[@Sifr][@ERode]

[b][h3]CAMPUS GROUNDS, FOREST[/h3][/b]

Obsidian death met sturdy rock an instant before impact with its original target, leaving Chloe kneeling with her eyes nearly bulging out of her sockets and with breathing soon to become closer to hyperventilation. The moment death was avoided, Hildegunde in front of her, Chloe's arms fell to her sides, the swirling wall of wind dissipating immediately as her eyes began to fall shut. It was in the next moment that Otis arrived, and as she was shoved inside the doorway, her last utterance before disappearing to the other side was a meek, "My apologies..."

A snarl emerged from the bushes across from the owl and hunter, as the sound of metal scraping and dragging across dirt and twigs echoed out from inside the bushes where it hid. "I suppose there isn't much else for it, then," the being muttered, its uneven rasp contemplative. "Too much noise now, to where children drop from the sky. Annoying!"

Bursting out of the bushes was a shadowy canine with what appeared to be a longsword attached to its tail - or perhaps it simply [i]was[/i] its tail. It was featureless, cloaked in shadowy mist in the shape of a wolf, apart from the grey wisps that functioned as eyes. It leapt over the earthen barrier and descended quickly towards Hildegunde, its blade-tail aiming to cleave into her with downward force. At the same time as its direct attack towards the hunter, more of those dark arrows would loose themselves from the creature's stomach, firing off towards Otis.

[hr]

[@AThousandCurses][@Estylwen][@Psyker Landshark]

[b][h3]CAMPUS GROUNDS, LEYLINE ATTUNEMENT ZONE[/h3][/b]

"Oho?"

That was the only sound that escaped Valen's mouth as events transpired, his steely ember glare continuing to focus towards Ciara. Ozhiah, off to the side, had reached into his left pants' pocket in a blink as the girl raised her sword, but stopped upon seeing that things had not progressed further. He grit his teeth as if he were personally insulted by the threat, though said nothing and soon stood at ease. The Leuvalt heir, for his part, scoffed with a soft exhale through his nose as Ciara finished. "For one of your ilk, I would advise a search for inner peace. With the turmoil that plagues you, plain as day, your blade would not manage to strike true towards those that serve me, much less myself. Your sword is a construct of plastic, when held with hesitancy. You stand as a slave to emotion."

The scarlet noble would use one hand to run through his hair, and the other to raise towards Ozhiah and others that grouped around him, and in doing so, quell the building frustration upon their faces upon Ciara's actions and Iraleth's comments. Then, his burning irises set upon the paladin. "When the time comes when you are deemed worthy, I will allow any number of my inferiors to face my power simultaneously, such that their combined efforts produce the miracle of equality. Thankfully, you will all have an agonizingly long time to strategize and ponder on such things. Perhaps, even, post-graduation - well into our professional years."

This statement would result in some chuckles from those around him, and a small clap and chortle from Ozhiah, mouthing the word 'splendid' a few paces behind Valen. The Leuvalt would not seem to take any kind of satisfaction in this, ignoring their existences and merely waiting for them to be silent before waving his hand outwardly in dismissal towards Ciara and Iraleth. "Now, I trust that concludes our business at this ceremony. You must understand that I value the final moments of preparation more than anything else. I bestow upon you both my blessing to take leave."

Close by, Emelie's eyes narrowed in concern as Chunji spoke of recent events. She didn't comment on much of it apart from nervous chuckles, perhaps not even expecting the boy to elaborate in any real capacity in the first place. This troubled look faded, however, when the topic took a hard turn towards the leylines running through Wingram. "Mmmmm..." Finger to chin as she stared at the ground, then at the sky, then at Chunji, taking many beats to figure out what to say. As she leaned on her cane, her eyes drifted once more towards the ground near the pillar. 

"Sour. The whole dang thing comes off as sour. An' I don't mean the good kind that's all gummy 'n gooey like those weird little alchemical candies in the capital. Sour like... expired milk or maggoty cheese. Somethin' about it just comes off as weird, y'know? I know Strigari Academy's got a similar kinda leyline convergence set up like this, buuuut... I dunno, I ain't quite able ta explain it."

A shrug and a shudder betray some level of discomfort, her body turning away from the pillar. Eager to change the subject, she immediately latched onto Chunji's other question.

"Yeah, an' the primal leyline just wasn't callin' for me either, truth be told. I guess it just ain't for us, huh? Couple o' occultists, us! Hehe."

The pale girl turned to fully face Chunji, her expression brightening. She pointed her cane at Chunji's feet and looked at him curiously, tension from the prior topic removed. "And if that's what the two o' us are, I s'pose an exchange of superstitions is in order, just for fun. In your life, from what you recall, have you ever accidentally worn your socks inside out?"

If he would respond, she would continue, explaining, "In the village I grew up in, they always said that everybody is born on the right path for themselves. But the moment they wear their socks inside out, they'll inevitably take a wrong turn on their fated path, 'n stray towards a worse life. An' the more they wore their socks wrong, the worse their future would get, an' the farther from the best version o' themselves they'd become."

She'd giggle and shrug, exclaiming, "And as a result, so many people that I knew growin' up would just stick to sandals or go barefoot! Buncha weirdos, I swear. Love 'em, though. How 'bout you?"