Academia Crystalis

[Sir Salty]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He was certain the feeling to cry was not the appropriate emotion in this situation. He rarely assisted with combat training because his own imagination was able to fill in creatively the missing details of a real fight. He tried to focus on everyone and their movements, where they were placed. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Though after a while that was even hard to give focus to. He felt selfish and useless in this moment. His own idealism, and he knew it was idealism had made him believed he could melt away their looks of desperation and frustration. His heart stretched and reached towards Frid.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It wasn't this that triggered the reaction in him though. When he was on his knees and the Harald had come to them. Something, his tiredness, his personal exhaustion, had sparked imagery in his mind. The theater seat catching on fire burning away like a photograph melting as if it were made of wax. He was suppose to be helping them.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He was to say something to Ghrem, but he hesitated to do so, when visibly sweat on his brow seemed like blood. Kiza said nothing. Instead he wrung his fingers and rubbed his hands together to give himself something to do. He was use to playing the flute or doing something with them. Like make muffins, perhaps floral decoration, perhaps decorating the cafeteria of different seasons. He did it all to sooth those from this feeling.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He reached for his flute this one more time, but he slipped it back into his pocket. He couldn't fight. He couldn't help. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The least he could do was reach the goal. With Ghrem's wall and everyone else fighting so desperately to keep him safe. It brought up too many emotions to watch everyone fight desperately for him. He shouldn't let imagination clutch him so desperately and yet it had. He had to do something for the group after this.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Make extra cookies. Make them dinner. He knew the cafeteria lady would be mad if he cooked for everybody, so maybe he could talk her into helping him. He needed to do something for them, he simply had to do so. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He was close to the goal. While he was sure everyone would be relieved by simply that fact. He wasn't much relieved from it. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]No this whole entire situation taught him something valuable. No one ever should go through this. No one should ever had to go through this. No one ever should feel both useful and useless. There had to be a better way to escort people safely where they needed to go.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When he reached the goal, or reaching near the goal. He tried to not let his knees go weak from underneath him. But he felt tears stinging his eyes. He turned away from the battle one more time to look at the goal through watery vision because he couldn't stop himself.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]This would not help anyone. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He couldn't help them. Save them. Do anything for them. He had to make sure he would pay them back. He had to pay them back. Somehow. Someway.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Dionysian Lumberjack]

Movement. Heat. Blood.

This was his world, he thought as another inhuman sound ripped through his lungs and tore at his vocal cords. Fridtmar (or was it Hjálljof) shook as the ocean roared into the snow covered valley, salt water filling his lun-no it was the ice cold touch of iron across his thro-no it was the sensation of shattering bones, broken by the falling mount-no it was the pain.

There were things moving around him. Heat rolled off the indistinct forms, burning his icy flesh. The blood fueling them pounded in his head. It was more than he could take. But as he watched, those shapes took form

There was one thing, a River of steel (swords-Teacher-Harald)in front of him. Its flow was sluggish, but it moved with grace. Flowing and powerful and unrelenting, but nothing was unstoppable.

More movement. An acrid Shadow (poison-sympathizer-Ruiha)behind the River. The Shadow struck and there was a break in the river.

More heat. A Sun (strikes-classmate-Zalen) is rising towards him. It would have warmed his bones if it didn't burn so.

More blood. A streak of Ice and Earth and Flame (cleverness-lethargy-enthusiasm-spear-shield-fists-Miso-Ghrem-Aleesa) and the River is gone.

More movement. A Spider (gauntlets-classmate-Xin) weaves it's web trying to dam the river.

So much Movement. So much Heat. So much Blood.

His arm were stuck (shovel-birthright-duty-shame-Jorobifask)in the earth. It was dislodged with nary a thought, even as he leaped at the River; Shadow, Sun, Ice, Earth, Spider be damned. He feels his muscles burn as the ground shatters in his wake, his left arm (pickaxe-survival-chance-freedom-Steinnbrjota) turning with his body and the sharp point driving towards the painful beating of blood.

He drives the limb with as much force as he could, enough to shatter boulders and shred the muscles of his limb. The pain was nothing compared to the pain of his world, his too loud world.

But, even as he struck, a memory came unbidden. The sound of music, a flash of white, the scent of pastries. (flute-friend-regret-Kiza). He felt the tears come down his cheeks. He did not know why he was crying.

It would be still. It would be cold. It would be quiet.

Just as the Revenant liked it.

 

[Hellis]

They rushed him from every direction. They unleashed on him like a swarm of magical bees. Harald got a wild gleam to his eyes. His eyes widening, his breath a sharp inhale he laughed almost madly. Even as poison pumped in him, making him more sluggish, he moves withe speed and agility of a warrior in his prime. The tenacity of his opponents was commendable, he blocked Rens blade as it came almost synchronized with that of Ruhia. He Blocked rens but she sailed under his swing and tagged him with the flat side. That would have been a damaging blow. A glimmer to his eyes flared as he caught Dens sword in the grooves once more and drove his knee into the fledgling samurai's face but not before the latter had actually air stepped on his damn face. The compressed air was like taking a sledgehammer to the chin. He stumbled before trying to put some distance between him and the others and going after his original target.

But his opponents would not let him. Zalen was flowing into the pattern of attack started with the attack of the young sword wielders before. He came from the side, in a mad bull rush. He shone like the sun itself, and Harald took a wide stance. His eyes darting about ,seeing Kiza being hurried away. He looked back just in time for a massive wave of heat and light hit him. The Light burned his eyes and he growled, shaking his head to clear the spots before his vision.

ANd yet they kept coming. He noticed the wall erected behind him to late. Then the ice spear. He just barely deflected it with his blade, the tip of it cutting up a small wound by his ribs. And yet. They were not done. Leaping at him was the Ethrian, with all the savagery of her people and all the martial might of her past mentors. Her fist coming down a like meteor. Harald could not have been more proud. And more disappointed as it missed. But by the mad grin on her face, he realized he had just been had.

The ice spears owner charged into the space left by her ally, it was like a pack of wolves against a old but crafty bear he thought. So eager to take him down, being forged into a real pack from taking on this ancient predator. Her second spear came from closer range, hurled at such speed and angel a complete dodge was impossible. He solved this by turning around and letting the spear impale his arm. He gritted his teeth. They had actually drawn blood. He'd never hear the end of this.Pulling out the spear he actually tossed it back at her.

What an absolutely brilliant group of warriors.

And then came the flaming fist Of Alessa for a third attempt to knock him into orbit.

"COME THEN!" He bellowed as he took the brunt on his blades, crossing them into a guard. As the force of her fist collided with them, they shone from the magic and the floor cracked underneath his feet. His bones felt like they were trying to bench press the entire school at once. His wound flowed with blood as the heat seared his skin. As it it broke, he was sent stumbling if not hurling. And both his blades were sent flying. But not before kicking her with a bit more force than he had intended. Some frustration might be to blame. Whatever it was that possessed him to punt the woman back into Ghrem, she should take it like a badge of honor.

And then the worst came to bear. He felt the killing intent like a cold shiver up his spine. But he was distracted by the fact he was now snared by wires He grunted as he was tugged into the wall, blood seeping as the threads tugged into his skin. But he had to act fast. That was not a person in Fritjof right now, it was the darkness of a spirit given to much room to act. With a grunt he tore free, not caring that he was bleeding all over. He moved with a speed he had not yet shown, showing tha he had indeed held back even he said he would not. He need to end it before the boy killed himself. As the berserker tore at him, he moved in close, even as the pickaxe drove into his shoulder. His his arm grabbed the young Norhs arm and snapped it so it would be useless, kicking the boys leg from under him and driving him down to the ground, putting all his weight on top of him. "DOWN SPIRIT.- OR I WILL TEAR YOU FROM THE BOY MYSELF!" CLosing his fist, it glew with an eerie glow before he smashed it into the boys solar plexus. The shock wave that erupted from the boys body could be felt by everybody around them. The spirit in Fritjof had just gotten punched while Fritjofs body seemed intact. Well, aside fro the broken arm. As if just realizing it was there, the old teacher pulled the pickaxe out of his shoulder with a grunt. He looked to Kiza, seeing him having reached his destination.

"You pass." He said with a huff. From the side, men and women ran forth to tend to the injured. The healers had been on standby this entire time.

Wei starred in horror as the events unfolded. Rens mouth was agape, not comprehending what was happening.

 

[firejay1]

A lot was happening all at once, Aki could hear roars and bellows from behind her, but if she was not mistaken the sound of Harald's voice was pleased. The other students must have been doing well then. She and Kiza being useless.... Well, Kiza was always kinda useless, and she kept to herself. Kiza wasn't really running anymore, he was acting like his legs had turned to putty, and by IMMORTALIS was he CRYING? A shockwave rippled through the floor and simultaneously did two things: 1. it knocked Kiza's already weak frame even more slightly off balance, 2. it served to give Aki a very uneasy feeling that contributed to her current irritation with the boy with her. They were right about to reach the sword and he was TRIPPING, while Harald was doing Bahamut only knew what to their classmates. Shoving her fan into a spot on her belt, she drew back both her hands and proceeded to slam her palms hard into Kiza's back, enough to propel him right into the sword (and probably wind him). She turned around just in time to see Harald looking straight at them. They'd made it in time.

She saw his lips form the words "You pass." But her satisfaction was dimmed somewhat by the carnage around them. Harald was getting off of a prone Frid who was bleeding... no. Their TEACHER was bleeding. Frid was... she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. Aleesa had clearly just been slammed into Ghrem with the force of a small train, and both Ren and Zalen looked a bit like they were mentally turning into jelly pudding. It felt like the only two people in the room who hadn't just been used as a punching bag were her and Kiza. Medics rushed forward to help and Akie pulled Kiza upright, checking to make sure her last shove hadn't really hurt him, and then abandoned him to attend to some of their other classmates. Moving around the room, she helped up the people who were a little bit less banged up: Ruiha, Wei, Xin. She let the medics handle the more beaten ones. What exactly had happened? Fluttering her fan open, she released Kefeli and the doll-like creature sat primly on her shoulder, one cold hand against her neck for stability. A series of very small flurries cleared paths for some of the medics and Kefeli began describing what she had seen from the fan to Akie. The pirate's daughter was sufficiently impressed by her classmates, though she couldn't help but feel that some of them had been reckless - most notably Zalen, Ren, and Frid. Hotheads would be hotheads, and they'd pay the price for it themselves later, she supposed.

Reaching Ghrem, she extricated Aleesa from him expressionlessly. "Are you guys alright?"

 

[Niiwa]

As her cutlass was extracted from Harald's arm and returned to her, Miso didn't have enough momentum or force of will to dodge out of the way - instead, she raised her arm in front of her, letting the blade slice through her skin and leave behind a gaping wound before she tumbled on her dislocated ankle to the ground. She grasped at her arm to keep the blood from flowing freely - luckily, the old man's aim and angle had been off due to his other distractions, so the wound didn't seem to be too serious. She looked up, covered in dirt from her roll across the pit, and grinned widely - not only did their combo attack connect, but Aki had gotten the VIP across the line, and she could hear Harald's rough voice - "You pass." It seemed as though her cutlass had actually managed to impale his arm, too, drawing blood - she definitely wouldn't let anyone forget that.

She laid back as a medic rushed over to her. Normally she'd shove the ankle back into place herself, but it definitely didn't hurt to let an actual healer take care of it. The healer wrapped Miso's ankle and arm, letting her stand. Her ankle ached, but wasn't going to give way beneath her. She wiped the blood off of her cutlass before sheathing it, and limped over to retrieve her spear from where it had been deflected onto the ground. She leaned on it for balance as she walked over to the others she had helped land the attack, delivering them a small grin. "Good work. I think we impressed 'im."

 

[CasketCase]

They had won, seemingly defying the odds of taking down such a formidable man such as Harald. The soothing rush of relief ran throughout her body, putting out the flame of exertion in her muscles. As her body relaxed, so did the amount of adrenaline, bringing forth the growing intensity of pain coming from the angry bruise forming across her back. Still, compared to the others (especially Ren), she had come out of the fight relatively fine, so she chose to let the medically gifted take care of them before her (especially Ren). Ruiha took a step forward, originally planning to go to Kiza, yet the pain increased dramatically, causing her to inhale sharply with a hiss. That bastard Harald got her good! Any remorse she might have had in poisoning her instructor quickly faded as she fought through the pain, putting one foot in front of the other.

Perhaps she should show him the true meaning of pain. He definitely relished beating the crap out of them, so maybe the taste of his own medicine was in order? Not that there was any risk to it, she thought, just the mere sight of the beaten and bloodied Harald was enough to tell her that he probably wouldn't put up much...of...a...fight? It was at that time she felt the white-knuckle grip she held the macuahuitl in and realized that she had let Rajaniv's influence affect her in that brief moment of pain, her blood now flowing like ice water in her veins. It took all of her willpower to toss the vicious weapon against the ground, away from her grip, "No! Not this time!", she shouted, seemingly to no one in particular.

Such a pity, just a few steps more and you would have shown that old man what for...

She felt the nahuelaco's disappointment, yet it seemed he took some perverse joy in how far his influence had gotten; both of them irritated her. Not able to trust herself for the moment, she let the macuahuitl lay on the ground while she diverted her part towards Kiza and the others.

 

[Darog]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Harald spoke, letting everyone know they had all passed, Zalen was already on the ground, his feet firmly planted down on the ground. "Wait, I'm still at full ener-" just as the words escaped his mouth, Zalen felt like he'd struck an iron wall. "There we go" he refused to fall forward, holding his stance with sheer willpower. He raised a thumbs up to both Harald and his fellow classmates. His goofy grin hiding the fact that he was on the verge of passing out. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]At this point, Amari had un-fused with her partner, dusting herself off. "We did it! Everyone was so great!" she squealed like a fangirl, a giant smile upon her face. She had her reservations on whether Zalen would actually be a team player, that's a certain. She was happy to be proven wrong. "Also, we are gonna work super hard on your Sun Flare Wave, Zal" she mentioned, turning around to face her partner once more. His stance, expression and thumbs up all frozen in place. She was slightly confused as she waved her hands in his face, snapping her fingers to get his attention. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Zalen fell forward, faceplanting into the dirt ground underneath them. Amari laughed nervously, trying her hardest to lift him up. The medical staff had come around to heal any grievous wounds suffered during this examination. "Zalen's unconscious, I think through exhaustion." she explained to one of the staff as they took him from her. She held her head up high. She could see that Zalen had improved considerably, to even use 30% of the Flare Wave's power was already an achievement in her mind. "I wonder if he could master it…" she said to herself, pondering on the thought. She also toyed with the notion that the headbutt and mockery Harald gave to Zalen was to bring out his potential more than anything else. "I'll have to ask him later" she then looked over at the battlefield. The skill and power on display was truly something to be hold, some frightening and a realisation that she'd rather have them as allies than downright enemies. Nonetheless, she was thrilled to have passed along with Zalen and everyone else. She wondered what other challenges would be thrown their way, ,[/BCOLOR]

 

[Hellis]

Unknown Ruins, Somewhere deep in Balemestrian Jungles.

Harn wasn't sure what it was that drew him there there the first time. But the white haired obeli smiled widely at him as he entered. He was old, wheelchair bound and with teeth like that of a shark almost. His eyes were slitted like that of some lizards or rather like that of an dragon.

"Welcome my child." The man said. Despite his apparent fragility, that voice was iron. It made him want to obey. "What do you have for me?" The old obeli spoke, voice never wavering even as he reached out with a shaky hand. The other man braced himself, closing his eyes. As the fingertips of the old one touched his forehead, a shock ran up his spine and he felt as if something was torn from him. He didn't scream, he just opened his mouth in silent shock before almost collapsing. Getting up, his once dark hair was as white as that of the obeli before him.

"...That was a generous gift." The master cackled at him. His old eyes shone with the stolen vitality and power while the younger man staggered a little. Someone caught him before he fell. A white haired man in a equally white arms coat pushed him back onto his feet properly spoke in a voice that was equal parts steel, equal parts arrogance. He pushed a immortalis blade in Harns hand.

"Congratulations. You have work to do."

--------
Academia - Headmasters office.

"How did they do?" He asked, fingers clasped at the desk. Before him stood several of the instructors, teachers and even the grounds keeper. Allbeit the latter was there to clean the windows and looked impatient that there were a bunch of people in the way.

"They passed Haralds evaluation." Maia was a tall, lively and still rather young woman. Just barely past 30, she was the daughter of Cid Mattel, President of the Republic. Her armor shone with coppergreen, and the hammer and shield was never far from her reach.

"All of them?" Ailtih queried, eyebrow raised in surprise. The effeminate, tall and longhaired ispean was pushing forty but you could never tell from his youthful appearance. But his eyes always had a strange and haunted look from holding his familiar, a banshee, at bay.

"Yes." Maia nodded at him. "He did a number on them, but every single one was passed. Ableit, from what I saw he had to Null Punch one of them." The room grimaced at the mention of the punch.

"Impressive. Well that is good news at least. Our other evaluation classes were less fortunate. Real shame, I had such hope for some of them." Nilar, the Academies only Obeli instructor spoke. HIs voice was forlon, as if these news had struck him deep. That was however, how he always spoke.

"Yes well. But I'd take a brawl with Harald any day of the week rather then then be under the influence of those toxins Supay use."Again, people in the room all cringed as one. They had all been influenced by them once or twice. Supay was not pleasant man in many ways. Mindgames was his forte, and his poisons could make you see your worst nightmares.
"You can say that again."

----
REN - The Pit

Rens face hurt, even as the medic worked on him with some sort of healing spell. The feeling of a flattened nose being knitted back in place was not a pleasant one and he sneezed. The sensation of sneezing through a half broken nose in the process of speed healing was even less pleasant to say the least. The knee to the face had not only knocked him out partly, but made his landing a rough one, his right hip was one big bruise. His left leg was numb from the continuous strain of air stepping. His wolf familiar sat on its hunches at his side, tongue out and panting like a dog that just just finished running a mile.

"Rrrrr. Strrrong" The rumbling voice echoed in his head. Being a bestial being, its speech was stunted and feral sounding, . But ren understood him perfectly well and could only agree as he reached out and pulled himself up by grabbing the fur of his familiar. Pulling himself onto its back, he sighed as the warmth of friend and protector enveloped him. He patted it behind the ears and and along his neck. His healer narrowed her eyes, a portly woman with greying hair.

"You're not fully healed." she chided.

"I'll be fine" He groaned "You set my nose and did the healing thing." He shood her off but she grabbed him by the ankle, for a second He saw stars from the pain.

"It's your legs I am worried about." She chided.

"I'm fine." He clapped his dear familiars side and pointed to the exit. "I'll just sleep it off." He waved at the healer as his massive wolf began to trot towards the pits exit. He ruffled its fur and buried his face in the softness. His left leg did hurt beyond anything else he felt before.


[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]

 

[Hellis]

Wei had bounced rather nastily against the shield of his ally and he groaned in pain as he heaved himself up onto shaky feet. But the fight was already over. In a flurry of movement, the rest of his comrades had converged onto the enemy in unison. Somewhere in the mayhem, Fridtjof had gotten out of hand and the resulting shock wave from Haralds punch had send Shadras into jitters within Weis skulle. Something was incredibly wrong with the whole thing. Just how in gods name did you punch a spirit while it stayed inside a body, without turning said body into a fine red mist in the process?

"What even was that Shadras. How do you punch a spirit inside its host?"

"You are asking the wrong question. Why do you punch a spirit? What brings a man to develop such a telent or power."

"To.. I guess to spare the host, punish the spirit. Frid is hardly the first out of control wielder to come through here… I don't see how this answers anything."

"If you think your spiritual bond is that one sided young master, you have a rough time ahead."

"Enough speaking in riddles. Out of my head where I can see you." Wei snapped, frustrated at the usual attitude of his spirit companion. He could hear a dark, dry chuckle in the back of his head. It was just weis fortune he was the kind to draw upon Darkness of all things.

"As you wish." In the shape of a dark mist Shadras seemed to pour out of every pore of we for a brief second. The spirit floated before him. "Better?" It asked, tilting its head as if to implicate a raised eyebrow. A feat it was incapable of due the the lack said eyebrows. Wei turned away from his spirit surveying the remains of the battle.

"This is a mess." He mumbled, watching sheer amount of destruction. Not ot mention several of their heavy hitters were being tended to by medical personnel. His train of thought was interrupted by a man who came strolling across the arena floor. Wei stopped and had to do a double take. The headmaster strolled, seemingly carefree, up to Harald. The two of them exchanged a brief look before their instructor followed the Headmaster out. Another person, a light haired woman strode in shortly after. Clapping her hands together she spoke in a brisk, clear voice.

"Students. As you have all passed. You are free to do whatever you wish until lunch. After, you will be informed what your new duties and privileges are. I expect you all to gather at the East corner Aula along with your our 3rd years who passed the Evaluation." The woman was new to all of them, her short cropped brown hair belied a military position. Her catlike yellow eyes and brown catlike ears belied her Elithan Her clothes were utilitarian, with the flared above the knees pants that was popular with the various Airship Navies. But she held no color to identify her as one of the various nations, nor any medals. Her arms was clasped behind her back.

"My Name is Henrietta Von Balth, you will be seeing me around a lot. As of right now, you are Temp-Certified Crystal Wielders. Congratulations. Remember, East Corner Aula after lunch. YOu are dismissed untill then." With that she turned on her heel and marched out.

Ren looked up, his nose was seemingly normal now and his voice sounded its usual chipper, oblivious and good natured self. "Hey. Anyone else really hungry? I Skipped breakfast." Ren quipped as his and his wolves stomach growled in unison.

 

[CasketCase]

She had no intentions of seeking medical help, not believing her bruised back warranted the magic, yet when one of the medics approached and forcibly healed her, Ruiha had no choice but to admit that such bout of stubbornness had been foolish. It was like night and day how much better she felt now that she didn't have to distract herself from the pain. Still, the guilt of feeling that way when some of the others were still battered lingered, but fortunate was driven off by the announcement of a stranger.

"Students. As you have all passed. You are free to do whatever you wish until lunch. After, you will be informed what your new duties and privileges are. I expect you all to gather at the East corner Aula along with your our 3rd years who passed the Evaluation." The woman was new to all of them, her short cropped brown hair belied a military position. Her catlike yellow eyes and brown catlike ears belied her Elithan Her clothes were utilitarian, with the flared above the knees pants that were popular with the various Airship Navies. But she held no color to identify her as one of the various nations, nor any medals. Her arms were clasped behind her back.

"My Name is Henrietta Von Balth, you will be seeing me around a lot. As of right now, you are Temp-Certified Crystal Wielders. Congratulations. Remember, East Corner Aula after lunch. You are dismissed until then." With that, she turned on her heel and marched out.

The announcement brought a bit of excitement to her, still somewhat shocked that they had surpassed Harald's standards, as well as relief to know that they weren't immediately going to be thrown into the next assignment. They were going to be thrown into the next assignment in a few hours, but still, she was thankful for the break regardless. Seeing the others start gathering themselves up for dispersal, Ruiha made her way back and retrieved the macuahuitl before heading back in. The trek to her room felt like an eternity, but she eventually made it. Opening the door, she was greeted by the scent of tea.

---

Everytime she closed her eyes, she could still see the horrid sight. It was all the worse because the tea was supposed to help relax her nerves, leading to a perpetual cycle every time she blinked. "I dare say I won't be able to look at Mr. Supay for some time without the urge to draw my sword after this." She said, the faint hues of annoyance coloring her tone of voice. Alexandria Chevalier should have been grateful to have passed the evaluation, as she was one of the few to do so of her class, yet could not help but feel slighted by Supay's methods of testing them. Poisoning a group of students and forcing their own fears and insecurities to eat them alive? How absurd!

Once again she had to relive that fateful night, trapped in those caverns and running blind from the sounds of nightmarish beasts. Alexandria had almost gotten trapped in the terror once more, had it not been for the sake that same night was brought forth one of her greatest joys. Even now, her heart still fluttered when she recalled the gallant sight of that glowing sword. Handsome and brave, he had taken her up like a fairytale princess with one hand and brought divine wrath to those beasts with the others. She gave a heartfelt sigh before turning aside, "Once again, it was you who saved me. I regret letting fear cloud my mind for as long as you did."

"No. You seized victory by your own volition. I had only guided you until that point."

"Eternally humble as always, my grace. I wish one day you'd accept my praises, yet that very humble nature is part of what I admire about you, Sir Mache."

The door of her room opened, and crossing the threshold was a girl Alexandria had seldom seen about. It was her roommate, the one from Balamestria named Ruiha if she was not mistaken. Surely, she could only imagine what the other thought coming in, seeing a lady such as herself garbed in a man's civil court uniform consisting of a bright red, double-breasted tail coat with gold oak-leaf embroidery, white breeches, and knee-high boots, talking directly to a sword. Whatever thoughts crossed Ruiha's mind would have to wait, it seemed, as she was visibly exhausted from some ordeal, evident by her taking the scene in stride while falling, face-first, into her bed.

It was a rare occasion, and hopefully one of good results for the both of them, so Alexandria didn't see the harm in conversing. "Good morning. I trust that your evaluation went well?"

"Better than some previous ones," Ruiha said, or at least, from what Alexandria could decipher of the bed-muffled words, "Splendid. As did I, although I won't be sleeping much tonight thanks to Mr. Supay. If you want, I have some tea prepared when you get up. We should have enough time to savor it until lunch."

 

[firejay1]

Ren's cheerful attitude surprised Akie a little bit, as he'd been looking a little wobbly earlier. She hadn't eaten earlier with the others, because muffins had seemed like a bad idea. Hearing that they would be left to their own devices until after lunchtime, she decided to go ahead and take advantage of it. Kefeli, still sitting on her shoulder laughed quietly in her creepy, windy way, and said, "You are pleased, though, to have passed."

"Be quiet, Kefeli." Akie told the doll-like demon. "I could use something to eat." She offered Ren, looking dubiously at him as he seemed to intend to get himself some food via the Wolf Express. Even if he made it all the way there on his wolf's back, she didn't have any confidence he'd be able to get his own food. She did need to get food, but a little pity for the reckless wolf boy wormed its way into her heart. "If you need some help..." Her face twisted into a slightly painful smile. If Kefeli was prone to laughter, the demon would've fallen off her shoulder laughing. Akie found Ren a little difficult, and while she certainly wanted to help him so that she could feel a little bit less useless in the last battle, she was not exactly eagerly anticipating interacting with him heavily. Then again, he may turn her down after all.

As they stepped out into the hallway, she wondered what the other classes had gotten for their test, and if they had passed as well. She would have to ask Kefeli to ask some of the other familiars. Kefeli was more sociable with the other familiars than Aki was with her fellow students, as much as she'd never admit that to anyone.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Rekt]

The end of the fight erupted into madness. Ghrem still held strong, but a few of his classmates made him wonder if he needed to block them as well. Sure, this was a very important test, but did they truly have to go all out in the fashion that they did? Someone might get hurt. Well, someone might get more hurt. It was fair to say that everyone was receiving a nice batch of wounds and scars to impress the sex of their choosing with how badass they were. Ghrem was quite content without gouges or wounds. He had a hard enough time keeping up with his fellow classmates from time to time. He really didn't need to add to it.

Suddenly, there was a lull in combat, and Harald's voice boomed out. They'd passed. Ghrem paused for a moment, tugged on his ear, and then glanced around. Everyone seemed to be a mixture of relieved and in deep pain. Oddly enough, he didn't have a scratch on him. Then again, he hadn't done any damage to Harald. So, that was probably a fair trade off. He shouldered his shield and looked at Wei, flashing an apologetic smile. It was his training, honestly. He didn't mean to push the other man off of him with unflinching resolve. Now Ghrem flinched, but it was a little too late.

He watched as the headmaster came and walked Harald away. Ghrem then eyed the Etrian that approached them. She was quite the looker. No. Wait. Dammit. It was always the ears with him. It was the reason he'd been attracted to his girlfriend, to begin with. Also, because she wouldn't stop stalking him and demanding they fight. But he loved her for her mind, and her ability to make grown men cry. She was an ice princess, both figuratively and literally. Contrary to thermal evidence, it warmed his heart. Henrietta Von Balth dismissed them, and Ghrem immediately found himself looking for his friends.

They were scattered about, varying degrees of hurt or upset. Aleesa and Aki looked well enough, but Ghrem worried about Miso. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. It didn't' take long for him to find her, though, a nice trail of ice led to her form. Already a healer was over her, tending to her wounds. Ghrem's face contorted into a tight frown. He reached forward and rubbed her ears, gently. The healer glanced up, narrowed her eyes, and then returned to what she was doing.

Ghrem blushed and cleared his throat. "It's just that… I was worried, and she's a good friend." It was more than that, but he didn't need faculty to know about their goings-on.

"Right, and I'm queen of the beasts," the healer retorted.

Ghrem frowned but angled his face towards Miso."Once they get you fixed up, do you want to go grab some lunch? Partly, because I don't know if you have eaten or not, but you exerted a lot of energy today. Also, partly, because I really can't lose my eating record to Ren. I'm sure you understand." He was prideful about so few things, but on occasion, he had a competitive spirit. It mostly revolved around food. Food and Miso.

 

[Darog]

"Privileges and duties? Thought Zalen will most likely want to grab something to eat first." she thought, rolling her eyes. To Amari, Henrietta Von Balth gave the impression of a strong, proud warrior carrying discipline and respect upon her character. She admired that bowing to her as she left. "I'm getting excited already!" She smiled, until she remembered of Zalen's condition, frantically looking around for her partner. Zalen was already sitting up, taking some medicine and water. While he had not recovered 100%, he was able to move around with energy. She moved on over, a bright smile upon her face. Zalen's mood also picked up too, shooting her a smirk, standing up. "I guess I showed the old man, huh?" his left handed clenched into a fist, grinding into his right palm. "Don't get too cocky, Zal."

"We are having a lunch break now, then we meet up in the east corner Aula after we've eaten." she explained to her partner, unsure if he was awake to hear the announcement from Henrietta. Zalen nodded in response, taking his hooded jacket. "When we get some time to train, I'm going to make sure I master the Sun Flare Wave." He said, with eyes filled with fiery determination. "We don't need to rush through it, as you use more of the wave at certain levels, your body will adjust, trust me." she replied, not wanting him to push himself to the brink of destruction. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I need to get some food!" Zalen replied, changing the topic to one of his favourite things other than punching and fighting; food. Amari laughed. "always thinking with your stomach..."

Zalen's stomach grumbled. "Yeah, remind me to not have a bigger breakfast next time, hehehe." they both laughed. "Hey Wolf Boy! I'll join you for lunch!" Zalen responded, Amari stood by him, sighing at how informal Zalen can be

 

[Niiwa]

As her wounds were being attended by the healer, Miso glanced up at the approaching Ethian, and her hair immediately stood on end. While she usually could control herself around others of her race, something about this woman filled her with unease. Perhaps it was the all-too-serious way she carried herself, or her fairly pretentious sounding name, but something was off putting about the woman to Miso. Still, the excitement from the fight and passing the test kept her from becoming too disgruntled - and the news the woman was bringing was fantastic. New duties and privileges? This could only be a good thing.

Henrietta's speech was short and sweet, which Miso appreciated. She wasn't one with the patience for long, overblown presentations - just give the information and get out. The healer was gently putting Miso's ankle back into its socket. Usually the Ethian would just shove the thing back into place herself, but it was certainly more pleasant the way that the healer was doing it. Still, she knew that she would probably be sore for most of the day, and if this had happened in the field… well, they didn't really have any healers in their class.

Miso perked up as she noticed the large man walking in her direction - her right ear flicked wildly for a moment and a small grin spread over her face. She usually wouldn't be this forward with him, but the excitement of the fight still had her blood pumping fast. Ghrem's fighting ability was truly admirable - he didn't seem to have a scratch on him. It was an attractive quality, to be sure. As he softly rubbed her ears, she grinned toothily at him. "I'm fine., Ghrem. It's just the ankle."

As the healer continued bandaging Miso's limb, the other woman made a quip at Ghrem, and Miso let out a low snarl. "That's a rude way to talk to someone, lady." The healer just rolled her eyes and returned her focus to Miso's wounds, clearing up the smaller bruises and scratches she had sustained from her tumble in the pit.

"Of course," Miso responded cheerfully to Ghrem. "I know how important it is for you to keep your eating king title." The healer gave Miso a small tap on the shoulder, letting her know that her work was done. Miso nodded and stood on her still-sore foot. It wasn't too bad - it throbbed a bit when she put her weight on it, but not so much that she couldn't bear her full weight on it. Still, she leaned gently against Ghrem and grasped his arm, feigning the need for balance. She could hear Dhol's clicking, hissing laugh in her head, and Miso grinned toothily at the healer. "Thank you for your help," she said, tone bordering on sarcasm.

Miso shut her eyes for a moment, relishing the feeling of heat radiating from Ghrem, before looking up at the tall man. "Take me to lunch then, would you? I could use a bite to eat." She pointed to her spear and cutlass, sitting a few feet away. "First, though, I think you should take me to collect my things."