet as she vanished from her spot, rock bursting out and shooting far across the cavern, away from the sword-bearing stranger. She was but one young woman, collectively known to be a sweet and overall innocent presence - at that very moment, she would fight ferociously, determined, and with the presence of three. Alfenn would get his opening.

[Saleon]

Meanwhile, the other heathen soldier, the one with the warhammer, seemed hardly fazed at all by Kal's spell, ignoring it as his shields tanked the damage and instead raising his monstruous weapon for another shot at the students. However, the attack was stopped as Arcander rushed in, his own hammer colliding with the incoming blow with such an impact that it made the entire cavern shake for a moment. The ground beneath the white-haired aspirant's feet cracked under the stress as he felt his own bones reverberate from the clash, and Stormbringer itself seemed to groan, complaining about the abuse it was being put through. Nonetheless, the heathen did not intend to lose any single moment, and neither did Arcander. He intercepted blow after blow of his enemy, though he was visibly slower and weaker, having to put in a lot of effort just to keep up.

Finally, the heathen had an opportunity and took it, smashing his hammer into Arcander's shoulder before he could recover from blocking the last blow. The guide howled in pain, the energy levels of his shields taking a nose dive, but he persevered even through this, not falling to the ground. In this bleak situation, he saw his own opportunity. Turning off his hammer, he raised it and slammed it into the side of the heathen's head with a loud clank, the weapon bypassing the shields on account of being deactivated and thus emitting no energy. The enemy's endurance was remarkable, as he did not seem defeated even after that direct hit, but he was certainly stunned, and so, Arcander took a step back from the battle, taking a moment to breathe. His shoulder hurt like hell, but he couldn't let this get to him, knowing the battle was not yet over.

Kal watched as the large boy with white hair charged recklessly at the giant and despite the boy's efforts he didn't seem to be doing well. He did manage to clock the giant in the head, but only enough to stun him.

Of course this posed as an opportunity, and what better way to fell the giant, than a really big rock to the head? Kal's magic focused on ignition. When one ignites a fire, depending on how, you either get a roaring flame, or an explosion. The latter requiring more focus and expertise in manipulating fire. Kal looked at the cave ceiling for weaknesses and stressed points for the best location to execute his plan. He quickly gives a quick warning to Arcander; then sets off an explosion which dislodges a reasonably sized rock from the ceiling.

The giant rushes to duck out of the way in time, but the rock still clocks him in the skull. The rock, despite Kal's hopes and dreams, only cracks on his head. It is clear that it hurt him, but also clear it didn't do enough. "my gosh what is your head maybe of!" Kal fumes, "you got a metal plate in their?" The brute on the other hand begins charging towards Kal.

Kal curses slightly before the giant comes in with an opening couple of swipes of the big guy's hammer. Kal frantically dodges out of the way of each, but, as such, has no chance to attack or even strategically escape. Each swipe is vicious, but does show that the brute grew a bit haggard from the recent "attempts" at his head. His fighting style went from overly refined and powerful to a berserker's rage; devising many openings, but still too fast to actually be usable. "um," he vocalized to everybody while ducking under and around a variety of blows, "help!"

[The Starlight]

"Damn," Alfenn muttered under his breath, his eyes flicking from one heathen to the other. I should go after him he thought, focusing on the one who had attacked Jynna and more recently freed themselves from a binding spell from one of the aspirants. As long we keep up the pressure we can whittle down their shields over time. That's the most reliable course to victory. In most games it was generally acknowledged that if one side managed to acquire a significant advantage in terms of pieces than their victory was certain as long as they played carefully and made no mistakes. As long as thye managed to trade pieces with their opponent at a one to one rate then numbers would inevitably win out. Theoretically the same rules would apply here, the heathens were undoubtedly more skilled but as long as their shields continued to be drained at this rate they'd be empty at some point. However...

If this were to turn into a drawn out battle of attrition we would almost certainly lose someone. Alfenn thought, gritting his teeth. There had been a couple of close calls already, even the aspirants were injured although that was in part due to them taking on the brunt of the fighting. If the fight carried on at this rate eventually someone would make a mistake and against warriors this experienced and ruthless it would likely be a lethal. IF one of the aspirants were killed would some of the first years begin to panic? If Jynna was killed wou- Alfenn shook his head. I can't let that happen! We have to end this as soon as possible! With that in mind he began studying the enemy once more, looking for some kind of exploitable weakness. It was then he observed Arcander switch off the energy on his hammer and strike direct blow against the enemy.

AN interesting tactic. Thought Alfenn I'll have to- wait... Suddenly he realised, or perhaps realised the significance of the fact that the enemy weren't wearing anything except robes underneath their shield generators. Arcander's blow had merely stunned the man temporarily. But if I turn off the field on my sword, I could probably just run them through. I'd need an opening though, or else they'll just block and shatter my sword. Alfenn dismissed his dagger temporarily and raised the now empty hand to his mouth, speaking into it. Flicking it away produced an odd bubble of slightly distorted space that floated away towards the Ayendor siblings, whereupon it popped and the words Alfenn had said made themselves audible to anyone close by.

"Can you all hear?" asked Alfenn's disembodied voice. "I have an idea but I'll need you to create an opening for me, if you can, organise as many people as possible for a group attack on the one with the sword I'll move after that. If that plan sounds okay than nod at me and I'll be ready to go whenever you make your move, otherwise I'll just move in normally and we can try for a basic pincer attack."

Ellyn turned and nodded to him, nearly losing her head in the process. Fortunately for her, she turned, just in time, throwing up her spear, and narrowly blocking the slash that would have beheaded her. Ellyn threw herself backwards, disengaging. Glancing around, she saw no one else beginning their attack, so Ellyn, turning to Alfenn once more, gave a count of three on her fingers, and began the same attack that she had attempted to use of Professor Xan, telekinetically wielding her spear and sword, parrying, slashing, blocking and the like. That would provide an opening for Alfenn, and it would increase if other students joined in, making the swordsman have to defend against multiple attacks at once.

[Atlannia]

---

----

I have to hand it to these people, when you ask them to make an opening they really go all out. Thought Alfenn wryly, taking a moment to breathe and focus. I sort of wish I had come up with something a little flashier to go with it but as long as it works no one should be too disappointed. Suppressing the noise of his footsteps, his breathing, even his heart beat, Alfenn silently circled behind his target as the others engaged him, extending his rapier and powering it down until the naked blade was exposed like a gleaming tooth. His first lesson with Xan had taught him that even in this state he could be detected if he approached a skilled enemy too closely. But if he comes to me it shouldn’t' t be an issue. As the heathen parrying a strike and effortlessly swayed around a vertical slash at the same time Alfenn tossed his dagger high into the air, watching closely as it arced through the air. When it was directly over the warrior Alfenn made a sharp downwards gesture with his empty hand and the dagger suddenly lanced downwards blade first with surprising speed. As distracted as he was, the heathen warrior sensed, or saw something at the last possible instant and dashed backwards to avoid the attack...

Impaling himself on Alfenn's outstretched rapier. The force with which the man had leaped backwards and the slender, stabbing form of Alfenn's sword meant he travelled most of the way down the blade as it slid through his midsection, actually bumping into the hilt of the sword and sending the boy staggering back a few paces.

"Wait," muttered Alfenn, gritting his teeth and pushing his knee into the small of the heathen's back and struggling to free his sword while ignoring the unpleasant hissing, gasps the man was making. "Wait I had something uh.." Finally he managed to wrench his blade free, eliciting a spray of blood and staggering backwards. "Uh...Look before you leap? That'll do," as the heathen fell to his knees Alfenn pulled back his sword and thrust again, into the man's throat. This time using his foot on the man's shoulder to pull free his sword, watching the heathen fall forward into the ground face first. He was reasonably certain the man was dead, he was certainly mortally wounded and Alfenn wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that, oddly numb if anything. There wasn't time to worry about that or analyse his feeling however, there was still one more enemy to go. Waving vaguely at the distraction team to confirm their success he wheeled towards the other warrior and readied his now bloodied rapier.

[Esternial]

The fight was exhilarating. Though she only fought with her bare hands, Ritz was able to stand her own against the swordsman through sheer speed and grace of movement alone, laying down a barrage of attacks that were impossible to follow with the naked eye alone. There was no need to hit him directly - Ritz had faith in her teammate's abilities. If she could force him to block her strikes and become his center of focus, it was more than enough, and that paid off when Alfenn's plan geared into motion.

One warrior was down, or at least indisposed. She doubted even such a powerful man could recover from such a lethal wound, but little was impossible. At any rate, he wouldn't be as dangerous if he were to recover, so now Ritz could focus on the remaining soldier. There was still some energy left to chip away at his shields and stamina. The others would have to think of a plan - she would have to make use of her fleeting power.

Once again Ritz lunged forward, a mere flash of light as she struck the berserker's hammer from the side as it was about to bear down onto Kal, diverting its course to naught but the rocky surface of the cavern, chips of stone flying up in the air while the muscled man tried to catch a glimpse of the unseen force that foiled his attack. Nothing but air. Kal was gone too, lifted up by Ritz and dropped at a safer distance.

He was slow, but more powerful that the sword-toting heathen. Blocking would be difficult. Dodging was the only option here.

Rushing back into the fight, the young woman didn't even notice the gradual decrease in energy, dragging down the speed of her movements and force of her punches. The sword she had manifested on her arm had already faded during the earlier fight, and Ritz made a mental note to avoid using it to make better use of her energy. Still, she had some left - unfortunately, she overestimated how much of it.

She was good for still several strikes, dodging the warhammer and stabbing her hands through the man's shield to apply dense pockets of energy in an attempt to numb his muscles. It was hard to see any effect, but even if she could only weaken him slightly, it would contribute to the - what.

Ritz mind went blank as she felt a fist collide with her stomach, the sheer amount of force exerted through it lifting her up in the air and propelling her towards the nearby cave wall. Her back took a beating in the process. Only now did Ritz notice the deceptively slow decay of her power. It was all but gone at this point, and now that the adrenaline of combat faded away along with it, she became painfully aware of what price her power came.

The third barrier collapsed on its own as the young woman slumped down onto her knees, barely holding on to consciousness as she endured the pain of torn and battered muscles across her entire body, joined by the injury the brute had inflicted on her moments ago. There was internal bleeding. It was practically impossible for there not to be. The vibrant starlight inside her core faded quickly as the remainder of the energy she contained within diffused throughout her body, initiating the painstaking process of mending her self-inflicted injuries along with the impact site of the berserker's punch.

She pushed herself up in an attempt to move further away, but to no avail. She fell back time, this time her knees were unable to carry her - it was a miracle they managed the first time. Lying on her side, Ritz could only wait and endure. It was impossible for her to muster the focus she needed to gather more energy. The young woman groaned painfully.

The brute must feel pretty good about himself right about now, having just incapacitated one of his opponents with a single punch.

[The Starlight]

-snip-

Ellyn winced, seeing Ritz fly into the air and hit the cave after a mere punch from the warhammer-wielding warrior. That one would've hurt and already she saw the berserk already advancing upon the prone Ritz, and that, she would not allow. Leaping over her fallen comrade and planting her feet just in front of her, Ellyn's eyes flashed a warning towards the berserker, You shall not pass.

Throwing up a telekinetic shield directly between them, she quickly turned to Ritz and laid a hand on her, muttering "I hope you don't mind this." Starting a quiet chant, she poured a little of her healing power into the student to at least stabilize her, wincing every few seconds as the heathen hammered at her shield. It felt like someone was smashing her head into a metal wall over and over again. Finishing with Ritz quickly, she lifted the girl using her telekinetic powers out of the direct area of the battle, so that she wouldn't be a target.

Turning once more to the berserker, she felt her shield begin to break, and so, as he swung once more with his mighty warhammer, Ellyn dropped the shield. The berserker, expecting the warhammer to bounce back, didn't expect it to go through, and was unbalanced. Ellyn, taking the opportunity, ducked low and attempted a hard punch to his stomach, only to shriek in pain as it bounced off. She was pretty sure there were at least fractures in her hand, and she hopped back as he recovered and began swinging his warhammer once more.

Reaching deep into her reservoirs, she flung her good hand out, blasting him with telekinetic force, throwing him against the rock face. Then, continuing to chant, she kept up the blast even as he slowly walked through it, hoping, praying that someone would take the opportunity to finish him off. Her nose began to bleed as she quickly traveled toward the bottom of that well of power. Falling to one knee, she redoubled her efforts as he came closer. She was almost spent, but by Aradain, she would not give up, she swore to herself.

[Saleon]

Kal looked sternly at the fight. The two ladies had done a good deal to the giant, but even the second one showed signs of faltering. Blood in the nose. She didn't seem like she would give up, and neither was he.

He once more collected himself, ready to launch one last offensive. He doubled his resolve and quietly uttered a small portion of his code.He slowed his breath and charged a small collection of energy in his offhand. He flipped his energy sword, placing it in a rear stance. He then charged at the giant.

The giant himself had prepared to deal an overhead strike at ellyn. A finishing blow, though this left him wide open. Kal rushed to the right of him, slicing from behind. The energy shield burdened much of the attack, but the flurry of attacks by Ritz left it quite weak. The shield shattered, something which The giant noted. He began to turn around, redirecting his hammer for a swipe to the side. Kal was swifter in this case moving his offhand and giving a direct bolt of energy to his chest. The lightning bolt was quick and painful, debilitating and perfectly timed. The giant's swing was stopped abruptly by the sharp pain.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

One moment was everything that was needed for the battle to finally end. As the hulking warrior with the warhammer halted mid-strike due to Kal's thunderblast, two figures that had been momentarily incapacitated earlier leaped to action, mere blurs in the eyes of their fellow students as they charged towards the buff warrior. He, however, was able to react in time despite the direct strike from Kal's lightning, and raised his warhammer to protect himself from the two incoming blows, intercepting the two blades that were bound to sever his arms if allowed to continue unimpeded. Then, and only then, did the two assailants become fully visible: Aressa on one side, with her green energy saber Aska now twice as long as it was, glowing bright red and pulsing with power; and on the other side, Shanath, with her black sword lined with bright red energy blades on its edges, its unique composition conferring it greater weight and power. The two aspirants pushed against the brute's warhammer with all of their might combined, somehow managing to keep him from reacting. The two of them were clearly inferior to him in terms of power and skill, and had it been only one or the other pushing down against him, they would've been inevitably shoved away; but now, working together as they were, their combined strength, however barely, was able to match that of the heathen knight, holding him still as their blades lapped up the reserves of the shields on the hammer's shaft now that those on his armor were all drained.

However, the heathen warrior was not defeated just yet. Much like his fallen companion, he, too, wielded the magic power of the flame in addition to his gargantuan weapon, and so, he began chanting a spell under his breath, something by no means unnoticeable, though the two aspirants currently attacking the brute could do nothing about it, for their every ounce of strength and focus was being used in maintaining their attack. Both Shanath and Aressa grimaced, having a pretty good idea of what was coming but having no way to stop it. They were about to leap out of the way, when they noticed something peculiar... the spell was not completing itself. Despite the heathen's continuous casting, still nothing happened. Now, there were two possibilities here. The first was that he was preparing something far greater, but that was unlikely, given the urgency of his situation.

Before they could ponder the matter any further, the two girls heard something behind them, another chant. And with that, they realized what was going on, the second possibility: counter-magic. The voice of the person chanting behind them belonged to Elsis, who was currently holding out her palm towards the heathen warrior. An adept at fire magic, she was nonetheless going through a great struggle just to maintain the counterspell. Knowing how to cast such a spell in the first place was an admirable feat for a first-year recruit, and to be able to maintain it for any length of time against a foe such as the heathen warrior, who undoubtedly had a greater mastery over fire than her, was truly a miracle. The aspirants were able to appreciate her efforts, and continued pressing the attack, unable to redouble their efforts because they were already giving it their all.

Their blades continued searing through the energy shield, multicolored sparks flying everywhere and lighting up the earthen chamber as a horrid noise like twin chainsaws cutting through a metal block echoed through the cavern. But finally, with a loud, ethereal crack, the energy shield on the hammer's shaft shattered, and both Aressa's saber and Shanath's blade cut through the now unprotected weapon as though they were simply moving through the air, severing both of the brute's arms with a spurt of blood and destroying part of the ground as they finished their arc, both swords coming to rest with part of their blade buried underneath the earth. Not missing a beat, Aressa quickly pulled Aska out of the ground and stabbed the heathen through the chest, destroying his heart and killing him at last. Shanath grimaced at this, looking away. However, she had to react quickly, as suddenly, Aressa stumbled forward and nearly fell to the ground, caught at the last moment by the black-haired aspirant, who looked at her friend in concern.

"Is your life well intact, fire-mane?" The girl said, her statement cryptic and strange, but clearly laced with concern.

"I... I'm fine, Shanath." The red-haired student said weakly after taking a few deep breaths. "I... exhausted myself a bit... with my blade magic." She said, and Shanath immediately understood what she was talking about. Blade Soul was a powerful spell that empowered a weapon by coating it with the user's will and magical energy, but because of that, it was also very draining to maintain for long, and Aressa had used it during nearly the entire fight, and especially in that last attack, using its power to drain the energy shield on the brute's hammer far quicker than what would've been possible without the spell.

"I understand, friend. Please rest, you have done more than enough in this battle. Your ancestors would be proud, I assure you." Shanath said as Aressa fell limp in her arms. Carefully, the aspirant sat her friend against one of the walls on the cave so that she could rest there.

While all of this happened, Arcander, who had retreated slightly after his shoulder had been nearly broken by the warhammer-wielding warrior, now stood over Ritz's agonizing frame, kneeling next to the injured lilac-haired girl and holding both of his palms over her, facing down. The gentle guide began chanting a spell, and suddenly, his hands seemed aglow with holy light, and the injuries on Ritz's body seemed to begin mending themselves far faster than what she was able to achieve by herself, eventually leading to her being in optimal physical condition once again, though the pain was something Arcander could do nothing about. It was something Ritz would have to endure on her own, though hopefully it would begin fading now that the tall aspirant's magic had accomplished its job.

"There we go. It's the least I can do for you. You fought very well back there." Arcander said to the girl with a kind smile. Then, turning towards the others, but not yet noticing Aressa's situation, he called out to them. "Is anyone else injured? I can help." He stated.

[Atlannia]

As soon as the fight was over Alfenn lowered his guard and looked around urgently, breathing a visible sigh of relief when he noticed Jynna, standing by her siblings and more or less okay. Without a moment's thought he jogged over to her. "I'm glad you’re okay!" he said breathlessly when he reached her. "I mean uh-" he glanced at her siblings a little awkwardly. "I'm glad everyone's okay obviously, we were lucky to get through this without any serious casualties, I just meant..." he looked at Jynna and his cheeks reddened slightly. "I'm...really glad you're okay," he muttered finally. To keep his hands busy more than anything else Alfenn went to sheathe his rapier, only then realising that the blade was still covered in dark, shining blood. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket he proceeded to carefully wipe down the thin blade, glancing as he did so at the still form of the warrior who had fallen to it.

This is what it feels like to kill someone? I just feel tired more than anything...

[Saleon]

Kal let out a sigh if relief, Losing steadiness in his legs, and fell to the ground. The cold rock on his back was refreshing in a way, but he barely noticed. The cathartic feeling of the fight ending was enough to satiate him. He the lunged his back forward and moved closer to the wall.

He motioned his fingers forward to his face. Two fingers extruded outward and held a small pipe of air to his lips. The feeling was bittersweet. "****, forgot they took away my smokes. Though even as a knight I had to smoke where no one was looking, so... no surprise I guess?" he grumbled to himself. At one point he remembered trying to quit. It wasn't something he could keep up. After every fight he had, a cigarette was his brief moment of brevity."c'est la vie," he mumbled while rocking his head slowly onto the rock.

He looked at the hammer, and it's details. He didn't quite recognize them. His only point of reference was the ominous skull hanging above the cave. one of those dragon fanatics, maybe? he thought. It wasn't a solid observation and he knew it. easily could have been a coincidence, but sometimes coincidences never stay coincidences.

Continuing off his moments of observation, he looked at the others. The girl he saved was from what he could tell unconscious, everyone else was exhausted with only slight injuries. Miraculous that nobody got anything serious, moreso that with such skilled warriors... nobody died. He put another invisible pipe of air to his lips, only to remind himself he, well, didn't have one. his vice. one of many. He placed his fingers to the ground.

"um," he said to everyone, "might be a bad time, but names Kal'Kul Mathel. I'm, uh, new. Quick status report is that I'm fine. Just tired... and in need of a smoke."

[Charmera]

As soon as the fight was over Alfenn lowered his guard and looked around urgently, breathing a visible sigh of relief when he noticed Jynna, standing by her siblings and more or less okay. Without a moment's thought he jogged over to her. "I'm glad you’re okay!" he said breathlessly when he reached her. "I mean uh-" he glanced at her siblings a little awkwardly. "I'm glad everyone's okay obviously, we were lucky to get through this without any serious casualties, I just meant..." he looked at Jynna and his cheeks reddened slightly. "I'm...really glad you're okay," he muttered finally. To keep his hands busy more than anything else Alfenn went to sheathe his rapier, only then realising that the blade was still covered in dark, shining blood. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket he proceeded to carefully wipe down the thin blade, glancing as he did so at the still form of the warrior who had fallen to it.

This is what it feels like to kill someone? I just feel tired more than anything...

Jyn smiled and wrapped Alfenn in a massive and tight hug, "I'm so glad you're okay too! " She spoke as she bear hugged her friend, though this was a much warmer hug than even she was usaully capable of giving. She was so relieved after the battle, and something about being near Alfenn made her so happy. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" She asked, not letting go of Alf. She didn't want to let him go now. And... she was experiencing feeling she didn't even knew she had for him. She wanted to tell him, to describe each and every one. Tell him... but her mouth refused to move.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Ignikalos Malganis was, to put it bluntly, a ratty fellow. Scrawny, with unkempt, lusterless black hair and wide, narrow dark brown eyes that made it seem as though he could stand in the middle of two warriors in a standoff and look at both of them at the same time. Indeed, many had commented that his peripheral vision was exceptional, though it was up for debate if this was due to his eyes or not. All in all, not the kind of person one would think of when envisioning knight material, not the kind of person one would look at and say "that one would make a great soldier". But anyone who had paid their attention to him during the Silver Games would have quickly realized just how deceitful appearances could be: Malganis had put up one hell of a fight, impressing everyone with his handling of the spear and his daring tactics. In the end, he did not emerge victorious, as his opponent was a very gifted recruit who'd had access to plenty of training, unlike Malganis himself, who hailed from humble origins and was only able to learn combat from a friend of his father; despite this, he had certainly managed to earn the respect of his peers, at the very least. He was said to be the fastest of his generation, and rightly so, for his agility, apparently, could not be matched by the other first year recruits, at least not without the use of magic.

It was this very same recruit who now sprinted through the shimmering forests of Cathedral Gladia. He, like his classmates and his guide Shanath Eleasir, had fallen down the newborn fissure in the ground and into the large dual cavern that lay beneath the maze of swirling multicolored leaves. Like everyone else, he had delved deeper into the cavern following the battle cry of one of the aspirants of the group that was traveling with his own, and like everyone else he had witnessed as the aspirants engaged two heathen warriors in combat, evidently outmatched but resisting fiercely nonetheless. Most of the other students had joined their guides in their struggles, but not Ignikalos. Shanath had different plans for him, and as the others fought with valor, she told him just as much. He was to look for Sapphira, most commonly known as Professor Cyranis, and inform her of the situation that the two groups were currently going through. Ignikalos was about to protest vehemently, about to demand to be allowed to take part in the battle, about to plead to be permitted to prove his worth, but he did not. The look on Shanath's face had been enough to convince him of the vitality of his task, not to mention the immense trust that was being placed on him. With a solemn nod, he accepted the mission, and immediately moved onto the task of leaving the cavern.

Truth be told, for one such as him, it took very little effort to actually climb up the wall of the cave in order to reach the surface once again, arriving at the shimmering forests from where he and the others had fallen in the first place. From there, however, it was a bit trickier, as the woods did nothing to help him discern which was the correct path to take to return to the Ocean Gazer. Fortunately for him, he was quick to think just as he was quick to act, and so, he climbed up the tallest tree he could find nearby, reaching the very top and looking out from there. From such height, he was easily able to spot the large resort on the cliffs, and so, now knowing which direction to head in, the boy dropped from the tree. Such a fall would not harm him very much, after all. Once he was on the ground again, he immediately ran towards the resort. It had been moments since he'd left the fray, but he knew just how much every second could count in a battle, and he did not want to disappoint, or worse yet, condemn his classmates because of his tardiness.

Reaching the resort in no time, he was stopped by the redheaded titan that was Professor Ilkalos, who was, understandably, quite confused as to why a student came running as though looking for urgent help. He made sure to convey his confusion to the student quite clearly, but the recruit did not seem very keen on being sidetracked, jogging in the same place even as he listened to the teacher's query. "Where is Miss Cyranis? It's important." He said, not really responding the teacher's questions so much as asking his own, but the man seemed to understand the apparent urgency of the situation and gave Ignikalos the information that he required.

Moments later, Ignikalos was at the door to Sapphira's room. The door slid open, and out stepped the black-haired woman, looking at the student with a mix of annoyance and curiosity noticeable in her lone open blue eye, the other one perpetually shut as a result of the cut that had given her the scar which now ran over her eye, a straight vertical cut crossing the horizontal line that was drawn by her closed eyelid. Her visage rarely failed to creep out at least a good percentage of new students, and some never really got over it, but all things considered, Sapphira was a fairly agreeable person, as long as you didn't break the rules or interrupt her when she's reading during her free time... which this recruit had just done.

"Speak, Malganis." She said sternly. She was sorely tempted to add "while you still can", but she figured that such a thing would only delay things further. However, as she heard Malganis speak, her eye went from narrow and hostile to wide and surprised. In all honesty, it was a tad bit hard to follow the recruit's nervous blabbering, but the professor had made out enough words, such as "dragon skull", "heathen warriors" and "battle", to know that something was up and that she was needed. The young warrior also left it clear to her that members of both Group A-23 and Group A-36 were there, which gave the teacher an idea.

"I'll help, but first, I need you to do me a favor." She stated.

Not long after, Ignikalos burst into the suite where Kyrissa, Orion, Hel and Gaia were, with the first looking out the window and the second listening to music, while the latter two appeared to be in a trivial argument. However, not particularly caring about what they happened to be doing at the moment, the recruit spoke up. "Kyrissa Kerembor, Orion Kaladran, Hel Red and Gaia Leaf, right?" He asked. After receiving positive answers, he continued. "Professor Cyranis- you know, the one with the creepy eye- requests your immediate presence outside the resort." He said, before darting off again.

Meanwhile, Sapphira was already outside the resort, and was approaching a student who meditated calmly on the field just outside the Ocean Gazer, a white-haired young man by the name of Rache. Walking up to him, she cleared her throat loudly and spoke. "Olderen, quit dreaming and prepare yourself. I'll be moving away from the resort in a moment and I'll need your help. We just have to wait for a few others to arrive." She said. Not far from them, members of the school's and the hotel's staff had already begun to prepare six Pegasii just outside the entrance so that the recruits and the teacher would be able to use them in order to get to the others. Gladian Pegasii were colorful, just like their world, which was not at all her style, but she would put up with it for the sake of her students.

As she waited, she wondered how well they would be faring. Had the situation seemed any more critical, she would have departed immediately, and perhaps not just herself, but other teachers as well, but the way she saw it, even if the two warriors were far stronger and more experienced, they were still bound by Redemit limits, and the students outnumbered them overwhelmingly. Plus, she had faith in them. Three of them she had trained herself, after all. She was confident they would be able to hold out, though she did not imagine that they would finish before she arrived.

[Ularn]

KYRISSA Kerembor watched the ocean with the kind of fascinated awe it always stirred in her, mingling with the intensely full, satisfied feeling still lingering from the banquet. She'd spent so much time eating that she actually missed the departure for the forest trip. That had been a shame since she had hoped to make up for lost time getting to know the other students after the ion storm had delayed her chariot's arrival by almost two cycles.
She resisted the urge to shiver as a light breeze flittered along the veranda overlooking the bay. Kyr was still adjusting to the climate in these more temperate regions. Her classmates had all assured her that the weather here and at the academy was nothing unusual - warm even - but she was used the the dry heat of the Tor Desert of Cathedral Amazla, where at night during winter the temperatures might just creep down below 300°K. Whenever not in the Academy's all-too-thin uniform, Kyr had taken to wearing her usual desert robes - not to shield herself from the sun but to trap what warmth she still could - and that still did nothing about the humidity.
She could have gone back to her room and set the environmental controls to something she was more comfortable with or probably woven some sort of solution from magic if she sat down to think about it but neither of those were permanent solutions. Altogether sick of the cold by now and envious of Ellyn, Vyna and the other girls looking so casually graceful in their light, slender-fitting clothing, Kyr had resolved to acclimatise via force starting three days ago and was steadily cutting back on the amount of clothing that she wore. Today she had limited the coverage to her legs and torso, dressing in a thin sleeveless fitted banyan whose sandy-grey fabric fell from shoulder to shin but left the dyed skin of her face and arms uncovered. A thick blood-coloured belt held everything in at her waist and matched the trim at her hem. A pair of tall brown leather riding boots completed the ensemble.
It was chilly as hell.
Gin was silent at her hip. It was his policy, he had once explained, that weapons ought to be seen and not heard. Sometimes it was actually best if you didn't see them either. He rested hanging from the belt as an inanimate hilt, looking more like an angular bronze candlestick than any real kind of weapon. That was an illusion though; Gin's emitter may be cold now but a word or a gesture from Kyr was all he would need to have it instantly forge a blade of pure energy up to four metres long.
Far more than just an heirloom, in many ways, Gin was the Kerembor family. Every one of Kyr's ancestors back to the time of Gin's forging was remembered in his AI core. All their knowledge; all their wisdom; all their experience from every battle a Kerembor ever fought in was contained within that ruddy hilt and crosspiece weighing not even as much as two kilograms. In one of her earliest lessons, an uncle had once advised Kyr to respect her weapons, his meaning being that she ought to be careful not to hurt herself with them. In Gin's context the instruction meant something else; he was rather a weapon that demanded respect, in the same way as any elder or seasoned veteran should. Gin happened to be both by a significant margin.
Kyr remembered the first time she had been allowed to hold him, as a less than teenaged girl getting to do something grown-up as a reward for good behaviour one evening. Gin seemed to weigh a lot more than two kilos back then. Often he still did now.
The memory of Mother presenting him to her was still fresh. Of course it was; it had been less than a month since it happened in the smokey gathering tent of Borzra Outpost. With the official words concluded for handing over custodianship of one of the family blades, Mother had placed the hilt in her hands with the kind sounding words, "He'll help look after you." What she meant was He'll make sure you don't fail.
On the one hand, being invested with one of the mere three AI'd blades in the family was an almost unfathomable show of trust from the clan, especially in one so young as Kyr. Were Gin or either of his cousins ever lost or stolen, the entire Kerembor clan would move stars, burn planets and sacrifice everything to bring them back. In the end, as long as at least one Kerembor survived in possession of the blades, everything the family was still lived. To be such a carrier was among the clan's highest honours. On the other hand, Gin was like the physical embodiment of her Mother's concerns - and Kyr's own, she admitted. Mother hadn't taken Gin to the Academy; Grandfather was still alive and the custodian then and besides there had been no need for her to have a chaperone. Mother had always been the star of her generation. The only people she could ever have disappointed were those who thought she should have been an Arche.
Kyr stifled the familiar train of thought and swept a scarlet hand through an azure-tinted fringe, letting it flick down to obscure half her face again. She patted Gin's hilt for comfort, the golden tattoos of her right arm flashing as they caught the sunlight. Gin still failed to react although Kyr knew he would answer if she asked him any question.
"Company," the sword murmured suddenly, surprising Kyr a second before the door opened and a wild-faced young man from a different class staggered into the room.
He rattled off her name and those of all the other students still in the suite as she slid the veranda door open and walked back inside, puzzled. He said their names as though from a list just shortly memorised, suggesting he didn't yet know any of them by sight, then launched into breathless instruction, "Professor Cyrannis - you know, the one with the creepy eye - requests your immediate presence outside the resort."
Kyr's hand fluttered to Gin's haft without thinking as she swept across the room towards the door with Orion, Gaia and Red. "What's going on?" she asked the messenger as they made their way down to the courtyard, "Are we in trouble or something?" She couldn't think of anything that would have made Cyrannis demand to see them so urgently except some sort of disciplinary matter. Were they all in trouble for missing the forest trip?

[Pyrade]

Orion Kaladran
Orion had been lost in the music as he sat in the suite, his mind enjoying the harmonies and melodies. It was a small blessing the music, it had helped take his mind off what his father had told him before they parted ways to their new living arrangements on Cathedral Arcadia.
You will have to adjust to the ways of the Phantom Blade Ori. Their ways are quite different from ours . . . They will not fight to show mercy. They fight for victory . . . There are no Primarchs in golden armour here.
The Kaladran patriarch had explained, much to Orion's dismay. Orion refused to leave behind the ways of the Radiant Palm. He had been born and raised in that society and it was what he held dear. If he had to work harder and become even stronger to uphold their ways, he would do so. His gaze dropped to his gauntlets. These had been designed to fit his hand alone upon his acceptance to Silver Hand Academy. Their colour was Silver, to match the event, and he could see the energisers that would form the claws once he made the appropriate muscle movement.
I fight for mercy Father. I fight as those before me have. As you have. As Belethor Hibron did during his years as Primarch . . . You can't ask me to leave this piece of my heritage behind . . .
He recalled the reply had been. For a child leaving to an academy and his father, it had been an oddly sober and serious conversation. For Orion in general it had been far more serious then he was ever able to muster. His thoughts returned to the music. The odd red female was standing on the veranda, a hand on her weapon. He had been on the same chariot as this girl. Her name was Kyrissa, and she came from an exceptionally warm planet. The exact opposite of Orion's home. Even in the caverns, unless you went to the deeper caverns which were industrial and processing, the temperature didn't go much higher than 273 Kelvin. He didn't really understand why she chose to wear so little clothing, the schools armour was just fine in his opinion. Another student arrived, calling out their names.
The one with the creepy eye? Oh . . . Right. Yes.
Orion thought to himself. It wasn't that bad if he was honest, sure it was gruesome but the illusionists on Telcaron had some pretty dark imaginations . . . He'd dueled a few. It wasn't pretty. He stood up, turning his music off and making his way to the door. He smiled and shook his head, "She'd probably have come for us herself if we were in trouble. Maybe they found a transport to get us to the excursion?"
He said optimistically.

[Esternial]

The sensation of feeling ones tendons and muscles rapidly restore themselves might not have been as painful as the act of tearing them apart in the first place, but it definitely wasn't comfortable. Ellyn's efforts did much to expedite the process, but it would still take time before she could fight again. Her entire body felt as if it had been broken on the wheel, clubbed until covered in bruises and her bones thoroughly broken. Fortunately it only felt that way - her bones were still in decent shape. With a thankful smile she turned her head towards Arcander, muttering words of gratitude.

At least the fight was over now. Though fighting the pain kept her from witnessing the killer blow, Ritz didn't feel a need to know how it ended, as long as it was over and she could rest. Most seemed tired as well. Everybody was relieved, but only a few still had the energy to act on the feeling. Ritz' eyes would dwell on Jyn. She saw the girl smiling and hugging. The boy she saved from the lumbering brute, Kal'Kul, was exhausted as well. Though the penalty was harsh and knew no clemency for her body, Ritz felt she had done the right thing by pushing herself to her limits. She might have saved a life, and that was worth the pain. Her body would recover, and perhaps it would grow strong - more resilient. Wishful thinking maybe, but it kept her mind occupied on things other than the present and the pain.

With no lack of effort she pushed herself away from the ground. Legs still firmly attached, but her torso was now free from the pressing feeling of being stuck between gravity and the hard stone surface. Her armour vanished in a trail of faint light, but as soon as she did she wished she hadn't removed it. The cavern was somewhat chilly, but without a surplus of free energy to warm her body she felt unusually cold. Ritz groaned. She rolled onto her back and bent her knees, just enough to break contact between the cold ground and the bare skin of her thighs, where her stockings ended and her skirt began. The surface was irregular, but pleasant. The rocks beneath her prodded her back in all the right places, and if she shifted her weight it almost felt like she was getting a massage. Rudimentary, but enough for its intended purposes.

Ellyn was still nearby. Had the fight lasted any longer, she would be lying on the floor next to her. Gingerly, Ritz lifted her arm and tried to reach her, but she was too far off. Her arm fell down, the muscles still too weak to keep it hoisted up. She had caught her attention though, and Ritz smiled.

"Thank you" She whispered, her voice sounding almost as frail as her body. Had it not been for Ellyn, this rocky cavern floor stood a fair chance of being her deathbed. Ritz was well aware of it, and it instilled a weak but intense fear into her heart, alongside the dominating feeling of helplessness.

[Elysian Kentarchy]

Rache sits there serenely meditating it is what he frequently did at home. It allows him to find his center which means he feels that he will be doing it even more now that he is away from home. He could have meditated at the resort but he feels much better meditating out in this field. And with that his thoughts drift even more towards home. He remembers the laughter of the few children playing, the quietness of the Library, the sound of members marching in formation for drills. It all reminds him of home. Even though he is now amongst the Phantom Blade his heart will never leave the Chalice His home was a place of study and contemplation only broken by the realities that had forged us into what we are. The noise of home fills his ears so much so that he doesn't hear someone approaching. "Olderen, quit dreaming and prepare yourself. I'll be moving away from the resort in a moment and I'll need your help. We just have to wait for a few others to arrive."

At this his eyes snap open and he stands up. "But of course." He says politely.

[New Jordslag]

Hel Red

Red was absolutely miserable. He was hardly half-awake, resting his head on a desk, and Leaf was already scolding him for... he didn't know what, really. Maybe sleeping in, maybe something else. He didn't care. All that mattered was waiting for her to settle down. It might happen; it certainly had before. Then again, it might not. Leaf could hold grudges for a long time. After a while, it became a apparent this would be one of the latter times. Damn. He would have to talk to settle this one. He had never really liked talking. "...Sorry, what are you angry at me for now?" He asked her, drowsily, interrupting her. "You idiot! Listen to me the first time around!" She lightly slapped him on the back of the head, fully waking him up. "...I find it rather hard to remember what any argument is about when you're complaining about something every single day..." He countered, annoyed. Leaf was fuming by this point, and was about to argue back again, when the door opened. Some recruit was telling them that Ms. Cyranis- who?- wanted them. Leaf looked like she thought the name was familiar, though to Red it wasn't at all familiar. Then he explained that this Ms. Cyranis was the Creepy Eye lady, and they knew exactly who he was talking about. That lady. Still annoyed at having been roused from his sleep, Red slowly got up, yawned, then walked towards the door at a surprisingly brisk pace. "What's this Eye Lady want?" Red mumbled in his soft voice to himself. Paying attention to things he didn't want to pay attention to had never been a strong point for Red.

On the way there, he began thinking, as he always did. This Ms. Cyranis wouldn't call them over to tell them they were in trouble. It would be easier to just go and tell them what they were in trouble for herself. Or have the messenger tell them. But what else could she want them for...?

Gaia Leaf

"-and if you sleep in late every day, you won't learn anything, you numbskull!" Leaf scolded Red. Red, naturally, paid her no attention. "You always make me worry about you! Honestly, you may be a genius, but you need to be more careful!" Red drowsily raised his head and spoke. "...Sorry, what are you mad about now?" Red asked, clearly sleepy. Leaf didn't think she could, but she got even more frustrated with him. "You idiot!" She fumed. "Listen to me the first time around!" She slapped him on the back of the head as his righteous punishment. He flinched from the pain. "...I find it rather hard to remember what any argument is about when you're complaining about something every single day..." Red countered, a hint of irritation in his voice. Leaf was a bit surprised. It was rare for any emotion to break through his uncaring demeanor. That was surprise was quickly overtaken by anger. She was about to reply, again, and continue one of their countless arguments, again, when some recruit came into the room. Telling them all about Ms. Cyranis- That name was familiar, at least to Leaf-, he then explained who Ms. Cyranis was by calling her the Creepy Eye Lady. Oh. Well, that did explain that. Leaf, eager as always, rushed to the door, Red following behind.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

While the others talked with each other and licked their wounds, Elsis rested with one knee on the ground, her elbow resting on the other as she took deep breaths in order to recover from the battle and regain at least a little bit of the energy she had spent on the battle. It was certainly true that she had not contributed nearly as much as some of the others had, something that she berated herself for, but even then, she had gone through the great struggle of maintaining a counterspell to block the heathen warrior's fire magic long enough for the two aspirants to finish him off. A first-year with knowledge of counter-magic was something very uncommon, and she had managed to use it against such a powerful foe, but it took a great toll on her. The ammount of energy she had to spend just to keep up was great, and so by the end of the fight, she felt just as drained as those whose blades had clashed against the heathen warriors.

Still, though, the scions of the Valiant Fang were resilient, and she simply could not afford to be an exception. Forcing herself to stand up, she looked around and immediately noticed something. Frowning, she re-activated her magmatic broadsword, Salamander, and walked to the back of the cavern, pointing it at the woman with reddish orange eyes that was with the two heathen warriors in the dragon skull chamber, who was still shrunk against the wall of the back of the cave, as if she was utterly terrified of the students.

"Stand up!" The girl with coral red hair commanded, and, though fearfully, the woman complied, standing up to her full height, the folds of her long desert robes separating as she did. And when she had finally stood up, even Elsis could not help taking a couple of steps back at the sight, struck by surprise and yes, even awe, for the woman easily towered over everyone present, being about two and a half meters tall.

"You... you're a half giant." Elsis said in shock. And then, softer. "Holy shit."

Shanath, too, had been very impressed, but as soon as she snapped out of her surprise, she rushed over to Elsis' side. "Salasanger, put your sword away! She's a non-combatant, I will not allow you or anyone else present to harm her." She said firmly, her soft voice doing nothing to hamper the stern nature of her words. Stunned by the aspirant's sudden change of demeanor, but fully understanding that disobeying her order was a very bad idea, Elsis dismissed Salamander and stepped back.

Meanwhile, Arcander, who had been busy looking after anyone who might have been hurt during the fight, turned to the source of the sound after Elsis ordered the woman to stand up. He, too, was very surprised to notice her height. He was the tallest student in the chamber, after all, and she was easily taller. He was, however, even more shocked when he heard Elsis speak the name of what that woman was. Giants, he knew, were a very real thing. They were thought to be only myths or the product of folk tales for a very long time, and they were first confirmed to exist by the members of the brigade of the Red Knight during their quest for the Lost Chalice of Aradain. Since then, some semblance of diplomatic relationship had been set up between the giants and the Orders of the Apostolic Council, but even then, contact between the two species was not frequent, so, to think that there were things such as half-giants out there...

Arcander soon found that thinking too much about it made him realize some very unfortunate implications which made him cringe, so he decided to stop thinking about it. In the end, he figured that even though she was a most curious creature, and a strange proof of the diversity of life in the universe, she was certainly not a threat, given how she lacked weapons and did not seem to wield any magic either. With that in mind, he decided to continue tending to his charges and classmates.

It was then that he noticed Aressa unconscious, slumped against one of the walls of the cave. Bewildered, the white-haired aspirant rushed over to her.

Fortunately, before he started fumbling in an attempt to wake her up or something of the sort, Shanath noticed him and the object of his concern, and quickly placed a hand on his shoulder. "She will be alright, feather-mane. She simply exhausted herself with her war spells, but she did not suffer from injury of any sort." The black-haired woman said in an attempt to calm him down. It worked, and Arcander soon relaxed ever so slightly, which she took to mean that she had succeeded. With that, she turned her attention to other matters, leaving him alone.

Arcander sighed. "You should learn to look out for yourself too, you know?" He said, flicking a red lock of hair away from her face.

---

"Nope. You're not in trouble, not at all. It's something else, something important." Malganis said hastily even as he moved through the hallways and staircases of the Ocean Gazer in order to descend to the ground level and exit to meet Sapphira. "It's not trouble, and yes you are going to get transported to the forest with everyone else but it's not as simple as you think it is. I'll let her explain once we get there." He continued, now answering Orion's queries instead of Kyrissa's. They would easily be able to tell that Malganis lived a fast-paced life, moving and speaking fast even if it wasn't entirely necessary. For all that, though, he showed remarkable endurance: he had been running nonstop for a while and still he didn't seem tired. "And don't call her Eye Lady. She'll chew out your head and spit it down your neck. Or at least, that's what the older students tell me. I wouldn't really know." He stated.

Soon, they were on the field just outside the Ocean Gazer, and Ignikalos led the group to where Sapphira stood, next to Rache.

While Malganis ran nonstop, though, Sapphira had merely stood with her arms crossed, facing in the direction where the two missing groups supposedly were, and glancing at the staff every now and then to make sure that all the Pegasii were ready for take-off. During one such moment, however, she noticed that the students had arrived, and turned to face them instead.

"Alright, children, I'll make this quick: Groups A-36 and A-23- that last one would be your group- apparently got themselves in trouble. No, not that kind of trouble. They got themselves in danger, it seems. I'm going to make sure that they're alright, but I figured it was a good chance to round you all up and get you to the rest of the group so you can finally get acquainted or whatever. Any questions? Good, because I'm in a bit of a hurry." She spoke quickly, not in the hasty way Malganis spoke, but rather in a way that simply left out any unnecessary delays and allowed no interruptions. She then headed towards the Pegasii, motioning for everyone to follow.

"All of you, get in one. If one of you doesn't know how these things work, ride with someone else. Let's go." She said. And so, the small ensemble took off towards the shimmering woods, weaving their ways through branch, leaf and trunk. The manner in which they traveled, unfortunately, left these new arrivals little time to admire the precious nature of Cathedral Gladia, but the situation was urgent.

Soon, they arrived at the hole where the students had fallen. Malganis was the first to jump down, followed swiftly by Sapphira as she cursed and then muttered something about reckless students and always staying behind your elders if you don't want to die, at the same time motioning for the others to follow suit and jump down before delving deeper into the cavern.

[Pyrade]

Orion
Orion followed Malganis without further questions, mostly because he felt it would be simpler if he just waited for the full explanation from Ms. Cyranis.
"Well, this is exciting at least! Wonder what's up . . . "
He said, grinning to the others before he continued running to keep up with Malganis.
Either he rushes around for a living or he's part jackrabbit. How the hell is he still going?!
Orion thought to himself. Malganis had surely run at the same pace to find them which meant he'd made this journey twice, and still wasn't tired. Orion himself was starting to feel the lethargy gripping at his body, asking him to just . . . Slow down . . . *pant* just for a moment.
But he ignored it, pushing on. They arrived at Ms. Cyranis not much later. Rache, another student that had been with them was there already strangely enough. He listened as the so-called Eye Lady briefed them about the predicament. It was fast and efficient with no room for questions and dallying, but Orion didn't mind. Once Ms. Cyranis had finished and headed for the pegasii followed by the others Orion paused, his lip curling up in an expression that said, "Well . . . Alrighty then."
Before he dashed to a nearby pegasus and hopped in. This would be nothing like speeding across the frozen surface on his planet. Completely enclosed by the cockpit that allowed for space travel. Here there were trees . . . everywhere. It was uncanny for Orion, he wasn't used to it. Nor was he used to this luscious shade of green the leaves took. Underground on Telcaron technology could only do so much, and eventually the trees developed their own adaptations, many of which were startlingly beautiful. He would have continued admiring this scenery compared to his homeworld if they hadn't sped off at full speed through the trees, which occupied a lot of Orion's concentration.
Not crashing is rather important . . .
He thought.

Soon they arrived at the hole and Orion was one of the first off his pegasus. The fight seemed over, but he wasn't sure exactly what was going on here. There was a massive skull that looked like it must have been a dragons judging by the size and fearsome teeth alone. Then there was the person that stood head and shoulders above the rest, dressed in strange clothing and seeming terrified of the group.
What in the Known Universe did they feed her as a babe?!
He thought to himself. Then he noticed the corpses on the ground. Two of them, dressed similar to the tall, timid or intimidated (Orion wasn't sure which yet) girl. Presumably the heretics that had been the source of the trouble. He walked towards the nearest and knelt down beside it. The victim had died a death of many wounds.
Strikes to the body. Lethal attacks. This one's weapon is still with it.
Orion noted with a deep, resigned sigh. This was a very different way of fighting indeed. He shook his head, resisting the urge to say anything as he looked around. Someone lay on the uneven ground of the cave floor. She looked quite the worse for wear after the battle. Orion wandered over to Ritz and crouched down next to her,
"Do you need a hand at all?"
He asked with a cheerful smile, wondering exactly what had happened to leave her in such a state.

[New Jordslag]

Hel Red

Why had he come to this Academy?

All he had wanted to do for the day was rest, read, and tone out Leaf as she scolded him for the zillion the time. Instead, he found himself ordered by some lady with a Creepy Eye to fly out to this pit and help out here. What could have possibly happened here? He sighed resignedly. He would have to go in to find out. Jumping out, he approached a boy named Orion, who knelt near a corpse. Red knelt next to him. "Died fighting." He said simply, pointing to the wounds. Orion left, and went over to some other person. Red continued looking at the body. If the person had enough time to incrue that many wounds, chances were not all of that blood was theirs. A background detail, but it might become important later.

Finished with investigating the body, Red went over to Orion. It was then that he noted that the corpse he crouched next to wasn't actually a corpse. It was a living person, albeit one considerably worse for wear. "What happened?" He asked softly, gesturing towards the person.

[Esternial]

Of all things, Ritz would have preferred being delegated to the background while she recovered. Her muscles were still sore and unable to accomplish much of anything, though she gradually began to regain her focus, allowing her to transmute a small trickle of the energy around her. At the very least the warm aura would offer her some comfort. As the flow of energy inside her body stretched out beyond their physical limits, shaping invisible threads of energy, Ritz became aware of an odd sensation. It was vague, something she hadn't noticed during the battle. Above all, it was strange. What seemed to be a dead relic, a dragon's skull, appeared to retain some magical potential. Her mind wandered, breaking her delicate concentration. It won't go anywhere. She thought. Focus.

Ignoring the skull's peculiar energy, Ritz concentrated her mind back onto the transmutation of energy through golden threads, but was then interrupted by something other than her own lingering thoughts. A man? A boy? He seemed quite young, but appearances could deceive.

"I'm fine." Ritz replied briefly. Even the movement of her vocal chords caused some discomfort in her neck. Then another came, and another question with it, one that couldn't be as easily answered with few words. Not only that, but two young students that she had never met before weren't really her preferred talking partners while she lied there, especially while she felt so weak.

Still, the most polite thing to do was answer. Why Hel taught Ritz was the most ideal choice to talk to first was beyond her.

"Fighting." She answered softly, her voice a little less frail then before. "Ask Arcander."

Ritz closed her eyes and focused her thoughts back onto the untapped energy around her.

[Elysian Kentarchy]

Rache

He doesn't say or think much when he is riding. He has an objective so he needs focus, although he admits the scenery is great and he would like to wander this landscape sometime in the future. But he prepares himself mentally and physically for any form fight ahead. When they arrive at the cave the first thing he really reacts to is the dragon skull, or at least his best guess says its dragon, and he feels hatred towards it and grounds his teeth. "I guess its just my heritage." He thinks half expecting a dragon to actually come out and attack them, that form of paranoia has fueled his Order for centuries. He observes the area before him, clearly a battle had occurred here but what caused it he couldn't say. He closes his eyes in thought. After Orion asks the person here if they need a hand and Hel asks her what happened and hearing her response Rache says calmly. "If you need healing feel free to ask. I am always happy to help." He says simply though he is keeping a careful watch over the area half expecting an attack. Though he is mainly keeping a wary eye on the dragon skull. He remembers someone mentioning those were a bad thing to be around when he was younger but he can't remember why. For now though he keeps his hand on the hilt of his sword.

[Ularn]

PEGASI were not unknown to Kyrissa, although most Amazlans journeyed everywhere by foot unless for an especially important purpose or the destination was too far (usually further than the next territory over) or otherwise inaccessible by foot. It turned every voyage into an educational, even spiritual experience. Bringing the traveller closer to the land which was their ward made them notice details that no-one could ever have discerned while soaring above at hundreds of kilometres an hour. It worked as well. If Kyr were to have been dropped anywhere in the Tor Desert she knew she would recognise exactly where she was immediately just by the animals and vegetation around or even colour and coarseness of the sand between her toes.
She had still been taught to ride, of course, and practically sprinted to the nearest vehicle. Throwing one leg across the saddle and taking hold of the reins, Kyr tried to suppress the feeling of glee as the pegasus' drive whirred to life beneath her, the sensation fighting with the knot of trepidation making itself at home in her core.
It had seemed strange at first that Miss Cyranus would throw Kyr and the other students into mortal danger with such apparent casual ease. Then she reminded herself that, despite any appearances to the contrary, the Silver Hand Academy was not a school. It's students were not children; they were warrior cadets, every one of them here to be tried by fire. Yes; their instructors would send them into battle. Real battle.
Her first battle.
"Armour," Kyr breathed and a flash of bright light spread across her body from her belt. Where it passed it left matte-grey plate and red power lines in its wake, cladding the wishful warrior from shoulder to shoe. It was her own plate; it's sweeping angles offering less coverage than what the smooth curves of the Academy issued but greater protection over what it did cover. It was familiar, comfortable and left her hands and arms more free to cast with. Kyr took to wearing its hyperspace storage unit whenever the school did not require her in uniform and right now that familiarity could be the difference between life and death.
Once airborne, Kyr too up position on the right flank of their little squadron's wedge formation, still struggling between the thrill of the air whipping through her fringe as the forest swarmed past them, and anxiety of what was to come. Her fellows were out there facing Aradain-knew-what and relying on the six of them to stand with them. What if she was not up to the task? You're good, she reminded herself, No matter what else, you were still admitted to the Academy and that makes you better than almost everyone else in the Known Universe. There could hardly be anything in this world that could stand against them.
Once more, Kyr patted Gin for comfort. The blade continued to remain silent.
She just hoped they did not arrive too late.

---

They arrived too late.
They gathered at the cave mouth in time to survey the battle's aftermath. Kyr stood at the lip with Gin burning in her right hand and let out a sigh of relief. At least, she thought it was relief. There was no way it could possibly be disappointment. Could it?
There were dead. For a moment Kyr's heart stopped as she thought she saw Ritz among them. Then Red, who had entered the cave ahead of her, asked her a question. Ignoring everything else, Kyr extinguished Gin and half-scrambled, half-slid down the ramp of scree and boulders to the bottom. She ran over to Ritz and elbowed Hel out of the way fiercely, snarling, "Get back you idiot. She's wounded!"
Gin hung from her belt once more, leaving both Kyr's hands free for casting. "I know healing," Kyr explained, holding Ritz' dazed eyes with her own firm stare while trying to reassure her - to reassure them both, "I'm decent - alright, anyway. Just...relax, okay Ritz? And I'll help you."
Waiting for a confirmation of some sort, Kyr surveyed the damage with a confused expression. There seemed to be very little actually wrong with the woman and she could still sense the tell-tale magical traces of another healer's work and even her bruises seemed to fade before Kyr's eyes. Yet she still lay almost completely still. "Ritz, are you okay?" she enquired, perplexed.

[Pyrade]

Orion
Orion returned to his feet and shrugged,
"Okay, well, hope you're up on your feet soon."
He said before Kyrissa barged her way in seeming quite frantic. Orion managed to avoid any elbowing but he couldn't suppress an amused chuckle at her violent enthusiasm.
She and the other speedster . . . Malganis? We should put them in races against each other. Could be fun.
He said while Kyr fussed over Ritz.
"She doesn't have any wounds. She's just tired."
Orion told Kyr with another chuckle as he walked off, passing the pair locked in a tight hug.
If she squeezes any tighter, he's going to need Kyr to come charging in with some healing for broken ribs
He thought, which brought an amused smile out.
He then turned his attention to the half-giant. All of the students seemed to be in descent condition, and if they weren't, Kyr and Rache would find them soon enough. He didn't even want to contemplate inspecting the other heretic corpse. So, he approached the immense figure, noticing the two aspirants standing close by. The one seemed to be comforting the other over the condition of one student. Or at least that's what it sounded like. Orion himself approached the half-giant with a warm smile.
Well what to say . . . What to say . . . And don't open with 'you aren't redemit are you'.
He thought before waving,
"Hello, my name is Orion. Are you okay?"
He asked her. She seemed frightened by something, which Orion found hard to comprehend with her size.
If she learnt Mahilich she could put even Knight Learay to shame!