Bleed Yoisk Har'Kloin, For Me

[003-Crimson Ace]

((closed))


Few could argue that luck did not grace Dusk as any draconian would believe the child to have appeased Teague to ends unknown. Few entered Luthmor unaware of the danger but even fewer had ever heard of one such person venturing into the rainforest and exiting unscathed. At most the child was slightly malnourished but even that was a feat as enough things to eat within the sea of trees were just as dangerous as the creatures that would have seen him as their next meal.

The staff and students of Eolas Braoin were shocked to say the least. They offered the child food at which he currently picked slowly, taking small bites from each corner of the plate and working his way around as if contemplating some form of foreign puzzle, all the while a group of kitchen workers and a few instructors stood a few feet away eyeing the boy as they spoke amongst each other. It was a Fae who approached the silent child. Before the woman could speak the boy jumped from his seat and gave a rushed bow. It was obvious that he had little experience with the gesture.

"I give my thanks." He said in a tone just as hurried, looking up to the Fae woman uncertain of what to say next. "If you mean the food then the cooks are covering it for you this time. That aside, what is one so young doing wondering Luthmor?" She asked him with a questioning look across her face. This expression was only returned as the boy seemed unsure of what to say next.

"This is school right? I was told that school was a place where I could learn. Mr. Sin says I should learn some school of magic, so I came to learn this school.....I think....I have never seen a school before so I am unsure. This place is Eolas B-b-Bran?"

The woman looked back at the group she had just departed from and shrugged. The response was a similar questioning look to the one she had given only moments prior to this action. The kitchen staff dispersed shortly after, being scolded for ignoring their work as the other two professors grabbed their food and walked over. A male Fae and draconian of the same gender. "Yes this is Eolas Braoin, a university that teaches many schools of magic." The woman turned back to the child and began to speak.

"Amhlaidh Ã* seo coileán mian go staidéar?" The draconian spoke, bringing even more confusion to the child. "He asked if you wish to study one of our schools of magic. There are plenty to choose from, these two teach classes in elemental magic and I specialize in crystal manipulation." The male Fae spoke all three looking down on the boy who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Blood, everyone has blood because that’s what comes out when you get hurt, right? I was told about the spells people use while in Talmhaidh and blood magic sounded more interesting than starting a fire or painting pictures on my skin, that and I hear you can heal wounds." Dusk looked at all three instructors, lips pressed tightly and shifted to the side as he nodded in agreement with his decision. "Well, there is a class starting today I believe. You still have a few hours to get situated but it costs a bit to take the class so I hope you can cover the fee." The female Fae spoke again before turning to the draconian as Dusk pulled out the class fee from one of his pouches.

"Alright then little one, follow this big guy and he will find you a dorm and give you directions to your class. Is that not right?" She smiled to the draconian who mumbled something in the Dheath language that even Dusks young ears was capable of recognizing as foul mouthed before walking off. Dusk bowed to the two Fae and thanked them for their help before grabbing his plate and quickly following behind the draconian man. As Mr. Sin had instructed, he would learn how to defend himself on his own without relying entirely on the strength of Van Waltz and Shedal.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

(Moderator note this quest is a sequel to this quest (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=18791) )


C.P. 1851
Wednesday, April 1st
1:00 P.M. Standard Althanas Time


-I-

People entered and exited doors at will only to travel towards other doors in this mysterious land. He wasn't exactly sure how it all worked, he was only certain that it did work. Using any of the doors in that particular place, he could travel at any point across history. Past. Present. Future. Though in the present tense, he was in the land of doors, Phantaria. Unsure of how much time had passed, he wandered for a long time through the many passageways and staircases. Some staircases were built across columns where they spiraled upwards and downwards. Other staircases were connected to various floating platforms on different layers of the strange world. From what he had gathered, he knew that this place was one of Althanas' many alternate realities. There, he could access other dimensions as well. But so far, that knowledge eluded him at best. When dealing with Phantaria one needed to be aware of the pro's and con's of traveling through each of the doors.

Phantaria, like most of Althanas, was a dangerous place. Monsters traveled that its regions that were incredibly different from the monsters of Althanas proper. Some of the monster species did not necessarily originate from Althanas at all, but rather forcibly entered Phantaria from other dimensions and realities. He was careful to avoid these stronger mobs because they were capable of destroying him at the level of his soul. Also, there were more subtle dangers. Called Astral Leeches, these creatures clung to auras of an individual and traveled with a victim until it was too late. The parasites would gain license to possess the living. Littered across the realm were strategically placed traps known as vortexes. These elemental nuisances were archaic in nature and based upon the various elemental energies of Althanas proper and beyond. Traps included mystical cages, pitfalls that seemed to go on forever, and still other traps. He had seen people caught in these invisible panels and learned to avoid them at will thanks to his sensory grid.

Now his sensory grid was not mystical in nature but rather based on science. A science that originated in another reality and was placed within his body at the exact point of origin when he first traveled through the land of doors and into the Antifirmanent. He was a curious individual indeed. Capable of seeing the Firmanent and Antifirmanent at will, both realities were intimately connected to one another. Currently, his sensory grid was placed at a good twenty feet in every direction situated as a sphere phenomenon. It could be affected by various stimuli in the land of doors and in Althanas proper. He was well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his ability. Finding himself on a particular staircase after many months of absence in the physical realm of Althanas, he saw a group of people heading towards a particular door. They were running from something very powerful. From his vantage point on the platform, he could see the creature was a mid-sized monster of below normal human height. Humanoid in nature, the creature was bipedal and had an upright vertebral column.

Its head was situated roughly four feet off the ground. Mumbling curses in some strange dialect, he observed the unfolding situation. At this point in his travels he knew not to interfere in with others. As they could be from alternate timelines, and even alternate histories. So it was better to leave them alone and observe in silence. The door they were heading to was one which he had never passed before. It was a strange sort of platform combination that had swamplands upon it it and eternal rain flowing across its surface. So much so, that the rain poured off the sides of the heavy platforms dripping down to the areas below it creating an eerie effect of waterfall like properties. From his vantage point, he could see the symbols written upon the door were symbols he had never identified before. It was a strange sort of revelation. He clenched his fists tightly as he had the urge to go through that door for some reason unknown to him. By now, the caravan of travelers suffered several casualties at the hands of the small humanoid. But largely, were able to go through that door and avoid the rest of the danger. And so, the small humanoid that he was observing began the process of looting his kills before others would take notice.

He watched the small humanoid carefully, eerily reminded of his own small height. Now as a man, the traveler stood at a height of about five feet tall and weighed approximately two hundred pounds of lean muscle. Standing on a platform somewhat adjacent to the other platform he was observing, the small man devised a plan. From his position he could see the strength that the little devilish creature gave off. Armed previously, the thing was now heavily armed. It had powerful wings that allowed it to travel quickly across Phantaria and avoid most traps native to the land. It had blue skin and glowing yellow eyes. Its nose was hyper-developed and quite long with flaring nostrils. Pointy ears adorned either side of his head even as the small man made that observation. The creature suddenly turned towards the small man and cursed in another tongue. Spotted now, the small man took several steps back and began to form a plan of escape. He knew from experience that the creatures native to Phantaria could not be underestimated by trifle matters such as height.

All beings that were capable of dimensional walking were dangerous in some way. The small man knew this to be the truth. Drawing a weapon now, the small man carefully selected one particular weapon out of his armor. Judging by the blue tone of the creature's skin, the small warrior identified the creature as a sort of Imp native to Phantaria. There were many classes of monsters that traveled across its surface. The small warrior often traveled to Phantaria to clear his head and today, an encounter with the one of its native creatures seemed unavoidable. Flying at best speed, the blue creature made its way towards the small man's position. It traveled across several stair cases whilst the small warrior waited for it. Unafraid, he was ready to deal with whatever situation would arise. The small creature had already looted the three bodies of whatever valuables it could find. Already, several parasites within the land of Phantaria proper began to feast upon the three corpses. Cringing, the small man felt pity for the fallen in this land. Phantaria was not a good place to die in.

After about five minutes the creature finally arrived at the small man's position. He stared at the creature in silence as it began to speak to the small warrior. "<Our people know you. You have traveled these lands many times before.>" It spoke in the common-tongue and was actually quite fluent in it. This knowledge revealed the creature's intellect as well as a certain degree of cunning. The small warrior was impressed by the knowledge that this tiny Imp possessed. The small warrior kept the weapon pointed to the ground in a non-hostile gesture. After it was clear that the Imp was not going to attack him, he sheathed his weapon casually. "<Your name is Lorenor, is it not?>" Nodding his head in response, Lorenor still kept an air of caution about him. "I am he." The Imp nodded in response as well. "<I have a message for you.>" The creature handed Lorenor a small parcel. "<It is instructions this you is to follow from your point of view.>" Speaking in a way that Lorenor could not understand, the Imp was confusing him. Regardless, the small warrior too the parcel in his hand. He opened it and read it. It was written in perfect Spider Magi tongue and strangely enough, the handwriting seemed very familiar to him but he couldn't quite place it. The Imp waited patiently.



"Dear Lorenor,
I am an ally to ye. Go to the land of Dheathain and take up instructions within the school known as Eolas Braoin. There ye will learn from the Instructor who taught me. There you are to study Blood Magic from the Elders of Dheathain and master its secrets. This will be a crucial study on thy journey towards Xem'Zund. I cannot reveal much more than that at this time. I have given with this letter an item which will be of use to ye in thy studies. Remember all paths are relevant. Ye will eventually become a master of thy fate. That is all.

-X"
"



"An item?" Lorenor asked.

"<Our people have been waiting for ye for a long time now. I have the item in my possession. It is a key of sorts. We were taught its purpose and why it is so crucial for you have to it. Like I said before, you are known to our people.>" The Imp responded confusing Lorenor further. The small warrior simply shook his head and took the strange device when he was handed it. Something about the odd triangular structure of the key made him think of Golem technology but he dismissed it. The Golems were allies of Lorenor and lived in Mosil-Z'sarug, but originated from Dressed Fish Town. Mosil-Z'sarug was a township in Raiaera whilst Dressed Fish Town was a port city in Corone. Lorenor thought that the design was strangely similar to the Golem technology but didn't think anything of it. He wasn't a scientist after all. If he had been, he might've noticed all of the strange coincidences occurring that day. "I thank thee." Lorenor said simply and pocketed the device. "<We were told to tell you ye that its a key to a very special door. A door of great relevance to your destiny. That is all. I have nothing else to offer you except for this.>" The Imp handed Lorenor a second item.

Observing it, the mutant saw a strange vial made out of the blasted glass of Fallien. He took the object in his hand and carefully studied the intricate artwork of the gold cap and the simple stopper. The whole thing was masterwork in quality, the mutant knew how to identify masterwork quality items by now. "What is this?" The Imp simply laughed. "<'Twill be crucial to thy studies my friend. Go with the Thayne. The door the Eolas Braoin is that way.>" The Imp pointed towards the general direction of Dheathain's academy. Lorenor properly thanked the Imp and proceeded to move towards one of Dheathain's many platform. It was very simply, the platform that the Imp had just been on. One of the many doors on that platform was the door he needed. Lorenor parted ways with the Imp and prepared to go down one of the nearby staircases. A short time later, he found himself standing on swampland. Clouds overhead were produced by the magic of Phantaria. Rain poured down on his person as he prepared to open the door, feeling quite sweaty from his particular taste in attire.

Lorenor opened the door...

*****

5:00 P.M. Standard Althanas Time.

A short time later, the mutant found himself alongside a grand structure. It had gray walls and had the particular architectural motifs native to Dheathain. A strange feeling of dejavu filled the mutant's head as he couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping on his own grave. He let it go and walked towards the entrance of the building. His eyes were hidden by the hood that he wore atop of his head. It was quite baggy and loose, capable of hiding his entire head in shadow. The mutant was "greeted" by several guards. By the pyre, is this a trap? I thought I had escaped the wrath of the Knights of Dawn! He thought to himself as he prepared to brawl outside of the academy's walls. So close and yet so far. The mutant drew his favored weapon and prepared for close-range combat. The guards reminded Lorenor of his companion, MetalDrago. They had the physical configurations of humanoid dragons. He felt dangerous energies flowing from the individuals before him. There were five all together and sixth joined them.

"Are you the one they call Lorenor?" The sixth man asked. The Draconians didn't draw weapons yet, they were simply in guarded positions. "Yes, I am he." He knew it would be pointless to lie to these people. The day had been strange enough as it was. Things were simply unfolding like clockwork. The mutant kept shifting his weight nervously as he waited for an attack to occur at any moment. It never happened. "Lower your guard then. This place is an Academy and there are rules to be followed on these grounds. One of our oldest rules; you cannot fight amongst students or staff members without just cause. Or in the case of a sparring session which must be cleared by instructors. Campus life is very strict Lorenor, discrepancies are not tolerated." Hearing the man's words, the mutant hesitated for a moment and sheathed his weapon into its scabbard. "We offer several courses to the general public, and several courses to students who become alumni instructors. These courses will be explained later. I've trust you've had -some- formal education?" The man asked of Lorenor.

Lorenor recalled his past history. He had studied with the Order of Ai'Bron long ago. He was also a student of N'Jal, but he wasn't sure how appropriate it was to mention that in this foreign land. "Aye. I've studied under several different education doctrines." Lorenor said calmly. "I've visited the Citadel several times, and I've studied with the Monks of Ai'Bron. I've also studied within the confines of the Dajas Pagoda. I was once a Warrior within its ranks." Hearing the words coming out of his mouth, he hadn't realized how much time had actually passed in his life since the first nights leaving Haidia's caves. Once a derelict ghoul, the mutant was now a fully fledged Spider Magi. "We expect all of our students to attend classes on time. Furthermore, we expect our students to follow all rules and regulations within the Academy at all times. All of our students are given this." He was handed a medium-sized book that was titled Rules and Regulations Tenth Edition. "Once classes do begin you are expected to wear the uniform of a First Year Student."

"Uniform? First year student?" The mutant found himself extremely confused, this was all happening so fast for him to handle. "When you first enroll for membership in the Academy you are granted the status of First Year student and are expected to complete at least one full semester." The Draconian Instructor walked over to Lorenor and extended his hand as a show of friendliness. "Come now. Let us take you to our bursar's office so that you can pay tuition and enroll in our classes." The mutant simply nodded. Once again he found himself in the uncomfortable position of being a student. He wasn't sure if he should follow these people or not, but the Imp in Phantaria was very adamant in telling Lorenor that he should simply just go with the flow. So the mutant accepted what was happening to him and just went along with it. Especially if he could be rewarded with newly acquired knowledge. That was the key in the whole process. The mutant found himself in the Bursar's Office along with several other students who were enrolling.

The students were whispering amongst themselves as they shot glances at the short newcomer. The Draconian instructor had other matters to attend to so he left the mutant alone. Lorenor sighed at this and looked at the book. Adorning the cover of the book was a beautiful emblem that was probably the symbol of the Academy. Lorenor began to flip through the pages, reading quickly, whilst he waited for the line to shorten. Before he knew it, he was next. Lorenor studied the girl in front of him as he walked towards her. "Name please." The mutant paused. "Lorenor V'Halkulus." A document was slid across the large oak table. It was a long desk, that connected several booths together. A sheet of Fallien glass protected the people behind the desk and the people in front of the desk. Lorenor suddenly realized that his senses were strangely reduced from their normal sharpness. He looked around and saw that there were mysterious symbols glowing on the walls. Perhaps they had something to do with his sensory reduction. Instead of a normal twenty feet, his sensory array was reduced to ten feet. "Sign here." The girl said calmly.

She was a sturdy humanoid that originated from Dheathain. She had dark skin and short braids. Her hair was blond. She had green eyes which were very attractive, and wore gold jewelry on her ears and on one of her nostrils. Also, her lower lip was pierced. As well as one of her eyebrows. She had several tattoos that were visible from underneath her tight, form fitting clothing. She had an athletic build. Lorenor saw a form that was handed towards his person and shivered at the thought of signing some document he didn't understand. "What is this!?" He asked as calmly as he could. "Its a enrollment document. It simply states that you have paid your tuition and are a member of the Academy." Lorenor shrugged at that, and took a fountain pen that was handed to him. He dipped it in the fine black ink and signed his name on the document. "What would you like to pay, membership tuition, or normal tuition for each class you take?" Lorenor shrugged and figured he might as well apply for full membership. "Just sign me up for full membership. I have money." The girl whistled at that. "Very well then. Full membership it is. The cost is 250 Gold. That includes your first class, room and board. Each class you take there after is merely 15 Gold." Lorenor nodded and filled out the documents he needed to fill out. An identification card that had his picture, signature and other pertinent information on it was handed to the mutant along with a large packet of documents. Lorenor signed everything he was asked to. "You will be assigned to dorm room 302-B. Since you are a full member of the Academy you will have your own room for as long as you are a student here." She said calmly and told Lorenor everything else he needed to know. "Be sure to read your full Rules and Regulations guide." One of the documents he was handed was also a map of the Academy.

"Memorize that map at your own leisure. Many students get lost in their first week or so, try not to be one of them."

"When do we eat?" Lorenor asked. "Meals are served in the cafeteria three times a day. Plus there are Chefs that cook around the clock if you want to pay for any other meals out of pocket." The mutant nodded once again. He looked at the various students around, they were also dark skinned and had the strange jaw and forehead structure. It seemed to be native to Dheathain. The mutant observed and waited for further instructions. "What class would you like to start with?" He'd read the part about the classes already. "Blood Magic. I'd also like to take some classes in Tattoos and Crystal Manipulation." "Each additional class will cost you 15 Gold Pieces for a grand total of 280 Gold." The mutant took out his money and handed the girl the gold required for the classes. He double-counted all 280 pieces and gave it to her after the double-count. She nodded. "Just sign this form and you're all done." Lorenor did so. "Remember to attend all of your classes on time!" The mutant left the Bursar's Office once he was told to do so, and placed his information packet within the duffel bag he always carried. He was told to go to a fitter's room for several uniforms. Once there, he was greeted by a Fae who was a Master Tailor and her apprentice.

"We can create custom uniforms for you if you like. We have every material available and can make uniforms directly from our crystal manipulation techniques. What would you like handsome?"

Handsome? There was something that the mutant was not used to hearing. He shook his head with a light chuckle and looked at the girl for a moment. "I would like a Vlince uniform please. I am used to wearing Vlince and I can pay for it if need be." The female laughed at the thought. "You paid for full membership. That's one of the perks, you get your uniforms free, three of them. And one ceremonial dress." Lorenor shrugged at that, he would have paid. "No problem. Do you need to take my measurements?" The mutant switched from using Classic Common Tongue, to Normal Common Tongue. "We already have." She smiled, and within moments, Lorenor had his masterwork tailored uniforms. Standard issue. He took his uniforms and made his way towards his dorm room. He saw many of the strange markers etched upon each hallway, identifying their locations before he moved on. He wondered if the power drain affected everyone. He somehow doubted that...

And so, a new student wandered the halls of Eolas Braoin as he moved towards his destiny.