[IC] [Skybreaker] Counter-Clockwise [Faded Memory]

[Aalakrys]

Sunlight filtered through the circular window's glass and bounced off of the multicolored prisms dangling above its sill, signalling the morning of arrival for Ygnatius' apprentices. He had been up well before dawn, of course, due to the anticipation of their coming - keeping busy by assorting their study materials, arranging the available floor for their dormitories, and sealing away the things they need not yet see. At the sight of the glittering light throughout his study, he leaned back in his chair heavily with a deep intake of breath. Feeling all the aches and pains of sitting for too long as he stretched before standing, attempting to wiggle out the stiffness that had sat in, before he attempted to stand.

It was due to his age and all the disabilities which came with it that he felt limited, and even began to consider a successor for whom would take over his legacy and life's work fighting against the toils the ruling body set against its people. Perhaps, at the heart of it, his motives were entirely selfish, but it did lead to major awareness and disgust at the political system. It was through his findings that he also identified those who had the possibility of helping him overthrow their tyranny. Thus, he wrote out and beseeched them to come for training - all the while offering up the prize of becoming a mentor to the most capable, keeping his true motives hidden until the time came.

Today was the day in which all three pupils would be arriving, and he had preparing considerably for their tests. He had not prepared for today to be full of aches and pains, however. Walking over to his apothecary cabinet, he found the herbal mixture he'd need to last throughout the day. Taking the mixture was not pleasant, but it certainly beat age pains.

[Skybreaker]

Time is a waterfall; it constantly streams where gravity pulls it. Time moves forward, for never has there before been a waterfall that operates in reverse. Perhaps, however, since there were those who could manipulate water, if one of these mages tried hard enough, they could make the waterfall reverse its current. In theory, time could do the same.

He had nothing but his looks, his magic, his family name, and his youth. Actually, that was quite a bit. Xanthus was the son of two nobles of magical blood, and his raw energy was immense. As far as his self-control was... well, it was rather nonexistent. Xan had applied for an apprenticeship for the almighty sage Ygnatius. Along with two other young men, he would be training under the old wizard in hopes of becoming his sole student. While the sage was known far and wide, every god had its disciples.

Ygnatuis' home was fairly simple, though it was fairly large. Xan, a young man of fifteen, stood right outside the double doors along with the two other boys. Xan had strange, unholy powers. His magic was all about sight being able to see things without your eyes. It was a complex and unorthodox concept, so it would be better to further review this later.

Boldly, the red-haired young man knocked on he door with his bare hands. "Sir?" He asked politely.

[Aalakrys]

Looking up at the large cottage set in the countryside, complete with overgrown hedges and hanging moss, Darcy couldn't help but feel far away from the only form of known home. Truthfully, the young apprentice was very honored by receiving an invitation to fill one of three spots under the Grandmage Ygnatius. It was not expected of a humble unknown orphan. Sure, talents in magic had been evident, but Darcy's orphanage had not been able to afford any in depth lessons beyond the basics taught at school. Finding skill in illusions, self-application had focused in that area as independent study and practical application at the local library and park respectively. Toting a battered suitcase which only held one set of pajamas, a toothbrush and comb, two changes of clothes, and an extra pair of shoes aside from a few personal mementos, Darcy had ridden in carts from town to town until finally having to make the rest of the journey on foot to end up here. Here, looking up at the building, standing next to two other apprentices, Darcy only hoped for the best.

[Skybreaker]

While Xan had been living a life filled with spoils and luxury, the other apprentice, dark haired gloomy Seymour, had not. He was a wizard from he north, where they practiced forbidden magics. Seymour specialized in summoning magic. He could conjure storms, demons, and just about anything else. While this made him powerful, it also made him feared. Eventually he had to flee from his home in the North to live in central land, where magic was more common.

He could also sense the other two standing with him. Though he didn't look at them once, Seymour could sense both had strange magics. He hadn't been too surprised when he had been picked to be Ygnatuis' apprentice, but it was still quite exciting. However, the boy hid it well.

Xan's magic allowed him to see souls. There were two apprentices on either side of the red-haired young man, one looking to be around his age and the other looking a bit older. Xan knocked once more. He didn't know much about his OWN, natural magic, because he had bee told it was evil. However, he could still see the sprites in the land using only his eyes. With an impatient sighed, the boy knocked on the door once more.

[Aalakrys]

While waiting for the mixture to settle in, Ygnatius had poured boiling water from the kettle over a tea bag to let it steep just as a knock sounded at his door. He'd felt the children coming long before they'd arrived, their magics announcing their presence long before they crossed the glen. Appearing too eager though was not something he would do under any circumstances, although he had been looking forward to their arrival from the moment he sent the requests out. Watching the water become stained by the tea leaves, he tapped a finger on the wooden surface of the counter next to his mug. Although age had slowed him physically without his herbs, he was a very sharp old man - his mind just as focused as it had been in his youth. Pretending to be frail was part of his ruse he would have to put on until he knew the three children he'd summoned had passed his tests. Part of that was to show patience, as he had learned from years of mistakes - patience is most certainly something needed to be able to focus with a clear mind.

Darcy tapped a shoe against his other at the red-head's knock on the solid door, halfway expecting the grandmaster mage to suddenly appear - or to have already appeared before they made it this far. Blinking at the silence that followed the knock and sparing a glance at the other apprentice, words wondered idly out without much thought, "Perhaps he's not home? Men of greatness can hardly be expected to be at home all the time, right?"

[Skybreaker]

Xan waited a few more moments and huffed out a breath of hot air angrily. Though Xan could feel no magical energy and couldn't feel the beating of an aged heart, he had a feeling that the sage was home. Perhaps it was due to the fact the house's chimney had smoke! Though this old man could have been an exception, most if not all honorable wizards only used magic when a problem cannot be solved by other means.

In other words, heating water or cooking with magic is against orthodox teachings. The blue blooded noble highly doubted a great sage wouldn't care about a magical teaching. And it was apparent that the sage was home, and was heating water manually. Xan also was staring intently above him, and the other two boys probably thought he was looking at the sky, but that wasn't it at all.

All his life, Xan had a fixation problem. Though he could describe exactly what he saw down to the number of hairs the creatures had, nobody really understood and believed, so he had eventually stopped speaking of it. By seeing the spirits of the land, Xan could see sprites- water sprites, fire sprites... many, many spirits. He didn't talk to them, though their behavior explained much about how they felt.

While some looked like little people, others looked like animals, or perhaps even a winged radish! Spirits were odd. Currently, there were two spirits above his head. The looked like very long, sleek oarfish and swam in the air. They were steam spirits. Snickering, the boy began to follow the spirits as they swam to a window and slithered inside. Nodding once, the boy then looked into the window. It was dusty and he couldn't see through it. "Believed me, he's home." Xan assured the blue-haired boy.

"By the way, I'm Xanthus van Peale St. Augustine." He recited his full noblesman name with a light smile. He wondered why Ygnatuis didn't answer the door. Certainly he didn't want them to break it with magic!