Private Tales A New Home

[James Lanvarok]

The clouds parted to reveal the Spires of the Elbion college at the end of the city. Looking up, James gasped in awe, a mound of happiness rising in his chest. He was finally home. At least, he felt home, in comparison to the years he had spent in the Dreadlord academy. Brow creased, he brushed matted hair out of his eyes and walked forward, his crossbow on his back. White limestone made up the college, it's walls illuminated by the afternoon sun as it set behind the city.

James huffed. He was filthy and exhausted after the journey, and was in desperate need of a bath and a lie down. Leaving the gate behind him, he walked down the front path and passed other young mages as they sat together and studied. He looked away, nervously avoiding their gazes. Once he got to the front door, a young man, who appeared to be around his age or a little older, greeted him. Raising a hand, James scratched his head as he beheld him, unsure of what to say.

"That must be Ezra," James thought to himself. He remembered the name from the letter the archmages had sent him.

"Hey uh, I'm the new student the archmages are expecting," he mumbled. "They got my letter." He said no more. Words had never come naturally to James. He slurred and mumbled most of the time, and hoped it wouldn't affect his education.

Reaching into his cloak, he pulled of what appeared to have been a scroll, but it had been sat on more than a few times. He handed it to Ezra. Inside, he would find a letter from an arch mage at college stating that James had met the necessary requirements and there was a place for him. Bottom lip hanging open, he shifted his eyes awkwardly and scratched beneath his chin, a light stubble burgeoning on his cheeks. He threw his hand down, directed his eyes towards the sky and scratched his backside, anxiously waiting for the young man to read the letter.

"James Thomas Lanvarok of Vel Anir,

You will be pleased to know that your experience as a dreadlord is enough to grant you a place at our college, however, procedures need to be taken to ensure that you are trustworthy and won't break any rules.

There is a place for you in a dormitory occupied by a student named Ezra Archiva. Give this letter to him and he will show you to where you are to live.

Kindest regards, the archmages of the College of Elbion."​

The letter read. James still wasn't sure what the archmages meant by "procedures". Interrogation maybe? An interview to make sure he wasn't a spy or had bad intentions.

Either way, it made him nervous.

Shrinking into the collar of his cloak, he kicked the stone path with his foot and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I'm an empath, so I siphon a lot of bad emotions and it drives me crazy, I don't know how to control it properly," he mumbled, looking at the ground. Even now, he was drawing a sense of calm from the students around him, which was partially why he wasn't freaking his shit.

"But I'm also good with fire and air," he perked up.

He raised an eyebrow with the statement. The college had recently been attacked by a rogue pyromancer who used to be a Professor there, so they had been grateful to have a battle mage who could potentially aid in protecting the college. Raising a hand, he scratched his nose to hide the fact that he was looking at Ezra. His eyes were very wide and sometimes looked frightening, so he tried not to look at people while speaking to them.

He slumped his shoulders and sighed, "I'm so tired."

 

[Ezra Archiva]

Ezra idly tapped his foot against the white limestone as he waited, brown eyes searching the campus grounds for the arrival of the new student. The archmages had instructed him to wait outside the front door for him, in order to help him feel at home within the college. The mage knew from experience how startling the transition could be, after all, and this student seemed to be in a similar position.

In the midst of deciding whether or not taking out a book to study while he waited would seem impatient, a wide-framed man close to his age walked up to him. Giving a brief cursory glance over the man and his own memory, it seemed like this was who he was waiting for. James, if he remembered correctly. He put on a smile and waved to greet him. "Welcome!"

What followed was a slightly prolonged awkward pause as Ezra awaited a reply, the abrupt silence causing him to wonder if he was speaking to the right person. Luckily, his worries were soon quelled by a mumbled response and the handing over of a letter. "Glad to know I got the right person, then," he said with a laugh as he unfolded the parchment to read it.

His eyes scanned the letter, a momentary rise of the brows at the mention of the word 'Dreadlords.' He had heard of them of course, their rivalry with the college of Elbion was notorious to those even outside of it. Still, he had yet to actually meet one until now, even if they simply were a former member. Judging from that, it made sense the college seemed a bit cautious about his enrollment. He nodded to the rest of the letter, it confirming what he was told.

Handing it back with a charming smile, he said, "Glad to have you, James. As you've probably already realized by now, I'm Ezra." Hearing that he was an empath, he raised his eyebrows in an impressed manner. "An empath? We don't have many of those here, at least none that I've met personally. We have some great teachers here, they'll probably be able to help you out with it."

He nodded along to his following statement, saying, "Sounds like a good array of skills to start off with. I tend to focus my studies on conjuration, summoning elementals and the sort but on occasion, I like to brush up on evocation. If you want some help studying, feel free to ask me." As Ezra spoke, it became increasingly clear that he was naturally charismatic and conversational, or at least when put in comparison with someone who was decidedly not so.

"You're going to have to hold on just a while longer, unfortunately. One thing you're going to quickly learn about the college is that it is very, very large. Once we reach the dorms you'll be able to rest, though." It was what had taken him most off-guard when he first enrolled, thrust from the relatively small life on a farm into the large, bustling hallways of Elbion. He gestured for James to follow him as he ventured into the school, making his way to the dormitory.

 

[James Lanvarok]

Already, James was beginning to feel that the overall atmosphere of the college was much kinder than the academy. Ezra welcomed him with open arms, and James hadn't even done anything beside arrive. Crossbow on his back, he stood in front of the door with the scroll in his hand, before giving to Ezra. He stifled a chuckle when James said that he was the new student, and indeed the right person.

It was a chuckle James did not share. His bottom lip hung open as he stared at the ground, his hair a ratty mess. He wasn't sure if Ezra had just told a joke or not, but it wasn't funny and he didn't know why he had laughed.

"Why wouldn't I have been the right person?" He asked, top lip turned up.

Ezra handed back the scroll with a charming, kind smile. Taking it, James shoved it carelessly into his cloak and scratched his head, brow creased as he looked around at the other students. When Ezra told him that he was indeed Ezra, James a very slight, barely noticeable smile.

He raised his brow at James' mention of his empathy.

James laughed, "yeah it doesn't really get taught any more." He knew his abilities held a certain stigma, especially if they were misused, but he was a natural empath, meaning he was born with his abilities and couldn't control when he siphoned emotions.

"But I was born with it, and I need help controlling it," he slurred. Looking down, he raised both eyebrows and scratched the side of his head.

When James mentioned his skills with fire and air, Ezra was quick to elaborate on his own areas of skill. He clearly liked magic, and was a summoner, just like him. James already started to like him from the way he spoke so enthusiastically about magic. As Ezra spoke, the ends of James' mouth lifted and he smiled, his chubby cheeks tinted red. He felt as though Ezra was showing off a little, but he didn't mind too much. He was clearly intelligent and well-versed in his fields, something James respected.

"Oh hey, you're a summoner too," he smiled. "I mostly summon fire and air to blow shit up, but it learning how to summon other elements might be cool." Shrugging, he laughed slightly with his comment. He knew his style of casting was much more combative than what was typically taught at Elbion. His Anirian heritage was still fresh in his memory.

Ezra asked if James would like to study with him some time, and James smiled, "yeah, I'd like that."

There was an awkward pause when Ezra said that James would have to wait before getting to his room.

The Anirian mage let out a long, obnoxious groan and slumped his shoulders. "As long as I can have a bath," he grumbled.

Pulling his feet forward, he panted as the two of them walked inside the college. He followed Ezra as they scaled the stairs, all the while listening to him talk about the sheer size of the college.

"So we're gonna be roomies, huh?" He slurred.

 

[Ezra Archiva]

As James responded to his attempt at humor with a less than enthused response, Ezra grew an expression of mild uncertainty and awkwardness. "Oh, well, because you..." He trailed off, scratching the back of his head with his hand as he spoke. The response people usually gave him was a laugh or perhaps an exasperated remark, not so much a deadpan response. "Nevermind," he eventually said, brushing it off.

The young mage nodded along to the new student elaborate on his empathy magic, interest apparent in his eyes. "I suppose that's why the college is a thing after all: to help you control it. I still think it's pretty impressive," he commented, flashing a smile.

Ezra listened to James, chuckling a bit at the 'blow shit up' comment. "Summoning elementals is fun until you have to command them, then you just have a rebellious wind spirit in your room." He winced, recalling his first few attempts. He had to spend a week cleaning up the mess after that, and he still ended up finding random pieces of paper strewn about the dorm.

Listening to the prolonged groan, Ezra simply replied, "Once we get there, you can take a bath," beginning to walk up the stairs.

At James' question, Ezra grinned, saying, "Yeah! I've cleaned your side of the dorm, just drop your stuff there and feel free to change it around. Just keep it clean and don't be too loud, you know, the usual." A part of him was a bit disappointed that he wasn't going to have the room all to himself anymore, but for the most part, James seemed like he'd make an alright roommate.

As they walked further, he asked, "So how was Vel Anir? I've only ever been to Elbion and the farmland outside of it."

 

[James Lanvarok]

It was clear that Ezra was embarrassed when James didn't get his joke, which was when he realized that it was a joke. A smile crept onto his face and he laughed slightly, not at Ezra, but himself for not understanding his sense of humor. Ezra dismissed it with a chuckle, then lead James through the college, talking more about his empathy as they made their way through the winding halls. He said that it was impressive, to which James smirked.

"No it isn't," he grumbled. "It just makes me really angry all the time." There was regret in his tone as he humphed his crossbow up the stairs. He regarded his empathy as more of a curse than a blessing. It if it wasn't for it, he would never have been sent to the dreadlord academy in the first place.

His features softened and he looked at the ceiling. "Hopefully the college help me turn it into something useful."

Ezra chuckled when James said that he liked to use pyromancy and aerokinesis to blow shit up. Looking down, he laughed as well as he followed him up the stairs. While his empathy was something he wasn't particularly proud of, he was proud of his skill as a battle mage. Ezra said that summoning elements was fun, until they misbehaved, something James could relate. He had got in trouble one too many times at the academy for blowing things everywhere or accidentally starting fires.

"Don't I know it, I used to get in trouble a lot back at the academy," he said, avoiding Ezra's gaze. Raising a hand, he scratched his nose, brushing a lock of matted, wavy hair of his face. "Sometimes I started fires by accident." A chuckle, and he shifted his eyes.

He felt relieved at Ezra's promise of a bath, and followed him up the stairs.

The other young mage exclaimed with joy when James asked him if they would be living in the same dorm. He said that he had already cleaned his side of the room, to which James smiled. Ezra seemed genuinely happy to be living with him, which was all James could have asked for. He just hoped he didn't make too much of a mess.

Or set anything on fire.

He was humbled by Ezra's effort to help him settle in. Nobody had ever done that for him before. An awkward smile crossed James' features and he looked down, swearing to himself to keep his side of the room clean and not make too much noise.

"Thanks," he stated, his cheeks tinted red.

When Ezra asked what Vel Anir was like, the smile on James' face disappeared, to be replaced by a dismayed frown. He scoffed at the question, and raised to his head. Running his fingers through his hair, he scratched his head as he thought about what kind of response to give.

"Well I was born there so I didn't really notice anything different," he shrugged, "until I started getting beaten up at the academy." His heart sank and his voice trailed off slightly. Shrinking into his cloak, he shifted his eyes, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden.

A pause followed and James sighed.

"Everyone here is so nice," he slurred, looking back around at the staircase behind them. Gripping his hair, he turned back around to face Ezra, his bottom lip hanging open.

 

[Ezra Archiva]

Ezra listened to James' answer, noticing the sudden shift in attitude as the topic was brought up. There was a short period of silence as the young mage struggled to think of what to say in response, now regretting that he had been the one to ask the question. He had heard that the academy for Dreadlords in Vel Anir was far harsher on its students that the college of Elbion, but he never knew the full extent of that harshness.

"I wouldn't worry about that happening in Elbion," he said finally, giving a reassuring smile, or attempting to at least. As they reached the top of the staircase, he continued, "The students and teachers here are all rather kind. When I first came here, which wasn't actually all that long ago, I was completely lost. Elbion's so large compared to the farm I grew up in, even the college itself is. Luckily, everybody here helped make that transition a bit easier. Hopefully, we can do the same for you."

Shifting his gaze from James to the hallway as they walked further and further into the college, his eyes searched for a brief moment before landing on the college dorms. "Speaking of transitions, we've made it to the student dorms." Ezra gestured for James to follow him as he went for one of the doors, eyes glancing over various different room numbers before finally falling upon his own.

He knocked on the wooden frame causing a ripple of magic to emanate from it with each touch, the door unlocking and swinging open to reveal a dorm room with two beds resting on opposite sides. One side, in particular, looked quite lived in, with strewn about textbooks and scrolls laid upon a cluttered desk alongside an undone bed. The walls themselves were rather decorated as well, with a painting hung up presumably depicting his family, and magical ink shining on its surface like stars and various elements. While not quite to the level of being labeled a mess, per se, it had certainly reached the requirements for being called disorganized. The other side, in comparison, was kept far cleaner and ripe for personalization, with an emptied desk and a made bed. A bookshelf resided in the middle of both beds, containing a variety of books from light reading to heavy textbooks.

"Welcome to my, and now your, humble abode," Ezra introduced, giving an exaggerated gesture towards the set-side portion of the room before moving across the room to take a seat on his bed. "The bathroom and main library are down the hall, by the way. You already saw the courtyard, which is a great place for some light studying or sparring. Classrooms are all throughout the campus, but most are in the main building."

 

[James Lanvarok]

James sensed Ezra's unease when he told him about how the dreadlords had treated him, and the rest of their students. He smirked, the end of his mouth slowly rising as he forced a smile. Ezra told him that the mages at Elbion were much kinder, offering him a reassuring smile as the two of them walked up the stairs. It was a smile James returned. He was hopeful that the teachers and students would be less harsh, but was also hoping that didn't change once they met him.

"They seem to be," he shrugged, looking away to avoid Ezra's gaze. "At least, you're nice." Smiling slightly, he turned around and followed him up the stairs. It was a rare compliment from James, who usually just saw the bad side of everybody.

From what he had seen of him, James liked Ezra. He was kind, relaxed and smart. He was hoping to have some good discussions about magic or practice sessions with him.

Finally, James and Ezra arrived at the student dorms. When Ezra knocked on the wooden frame and activated the spell which kept it locked, James smiled. Ezra opened the door to reveal two beds on each side of the wall, with one side side decorated with pictures and strewn with scrolls and textbooks. The bed on the other side was made, and the desk free of clutter. James guessed that would be his. In between the two beds was a bookshelf, piled high with many different titles.

Looking around, James turned to face Ezra, who welcomed him to the dorm in an exaggerated tone. James hung his head and smiled, feeling humbled by the warm welcome Ezra had given him.

"It's great," he mumbled. "Thank you."

James stared at his feet and fiddled with his fingers. Truly, he couldn't find the words to describe how much Ezra's efforts to help him settle in meant. He had just escaped a hellish life at the academy and trekked across the region, running from dreadlords at every turn, so being treated with genuine warmth was more than appreciated, it was overwhelming. Muttering, James raised a hand a rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, able to smell himself.

"How about that bath, now?" He asked. He was filthy and in desperate need of one, as well as new clothes.

 

[Ezra Archiva]

Ezra laid back in his bed, glad to be able to rest now that he had found his roommate. At the mention of a bath, he nodded, saying, "Right, a bath. If you head down the hall and take the first left, you'll find the dorm bath." He gestured in the vague direction of it as well with a point of his thumb.

"If you need a change of clothes and you don't have them already, they might have some there that you could wear." He would've offered something out of his closet that he no longer had use for, but it seemed like James needed a bit more of a spacious size, so to speak.

"Once you're all freshened up, I might be able to show you a couple of the classrooms or have a light practice session to get you warmed up to the College, if you're interested. Up to you, really." He shrugged, fine with whatever was suggested, as he called forth a book to gently float into his hand as he waited, beginning to flip through the pages.

 

[James Lanvarok]

As Ezra walked over to his bed and sat down, James nodded. He mumbled something that sounded like "thank you," and turned around to leave, awkwardly clutching the edges his filthy cloak. He breathed in as he walked out the door, then exhaled and sighed. He was still nervous about what the other mages would think of him, and whether he would be able to control his empathy. The last thing he needed was to have a meltdown in one of his classes.

Closing the door behind him, James walked down the stone corridors of the college, muttering to himself as he recalled the directions Ezra had given him. He saw a bunch of students with towels walking down a flight of stairs, and guessed that must be where the bath house was.

Nodding, James picked up his pace and walked after them, then followed them down the stairs. Around a corner was a door which lead to the dorm bath. There were two blocks, one for men and one for woman.

Silently, James pushed the door open the door to the men's block and slipped past a bunch of other young, male mages who were there. He found a block that wasn't occupied by anybody, walked inside and closed the door, then planted his back against it and released a long, uncertain sigh.

James pulled himself away from the door and undressed, then shoved his dirty clothes into the corner in a pile. There was already a steaming bath in the middle of the room, complete with herbs and healing salts. He gripped the edge and climbed in, then sat in the middle for a while with his arms wrapped around his legs. He wanted to finish before somebody else wanted to use the bath, so he washed his hair into a lather, shaved and gave himself a once over with a bar of soap.

He stepped out, rinsed with a bucket of warm water, then dried. He teased out his hair with a comb, then brushed it and rubbed it dry with a towel.

A towel wrapped around his shoulders, he went through the wardrobe at the side of the wall for some clean clothes. There were a lot of robes, much to James' chagrin. He hated wearing robes. They made him feel like a girl.

"Robes, robes, robes, I'm not wearing fucking robes," he muttered beneath his breath.

Finally, he settled on a white tunic with matching trousers, and a pale blue cloak with a clasp. The outfit came in a few different sizes, and James had to settle on the largest. He dressed, pulled on his cloak and fastened the clasp at his neck, then pulled on a pair of knee high hose and brown boots. Smoothing down the front of his cloak, he looked in the mirror and cringed.

He looked cute. He didn't want to look cute. Grimacing, he left his wet towels on the floor, then took his dirty clothes to the laundry, left them there and walked back to the corridor where his dormitory was.

He opened the door slightly, to see Ezra still reading his book.

"Hey uh, how about that practice session?" He looked down and asked, scratching the side of his head. He wasn't particularly interested in seeing the classrooms, but liked the idea of a practice session with Ezra so they could show each other their different casting techniques.

 

[Ezra Archiva]

As James left to take his bath, Ezra gave a wave before returning his gaze once more to the spellbook in his hands. He sat crosslegged, grazing his finger across the various textbooks at his bedside table before pulling out the one on conjuration, opening it up to a select page and placing it on the bed before him.

Quill in hand, the young mage recorded certain morsels of useful knowledge into his spellbook, ranging from components for quickened spellcasting to more elaborate rituals. He rose a hand to his chin, stroking it as he thought. The textbook included some base spells, yes, but they were just that: basic. He knew that there had to be a far wider variety out there, but none so readily available to him as the ones he could read now. However, if he could just delve a bit beyond what was laid out for them, he might be able to find something more interesting and useful.

Still, spell crafting took more than a simple desire to do. It required ideas, and the knowledge needed to make sure those very same ideas didn't blow up in his face. Painfully, he noted. In black ink, he sketched out a few ideas, some sigils made up of varied runes and formula while others with depictions of components and effect. Some required more work, or likely needed a new kind of component he didn't have his hands on as of yet. A few looked promising, however.

It was at this point that he heard the near-quiet squeaking of the dorm's opening door, followed swiftly by James' voice. Ezra jerked in surprise, only to realize who it was as he relaxed and smiled. "Oh, hey there. Nice choice of clothes, by the way," he commented, looking over what he could see of the new outfit.

In response to James' asking about the practice session he had mentioned earlier, he grinned and said, "I was hoping you'd be interested in that." He sat up from his bed, stowing his spellbook to his side as he did so. "Let's head down to the courtyard, then."

The young mage opened the dorm room door fully and went towards the courtyard, momentarily slowing down to see if James was following before continuing onward.

Once they were in an open clearing within the courtyard, other students a healthy way away from whatever spells they planned on casting, he clapped his hands and looked to James. "Alright, this is a good place for us to practice. How about a friendly spar?"

 

[James Lanvarok]

James smirked when Ezra complimented his choice of clothes. "Are you kidding? I look like a little, fat blueberry!" He exclaimed, looking down at himself.

Throwing his hands up, James sighed as he looked at he clothes. On a tall, thin mage they might have looked handsome, but he thought they looked ridiculous on himself.

As James took Ezra up on his offer to have a practice session, the other young mage out down his book and got up from his head. He lead James down the corridor and around the winding passages of the college, before the two of them arrived at the courtyard. A grassy lawn spanned the interior, encircled by walls of white limestone. The sun poured in, brightening the grass and stinging James' eyes.

Raising a hand to his brow, he shielded his eyes from the sun and smiled at the sight if the courtyard. It was very spacious and open, with plenty of room to spar, and much more inviting than the dreadlord academy.

At Ezra's invitation to have a friendly spar, James brightened up and smiled widely.

"Yeah! I really want to see your techniques," he chimed, more enthusiastic than he had been since he had arrived. There wasn't much James enjoyed, but nothing was better for blowing off steam than a good spar.

Moving away from Ezra, he walked around the other side of the courtyard and stood several feet away from him. Arms held out at either side, he flexed his fingers, drawing the air to him.

"Okay, hit me!" He called out, a wide smile on his face.

 

[Ezra Archiva]

"And I'm interested in seeing what you can do," he said, a grin spreading across his face. He watched James move away to a better position, meanwhile thinking of what his first move would be. He knew that he specialized in fire and air invocations, meaning he would have to find a counter for one or both of those elements.

As James called out for the spar to begin, the grin that plastered his face fell to a defined focus. Deftly, his hand plunged into his bag, pulling out a pair of scales, a shining and glistening iridescent hue in the sunlight. Gripping them tightly in his palm, he brought them into the air before slamming the scales onto the courtyard ground.

Immediately, the grass grew wet, as though a rainstorm had blown past mere moments before. From his hand, waves formed, white froth bounding outward as though they had just left the ocean. In a matter of seconds, the waves coalesced, calling forth the ocean's power and essence to create its form. The elemental that now stood before them, a towering pillar of raging sea, flowed and twisted with a mind of its own. A maw of water formed at its end, along with two eyes and a pair of slender barbels extending outward.

All that was needed was a silent command from Ezra, and it surged forward like a torrent of waves, its path curving and unpredictable. The elemental honed in on James, its mouth open as it sent forth a sudden pulse of water in his direction, enough force behind it to push the young mage back if it impacted, upon which it would freeze.

Ezra remained in the background, letting the elemental do the work as he eagerly watched to see was James would do.

 

[James Lanvarok]

Hand outstretched, James watched intently as Ezra made his first move. The other young man plunged his hand into a bag and produced a pair of scales, which caught the light of the sun, their iridescent hue projecting a myriad of colours. As Ezra slammed his hand down, dew formed on the grass, which he drew to his hand.

Froth formed on Ezra's palm, and James could already tell he was planning a water attack. Water poured from his palm, forming a tidal wave that took the shape of a beast.

The trick was impressive, but James thought it would be more practical without relying on the scales. He smirked, thrust his hand forward and channeled the rage, stress and fear he had siphoned on his way to the college. As the water plunged towards James, he released the emotions, casting a vortex which sucked the water in.

As the water came towards him, he used the emotions he was channeling to heat the air rapidly, causing it to evaporate as it was sucked into the vortex. Not as fancy or abstract a trick as Ezra's, but it countered it effectively, and could be used to defend against a water attack in a combative situation.

"Nice, might want to try it without the scales," James chimed. The compliment was genuine, but not without a light jab.

Drawing his rage to him, James thrust out his hand and extended his hold into the air. He twisted his wrists, coiling it and commanding it to his will. Applying more pressure, he formed a small, but violently spinning tornado, which he shoved in Ezra's direction. The vortex of air spun around ferociously, sweeping up dirt and leaves as it rocketed towards James's sparring partner.