The first sensation Ereshk could recall after passing out was that of weightless floating. It felt like the Void. There was power in the air, and it was the same power Ereshk channeled to form his spells. He looked around, though he could not recall ever actually opening his eyes. A dozen shadowy figures, hidden by hooded cloaks identical to his own, stared down at him from tiered pews. If they were his jury, then the single cloaked figure directly in front of him was his judge. 

[i]"Congratulations on your first kill, Ereshk."[/i] The single figure in front of him seemed to speak directly into the mage's mind. It was unmistakably the voice of his master. [i]"As you have broken Blood for the first time, allow me to officially welcome you into our order, Brother."[/i] The Master raised a sleeve of their robe out from beneath their cloak in order to shake Ereshk's hand, though there was no physical arm within the sleeve to do so. As Ereshk stared curiously at the hollow sleeve, flecks of bone flew in from all over to assemble the skeletal digits of a hand. Tendrils of muscle and vasculature slithered out from within the sleeve, grasping the bones tightly. Rolls of skin and fat soon followed, paving over the musculature. Ereshk watched the fascinating display, completely enthralled as his master's hand assembled itself from nothing. Still rather in shock from the whole affair, Ereshk shook his master's hand without saying a word. 

[i]"A toast, then, to our new Brother! May he continue our work in the mortal coil!"[/i] His master held up a clear glass wine goblet. The dozen cloaked figures behind the master all held up goblets of their own. Ereshk found that he too had a goblet, and he held it up like the others. A bubbly pink-red fluid flowed into the goblets from the void that surrounded the group. Though it smelled sweet and succulent, Ereshk couldn't help but think of the pink mist that had come out of the bandit. He drank along with the others, and the fluid was more intoxicating than anything he had ever had before. He chugged the ambrosia as fast he he could get it down, licking his lips greedily as he finished. He wanted more. 

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A swift slap to Ereshk's cheek finally managed to dislodge his silver-frame glasses. They sputtered down his nose before hanging, lopsided, off of the very tip. Ereshk's eyes fluttered open groggily. He inhaled deeply, shocked to find himself awake once more. Where was he? This wasn't the alley. He groaned, instinctively pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. The groggy mage blinked and scrunched up his face, trying to focus back on the present. It appeared he was in some sort of building now. Was he sitting? Yes, he was definitely sitting now. It felt like a wooden chair of some sort. 

"Mmph. You're that- That apple thief, right? What occurred?" Ereshk blinked lazily at Arianna, still half in a daze. He idly felt around for his grimoire.