Colette met eyes with Lucillia and nodded. "We're going to be eating first. I am feeling hungry after staying up most of the night. Oh the next batch of blood candies are ready.I used a different type of surger to see if it would make a difference to the candy and see if it would add anything different. They are sitting on my desk if you want to grab them and test them out" Colette said. She adjusted her hat clip on her head a little as it was trying to slide down the thin silky black tresses.

Meirin smiled and laced her fingers in front of her face. "True, though I'm still not quite that good at flying. I think a competition would be a great idea, though the pride of some people in Djarkel might not take kindly to losing. I'll admit... I don't like losing either. And I'm not worried about any mundane threats. I've fought bandits for most of my life, if anything we should be more worried about a Djarkel Winter. Djarkel was already a cold and hostile place, and the winter introduces the living to the dead." Meirin remembered one time when she was escorting travelers through the winter, instead of facing off against bandits who knew better than to be out when it's cold, she had to fight off undead. They were weak, sure, but numerous. And it was unnerving to see people who should be dead moving about and fighting. Even slicing their heads off didn't stop them. She wondered what it would have taken...

Her attention was broken when she heard someone singing. She glanced at first, before noticing it was Tyrael and Lyn. Meirin has met Tyrael very few times, despite how often she teaches Lyn basic self-defense. Part of her couldn't accept Tyrael for being a demon, and certainly not after what he did in the catacombs. He literally lost control of the situation and nearly killed not only Mar's people, but the students too. It was a good thing the others were diplomatic, or else Meirin wouldn't know what would have stopped Tyrael. More importantly however, Lyn seemed happy, if a bit beat up. Meirin was understanding of this at least: while she was never so hard that they needed to see Sam, Meirin felt that a few scrapes and bruises were good to help Lyn get accustomed to pain. She needed to know how it was like to take a hit, though Meirin teaches her to dodge more often than block or deflect.

"Lyn! Lyn, come sit over here!" Meirin called out to the girl just as Tyrael walked into the kitchen. Meirin scooted over so Lyn where she could be directly across Ssarak. Meirin knew that Ssarak has been seeing Lyn and her mother for therapeutically reasons. Meirin wished she could come, but more often then not Meirin was busy with her own classes when Ssarak would go talk to them, or she's doing her own therapy session talking to Khan. So Meirin enjoyed these rare few chances were she and Lyn could talk in person.



"Because you're just a cute lil ball of fire, that's why!" Truly, the snow elf warmed Myrn's heart and body. Mostly body, since Myrn was still a bit chilly despite the extra furs she put on. While they were fine keeping her warm in the halls and buildings, just one walk through the courtyard has left her legs soaked and freezing her toes. She could really use a fire to warm her feet right about now. "At first I thought it was rather ironic that a snow elf would be a pyromancer, but now that I think about it, it's much more useful! You're easily resistant to the cold but others aren't, so you can use your magic to help keep others warm. Of course, holding you close is all that I need to be nice and toasty!" Myrn nuzzled Aramir's cheek, showing a level of affection she showed absolutely no one. Even if someone accidentally brushed into her, Myrn would give that person a look as if she intended to murder them on the spot. Not the case with Aramir. She was too small and cuddly to hurt.

Though as she was holding the snow elf and walking away, Myrn remembered that she did actually want to ask Aramir something. So shifting Aramir in her arms, Myrn took out a piece of paper for Aramir to see. It was a flyer asking for students to go to Yarosmere and investigate the situation there. "I was thinking about going to Yarosmere. Some crazy stuff is happening down there, and I could use someone to watch my back." Raising Aramir up a bit higher, Myrn whispered into her ear. "I know you're already familiar with it..." Myrn gave Aramir a dark chuckle as she remembered that fond memory so long ago.

E'nasha Williams

Oh yeah, the Roc… Honestly E’nasha had almost completely forgotten the experience. It seemed so long ago now. ”Well for the how: I was caught and carried away by the Roc at some point just before my friend El’kan and I would have made it here to the college. I passed out before getting to it’s nest and woke up there not too long before the mages on that mission arrived… As for why, hungry Roc, I guess.” She didn’t really think there was anything else to say, but even to her the explanation she gave seemed a little, lacking. ”It was terrifying for the time it lasted, but it all turned out ok, so… I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

As she finished her little story, Baulder seemed to realize that Annabeth had joined the table, because he immediately went into a second fit of choking and coughs. He recovered a little quicker this time, and greeted Annabeth properly in a moment, but E’nasha couldn’t hold back a laugh at Helena’s comment to him. ”She’s right. There’s no rush and no need to endanger yourself by biting off more than you can chew, literally.” She smiled lightheartedly at Baulder as he started to tell her what a nice person Annabeth is. Sometimes when Baulder spoke it seemed like he was just saying his thoughts out loud, jumping between words as they came to him. When she’d first met him it had been hard for her to understand exactly what he meant when he spoke, but now she realized that she was used to filling in the little blanks that had been so confusing months ago.

”Calling someone a good chap isn’t really endearing, it’s more of a complement. Terms of endearment are like, nicknames or pet-names. For example, if I called you Bauldy instead of Baulder, you could consider that endearing.” She laughed slightly at the end of her sentence. She never intended to ever call him Bauldy ever again, at least not out loud, it seemed a little too silly. As Baulder went back to eating she realized she was the only one at the table just sitting there, having finished all her food already. She excused herself for a moment, saying she’ll be right back before taking her plate over to the serving tables. She wasn’t still hungry, but it felt awkward being the only one not eating.

She picked up a couple different fruits before turning to go back to the table, only to nearly drop her tray as El’kan suddenly stepped in front of her. ”Been looking for you E’nasha. I thought you woulda got outta bed sooner.” El’kan was quiet, a look of worry on his face. ”I should have stayed with you. Are you ok?”

E’nasha sighed and smiled brightly at her friend after a second. ”I’m fine. It was just a nightmare, but I guess I needed a little more time this time. Getting up was the hard part, but the day’s already better!” She paused for a moment and glanced over to the table Baulder and the others were at. ”You’ve eaten already I guess? Have you checked the Missions board?”

”Yes and Yes. We’re going home, right? To Yarosmere?”

”Yeah. But first, I wanna introduce you to some people.” She smiled and took El’kan’s hand before he could protest, pulling him over to the table and pretty much pushing him into the seat next to hers as she sat back down next to Baulder as she had been before. She placed the small plate of fruit between her and El’kan before taking a small breath and tapping Baulder on the shoulder to make sure his attention was grabbed without a third round of choking.

”Everyone, this is my friend El’kan. El’kan, this is Baulder, Annabeth, and Helena.” She motioned towards each of them as she said their names, hopefully El’kan wouldn’t mix them up.

”Uh, nice to meet you all.” He cast a slightly confused glance at her before taking one of the fruits off the plate and taking a bite of it, waiting for someone else to speak.

Sam had been disappointed in her outside wear, scolding the young hybrid and giving her herbs to starve away possible sickness she might’ve gotten from the cold. Thankfully she had left one of her thick coats made from the hide of the locate wildlife back within sickbay and wasn’t allowed to leave until she put it on. Hating the extra weight, she wrapped it tightly around her while Tyrael left the way to the dining hall. Her arms wrapped around his at the elbow and leaned against his taller figure.

It was nice to hear his voice, even if he was a little off key and sounded a bit like a pit of gravel rustling, while they walked. When his song ended, there was a shout from across the dining hall calling for her.

The young woman flashed a smile at the small collection of people, then started to pull her uncle with her toward the others. She didn’t care if she appeared too old to have her god-uncle accompany her. When Meirin scooted over on the bench, Lyn flopped down and greeted her. “Hey Meirin. What’s you guys having for breakfast? I’m famished enough to eat a horse whole.”

---

Mar rolled her eyes at Athalus’ reply, her arm widening and finally opening the door for their guest. With a wave of her arm, she gestured Leith in behind her. She padded into the single room where she heard Athalus resume his whining about the mission. Her head turned to roll her eyes at his figure, now hunched down to seize his pants then place them on. There was a hint of regret he was nearly dress as she paused to admire his brief, naked image before finding herself being reminded of something. Her eyes narrowed at him with a slight daring attitude, not seeming to care about human customs. However, she never said a word.

It didn’t help the way he was staring at her made her body heat up like a lamp. Trying to ignore the lust growing, she turned around to face Leith. It was a mistake as it left her rear exposed to the one male that had every right to cop a feel. It was easy to tell when he came up beside her, his scent filling her nostrils causing her to deeply inhale. She let a playful smirk dart across her lips which was something rare. It left her unguarded against his surprise ‘attack’. It was the last thing she expected when his arm reached out and abruptly squeezed his fingers against her rump, her figure jerked. Almost instantly she lost her balance. Her arms came up, expecting to fall on the dirt floor and instead wound up in Athalus’ ready arms. Mar frowned with deep disappointment in his actions. Namely, because she fell for it so easily and lightly smacked her hands across his broad chest, making a soft thwack throughout the den’s space. She pushed off of him then casually made her way to the dresser where she snatched up his tunic laying on the floor.

Slipping it on, she managed to catch Athalus’ last statement. “It’s a mission to improve your magic, so stop whining. At the rate you’ve been going, I would’ve thought you would’ve been eager not to have everyone save you and actually be able to get a few hits in. I’ve got enough to worry about with Lyn’s trip to Djarkel. I nearly considered avoiding my trip to Yarsomere altogether to go with her.”

Leith Calder

"I'm sorry to say, but a Nox filled town of death and doom doesn't sit well with me," Leith said, finally finding his voice. His face more red than white from the scene he just witnessed. "Maybe it has something to do with all the death and doom." He chuckled awkwardly. He listened to Mar and spoke up when she finished. "If it makes you worry any less, I am going on the Djarkel mission. It's going to be nice to go on a diplomatic mission." He looked at the both of them. "And as to why I'm here. Can't I drop by for a chat?"

---

Darius Jura

Darius paced back and forth in his room. He had already ate breakfast and was now packed up to go on the mission to Yarosmere. Ever since he had heard from the diplomat what had become of Yarosmere, Darius had been wanting to go see what was going wrong in his homeland. And from what he had heard, that meant everything.

Pacing around wouldn't do anything, so Darius grabbed his sword and left his room. He made his way to one of the outer courtyards that was deserted, not an easy task, and started setting up. First he channeled his magic and blew the snow into the walls and corners. With that done he set about figuring out how to use his magic to make his blade much more sharper, and how to use it for combat.

Baulder

Baulder suddenly stopped eating, he wasn't hungry anymore. He droppped the meat he had been clutching in his claws and just stared at the small pile of meat he had left. Baulder had been hungry for long that he didn't know what to do now that he wasn't hungry. He now really didn't mind if someone took his food from him, he was just done. Baulder's mild existential crisis was inturupted by a singing Tyrael entering the hall. Baulder at first didn't believe it was his master singing but when he found out it was he nodded his head in agreement. Of course glorious master can sing, he can do everything. Baulder almost summoned John to go help master finish whatever he was doing but he decided against it, master would summon his own demon if he needed it. Baulder then became concerned for a second when E'nasha got up, he had gotten caught up in his own head and didn't know what she was doing. But he was relieved when he found out she was getting more food. The nickname she was talking about "Bauldy" that was endearing, Baulder wasn't sure how to feel about being given an endearing nickname. He wasn't sure how he felt specifically about that name either, he would have to look at it later.

Baulder looked over at Annabeth and the new person, Heleana... or something, she was complaining about a headache of some sort. But he reeled when he saw Annabeth use her psychomancy to help the new girl. He didn't like psychomancy, he didn't like people in his head, he didn't like other people in his head, Baulder liked his voices, Baulder didn't like other peoples. Being in the Underhaven all the time looks useful. Baulder said laughing a bit. He had seen Annabeth do that weird finger thing once or twice before down there, he wasn't even really sure what she was doing when she did that. He could only guess it was something to do with her psychomancy.

Baulder looked back when he heard E'nasha say his name. There was a new person with her, a man, he looked somewhat like her. El'kan, that was her roommate or something yes? Baulder remembered their conversation in the Underhaven many moons ago now about how they lived in the same community or were cousins or some such. "Hello new friend! Welcome to the consuming table!" Baulder took a second after that and realized that endearing nickname could mean a few things, he decided to leave it at that. Baulder then put his right arm around E'nasha's shoulder and grabbed her other shoulder with his left hand, being careful not to scratch her. "I've never met your uh.... ccccommunity member? before! How exciting, now I'll get the double tour of Yarosmere!"

---



Ssarak was in his room, alone, sitting on his bed and staring straight ahead in silence, which he had been doing for at least the past ten minutes. There was a matter that had been on his mind ever since the previous day, when Meirin had finally gone into more detail about the matters that plagued her mind. She had previously told him that she had been the victim of a demon attack, but he had never known the details, nor the extent to which it had affected her. It was the source of her narcolepsy, and her nightmares. Her medicine had been doing an exceptional job of diminishing those symptoms, but recently, it had also been causing harm to her body. It was something that worried Ssarak immensely, and something he did not want to continue. He had been thinking on the issue near constantly that day, and had finally come to a decision on what he was going to do. Most people in Tien had little knowledge of the mind and its ailments, but he was a psychomancer. Just like a vitamancer could heal the body, a psychomancer could heal the mind, and he had improved dramatically since first arriving at the College. He was under no illusion that it would be easy, but he wanted to at least try to identify what was wrong with her. If it could be identified, then it could be treated.

Letting out a deep breath, Ssarak stood up from his bed, walked out of his room, and knocked on Meirin's door. "Mei, are you there? It is Ssarak."

Meirin was sitting at her table studying some motions when she heard a knock and Ssarak's voice. She had a good feeling why he was here; yesterday she had told him more about her home, most importantly the demon attack. It was a traumatic night that even now sends Meirin into a panic attack just thinking about it. The medicine may have helped her sleep, but it doesn't make her forget. She was barely able to get through most of her tale yesterday, but fortunately Ssarak was patient and understanding enough to stay with her that entire night to hear her tale. Knowing how traumatic it was to her, Meirin wasn't surprised that Ssarak was here now, likely to try and help her.

Opening her door Meirin looked at Ssarak. She was dressed in a simple light green robe, the same type she'd wear to sleep. "Good evening Ssarak. I was just doing some studying. Is there something you need?"

Ssarak nodded to Meirin. "Good evening. Yes, there is, um, something I would like to speak with you about. May I come in?' He asked. She quickly allowed him inside and closed the door behind them while he found a seat. She had no chairs, or even a bed, as she preferred sitting and sleeping on mats on the floor. Although he did visit enough that she had acquired a cushion large enough for him.

"It is good to see you. I have been...thinking, since yesterday." He began, his expression becoming quite obviously nervous. "I suppose it would be best for me to get directly to my point. I have been thinking about what you told me yesterday about the demon attack, and what it did to you. I know your condition has been confusing and frustrating for you, but as a psychomancer, it is directly a part of my area of study. Ever since I have arrived at the College, I have been studying my blood magic dilligently, taking frequent private lessons. I have been studying the mind non-stop. I am sure you know how a vitamancer can heal injuries and ailments of the body, but in just the same way, a psychomancer can cure ailments of the mind. I want to try to help you. If I cannot cure you, I want to at least try to identify the exact source of the problem."

Meirin listened, but part of her didn't quite understand. Yes, Ssarak was skilled with his magic. Not that Meirin knew exactly everything Psychomancy was capable of, but from what she's seen Ssarak seems exceptionally skilled at it. But she didn't think Psychomancy could "heal" her. Her memories werent' like broken bones; he couldn't just set them right, bandage them up, and expect it to get better over time. She told Ssarak what happened so he would understand her. Trying to help her... It made it feel like something was wrong with Meirin.

Maybe there was.

Part of her was afraid of what Ssarak would see. She always trusted him to protect her from other Psychomancers, and she knew he would never abuse his magic with her. But there were many things in Meirin's mind that she wasn't ready for Ssarak to see. Most of them were petty, embarassing things, like the one time she tried and failed to ride a horse or accidentally farted during an important demostration back at home. But some were much more serious, like the first time she killed, a few times she killed innocents, and what exactly she did to those demons. She told Ssarak she killed them. That was... More merciful than what Meirin actually did.

"I... I... I understand, Ssarak. I know what you want to do. So... Bare with me if I'm a bit hesitant. What's been happening to me, these nightmares and my sleeping problem, ever since I came to the college they've haven't been an issue for such a long time. And I liked the peace that brought me. Being able to get a real, whole night's rest is a wonderful thing. Not falling asleep in the middle of the day is great. I told you about what happened to me because I didn't want you to be surprised if you see me take so much medicine, and I didn't want you to worry... Oh, look at me, rambling on and on, stalling."

Meirin chuckled softly as she tried to get some humor out of this. She sat down on a cushion across the table from Ssarak. She fiddled with her notes trying to reorganize her thoughts and get to the point. "I guess... I just wanted to put that all behind me. As long as I keep taking this medicine and don't make things worse, I could live my whole life without worrying about my past. So if you start poking into my head... I don't know what'll happen. I hope nothing bad happens. But I don't know if that'll happen." Ignornace was bliss. One of the cardinal sins that her teachers back at home taught her, but Meirin could see it's appeal. She hasn't done anything beyond eating medicine to deal with her nightmares and narcolepsy. And now that the medicine was starting to not work, Meirin just wanted things to go back to the way they used to when she started using the medicine.

Ssarak understood Meirin's reluctance completely, but that did not mean he was going to give up so easily. He knew that she was afraid, but the effects the medicine had been having on her were not something they could ignore. "I understand where it is that you are coming from, Mei, but what about how weak the medicine has been making you feel? And the migraines? Your medicine might be helping your problem, but it is obviously taking its toll on your body. You cannot live your life like that; it may have other side effects you do not yet even know about. I just...I want you to be safe; to be healthy. I cannot stand to see you in pain, of any kind."

Pausing a moment, Ssarak tried to think of how else he could phrase his proposition. There was hardly any place on Tien where psychomancy did not have some stigma attached to it. Even in his own village, it was mistrusted, and honestly, he could not blame them. But, that meant it was more difficult for him to convince others of the great good that psychomancy could do for them. [color=f7941d]"The mind and body are not as different as you might think. The mind, or at least its inner workings, is not a physical thing that you can see, so it is more...esoteric than the body. But, it can be broken and healed in just the same way. I can assure you that, for now, all I want to do is observe. I promise that I will not try to make any changes to your mind; no altering of memories or emotions. I just want to...diagnose the problem, essentially. I will not force you to relive your memories, or anything of that nature. You could even continue studying while I work. [b]If[/i] I manage to identify what is causing your narcolepsy, and nightmares, then we could talk about treating it. As usual, I will not do anything you do not agree to, so if we determine that the required treatment is something you would not want, you will not have to go through with it."[/color] He explained.

Meirin wanted to just say yes and get it over with, but she hesitated. She just felt so... Uncertain. She knew nothing about Psychomancy and always relied on Ssarak to protect her. But for some reason she just couldn't feel comfortable with letting him root through her mind. Again, mostly to keep him from seeing the memories she doesn't want him to see. But another part of her also doubted Ssarak. She worried that he would do something he can't fix. And what would they do if that happened? Meirin didn't know.

Her eyes started to get heavy and she knew that ti was almost time for her to take her medicine again. It was barely sundown, so she shouldn't be getting ready to sleep just yet. But she also had an idea. "How about... I go to sleep, and you can look into my mind? That way I won't disturb your by thinking anything in your way." Again Meirin had no idea how exactly Psychomancy worked or even what Ssarak was going to do, but surely being asleep during the operation should make it easier on her. At least this way she wouldn't have to try not to think about all the horrible stuff she doesn't want to remember. And if she has a nightmare, maybe Ssarak could save her within the dream?

Ssarak nodded. "I could do that, yes. Though, I will not be searching through your surface thoughts, so anything you are thinking would not matter. But, if it makes you more comfortable to be asleep, I can accommodate that request. I would not need to do anything relating to your dreams, so I can promise that I would not disturb them. For now, I would just be searching your memories, and the emotions connected to them."

Ssarak's expression briefly became more uncomfortable, and he shifted slightly in place. He was only going to be reading her mind, so he was certain that he had no chance of actually harming her, but there was another concern relating to her memories themselves. "There is just...one matter. Something I want to make sure you understand before I begin. I am only interested in reading through the parts of your mind relating to the attack to search for the source of your narcolepsy. I know I will be able to find those memories, but I do not have quite the mastery to guarantee that those will be the only memories I find. I will have to search through your mind to find what I am looking for, so I could accidentally stumble upon any of your memories, thoughts, opinions. I know there is likely information in your mind you would rather me not know; everyone has secrets, and everyone has the right to have them. But, it is possible that I could learn them without intending it. I understand if you say no, but I promise that, no matter what I find, I will not judge you. I love you for who you are, flaws included, and after all I have done in my past, I have no right to judge anyone."

At least Ssarak was honest about it.

Meirin was starting to have second thoughts about this whole thing. She loved Ssarak, but she worried that if he knew some of the things she did, that may change something. He may learn something that he can't just forgive and forget. Toying with her notes again Meirin stood up and went over to Ssarak. She wasn't going to back down now, but she would make herself comfortable. She sat in Ssarak's lap and laid her head against his chest.

"Alright. I do have secrets, so please just... Let me lay here. Everything should be fine, right?"

Ssarak ran one hand through Meirin's hair and kissed the top of her head. "Everything will be fine. I am going to do my best to avoid your secrets, but...I know you, I love you, and I do not believe there is anything in your mind that could ever change that. I appreciate your trust, and if there is anything you ever want to know about me, I will tell you. Nothing held back. Just try to relax and rest. Again, I promise to stay out of your dreams. I will wake you once I am done." As he answered, Ssarak began to give her a gentle back rub with his free hand to hopefully help her relax.

Meirin smiled and got comfortable. As Ssarak rubbed her with his free hand, she reached out to hold his hand. It wasn't long before she fell asleep and started to snore lightly as she leaned against his chest. So sure enough whenever Ssarak would look into her mind, it looked like a chaotic mess of memories, thoughts, opinions, and other mental notes. Almost all of it would make no sense to Ssarak without context, and even what few did seem random. One of the more organized things he'd find is a list of her pet peeves, things like eating seeds in her fruit, or how the sun shines off her window and into her eyes, and most importantly the fact she hates tomatoes. Just everything about them.

Another thing that might have caught his attention were her thoughts about others. Despite her appearance as a kind, honest girl, Meirin had spread her fair share of gossip. She made a rumor about the ellict affair between one of the teachers and a vampire student, purposely keeping the details vague so she could deny mentioning anyone, but giving enough to let others fill in the blank. There was also an opinion board about some of the other students. People like Alaira and Annabeth annoyed her the most; they both acted to high and mighty despite having crippling problems that makes than worse than useless, to the point that for all their talk they're just faux action girls. This opinion board also showed that she had an odd attraction to people like Khan, Darius, and Ovak. There was no reason why, they were just on her list.

More to the point, Ssarak may find Meirin's dislike for Baulder and Colette, not for any personal reason, but because they're demonomancers. And Meirin hated demons. If Ssarak followed this train of thoughts than he'll surely find the source of her hatred. It would take him somewhere unfamiliar, on a stormy night. It was so dark that the only light that came were from flashes of lightning from the skies, some hitting close enough to cause some of the trees near by to catch on fire.

Ssarak's journey through Meirin's mind had taken him on an interesting journey. He had hoped to find the relevant memories right away, but he had no point of reference from which to start. Just as he had feared, he had to sift through unrelated memories and emotions. For the most part, they were simple, mundane tidbits of her personality that had simply never come up in conversation before. Although, some of what he discovered about her opinions of others was interesting, surprising, or just outright confusing. But, anything he learned about them was rendered unimportant when he stumbled onto Meirin's opinions on himself. It was a part of her mind that he would have liked to dwell on for the remainder of the night if he could, and it actually took a good deal of willpower for him to move on from it. However, once he reminded himself of why he was doing this to begin with, it was easy for him to focus on the task at hand. What he was doing was for Meirin's health.

It was through Meirin's thoughts on demonomancy that Ssarak finally found his way to the memory he was seeking. Demonomancy led him to one of the strongest of emotions: hatred. And that hatred he could follow all the way through to its source. He knew almost as soon as he saw the scene that he was witnessing Mei's memories of the demon attack. The storm made the scene as ominous as Meirin had described it, though Ssarak knew better than to take all the details at face value. Sometimes, time could alter a person's recollection of their own memories. Their biases and emotions could make alterations to the details that could compound with one another over time. If he wanted to get the truest recollection possible, he would have to dig deeper into the memories of her perceptions themselves. For now, however, he wanted to see the event as she remembered it. It was a sudden event, the demons appearing at the monestary. First there were the screams, and sounds of fighting outside. Then, the masters desparately gathering up the other artists to defend their home. It was a horrifying kind of chaos that Ssarak had the misfortune of being familiar with. Given that he was essentially "reliving" Meirin's memory, complete with the emotions it brought her, this was not going to be a pleasant experience. But, for her sake, he had to get through it.

"Mei go find the others! Hurry!"

A voice called out into the darkness, and between the flashes of lightning and the flames roaring from the buildings, a familiar streak of red hair dashed from the corner of Ssarak's eyes. It was Meirin, younger than she was now. She looked barely an adult, more of a large child. She had a spear in her hand and a sword at her waist. Blood and bruises decorated her arms and face, and there was a look in her eyes... Panic, fear, outrage. This was her first battle against demon kind, and it was unlike anything she's faced before. Meirin ran through the halls only to confront a massive beast who seemed larger than the hall she found him in. He was an absolute colossus, and Meirin did not bother to fight it. She ran away.

Meirin continued to run until she found other artists. They too were armed, a few wounded, but they were still combat capable. Meirin ran up to these people and begged them for help.

"We have to hurry! The masters won't be able to hold the gate for long!"

"We know child, we must hurry. But we have found the source of the demons, and we must stop them before we are overwhelmed."

"I can go, I'm strong!"

"No! You cannot, this is no game girl! You must stay here and protect the others, and we will deal with the demon horde!"

The other artist left without gtiving Meirin a chance to argue, and a new feeling swelled up within her. One of the most tainted and dangerous feelings a person could have: Pride. She felt her personal pride was damaged when they called her weak. She was their best student; an equal to some of the masters themselves. If they were going to fight here, then Meirin could go and find the demons. Besides, one person could sneak passed them far more easily than a larger group.

These emotions from the memories awakened something inside Meirin in the real world. She started to squirm and murmer gibberish. But something was wrong. She gripped Ssarak's hand tightly, almost painfully, as if she was trying to physically stop her dream. But the dream continued, with Meirin eventually finding a group of childen. Many were still infants, and only a few close to her age. "Stay here, and don't leave! The masters will protect you. I will be back after everything is safe."

It was that precise moment that Meirin started to act more violently. For starters, she started twisting Ssarak's hand so hard that she was liable to break his fingers. Then she started sobbing and speaking louder.

"You can't... Don't leave... Listen..."

Even as he was reading into Meirin's mind, Ssarak was still aware of the outside world, at least partially. He felt her hand tighten around his own, to the point that he had to put up some resistance to prevent her from accidentally bending back his fingers. And of course, he could hear the words she spoke in her sleep. They almost seemed to fit with the context of the memories he was reading, but that did not exactly make sense to him. All he was doing was reading those deep memories, not altering them, or doing anything actively to her mind. He was essentially a passive observer, so nothing he was doing should have been influencing her more conscious thoughts. Or, in this case, her dreams. He was not reading into her dreams, so he did not know for sure what she was seeing, but he could gather that it was not pleasant. Though, there was the fact that she had been thinking about her painful memories in the moments before she fell asleep. She knew what Ssarak was planning to do, so thinking about her experiences before falling asleep may have inspired nightmares on the topic. If Ssarak did not find what he was looking for before she awoke, he would need to think of a way to prevent it from happening in the future. He had promised not to interfere with her dreams, so for now, he tried to subconsciously sooth her mind by rubbing her back gently while he continued to read through her memory until such a time as she was fully awake. The demon attack had, so far, been as terrible as it had been described to him, and it seemed like Meirin may have made some choices she now regretted.

Meirin remembered so much fighting. She thought she could sneak around the back of the monestary, but there were demons there too, and far less defenders than the courtyard. Meirin charged into battle thinking she could help, but one by one she saw each one of her fellow artists, strong and wise, get torn apart by the monsters. She killed maybe one or two, but around her she was surrounded by the corpses of her fellow teachers. And she... Ran away. She couldn't fight them. She wasn't going to win. Meirin had to survive, find out where these demons were coming from.

In the real world Meirin started sweating and squriming in her sleep. She didn't say anything ligable, she was just struggling now. The crying became louder, and now it seemed like Meirin was trying to fight even in her sleep. Her grip became firmer and her body began rigid, as if she was expecting to get hit.

Back in her memory, Meirin saw so many demons in her home. She tried to fight them, she really did. But it was a miracle that she didn't die. Even when she stabbed one in the eye, it just broke her spear and laughed at her. Just laughed, didn't even attack her. It didn't think she could stop him. Meirin was scared and panicing. She heard people call out to her for help, her friends dying around her. She was scared and didn't know what to do. She just kept running, trying to find an enemy she could defeat.

She ran through the forest. Meirin didn't look back, but the monestary was far behind her. She told herself she was trying to find where the demons came from, but to outsiders it looked like she was running away. They weren't wrong. The forest was dark, and even the trees were replaced with pillars of blackness. Meirin went from running through the forest to swimming through a pitch blackness, which dragged her under and seemed to suffocate her. And despite how strange that seemed, to Ssarak this was exactly what happened to Meirin, or at least how she saw it. The darkness wasn't quite water, but more like mud. Thick, fluid, and heavy. It slammed her against rocks as it dragged her further down into the unknown.

And at this point Meirin woke up.

Ssarak could not say that he did not expect what he saw in Meirin's memories, but that did not make it any less traumatic to watch. He had experienced the memories as if he were her, so he could feel her pain. Normally, he could dissociate the emotions of someone whose mind he was reading from his own, but in this case, it reminded him all too much of the destruction of his own village. He had not been present for that attack, but witnessing the aftermatch was just as horrifying. It made it exceedingly difficult for him to continue reading through her memories, but nevertheless, he did learn something. It was obvious that the demon attack was the root cause of her issues, though he had not found the actual part of her mind causing her narcolepsy. The memories would likely lead him to it, in time. Unfortunately, her memories, like those of many who experienced trauma, were potentially flawed. Time and emotion had likely warped them, so to learn exactly what happened as she had experienced it, he would need to read into her raw perceptions of the moment. But, that was something to worry about later. For now, Mei was awake.

As soon as Meirin opened her eyes, Ssarak rubbed the back of her head gently. "You were...shifting around as you slept. Struggling. Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes, I... I don't remember." Meirin tried to rack her brain for what her nightmare was about, but she didn't know. It was just horrible. She leaned into Ssarak's chest, wiping away the tears from her eyes. "I... I think it had something to do with you. All these nightmares have you in them. I don't know why or what happened, but you're always in them. Did you see them?" Meirin's dream was not related to the memory Ssarak saw at all.

Ssarak shook his head. "No, I did not want to intrude into your dreams. I was already having to sift through your memories, and...I wanted to leave whatever I could private. But, it does make sense that your dreams would include me. People tend to dream about the things they care about; I will admit that many of my dreams include you. I only wish that I could stop your dreams from being nightmares."

Lowering his head, Ssarak sighed regretfully. He had hoped that, after he was done, he would be able to tell Meirin exactly what was wrong with her and how they could treat it. But, he had known that was not all too likely. "I found the memory I was looking for. The memory of the attack. It...did not give me all of the answers, but I believe I will be able to follow it to them. There are many branches of memories and emotions stemming from that event, and something among them may be the source of your troubles. But, I am worried that the fact you were thinking about your troubles before you fell asleep may have inspired your nightmare, or at least put your mind in the state to have one. If you ever want to try again, I hope to find a way to prevent that."

Shivvering, Meirin pulled herself away from Ssarak and laid down on her bedroll. She was glad that Ssarak was helping, but she couldn't help but feel detached. This whole thing just seemed like a bad idea and frankly, rather embrassing. It just felt silly to her to have Ssarak look into her mind and try and find her truama. Like taking an obviously faulty "traditional" cure. Meirin wasn't even certain if she cared about her nightmares anymore. She was just tired now.

"Yeah... Could you pass me the box on my table?" On Meirin's table was a small box, barely bigger than the book next to it. Inside it contained Meirin's medicine. The white ones were for the day, and the blue ones for night. She didn't have many blue ones left.

"Sure." Ssarak answered simply, reaching over to her table and collecting the box she asked for. He did not know what it contained, but he did have an inkling of what it could be. He placed the box down next to her on the bedroll, then sat down beside her. "I did not expect it would be easy, but I did at least make progress. I will admit, I have never heard of a traumatic event causing narcolepsy before. The nightmares are consistent, but narcolepsy...I do not know. I have to wonder if there is something else; perhaps a head injury? Memories can become...corrupted over time. It happens to everyone, even for mundane memories. Luckily, psychomancers are capable of reading into the raw perceptions associated with a memory. We can witness exactly what you saw, heard, experienced in the moment. It is possible I may be able to uncover something you do not remember. Of course, I would not want to do that right now. You look tired, and that was not a...pleasant experience for me either. I...I am so sorry for what you had to go through. You did not deserve that kind of pain, not someone as wonderful as you."

Meirin was quiet. She opened the box and grabbed a small handful of blue pills, swallowing them without a moment's hesitation. The way Ssarak spoke about her problems made Meirin feel like she had done something wrong. Which she did, technically, but it wasn't encouraging. As if she should know what the source of her problems were. She knew that Ssarak didn't mean that, but that's what Meirin felt. "I am a martial artist. Maybe I got hit in the head too many times."

Ssarak started to apologize, but this seemed to have the oppisite effect of making Meirin feel better. In fact, it made her angry. "No, I do! You know what happened! I left the children behind to be a hero, and I didn't save anyone! They all died because I was so busy trying to fight demons that I didn't even think that maybe, just maybe, those kids needed someone to watch over them. That someone should have stayed behind to take them somewhere safe. Wonderful, please. I call myself a warrior but I can't even kill one measly demon without people dying for me. Wonderful... I'm not wonderful..." Meirin pulled the blanket over her head and closed herself off from the outside world. She just wanted to close her eyes and drift away. Far away, where nothing from her past would find her.

Ssarak allowed for Meirin to vent her rage without interruption. Having just experienced her emotions firsthand, he knew how she was feeling, so he also knew not to attempt to placate her with the standard reassurances about her mistakes. "Meirin...I am not going to lie to you, or try to convince you that you made the right choice. Nor will I try to speculate on what might have happened had you done something different. It is possible that you may have been able to help the children, or the demons may have just killed you too. But whether or not it was a mistake, that does not diminish who you are now. As you said, I witnessed your memory myself, but it was not as if I was simply observing it through a window. I felt your memory. I saw the chaos when you ran out of the monestary, I heard the screams, and the shouts of the demons. I felt the blood, and the rain, and the...sores on your feet that you ignored as you ran. And I felt the pain, the regret that surrounds it all. You can believe me when I say that I understand what you are feeling. I wish I could make it all disappear, but I do not know if I yet have the skill to remove that pain."

Reaching down, Ssarak placed his hand softly around her shoulder. He did not pull back the blanket, but he wanted her to feel his presence. "I cannot erase all of that, but I can say is that you ARE wonderful. You know what happened, you know your mistakes, and you have done something about it. You have made a change in your life; dedicated yourself to something greater. You are working towards the safety of every man, woman, and child in Tien, and I know you have the strength to press on. During that attack, you were confused, frightened. Your mind was stressed beyond the breaking point of any normal person. In that kind of a situation, no one can blame you for those mistakes. You had not been trained for that, and near anyone else forced into the same situation would have fared just the same. I am not asking you to forget what happened or what you did, just...try to remember the person you have become."

Once more Meirin was quiet. She didn't want to argue right now. She just curled up tighter underneath the blanket and tried to go to sleep, but her eyes were getting too puffy from the tears and she was just feeling bad in general. She was both thankful for Ssarak's kind words and angry that he still thought she had any redeeming quality about herself. She didn't consider her success to mean anything, knowing that she screwed up once in her life. It was foolish, she knows that, but her emotions weren't being rational right now.

For the longest time it seemed like Meirin had fallen asleep. But even after an hour, Meirin wasn't asleep. She was just laying there trying, but she just wasn't comfortable. Every time she thought she was about to drift away she remembered the looks on the children's corpses and it shocked her back to reality. She wanted to ask Ssarak to use a spell to make her fall asleep, but she wasn't even sure if Ssarak was still here. She had been underneath the blanket this entire time.

Though he said no more, Ssarak had not left. In fact, he had hardly moved from where he was sitting. He just kept his hand resting lightly on her, entranced into his own thoughts. He went through his mind pondering every angle of the situation he could think of; anything he could say or do that might give her even a small amount of comfort. In the meantime, he did not intend to budge from where he was. He wanted to stay there to comfort her, even if it meant he would be sitting in the same spot the entire night. He would eventually fall asleep, but would still not leave her side.

---

Eventually Meirin started to stir. She didn't know how much time passed, but it was now night time. She wasn't able to sleep at all. She was going to get up and get a drink of water when she noticed that Ssarak was still here. He was sitting right next to her bedroll, his hand just inches away from her back as she slept. A small smile emerged on her face. "You... Silly dragon. How long are you just going to sit there?" Meirin said quietly. She went to get the two of them a cup of water, sitting back at her table. She felt too hot to go back to bed and needed to cool off.

Ssarak had been locked into his own thoughts long enough that he almost did not notice when Meirin awoke. He had stood up one or twice just to move his legs, but he lever left the room, and for the most part, he was right by her side. Once she was finally conscious, he smiled warmly. "Well, I told myself I was going to stay until I saw you smile, but I think I can still stay for a while longer."

Standing to his feet, Ssarak stretched out his muscles as Meirin grabbed them some water. "I just wanted to be here for you. I wanted you to know that you are not alone, and as long as I am here, you are never going to be alone. Metaphorically speaking, of course. I will leave this room eventually." He explained, adding a grin.

Meirin didn't have anything to say. Right now, there wasn't really anything she wanted to say. Everything was just... So much. It was a lot to take in all at once. So Meirin just sipped her water in silence. Eventually she did speak up. "I... I want to try this again. Not right now, maybe not anytime soon, but... But I want awnsers too." Finsihing her cup of water, Meirin used a simple weaving motion to draw more water into her cup without even standing up. "I... I guess part of me feels like I don't deserve that, and that I should be punished for... What I did. But that's just an excuse, I beleive. A reason for me to forget and just accept things as they are. It just seemed so much easier to give up and live with that guilt, accepting it as her punishment and never challenging it. But you're right. I did everything I could, maybe not the best things, but.... I did what felt was right. And I do need to learn from my mistakes. Which is why I can't let these nightmares control my life anymore. They'll just keep making the same problems over and over again."

After her little speech Meirin stood up and hugged Ssarak. There was nothing more to be said; she just wanted to hold and be held by Ssarak until she felt comfortable enough to fall back asleep. It was the dead of night afterall, and it's not like she had anything too important to do. Perhaps she could go and meet up with Khan, maybe Ssarak could talk some sense into the old eysire.

It seemed that Meirin's rest had been enough for her mind to settle from the rather severe emotions she had experienced before, though for now, he was content to let the matter rest. It was a sensitive topic for her, of that there was no doubt, and if they dwelled on it too long, her mind could spiral back into the same memories as before. He would make the time to help her whenever she felt she was ready. For now, he hugged her as tightly as was comfortable. He wrapped his wings around her, which essentially engulfed her entirely in his embrace. For Ssarak, it could make it seem as if there was nothing else but himself and Mei, at least for a moment. "I will do everything I am able." Ssarak said simply, to both acknowledge her, and move on from the potentially uncomfortable topic.

Ssarak still wished to talk, but this time about something that had put him in a much brighter mood. "Now, I believe you will be glad to know that I did not learn anything particularly embarrassing about you while I was sifting through your other memories. At least, nothing that I would think you should find embarrassing. I do not actually know what you think of those memories, as I did not read your opinions of...your own opinions."

Meirin chuckled, though she was curious about what Ssarak figured out. Dependong on what he said, she may or may not kick him out of her room, at least for tonight. "Oh? Then tell me, oh mighty mind reader, what are your opinions of my opinions?"

"Very well, I just hope your opinion of my opinons of your opinions is a positive opinion." Ssarak grinned. "I learned some small things. You find seeds in fruit annoying, which, by the way, I agree with completely. The glare from your window is irritating, and based on some of the people you find attractive, you seem to have a particular liking for Esyire. Although, I did not need psychomancy to figure that out. You are currently romancing a...young, handsome male Esyire, after all." He chuckled, at which point another thought came to his mind, for which he had to suppress a grin.

Suddenly, Ssarak's expression became more serious. "Though, there is one piece of information I learned that surprised me. I honestly do not think I will be able to look at you the same again. You..." He began, giving an intentional pause. Although, he was careful not to let her worry for more than a few seconds. "...do not like tomatoes. I mean, I will admit they are not as good as something like a steak, but for a fruit, I think they are rather good. Sweet, juicy, and you can eat them in a single bite. Well, I can. Honestly, I do not think I can look at you right now." Ssarak raised up his head in an exaggerated outrage, but he was smiling the entire time. He simply could not keep a straight face.

Meirin continue to smirk at Ssarak's observation of her memories. "The seeds get in the way of enjoying perfectly good fruit. Like melon seeds." She didn't mention anything about her attraction to Eysires, though she hoped that Ssarak didn't find her... Latent fantasies about Ovak. For an ancient old man, he still had a certain charm about him. Meirin felt a bit dirty just thinking about it.

When Ssarak became serious Meirin was legitimately worried. She didn't even have a clue what exactly Ssarak was thinking about, only that she was frighten. Until he told her that he found out she didn't like tomatoes, which earned him a playful, if a bit strong, elbow to his ribs. "You'd hate tomatoes too if you spent two seasons harvesting and living off of them. My teachers may have taught me to enjoy the fruit of my labor, but I like to have some vareity in my life. Nothing but tomato soup for two whole years. Two. Whole. Years."

Ssarak continued to pretend to be ashamed of Meirin, refusing to look at her. She stood up so now she looked down at Ssarak's face, holding his head up so he wouldn't try to turn his head away. Meirin and Ssarak played around for a short while before Meirin leaned in to kiss him, trying to catch him by surprise.

Ssarak would have started laughing with Meirin's brief rant on tomatoes, had he not been already. She did surprise him with her kiss, causing his eyes to widen briefly. Though, it was a well received surprise. Looking up at her from where he was seated, he stared up into her eyes in complete silence for a few seconds. Once again, his expression became more serious, but in a much less negative way than when he had been acting before. Instead, his expression became warm and thoughtful.

"There were...other memories I came across. Well, more of thoughts. Opinions. It was your opinions of some of the others we know that eventually led me to the memory I was seeking. But, before that, I came across some of your opinions on...me" Ssarak explained, at which point he almost seemed like he was becoming choked up, and he gave a very soft smile. "You love me. I've known that for a long time, and I have always trusted you when you told it to me. But...I did not just read thoughts telling me your feelings, I felt your feelings. It is difficult to describe in words what it is like .To feel in your own mind the love that another holds for you. I wish there was a way I could show to you everything I feel for you, in the same way I saw it in your mind." By this point, Ssarak's hands were actually subtly shaking and tears formed in his eyes, though he did not break eye contact. "You are simply wonderful."

Meirin's mouth was tightly sealed as her eyes were locked onto Ssarak's own, her ears listening to his ever word. These feelings she had for him were new and confusing to her. She couldn't describe how she felt for him because there was nothing that could compare. All the words she knew couldn't do it justice. Meirin has always been a woman of action, and romantic word play just wasn't her forte.

Kneeling down to his level, Meirin took Ssarak's hands into her own, holding them to her face. She reached out to wipe away his tears before giving him a light peck on the nose. "Then let us speak no more words. Now, we will show eachother our love."

Again, Ssarak was surprised. He had not expected her words, and he could not help but to wonder if her meaning was as they implied. It was tempting to reach once more into her mind and see her thoughts for himself, but he refrained from doing so. Her meaning would become quite clear in short order, he imagined. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he pulled her close, and into another kiss, holding her in an embrace with more passion and energy than he ever had before.

Pushing her body forward into ssarak, Meirin met his kiss with her own, falling on top of him as Ssarak fell back onto her bedroll. Her hands wrapped around Ssaraks' body to hold their bodies together, feeling the warmth of each other against their skins. While she had kissed Ssarak before, they were always just quick pecks on the lips, or occasionally a longer embrace that last a few seconds. But right now had more passion, more fire, and thus gave more to Ssarak. As they laid there, Meirin eventually pulled herself out from Ssarak's grasp, only to undo her night gown. Without it her body was completely exposed and bare for Ssarak to see.

Given the culture of Ssarak’s upbringing, it was not the sight of Meirin herself that caused his heart to race out of his chest, but the meaning behind it. That day, she had shown complete and total trust for him by allowing him into her mind. Emotionally, she had laid herself bare for him, as she was now doing physically. There had once been a time when he had pondered what complications might arise in their relationship due to their physical differences; however, there was no longer a single doubt in his mind. As Meirin cast aside her nightgown, Ssarak was quick to undress in turn. Then, there was another hug between them.

Then, a kiss.



Ssarak gave Meirin an understanding nod. Being that it was her homeland, he trusted her advice when it came to surviving in Djarkel. He hardly even had experience with the cold itself, let alone the dangers that might come with it. Indeed, he would be trusting her for quite a lot over the next few weeks in terms of Djarkel’s customs and any challenges they might face. He knew very well the trust she held for him, and that was something he intended to reciprocate.

When Meirin called over Lyn, Ssarak gave the girl a similar smile as Mei. He saw that Lyn had entered with Tyrael, and that she had brought him along, but for the moment, he decided not to pay too close of attention to him. He knew that Mei disliked the Demonomancer, and after what happened in the catacombs, Ssarak could not say he was fond of him himself. He acknowledged that Tyrael was a necessary ally, but he could not grant him any trust.

Despite his thoughts, Ssarak remained upbeat towards Lyn. ”Are you sure that is not a little ambitious? You might be Naga, but I think that is more than you can swallow.” He teased.

She looked at Annabeth a little confused for a moment before she remembered what her magic was. And even then she was a little uncertain what it was she was exactly going to do to help with her hangover. But she was willing to let her try anything right now if it would improve her day any. Even if it just took off the edge while her body handled the rest.

But when the relief did come she let out a soft little moan of pleasure. “You my dear girl are a beautiful, beautiful angel. I could kiss you right now.” And she didn't sound like that was a joke either. Or at least she didn't sound like it was totally a joke.

She was distracted for a moment by the arrival of song, she watched him go past, eyebrow quirked before shaking her head and turning back to find that not only had Baulder just stopped eating all of a sudden, but E’nasha had also returned with a friend. These people were all so weird. Really. She thought where she had grown up was weird, being a port city opened things up to the strange, but here, maybe because she was actually talking with them and she noticed it more was just different.

She finished up her breakfast after waving hello to the new commer. “Well I hate to eat and run,” she sighed, standing up, “But I have a mission to be packing for that I neglected finishing up last night.”

Keri Wolf

The young woman watched as the other two interacted with each other. Her eyebrow raised when Lucilia mentioned something about there being missions already up. Her head shook as she tried to hide a yawn. Thankfully Colette had this covered so it would be logical to assume that they were both up rather late, which was kind of true. ” What missions? I mean as far as I'm aware there are not any up.” the girl commented before continuing. ” Would you like to join us Lucilia? I mean I know Colette would like the company after breakfast since I need to see Khan.” she commented while giving Colette a cheeky smile.

Lyn overlooked the fact she could feel the heavy tension between Tyrael and her friends. Though the desire to make things better and ease the hurt feelings was gnawing to her slowly in their presence causing her slight discomfort, her figure looking at Ssarak when he spoke. She knew what happened within the catacombs. Or at least what bit she could get from Colette. The bad part, she had put it away in her mind to deal with later due to her mother’s condition and everything that happened during the hunt. Gradually it had slipped her mind over time causing her to forget until recently and any attempts to get information from Meirin, who seemed to hold the biggest grudge, were becoming rather difficult.

She smiled, letting the thought fade away for the moment, then replied. “Maybe but I won’t know unless I tried. At least then I won’t be eating for a good month or two, that’s a perk!”

The woman reached for an unclaimed plate and set it in front of her. She then leaned forward and snatched a slice of ham (bit disappointed it was cooked), several grapes, some boiled eggs and other breakfast items to fully fill up her plate. She plopped back downward on her rear to dig in when she decided to ask the question on her mind. “Big question, do any of you know who we need to contact before heading into Djarkel? I don’t know much about it to be honest save that I’m hoping to meet someone there. I don’t think he’ll even know who I am since I’ve changed quite a bit from the caravan mission…”

"Eat a horse? Hoofs an all?" Meirin teased Lyn. If Meirin knew that Lyn was going to come to breakfast Meirin would have saved her something good to eat. Lyn and her mother both seemed too like their meat rare, if not raw, and Meirin actually knew a few meals with raw meat. They were very rare delicacies that Meirin only ate on very special occasions back at the monastery, typically things like marriage or death. However Meirin has had a hard time getting the proper ingredients as well as practice making the dish. "You must have trained very hard to work up such an appetite Lyn. I hope you gave Tyrael a good fight!"

Meirin glanced at the demonomancer, mostly to see his wounds. She noticed the bandages on his feet and one one his thigh. Meirin never had the chance to fight Tyrael herself, not out of fear but time. As much as she hated Tyrael, she wasn't going to waste her life hounding him. That being said, ever since his stunt in the catacombs Meirin couldn't help but plot how to defeat him. Normally she would never plan to do harm to a teacher, even if she doesn't like them, but Tyrael was far too wild for Meirin's taste. Even Lucilia was at least beholden to Khan and the others. Ignoring him, Meirin wanted to focus more on Lyn.

When Lyn asked about who to contact about the Djarkel Mission, Meirin was somewhat confused. She didn't know that Lyn was going to come, and she wasn't even sure if the girl could come. Last time Lyn sneaked onto their mission because of Lucilia, though this time Lyn was practically an adult both mentally and physically. But Meirin still remembered barely half a month ago the little girl who still struggled to speak or eat large pieces of meat. Meirin still remembered that same little girl nearly falling to her death over a bridge, or nearly killing herself using her own mageblood. Everyone kept saying that Lyn was an adult, but to Meirin Lyn was just a kid. And Meirin didn't want to see anymore children die.

"I... We... You're going on the Djarkel Mission, Lyn? We're not heading up there for fun and games. We're heading to Djarkel on a diplomatic mission to make sure the college's allies are okay. It might not be as dangerous as the caravan mission, but it is Djarkel. Djarkel is always dangerous. Not only that, but because it's a diplomatic mission just being strong won't be enough. You have to be smart and good with words. We'll be talking to some very important people, and we have to be on our best behavior. Not only do we have to make sure we look good, but we have to make the college look good too." Meirin tried to subtly dissuade Lyn from going on this mission. She didn't want to tell Lyn outright that she shouldn't go, but Meirin was concerned that maybe Lyn wasn't ready for a mission yet. She was barely a year old; how is she suppose to keep up with court intrigue and general Djarkel politics? Did Lyn even know what politics are?

"Do you think you can handle all of that? Not only could there be fighting, but we have to talk to people and make them happy too. We have to be very careful about what we say or else we could lose our friends."

”Hello El’kan! I’m Annabeth Gulch, a Psychomancer. I’m pleased to meet you.” Annabeth greeted E’nasha’s friend. Annabeth couldn’t say he’s ever seen him before. While he certainly looked like he was from Yarosmere, Annabeth has never seen him in any of her classes or around the college. Perhaps he didn’t have Mage Blood and simply worked here? Annabeth didn’t think too much about it. Whoever he was, he was E’nasha’s friend, and that was good enough for Annabeth.

Around that time Annabeth noticed Tyrael and Lyn coming in, with Tyrael singing. She actually knew about that part a while ago, after overhearing him practicing his songs in Underhaven. Annabeth didn’t question it, considering all the other weird stuff and weird people that happens in Underhaven. The only thing that worried Annabeth was that Lyn took Tyrael to Ssarak and Meirin, perhaps two of the worse people Tyrael could be with aside from maybe Lucilia and Athalus. Ssarak and Meirin were good people, but they had perfectly justifiable reasons to hate Tyrael. It was a good thing Lyn was there to keep the peace, otherwise Annabeth would have quickly left before the drama started.

When Helena spoke to Annabeth, the psychomancer blushed. ”Heh heh heh… Why are girls attracted to me?” Annabeth said quietly. Helena was about to leave, but Annabeth stood up and spoke to her. ”Helena, wait! My spell only works if I’m nearby. If you stray too far the pain will come back. Here, since I’m done why don’t I go help you get ready for your mission?”



”Ah, thank you Colette. I’ll stop by later and try them out.” Lucilia was jealous to admit it, but Colette was having much more success with the Marrow Draught formula than Lucilia had. The Marrow Draught, now called Blood Candies, have so far been effective. While still not as potent as simply drinking blood, they were having an effect, which was more than what Lucilia’s own formula could boast. The vampire was certain that if Colette had more time and materials she could perfect the Blood Candies and potentially remove the vampire’s need to feed on others throughout the world. The implications of such a success was…. Unpredictable. It brought a smile to Lucilia’s face.

Keri asked about the missions, not knowing that they’ve been posted for some time now. Keri dear, there have been missions up since the start of this week. Though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised if people have been taking the flyers…. Anyways, there are three missions that have vacancies. The first is a mission into Djarkel, where students will be expected to participate in some diplomatic functions. Second, also in Djarkel, our Noxomancer students are due for their alignment ceremony but need volunteers to help protect them while traverse the Nox or whatever it is that Criag needs them for. Lastly, we need students to head into Yarosmere to investigate the new regime that has taken hold. You should hurry to the mission board down in the courtyard as soon as you can, all three of those missions are expected to leave today.”

As for Keri’s suggestion that Lucilia joined them for lunch, she smiled politely but shook her head. ”I would love to Keri, but I must find Lidda. We need to discuss a new dosage for Khan and Ovak’s medicine… Keri, if you are going to see Khan, would you remind him to take his medicine? I’ve been getting reports that Khan hasn’t been taking his medicine at his appointed times. It’s not quite time yet, but he should still have a few vials left. When you see him, please make sure he takes his medicine.” Sighing, Lucilia looked to the side and whispered under her breath. ”He’s getting worse everyday…”

Clearing her throat Lucilia bowed her head towards the two vampires. ”I’m afraid I must leave. Make sure you look at those missions, they could use your help, and of course there is a reward for anyone who takes part. If you need me I will either be with Lidda or in my office. Have a good day, girls.”



Tyrael was not expecting Lyn to drag her to breakfast. Normally he would get her food, knowing what she likes to eat and how to cook it. Not that the chefs in the Dining Hall didn’t know how to cook either, but Tyrael prefered to make Lyn’s food. But there was no harm in letting Lyn eat a proper breakfast with him. Well… Except for the fact they’d be eating with Meirin and Ssarak. Tyrael holds no grudges against them (Well, no more than he already had) and understood their hatred of him. Tyrael has come to accept that he acted out of hand in the catacombs and will accept whatever judgement they have for him. However Tyrael also intended to do better, for himself, for his family, and everyone else. It’s still a bit rocky, but he was trying.

For the most part Tyrael stayed out of the conversation between the others. He just sat down and let Lyn do most of the talking, saying how hungry she was and such. When she started getting food from the others for breakfast, Tyrael got the attention of one of the kitchen staff and ordered more food for Lyn. By the time Tyrael turned his attention back Meirin was talking.

Tyrael was willing to ignore Meirin’s veiled statement about Lyn hurting him. Again, he’s accepted that he has made his mistakes and he will pay for them. However Tyrael couldn’t keep quiet when Meirin was more blatantly trying to dissuade Lyn from going on the Djarkel Mission. ”Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement, Kurenai. Lyn may be part human but she is also a naga. They have lived countless centuries in the Ravine, where lives are short and violent. They must learn how to survive and thrive in a short time or they would not have lasted this long. You may think Lyn is still a child because of her chronological age but rest assure Lyn is an adult now. She is more than capable of handling any situation thrown at her, be it combat or political intrigue. Lyn is not some naive youth who lacks worldly experience.”

Though truthfully, Tyrael did agree with Meirin’s words. He does still think Lyn is just a child and shouldn’t be going on missions yet. But that was because Lyn was precious to him and he doesn’t want anything bad happening to her. Detached from his emotions, Tyrael had to acknowledge that Lyn was an adult, mentally and physically, and while she wasn’t experienced in the world, Lyn can’t stay at the college forever. Every bird has to leave the nest. Tyrael could only wish that he could do more to help her. That’s when he had an idea.

Reaching out, Tyrael created a portal into the Inferno and took out a stone. It was a grey, smooth rock with a rune carved into it. It was roughly the size of a plate and weighed about five pounds. ”Lyn, take this stone with you. It is… A rock. A pet Rock. His name is Titan.” Tyrael knew this might seem strange so he elected to elaborate. ”This is a test of sorts. I want Lyn to take care of this stone while she is on her mission. She needs to bring it back to me, whole, as proof of her competence. It may seem strange to take care of a rock, but if Lyn cannot even do a simple task like this, I would be inclined to agree with your doubts Kurenai.” Of course there was more to this stone than meets the eye. But Tyrael wasn’t going to divulge its secrets; the rock was much like Lyn. Deceptively normal with a few physical quirks aside (Like Lyn’s rough skin and scales compared to the rock’s strange rune), but there is a certain strength hidden within both. And when it is time to test either one of them their true powers will reveal themselves.

”And of course it is a gift. If you can bring it back to me, Lyn, the rock is yours to keep.”

Keri Wolf

Keri's muscles seemed to tense up as the word Djarkel passed Lucilia's lips. For the first time in a while she felt focused as she listened closely to what the oldest vampire had to say, though in truth the amount of information was going to take a little bit of time to actually sink in, mainly due to complete mental exhaustion. Diplomatic functions were not uncommon in the region. Mainly due to the capital's influential individuals. The power was placed upon the Barons that resided in New Sanguine though this was really the only place of interest since the land was slowly rotting away. Everyone was aware that the land was cursed and if not then they would soon learn why it was. If the students would be traveling to the city then it was best of they at least had someone who knew the land. [Color=silver][I]” Looks like there's no choice. If they're going to the social gathering then they will need somewhere to stay for the night and if I remember correctly my village isn't that far from the capital. Not to mention that I'm still the heir to my family's land even if I was adopted. Looks like there's no avoiding it any more. Looks like I'm going home.”[/color] the young woman thought to herself.

The girl's eyes flickered towards the woman when the subject changed. Her hand slowly raked through her hair as he muscles slowly eased out of their tensed state. It wasn't a surprise that Khan wasn't taking his medication after all he was a stubborn old man who seemed to be shouldering too much at once. Not adding other people's troubles on top of his own. ” Yeah. If that's the case I should go there as soon as I can. Besides I think it's time to ask Rathel if he can't keep that bloody dragon in one place? If not then I'll think of something to keep him there until he has taken the vial.” she muttered to herself. The youngest vampire nodded as Lucilia excused herself before addressing Colette. ” Now I'm worried. Would you mind if we change directions and go to Khan's office first? If you don't I will completely understand Colette.” Keri seemed to plead.

Helena smiled at Annabeth, nodding some. “If you insist,” she chuckled, waving her goodbyes to the others. “Guess I'll see the rest of you around then.” And with that she waited for Annabeth to catch up to her side and headed for the door, pulling her cloak close around her again.

“Really, thank you for the head fix,” she said to the other girl, gesturing at her head for effect. “It's nice not feeling dizzy again.”

”No problem Helena. I do it all the time down at Underhaven, and if it makes the customers happy, it makes me happy.” Of course happy customers not suffering from a hangover celebrate by buying more drinks, which meant more business and tips for Annabeth. Annabeth chose not to mention this to Helena. ”So, where are you going first?”

Helena smiled some. “Well it certainly makes me happy,” she chuckled. “And I'm sure happy customers tip more too. Strange still to me that you work outside of school like that. Though it really doesn't sound like a bad gig.”

She pursed her lips some, thinking for a second. “Ah, my room I guess. Gotta get the last of my things in my bag.”

”Ah well… I guess it’s more like a hobby. Grew up in a tavern and did stuff like that most of my young life. I guess even away from home I can’t help but go back to my roots, you know?” Indeed, Annabeth had no real need for money. Most of the supplies she needed was given to her by the college, and aside from occasionally indulging in drinks and food, Annabeth doesn’t have many expensive things. The tavern floor just felt like home for Annabeth.

Annabeth didn’t really say much else as they headed towards Helena’s room. They weren’t too far anyways, so the silence didn’t last. Once inside Annabeth glanced around and asked Helena something. ”So where did you come from Helena? You don’t strike me as an Eanian.”

She stripped of her cloak when back in her room, tossing it on the mess of sheets and blankets that was her bed. She should make that before she went. Had to remember that. “Take a seat,” she said gesturing to the bed, or the little stool near it as she grabbed her bag from the floor and started to fold up the last little bit she needed.

“I'm not. I'm from Djarkel. Port Slaughter,” she said over her shoulder at her. “It's about as fun of a place as it sounds.”

”Ah.” Annabeth took a seat on the bed. Her armor clinked together as she sat down. Now that she wasn’t outside where it was cold, wearing her armor inside where it was a bit warmer made Annabeth want to take it off. However that might have brought wrong signals, and considering Annabeth’s track record, she’d like to minimize the amount of dolls she plays with. ”I’ve only heard rumors. Pirate City, Thieves Guild rules it, has more murderers than innocents there… Uh, not that I believe any of it. Eanians aren’t exactly known for saying anything good about Djarkel.” Of course, most Eanians don’t know about Port Slaughter. What Annabeth heard mostly came from vampires in Underhaven, who do a lot of business in Port Slaughter.

“That's not too far off,” she chuckled. “I mean, there has to be some innocents for murderers to murder. But even nice people like me aren't totally innocent. And I don't just mean in the lustful way.” She winked at her playfully before laughing and straightening up again. “You're from nearby though? I'll be honest, my geography isn't very good.””

”Eh heh heh….” Annabeth laughed awkwardly at Helena’s comment. She pretended to ignore Helena’s comment about being lustful. Luckily Helena changed the topic to Annabeth, which she was more comfortable talking about. ”Something like that. Before I came here I lived at Eania’s capital, Shimmerstone. I don’t know the exact measurements, but I actually think Shimmerstone and Djarkel are just about equal distance from the college.” Annabeth was just guessing of course, she doesn’t even know where Port Slaughter is aside that it’s on the coast.

”Ah, that does remind me though. What mission were you going on again? Heading to Yarosmere, correct?”

Helena shook her head some, noticing again how terrible her hair still looked. She grabbed her hairbrush and sat down on the bed near Annabeth to work out the few knots in it. “Ah no,” she said with a thoughtful look. “Actually going back to Djarkel. Going on the Nox one. Guard duty.”

”Oh, you mean the one… That I’m… Going on…” Annabeth was initially perky at the thought that Helena would come with her. But Annabeth was no fool. She’s been picking up her hints, and it made Annabeth feel uncomfortable, to be honest. Not because Helena isn’t a comely lass, polite and interesting, nor is it because she’s a Djarkel from Port Slaughter. No, the trouble was Annabeth. She didn’t want to admit it. She never really thought about it. But Annabeth has already slept with four different girls. She wasn’t sure if she was charming or had a problem. Annabeth never imagined that she’d be so… Loose.

”Ahem… Well, we could certainly use your help Helena. I’m not even sure what we’re heading into, so having a close friend- I mean a friend close! It’d be helpful! Yes, very good.”

Helena raised an eyebrow up slightly, confused why she seemed suddenly awkward. “Am I making you feel uncomfortable?” she asked softly, putting her hair brush down in her lap for a second. “I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable at all.” And while she normally didn't mind making people feel awkward, she didn't want to make a friend uncomfortable if it wasn't funny for the both of them.

”What? Oh, no no no! Helena it’s not that it’s… It’s me…” Annabeth sighed and stood up. She wasn’t quite sure how to explain her feelings right now. Frankly it was just stupid. But it was a burning sensation that Annabeth knows how to cure, but she knows the cure to it is… Embarrassing. ”I mean, I barely know you Helena, and I do want to know more about you. Your home, your life, what you like, what you hate. Befriend you, basically. It’s just that… Welll…” Hiding her blushing face behind her hands Annabeth spoke quietly.

”You seem so… Mysterious. And beautiful. And strong… And well, I can’t help but feel attracted to you, a-and there’s nothing wrong with you! Like I said, I just think I might have a problem.” Annabeth almost felt like bolting. She wanted to tell Helena everything, really, but Helena was still a stranger to Annabeth. And what kind of person was Annabeth that she’d tell a total stranger all her problems and her feelings? Sure she wants to befriend her, but Annabeth has barely known her for an hour! Surely this isn’t normal.

Helena chuckled softly and shook her head some. “So I am making you feel uncomfortable,” she said, watching the other girl curiously. “I dunno if I'd say I'm mysterious. But I'll take beautiful and strong.” She pulled her legs up under her some, tilting her head a little bit. “I'm not trying to rush anything here. And I'm certainly surprised that you're attracted to me. I was just being me, being friendly.”

She went back to brushing her hair, letting Annabeth regain her composure. “I've kinda got three moods. Sassy, flirty, and angry. There's some overlap. But that's basically all. If you don't wanna peruse anything now, or ever, that's perfectly fine. Just know my flirting is in good fun. I wasn't directly trying for anything.”

”I-I know, it’s just that, well, um…” Annabeth sat back down on the bed, putting some space between her and Helena. It was a good thing that Helena couldn’t read minds because even if Annabeth had good wards, her thoughts were easy enough to see. Her legs squirmed and Annabeth held her hands close to her body as if she was trying to hide something (though her armor made it pretty easy to hide everything). ”I do, kinda… Want to… Do you… If you want…” Annabeth covered her face again. She couldn’t believe that this girl, who is usually in control of her emotions and on top of things, was acting like some shy maiden. Normally she’s more aggressive too. Annabeth figured it was just because she was starting to realize that, maybe, just maybe, she’s kinda a whore.

It was very easy to see how nervous she'd gotten, but Helena was polite enough to hold her tongue and let her say what she wanted and not just what her fidgeting was trying to say. But she still rather surprised to hear her say it so frankly. “I do,” she nodded, smiling at her with a smile caught between kind and sly. “But not right now. I'd like to get to know you too. And we've got plenty of time for that while we travel. Besides, my boyfriend always tells me that waiting is what makes things worthwhile.”

”Oh my god. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean- I should have know, I mean… Oh gods I can’t believe I was actually thinking about going through with that…”

Annabeth stood up and looked more distraught than embarrassed. It was one thing that Annabeth kept having these lewd intentions with every cute girl she meets, but Helena had a boyfriend already! This would as bad as if Annabeth tried to seduce Mar from Athalus. Now her feelings were even more complicated, since not only did Helena accept Annabeth’s proposal, but that was despite the fact she had a boyfriend! Annabeth just wasn’t sure how to think about it.

Annabeth had to calm herself down. Fortunately she had magic for that. A quick charm and Annabeth was able to start breathing steadily again. She needed to think about this logically. There was nothing wrong with Annabeth liking Helena. Morally, Annabeth shouldn’t make Helena cheat on her boyfriend for Annabeth. She has heard her tales of cuckolding back at the tavern at home, and Annabeth would rather not be the subject of one such tales. But at the same time, Annabeth would feel better if she actually get to know Helena as a person before they got intimate. At the very least, it would ease Annabeth’s conscience to sleep with a friend for benefits than to just hit-and-run for the sake of slating Annabeth’s desires.

”Yes… Yes you’re right. I’m rushing into this too fast. I just need to think, take it slow… Let things happen naturally.” Breathing more steadily, Annabeth was starting to feel less skittery now. She was even able to look at Helena without being embarrassed. ”Thank you Helena, for understanding. I… Want to know you more. So! Are you done packing?” Wanting to change the subject to something slightly more serious, Annabeth didn’t notice any weapons with Helena. Perhaps she used daggers? Or fisticuffs?

”Do you have a weapon? Since we’re suppose to protect the other students, we need to be well armed.”

“Annabeth,” she sighed, watching her reaction. That was sorta what she'd expected, but it was still amusing to some degree. “Denny and I have an understanding. He knows. He has the same freedom to see other people as I have. Don't let that bother you.” If it didn't bother Helena, and it didn't bother her boyfriend, then it wasn't going to be Annabeth doing anything wrong.

“I have a nice selection of knives and daggers,” she said when asked about weapons. She patted at the blade that was visible on her belt, one of the few she openly carried. And actually the only one on her person at the moment. A few were in her bag, but most she planned on putting in their proper places in boots and such when she changed her clothes for traveling. “And while I'm done packing, I do still need to change. I kinda slept in these clothes.”

”Oh. Well, daggers are useful. Cunning and quick. More of a sword person myself, but to each their own.” Annabeth patted her belt before realizing that she didn’t bring her sword with her. She did have her dagger, though it wasn’t fancy as Helena’s own blade. Just a simple, practical single-edge knife capable of cutting or stabbing. When Helena mentioned needing to change Annabeth’s face grew red again. Helena and her boyfriend might be alright with it, which did ease Annabeth’s own conscious about it, but she definitely knew that if Helena stripped in front of Annabeth… It would be temptation that Annabeth would fail. ”Oh, of course. Ah… I can step out if you’d like. I think my room is nearby too, I should go pack. I think we might be close enough that you’ll still be under my spell even if I leave.”

Helena shrugged and tossed her hair brush into her bag now that she had gotten her hair back under control again. “That's your choice, I take no offense if you want to leave.” She kicked off her boots and stood up while Annabeth decided. That shouldn't be too much temptation for her. “I shouldn't be too much longer anyways. We can always meet back up in the hall.”

Annabeth nodded her head and decided to step outside. Once she closed the door behind her back she sat down and let out a breath. Her chest felt so hot. She wasn’t sure if it was because of her armor or because of her feelings for Helena. And despite her spell and Helena’s own words, Annabeth couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. Even if Helena was alright with it, Annabeth wondered how others might think. What if rumors start to spread? Worse, what if Colette and Keri figure this out? Would they be angry at her? Surely not, but still… Annabeth just wasn’t sure what to make of this situation. She needed to get her mind off of it. So Annabeth headed back to her room. Unfortunately, Annabeth’s room was too far for her to maintain her spell with Helena. Once Annabeth returned to her room, the hangover came back to Helena.

Helena stripped of the rest of her clothes and redress fairly quickly. But by the time she was done, she was feeling the effects of her hangover again. Which meant that Annabeth had headed back to her room which was a little too far away. But since she'd eaten now, it wasn't as bad as it had been just twenty minutes before. Once she had all her weapons in place, she pulled her cloak back around her shoulders, double checked her bag and person, and headed out of her room with her bag hanging from one shoulder for the time being and went out to find Annabeth again.

Back at Annabeth’s room, she had already packed most of her things. Annabeth felt a fool for forgetting that she had already done so earlier that day. But now that she was here, she figured she could at least strip out of this armor and into something more comfortable. She traded her coat of plates for a coat of fur, made from bear hide. It was just as warm, but far less heavy. She also turned in her armored gauntlets and boots for a more conventional pair of leather, fur-lined variants. Once she was redressed Annabeth neatly laid everything in her room down ready to be picked up once it was time to head out for the missions. Then she left to meet up with Helena, who was already doing the same. Wasn’t long before the two found each other.

”Ah. Done already? We should go to the mission board and see what our jobs would be.”

Helena smiled at Annabeth when she saw her again, waving a little bit. “Just needed to change my clothes is all,” she chuckled, gesturing Annabeth to lead on. “Prolly should rebraid my hair too, but at least with it down it helps keep my ears warm.”

”Yeah, bulky armor is warm, but maybe not good for casual clothes.” Annabeth looked down at her considerably more comfortable fur coat. Now that Helena was here the two girls moved onwards towards the courtyard where the mission board was. With any luck there were still quest sheets up; some students have been ripping them off the wall and thus depriving other students a chance to learn about it. At least knows what she’s looking for, she just needs more details on it. As Annabeth and Helena walked, they ran into another couple.

”Oh. Hello Keri, hello Collete.”

Helena waved at the pair of girls, smiling at them both. “Morning all,” she murmured, stopping her forward motion to at least have a short chat with the other girls.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak observed the exchange between Meirin and Tyrael and, from his perspective, the truth about Lyn probably lay somewhere in the middle. Admittedly, Meirin was probably treating Lyn as a child, though Ssarak certainly could not blame her. She was young, far younger than any adult of any thinking race or species he had ever heard of. When his children were her age, they were still infants. Even Ssarak had a hard time seeing Lyn as being as mature as she actually was. For the majority of people, it would be difficult to reconcile the concept of a person going from birth to adulthood in less than the span of a year. For that reason, if she was going to be joining in their mission, it would perhaps simplify matters if they created a background for Lyn that was more “believable” than reality.

However, while Lyn was mature, Ssarak did not know if it would be wise to have the exact same expectations for her as any other adult. Because of her unique physiology, there were unique challenges that she was going to face. ”Personally, I do not believe it is useful to compare you to anyone else, Naga or Human, Lyn. As fortunate or unfortunate as you may find it, we cannot escape the reality that you are fundamentally unique. Since your birth, you have matured at an unbelievable pace. Your mind absorbs, understands, and retains far more information, far more quickly and efficiently than any other person could hope to match. It is exceptional, almost supernatural; I personally wish it was something I could study, but that is beside the point. The point being that you are capable, mentally and physically, of doing this. The mission, I mean. ”

Leaning forward onto the table, Ssarak took on a more serious tone. ”However, there is a detail on which I do not agree with you entirely, Tyrael. No matter how exceptional your learning abilities, Lyn, there is something that cannot be taught: experience. Most people have well over a decade, usually almost two, of mistakes and successes to build their judgment before they are considered an adult. You simply have not had time to gather those experiences. Granted, you will learn from your experiences far more quickly, and of course, the only way to gain experience is to go out into the world and have experiences. I do not wish to persuade you in any particular direction, I just want to lay out the full situation as it is. Djarkel will be dangerous, and you will certainly be exposed to things you have never experienced before, not all positive. It is up to you if it is the environment in which you want to gain your real-world experience.”

"Eat a horse? Hoofs an all?" The red haired woman teased.

“I feel that way” Lyn admitted, her shoulders shrugged. Her fingers started to rip the ham into pieces while her stomach growled and rumbled in protest, wanting food now rather than be patient. She frowned at not being able to feed it fast enough while focusing on the others chatter.

"You must have trained very hard to work up such an appetite Lyn. I hope you gave Tyrael a good fight!"

Meirin’s next comment caught her off guard causing her to pause. Her lip bit down on her bottom lip then released when she replied. “Not exactly… I sort of gave him a scare when I played dead. It was the only way I could think of actually getting him close enough I could cripple him. I feel really bad about it.”

She popped the ham in her mouth before her appetite turned to ashes over recalling the memory. Unlike her god uncle, who was half demon, Lidda’s novice vitamancers managed to mend her own cut until it was nothing more than a scar. When she noted Meirin’s confused expression, she slowed in her eating for a moment and pondered on the reason. It was made clear in a few moments when she heard Meirin stutter and finally start in on the first thing she knew. It wasn’t a place to take lightly.

"I... We... You're going on the Djarkel Mission, Lyn? We're not heading up there for fun and games. We're heading to Djarkel on a diplomatic mission to make sure the college's allies are okay. It might not be as dangerous as the caravan mission, but it is Djarkel. Djarkel is always dangerous. Not only that but because it's a diplomatic mission just being strong won't be enough. You have to be smart and good with words. We'll be talking to some very important people, and we have to be on our best behavior. Not only do we have to make sure we look good, but we have to make the college look good too." Merin started, causing Lyn to frown and gently put down the meat, her arms folded in front of her. She looked hard at her friend and teacher, not clearly enjoying being treated like an infant despite the fact her age reflected it.

The last bit was the last straw however when Meirin topped off the last of her comment with this. "Do you think you can handle all of that? Not only could there be fighting, but we have to talk to people and make them happy too. We have to be very careful about what we say or else we could lose our friends."

Lyn let her tongue slip out, hissing in irritation with an annoyed expression on her face. Normally it made her look more adorable rather than fierce, unlike her mother, as she puffed out her chest a bit and was about to retort. She was spared wasting the breath when her uncle stepped in with his own thoughts.

“Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement, Kurenai. Lyn may be part human but she is also a naga. They have lived countless centuries in the Ravine, where lives are short and violent. They must learn how to survive and thrive in a short time or they would not have lasted this long. You may think Lyn is still a child because of her chronological age but rest assure Lyn is an adult now. She is more than capable of handling any situation thrown at her, be it combat or political intrigue. Lyn is not some naive youth who lacks worldly experience.”

“Thank you Uncle Tyrael.” Lyn stated, clearly and exhaled in relief.

At least someone believed in her, she thought and she retracted her tongue. She about started in on her meal again when uncle Tyrael did something strange. His hand waved and a portal erupted from the air, the heat wafting off and shimmering creating slight waves from the hot orange inside. He casually reached, without any concern for his well being, then pulled out a grey rock. She narrowed her eyes with curiosity noting the large shape and crude carved rune upon the surface, her body leaned into Tyrael and stood up a bit to see better over his shoulder.

When he passed it over to her, she blinked in surprise. It was heavy as it looked caused her study it, her eyes roaming over the surface and listened to Tyrael’s “Lyn, take this stone with you. It is… A rock. A pet Rock. His name is Titan. This is a test of sorts. I want Lyn to take care of this stone while she is on her mission. She needs to bring it back to me, whole, as proof of her competence. It may seem strange to take care of a rock, but if Lyn cannot even do a simple task like this, I would be inclined to agree with your doubts Kurenai.”

He turned to speak to her directly. “And of course it is a gift. If you can bring it back to me, Lyn, the rock is yours to keep.”
Lyn stopped studying the rock then looked up, her head turned to Tyrael. She nodded but remained silent, not sure what to say. She was happy he trusted her but this felt like a childish task and something she didn’t like. Everyone, including her mother, didn’t seem to understand she was pretty much grown up and this was getting depressing.

”Personally, I do not believe it is useful to compare you to anyone else, Naga or Human, Lyn. As fortunate or unfortunate as you may find it, we cannot escape the reality that you are fundamentally unique. Since your birth, you have matured at an unbelievable pace. Your mind absorbs, understands, and retains far more information, far more quickly and efficiently than any other person could hope to match. It is exceptional, almost supernatural; I personally wish it was something I could study, but that is beside the point. The point being that you are capable, mentally and physically, of doing this. The mission, I mean. ”

Leaning forward onto the table, Ssarak took on a more serious tone which was slightly out of the norm for him. ”However, there is a detail on which I do not agree with you entirely, Tyrael. No matter how exceptional your learning abilities, Lyn, there is something that cannot be taught: experience. Most people have well over a decade, usually almost two, of mistakes and successes to build their judgment before they are considered an adult. You simply have not had time to gather those experiences. Granted, you will learn from your experiences far more quickly, and of course, the only way to gain experience is to go out into the world and have experiences. I do not wish to persuade you in any particular direction, I just want to lay out the full situation as it is. Djarkel will be dangerous, and you will certainly be exposed to things you have never experienced before, not all positive. It is up to you if it is the environment in which you want to gain your real-world experience.”

Lyn sighed, then replied. “I understand the situation fine, yet… I think you’re all overlooking a few important details. It’s only in the College will I ever be treated as a child. Outside, past these walls, no one will ever know I was born a year ago. They won’t see me as a child, but an adult no matter how you explain it. What do I do then?”

She pushed her plate to the side for a moment, placing the stone upon the table with a heavy thump. “I don’t want to grow up, but I don’t think I have much of a choice. So, it’s either I depend on you all for the rest of my life or I learn now how to grow up and live. You can help me or not in the end, but I hope it's the first. I can use it.”

As the students gathered together, socialized, and readied themselves, eventually they would all find a quest to take part in. Most chose their own quests, however a few were assigned to them. Lucilia in particular sought out students she knew may not take the initiative to find their missions, while awaiting those who had already chosen theirs. Craig waited in his office for his Noxomancer students, as well as the volunteers who would protect them. Those participating in the trip to Yarosmere would also be briefed, though instead of the offices they were to meet near the stables were they would take carriages.

Lucilia waited a few minutes for everyone to gather in her office. Ssarak and Meirin were amount the first to arrive. She wasn't surprised to see them here, as they played a part in the previous caravan mission that allowed Lucilia to obtain this information. Lyn also arrive,d a tinge a guilt going through her. Perhaps it was Lucilia's mistake to indulge Lyn so many months ago, but now she was an adult. If Lyn has chosen to do this mission out of her own free will, then Lucilia would oblige. Leith also arrived, somewhat of a surprise but not one that Lucilia had any issues with. He has proven reliable in his mission in Eania and was helpful in Lyn's hunt. Hopefully he would continue to succeed on this diplomatic mission. The last to arrive in Lucilia's office did give her some hesitation; Keri. They have trained together for some time, and again, Lucilia wasn't one to deny help when it was offered. But she did have to coax Keri to come along on this mission, mainly under the impression that she was protecting Lyn. Lucilia still wondered where exactly Keri's motivations where. Did she still seek vengeance? Was the college merely a tool for that goal? Did she have any interest in the college's interest? Lucilia hopes that Keri would not end up like Alaira, selfishly fulfilling her own goals at the cost of others. But Lucilia would see after this mission.

Once everyone was gathered Lucilia began the debriefing. She first started by opening a map of Djarkel, pointing towards the city of Hysteria. "You five are to head into Yarosmere on a diplomatic mission. Using the information received from the students that participated in the Caravan Mission, I have reason to believe that some of our allies in Djarkel are in trouble, some who I believe may even turn towards our enemies for a solution. There are three barons I need each of you to see. The first is an member of my vampire court, Baron Lotte Carmine. An arrogant bastard,but he holds considerable influence over the various vampire clans in Djarkel. I do not know the exact nature of his troubles, but I can assure you that even though he is an ally to the college he would not indulge his troubles if he doesn't believe you're capable of helping him. He is holding a gala in celebration of his son, born with the blessing of Aarem himself. Many of the clan leaders would be attending so it is imperative that you make a good impression on all of them. I will warn you: Even though this is a celebration, do not let your guard down. Many would know that you represent the college and would challenge you, be it in wits, spells, or even swordplay. Do be savvy; while I have no doubts that you can defeat them, wounded pride can do more damage than death could."

Then Lucilia pointed towards the five Mountains in Djarkel, specifically the War Mountain. "The next Baron you shall meet is Baron Gurot Praxis. His father, the previous baron, had recently passed away and today he will be inaugurated as the new Baron. The Praxis family is an important trade partner for the college and facilitates the college's mercantile influence throughout Djarkel. While there are other barons with similar influence, his is the only one that allows the college free passage through the Djarkel Mountains. While he's already familiar with the college, I would like you all to meet him during his inauguration and cement his alliance to the college. His inauguration will last for a week, and two days after Baron Lotte's gala. However there is one issue of note: I have confirmed that there are those who do not wish Gurot to take the title of Baron. And this being Djarkel, obviously there may be an assassination attempt. I do not expect you to protect the Baron for the entirety of his Inauguration, however if you can find evidence of this assassination plot, or possibly even foil it, I'm certain this would seal an alliance with him."

Finally, Lucilia pointed towards a location between the Djarkel Mountains and the city of Sorrow. In between, there was a mark, jagged line. "The final baron you shall meet will be the most dangerous I believe. Her name is Baroness Isabella Valerica. The wife to Baron Graf Velerica, who had recently been killed in a demon attack on the city of Sorrow. This line is the Ravine of Demons; recent reports shows that the Ravine has widen, do doubt due to Kudd's influence, and Isabella has chosen to amass her army to face these demons and drive them back into the Ravine. As a gesture of good will, you five will aid her army in preparation for battle. The reason I can only send you five instead of an army of our own is due to Graf's negative relationship with the college. He was oppose to us, nonviolently of course, but even after his death his wife is in no hurry to seek our aid. Provide whatever help you can to ensure their victory, and should the day be won then we could use it to leverage our influence with Isabella, as well as other barons who lack faith in the college."

After explaining the jist of the mission, Lucilia handed each a voucher. The voucher could be used to obtain basic supplies from the college's store, though it also included formal wear for the gala they would be attending. Additionally, because they are diplomats as oppose to simply guardsmen, two carriages have been assigned to the five students to take them through Djarkel. Two golems made by Uicle himself would serve as their carriage drivers; they were capable of taking care of the horses and themselves, and would ensure that no one would try to bride the drivers for treachery. The students were to leave as soon as possible; the carriage would go at nightfall at the latest, so anyone who was not there by that time would miss out on the mission.

Craig had sent out several gargoyles, all were armed with scrolls instructions for each involved student. There was two types: the Nox students themselves and the volunteers to protect them within Craigsville. Within the notes for the latter were instructions to see Val before they departed, her forge brewing up several specialized Runes for the Nox creatures and equally disperse them among the students involved. Each rune was bound on a thick leather cord about the neck as she explained how it worked. Instead of being on always, like most runes, it was tasked with the goal to locate and alert nox energy emitting from the beasts. Whenever it was within about 4 meters of an individual with a rune then it would go off with a reddish glow and then a tingling from the direction the creature would be coming from would signal them where to attack. The most important things were to never allow it to get broken, scratched or cracked. Should the last case happen then it was advised to fling the rune as far away as possible before risking being caught in the explosion.

In addition, the scrolls informed them the wagon were going to leave around Early Evening so they would make a good portion of the trip during the night. The reason was because some of the students were vampires and traveling through direct sunlight would weaken them causing issues with conserving their energy. This fact made it especially dangerous for everyone because bandits were believed to roam the



Craig Gray was an intimidating teacher, this was something even his students agreed on. Currently his figure was leaning upon the wagon, filled with several of his class already, the evening drawing closer. His gloved hand tapped quietly against the wagon’s edge while waiting for the last stragglers to arrive. His onyx shielded eyes darted to for the fifth time to analyze their supplies and note their route in his mind, his head finally looking over the drivers who were seasoned travelers.

There would only be a brief time for mingling before they had to take off so the students had some time to get know each other. They were expected to make the most of it.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

After eating their breakfast, Ssarak and Meirin headed fairly quickly to Lucilia’s office to receive their briefing on the mission. As expected, it followed from what they had learned on their previous mission, and they would have quite a few responsibilities this time. Attending both a gala and a coronation; potentially preventing an assassination, and solving some other undescribed problem. Then, after all of that, they would need to prepare for a small war against demons. Certainly, it was all drastically different from the guard duty they had last time. This type of political mission was, at the very least, well-suited for a skilled psychomancer, so he would still be in his element for these tasks.

Ssarak’s more immediate concerns turned to his preparations for the mission. His own wardrobe was distinctly lacking in any real variety, much less anything that would be appropriate for either a gala or coronation, so he had to make use of Lucilia’s voucher. He needed to tailor his appearance to what would most impress the Baron and his court, which ended up being a stranger outfit than he had imagined. Evidently, among Djarkel’s ruling class, there was resistance to any sort of fashion that seemed too “safe.” They respected an appearance that was bold, visually interesting, and even outlandish. The average suits and dresses would not be enough to impress Djarkel nobility, so he and the other diplomats would need to be creative in their attire. After receiving advice from both Lucilia and Meirin, Ssarak settled on something completely divergent from his normal style. It had a bright violet shirt with a tight silver waistband, open at the chest and back, along with a pair of tight-fitting silk pants. It also had a belt, though its only real functionality was to hide his dagger.

In addition to new clothes, Ssarak also purchased a simple tabard bearing the symbol of the College to wear over his armor at other points during the mission. He did not want to give off the appearance of being a simple mercenary, so wearing something bearing the insignia of the College would make him seem more ‘official.” Though he was a warrior, he was also meant to be a diplomat in this case, and in diplomacy, appearances were half the battle. Otherwise, Ssarak stocked up on as many of the usual basic supplies as he could carry. He wasted no space, as he would prefer to have a surplus of supplies than a shortage in the event of an emergency.

It was shortly before nightfall that Ssarak made his way to the carriages, fully armed and armored. He had his new clothing packed tightly away in the center of his bags for their protection due to their value. He was not wearing his tabard either, since he would not need it until they were in Djarkel. This time, he and the other students would be the primary cargo instead of trade goods, so there was plenty of room for them in the carriages.