Dreadlords Study Abroad

[Edric]

Edric stood frozen in the doorway. The expected reaction, the thing that would have happened back at the Academy was immediate screaming. Punishment, which now would have been running laps or facing one of the Proctors on the training field.

Yet none of those things came.

"Ordinarily, I do not allow students to linger outside my class, but I do not think you are students here. Are you?"​

The Tiefling looked at the two Initiates with no small amount of mischief in her eye. At least that was what Edric thought it might have been. She looked at them like a child might an ant that was particularly interesting.

Edric looked at Kristen, and then cleared his throat. "No, we're not. We're D-"

"Ah yes the Initiates from Vel Anir! How very interesting."​

She turned away from the two Initiates, waving her hand as though that would be enough to command them inside.

"Class, close your books. This is far more interesting. Here was have something else altogether. Dreadlords! They practice a different sort of magic. Well- another class shall we say. For magic is magic of course."

A few of the students now regarded both Kristen and Edric standing in the doorway.

"In Vel Anir they do not study the aether of magic. They do not harvest spells or rituals. No, our esteemed colleagues to the south build only upon what they were born with."​

The Tiefling looked around at her class, and Edric noticed now the dozens of eyes upon him.

"Most Dreadlords are what we call Sorcerers. Born with an innate magical talent already sparked, training their whole life to perfect it."​

A wide smile crossed the woman's face, and once again she waved to the two Initiates.

"Please, please do come in. This is a topic too bold to ignore. We might even able to discuss the differences between the two. Versatility against specialization. The drain of stamina! The use of ones own energy. Oh how utterly thrilling."​

Edric frowned, and then slowly stepped forward. The tiefling beaming as she regarded Kristen.

"So, what are your gifts?"​

She asked, no small amount of excitement in her tone.

 

[Noel]

A large pile of books was beginning to be amassed on the small cart that the elven librarian had fetched. As they passed by another shelf a book related to the creation of runic charms caught Noel’s eye and she pointed towards it.

”Could you grab that one as well? ’Two Thousand Thoughts on Runic Charms’ by… whoever that name is.” Noel didn’t await a reply, she simply kept walking forwards.

Standing on tiptoes the young elf tried to reach at the book but eventually had to fetch a small step ladder. “M-miss Dreadlord, I really need to be getting back to the front desk.”

The initiate ignored the elf at first, tucking a book on divination under her arm before tossing it onto the large stack atop the wheeled cart. ”Oh. But Maestar Ammouranth told us you’d help load these into the wagons out front.”

It wasn’t a particularly compelling lie but Noel figured she could get this girl to help her do anything she asked at this point.

“He said what? B-b-but no one is permitted to take any books out of the library.”

”A special exemption was made for us. Surely you read the pamphlets they passed out prior to our arrival?” Noel cocked an eyebrow as the color drained from the lime-haired elf’s face.

“Should I take your books out to the wagon too?” She glanced over at Davi’s pile as the pair passed by his private study booth.

 

[Henk]

It was with a brief farewell to Sovia and a wave of the hand to the others that Henk once again found himself on his own. They had classes to attend, and the Initiate had taken up enough of their time. If he was to devote himself to this tour of the Maester's, it would be prudent of him to ascertain what the others were up to.

The library seemed as good a place as any to start, Noel and Davi should still be loitering about in there, if he knew them half as well as he liked to think he did.

Finding it on his own was much easier than he'd expected, retracing the steps of his walk with Sovia until he came back to the archway at the end of the hall that opened up into the large collection of tomes within. Henk heard Noel's voice before he'd even crossed under into the room.

”A special exemption was made for us. Surely you read the pamphlets they passed out prior to our arrival?”

His brow furrowed as he leaned against the doorway, watching Noel order around another student who was hurriedly stacking books into a cart. A special exemption, huh? The elf certainly looked like she was getting tired of how 'special' the Initiates thought themselves.

With a small sigh, Henk stepped fully into the room. "Don't worry about it, miss. I'll help them with the books, you get going, I'm sure you're late." He flashed her a smile, the warmest he could manage. The elf girl looked at him as though he'd just pulled her from a burning building, taking one last look at Noel and Davi before giving Henk a quick bow and scurrying out of the Library.

Once she was gone, Henk turned his attention back to Schwarz.

"You didn't waste any time extorting them, did you? Though I suppose it's better than some of the alternatives..." He slid one hand into his coat, his other reaching out to take one of the books from Noel's cart. "Not quite sure this is what they meant when they said to collect information, but I admit some new reading material for the library back at the Academy would certainly be welcomed."

Henk flicks his eyes over to Davi.

"If you're going to steal them though, let's not involve the student base. Too easy for them to squeal, and then our job gets harder. I'll help you both, if you'll do something for me in return."

 

[Davi]

It took a moment for the elf's question to penetrate the book-trance state he had so quickly fallen into. Davi was simply not used to people asking him if they could do something for him. So he merely stared at her as though trying to unravel a parcel, a parcel he suspected contained some unwelcome surprise within and was better to burn now than risk the stab in the back, until Henk stepped in. His lips spread into a thin line but he did not correct him nor beg the elf to stay. He could manage his own books fine and he did not really wish for her to see the titles he had picked out. The shame of what he could do still burned and wared with the new world view the Republic pressed upon them.

"Something for you?" the young initiate's attention snapped towards the other then narrowed in suspicion. Favours. Bargains. Debts. Those were things he was much more familiar - and comfortable - with. He had been planning on robbing Elbion of as many tomes as he could carry but he was cockedly sure of himself in being able to do it alone. But it was always easier with a partner or two... He wet his lips and glanced to Noel then back.

"What?"

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The situation was unexpected, but that certainly did not detract from its importance. The Professor (whose foreign form had proven even more curious up close) had directed the attention of her entire class to both Kristen and Edric. Likely it was lost on Edric, the importance of this moment that they both now held in their combined grasp, and such was his aversion the barest modicum of typical, well-adjusted social interaction that his mind was surely alight with dozens of burning possibilities of how to extricate himself from the classroom. If not this, then his mind was blank, and if prompted to speak his tongue thus without sensible bearing would surely embarrass the both of them.

Kristen had to make sure that didn't happen. Like it or not, she and Edric were now ambassadors of a sort, set on this peculiar stage, all eyes on them. These students of the College had only known of Vel Anir through tales and traveling word, much of it more likely to be ugly than charitable.

And so Kristen was keen was demonstrating to the Professor, to her students, that at the very least there was one among the visiting Initiates who maintained nobility of spirit and dignity in demeanor. First impressions were everything—a sentiment both Father and Mother agreed on wholeheartedly.

Both she and Edric stood beside one another before the class.

Kristen waved, her eyes passing over the students. She smiled brightly and spoke first. "Good day, everyone! My name is Kristen Lucretia Pirian, and I am happy to make the acquaintance of each and every one of you. To the question posed by your Professor, my own gift comes from Aionus, the Holy Sentinel of Celestialism. Through His divine grace I may Conjure relics suffused with His power, and inflict Curses imbued with the same. Much have I to learn, for it is only in these two Aspects that I am yet adept. Moreover, much have I to learn of College Magic as well! 'Tis not so daring of me to say that any of the tests you all have passed with ease would prove a formidable challenge to one such as myself, yet I aspire to the erudite ends in which your Professor has you all very much engaged. Mayhap we shall be well met some years from now, learned and capable all."

She curtsied in closing. Maintained her smile.

And silently cast an inward prayer that Edric didn't tarnish the reputation of her beloved home with but a few poorly judged words.

Edric

 

[Edric]

Edric blinked as Kristen offered her rather lengthy explanation.

In times of old such things would have been entirely abhorrent. Initiates spent most of their time at the Academy hiding everything and anything about themselves. Anything they gave up was a bit of knowledge that others could use against them.

They all practiced and trained with one another, but did so only in the faintest of senses. There was a constant competition of secrecy, never revealing the extent of ones power if they could help it. To so freely offer so much was entirely unthinkable.

Even now, more than a year after the revolution Edric felt a distinct discomfort.

"Fascinating!"​

The Professor noted before Edric could speak.

"I had no idea there were those who practiced magics of the Divine among the Dreadlords. My notion was one of heritage and nothing else. How wondrous. Already this partnership has brought a revalation! We'll have to dig further of course, but first; what about you?" ​

A smile bloomed on the Tieflings face as she stared at Edric, her eyes alight with wonder and determination. For a brief moment he met her eyes, lips thin before he coughed out an answer. "I kill."

More than a few faces turned grim, some choked out a laugh as though he had been telling a joke.

"I'm sorry? I know you're trained as so-"​

"My magic kills." Edric interrupted the Tiefling, adding quickly. "I take the life of others to make myself stronger."

The Tiefling looked at Edric, her eyebrows raising as she quickly looked at Kristen. Searching for confirmation of fact.

 

[Noel]

Noel crossed both of her arms in frustration as the elf scurried away. Apparently she didn't even bother to wait around for Davi to decide if he needed something, taking the first chance offered to leave the trio of Dreadlords in the library.

An eyebrow crooked and the allomancer couldn't help herself. "Henk, we will never see these people again. Their feelings are irrelevant." Her brow furrowed as she took in the rest of what he said as well. "They can 'squeal' like the little piglets they are. It would only prove what we already know, these students are weak. Malleable."

She shook her head as her long black hair whipped against her back. Placing both hands on the cart filled with tomes now that the elven librarian had removed herself. "Besides," she continued with the same air of superiority, "it's a library. We're simply borrowing these books. That's the entire point, isn't it?"

Looking for support, and because she truly didn't wish to haul all of this out on her own nor ask Henk for help, she turned towards Davi. "You're taking a few books with you as well, right? Might as well help me with this stack."

If she could drag the boy who, sometimes literally, kept his tail between his legs into her little spat it wouldn't really mean anything. But it might make her feel a bit better.

 

[Henk]

Henk bit back a sigh at Noel's indifference. He could understand her feelings on these students, especially with the beliefs that they'd had hammered into their brains since their youth, but sometimes he felt Noel's isolationist mentality was to her detriment. "You're missing my point, Noel. It's not about whether or not their feelings matter to you. They matter to other people, and it would be very unwise for us to anger said people."

The initiate stepped into the room, looking over the stacks of books Noel had collected. Many of them did look rather interesting, and Henk wondered if she'd loathe him any more than she did now if he swiped a couple at a later date. "This College is strict about its rules, and by nature, the place is prone to rumor; A few teenagers from Vel Anir swiping books becomes Dreadlord agents stealing information from the College, which becomes a hostile engagement between two cities that have so far been able to avoid trying to kill each other."

Paranoid? Maybe. But it was foolish to leave anything to chance, especially since they'd be the ones on the front lines if a fight broke out. Picking up one of her books, he flips it open for a spell, letting his eyes scan over the page with a raised brow. "I'm not asking you not to take the books." He finishes, placing the book back with her others. "Just asking you to be mindful of who you let see you. The students are weak. Their teachers? Not so much."

Still, it was obvious Noel had little interest in helping him with anything. So, Henk turned his attention to Davi.

"I need somebody to have my back during the tour I've been asked to attend. I'm going to do some snooping and It would be helpful to have an extra set of eyes"

 

[Davi]

"Of course I am," Davi replied dryly and a touch defensively; was Noel suggesting he didn't have the backbone for such a thing? He had played his hand close to his chest during his time at the Academy and Noel would not be the first to underestimate his drive and the lengths he would go to in order to get what he wanted. It still did not mean it didn't irk him some when they made it so obvious of what they thought.

"I just agree with Henk," he shrugged. "Starting a war was the only thing the Proctors told us not to do," everything else had been murky. Would Elbion start a war over books? Given what he had seen them seemed to hold precious little else. He could see them killing for knowledge. Well, at least send a strongly worded letter along with a library fine. As Henk spoke he tilted his head to the side to listen and then considered it for a few moments before giving a nod.

"I wouldn't mind seeing what else this place has to offer," and perhaps they would come across one of these grimoires the professors like to keep a hold of. If he could get his hands on one of those...

 

[Kristen Pirian]

What was she expecting?

Kristen's eyes threatened to pinch shut, her lips to purse tight, and her head to dip and cock askew. She resisted all of it, and only by the grace of Mother's vigilant reinforcing of etiquette was she able to do so.

Edric was...was...a misbegotten oaf! Of the highest degree! He was boorish in the best of times, an unsalvageable wreck of a man blundering his way through any encounter with actual civilized people with all the care and diligence of a drooling troll! What kind of catastrophe would he have wrought if she wasn't here to police up his disgraceful mess? At least Noel, Henk, and Davi could be trusted to act with civility, for goodness' sake!

By Aionus, she needed to have a word with him after this.

Kristen met the Professor's eyes before sweeping her gaze out over the class (and what an unfortunate selection of reactions there were). Her attempt, then, to assuage the faux pas.

"Forms of magic, as I am sure you are all very much aware, can be broad with general uses as much as it can be narrow with a more specialized purpose. As your Professor has said, the training at our Academy fosters the latter; we as Initiates have our innate talents, and they are honed for that specialized purpose. 'Tis not odd that the soldier, the guardsman, the man-at-arms, trains and hones his skill with the sword; in this regard, we Initiates are the same. Great are the dangers of Arethil—I hardly need to remind denizens of Elbion that, what with the tragedy of Drakormir's waking so recent in memory! Vel Anir strives to remain ready to face such dangers at all times, and magic, of course, is the means by which we Initiates triumph over the peril."

Gods, she hoped she talked enough for the both of them.

Edric

 

[Edric]

Edric was about to add more to his statement as the whispers echoed through the classroom, but before he could Kristen launched into another spiel. He stood rather dumbly as the Pirian once again used her noble tongue to entrance those she was speaking with.

Something he should have been used to by now. His jaw set ever so slightly, but as Kristen finished the Tiefling Professor looked quite pleased. A slow breath drew into Edric's lungs, but he didn't add anything else to what Kristen had said.

"That was very well articulated Lady Pirian. It is a subject that I am sure we could all speak on for hours, and perhaps before you leave I might wrangle you to my class again."​

There were a few bits of laughter from the students, but Edric now noticed for the first time that a few of them were leaning conspiritorially near one another. He frowned for a moment, barely noticing as the Professor continued.

"For now, I'm afraid class is done and there are other lectures to attend. Please do read Thiriboughs Treatises on Magic chapter fourteen, and I will see you all tomorrow!"​

The Tiefling declared, and suddenly with a sweep of feet and rising rucksacks the students began to flee from the classroom.

Edric and Kristen stepped to the side, moving to get back in the hall but before they could get far a young woman approached them. Behind her were three other girls, each slightly less stunning than their leader. She was a beautiful, and quite...gifted girl and Edric pegged her at his own age. Her long blonde hair flowed in the air as she stepped forward, making no effort to hide her slightly pointed ears.

"Well hi there!" She declared loudly, her voice so chipper and happy that she gave Kristen a run for her money. "My name is Juliette Valerie Lecreaux."

The name meant absolutely nothing to Edric of course, but Kristen would likely recognize the name Lecreaux at least. A powerful merchant family from Alliria, rumored to be wealthier than some Great Houses of Vel Anir. "So we were like, totally thinking, and like, some of us are having a party. We think it'd be like, great, if we could have some like Dreadlords there!"

Edric slowly turned his head towards Kristen, not entirely sure what he was supposed to do. "What do you think? It'd be like totally fun!"

 

[Noel]

"You think this college is strict?" It was almost unbelievable to hear. Noel doubted that any of these students had ever had a bone broken for disobedience or been denied a meal for insubordination, as nearly every initiate of the Dreadlord academy had.

Noel didn't say anything further until after Davi had finished speaking. She shot a glare at her shapeshifting classmate. Had she not been so annoyed she likely would've respected the fact that he actually took a stand on something instead of sulking in the corner.

"Fine."

Noel scooped up one of the tomes on allomancy, a book about the history of Elbion, and a third book that detailed the defensive capabilities and military tactics of the city-state. She placed all three in her bag and secured them. "I'll be discrete." She said in a huff.

It would be a shame to let the other books just sit here on the cart but maybe it would give Bingo's sister something to do when she returned to the grand library. One thing was absolutely certain though, "I'm going to take a rain check on the tour."

She stormed out of the library, back down the hallway they'd come up, and towards the classroom that had taken up so much of Kristen and Edric's time.

 

[Henk]

Henk quickly sidestepped out of the way as Noel thundered past him back out into the hallway, furious that Davi had taken Henk's side over hers in this particular case. She'd taken Henk's words the wrong way, misunderstanding what he'd meant, but he had no chance to correct or defend himself. Not that it would have done very much good.

The scar-faced boy let out a small sigh, watching the beautiful metal-mage take her leave as a hand moved to scratch at the back of his head idly. Just like that, the library was deathly quiet.

Once Noel had turned the corner and moved out of sight, Henk turned back to Davi with a defeated shrug. "Have a way with the ladies, don't I? She's actually quite cute when she's angry." His eyes scanned over some of the books Davi had collected, lips pursing with interest. "I'd be interested in leafing through some of this too when we have a while to relax. It's all very interesting, quite different than the Academy's collection."

Henk always enjoyed picking extra books up whenever he had the chance outside of Vel Anir. A place like this could keep him busy for weeks on end. "We're to be at the gates shortly for the tour. It'll be a lot easier to stick our noses into places they don't belong when we have each other's backs. I'm sure somebody like you is dying to see what they have hidden away in here, no?"

Davi

 

[Davi]

Davi barely afforded Noel more than a glance as she flounced from the library. More than a few of the other students of the library raised heads or eyebrows or both at the loud slam but if they looked towards the two lads, Davi didn't see. His attention was already back on the book in front of him. He all but appeared to be ignoring Henk until the last sentence which caused his eye to twitch.

"Like me?" he replied dryly, raising those icy eyes that would sit better in a wolfs face than a boys. His lips pressed together as though debating to say more before shaking his head and rising from the table, shutting the book with a tenderness and care that went against his more prominent, violent nature. "Let's go - you-" he barked at the nearest student who passed by. He froze midstep and glanced towards them like a frightened lamb. "Watch these books. I'll be back for them and I will notice if one is missing," he growled then, with a brief glance to Henk, made for the door to.

"Who is leading this tour anyway?"

 

[Kristen Pirian]

A timely dismissal of the class, before Edric could open his ruinous mouth and give further credence to the most uncharitable estimations of Vel Anir. Her. Home. The highest praise Kristen could afford him was that he was at least aware of himself: that he belonged nowhere near civilized people. It was an indulgent thought, as pleasurable as it was disturbing for its heavy-handedness, but Kristen nonetheless fancied the notion that whoever was responsible for selecting Edric for this trip to Elbion ought to be publicly flogged in the center of Anir Square.

But it was over—

Well hi there!

Kristen, fuming internally even before Juliette approached, had to temper it down, and in this regard the sudden interjection itself of the girl and her friends outside of the classroom did help. Memories of Father mentioning the name 'Lecreaux' supplanted the frustration from moments prior. And, for but a fleeting moment, the flick of an eye, Kristen saw the girl's slightly pointed ears; a noted thing which hardly mattered, for it was the Allirian girl's repetitive vernacular which was of more pertinent interest.

A party. And Juliette was inviting them.

She smiled, outwardly receptive but inwardly cautious. Where normally she would have had thoughts about how lovely of a time such a thing would be, how splendid the opportunity to properly meet and socialize with a Lecreaux of Alliria, all she could think about was how her esteemed companion would make a mockery of any notion of Anirian decency with his slobbering, slack-jawed conduct.

So there was only one option.

"Juliette Valerie Lecreaux," Kristen said, curtsying with one hand miming a skirt whilst the other held her tome. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Kristen Lucretia Pirian. Myself and my peers have only just arrived here in Elbion and yet we are delightedly overwhelmed by the hospitality and cordiality shown to us. This mention of a party sounds like a grand time!"

Go, and ensure that Vel Anir's honor was not tarnished.

"Yet, I may only speak for myself." With a rigid formality, she gestured with her free hand to Edric. "My companions will of course have their own leave to assent or dissent as they see fit."

Her smile to Edric was perfunctory in the extreme. Gods! If only she had the authority to outright forbid him from attending!

Edric

 

[Edric]

"Wowww!" Juliette intoned, her face flickering with surprise as Kristen introduced herself, eyes lighting up as though she had seen something particularly shiny.

"I didn't know some of you would actually be Anirian Nobles! That is like, totally amazing." Her voice touched another higher octave, and Edric had to actively stop himself from flinching as the girl continued to speak in that odd sing song chipmunk tone. "You should like! Totally help me plan things!"

Juliette said as she swept forward towards Kristen.

Without waiting or even a moments of hesitation she slipped her arm around Kristen's. The two girls behind her both looking somewhat...envious?

Edric wasn't entirely sure what to call the expression, but he felt as though he were a man watching some strange animal behavior beyond his understanding. He frowned ever so slightly, but before he could get a word in edge-wise the half-elf continued. "Father always said, like, we might as well be nobles with how like, rich we are, but that bitch Priscilla keeps saying it's not the same."

Juliette rolled her eyes as if remembering something that wanton slut Priscilla had said.

"But like, with your help, she, won't be able to argue about how great the party is!" Juliette declared, already beginning to drag Kristen down the hall. Much to the alarm of her two companion who quickly began to fall in line behind her. "You can have your like, Servant, tell the other Dreadlords right?"

The Half-Elf asked, glancing briefly at Kristen and then to Edric as though she hadn't just heard he could have killed everyone in the room.

 

[Noel]

It was one thing to be wrong, it meant you still had something new to learn, it was an entirely different matter to be wrong and then be corrected by one of your lessers. In front of yet another lesser. Two students had realized that in her arrogance she was making a mistake. Two students she was convinced she could've bested at any task back at the academy.

Noel hated Elbion.

In her complete fury she barely noticed the poor dwarf she practically stepped on nor the half-tiefling student she bumped out of her way. Thoughts of rage still swirling around in her head.

She arrived at the classroom entrance just in time to pass by the chic looking half-elf and over hear her refer to Edric as one of Kristen Pirian's servants.

Okay, maybe Noel didn't hate Elbion after all.

 

[Henk]

Well, Davi was still intimidating the students, but at least he wasn't blatantly asking them to haul books out of the Academy, and that was a start. The broad-shouldered Initiate stepped aside to let Davi pass through the doorway first before walking beside him down the hall. Henk had grazed a nerve with that comment about 'people like him', but he'd meant it in a good way.

"You're always hungry to learn something new, Davi. There's a whole world outside of the one we live in, and you're one of the only ones of us interested in understanding it, be it through books or otherwise." In honesty he didn't know Davi terribly well; they'd been on a few missions together, but their interactions were minimal outside of team communication.

Henk had always thought him to have a good head on his shoulders though. Still determined and confident, yes, but he didn't seem to let that confidence cloud his logic as often as the others.

They turned the corner, passing several rather meek-looking students. Word must have been traveling rather quickly. Henk just hoped Edric and Kristen were staying out of trouble.

"Ammorath will be leading it, the one who greeted us. Or tried to, anyway. He also asked me to more or less be the chaperone for all of you, but I'm not so stupid to think that would accomplish much." He cracked a grin. "Though if tensions are this high on the first day, I do hope we don't stay for very much longer. I'm not so worried about you and Kristen, but Noel or Edric... I see them snapping if this keeps up long."

 

[Davi]

Davi didn't bother to stifle his sigh at the mention of the archaic professor who had met them this morning. He hadn't particularly liked Bingo, or his sister, but there had to be way more interesting students here who could give them the real tour. It would be just like the Proctors at home for this professor to leave out things like the torture rooms, the dungeons, the artefacts of anti-magic. The fun stuff.

"Edric and Noel will at least be having fun," he commented as they walked back down the hallway towards the meeting point for the door. With one eye he kept note of the growing crowd forming outside one of the doors; a class must have just ended which meant the hallways were about to suddenly get very full. "Perhaps we should find the others first if he made you promise that. He might look a little green around the edges if we don't turn up with the others," and probably rightly so. Davi had been on enough missions with Edric to know that when left alone he could - and often would - do the 'right' thing. But Noel liked to sew little seeds of chaos that would implode once she had a good seat from which to view it all.

 

[Kristen Pirian]

You can have your like, Servant, tell the other Dreadlords right?

Kristen planted her feet into the sleek floor of the hall. She'd allowed herself to be swept along by Juliette, but no longer; she refused to budge another inch, and no doubt her abrupt stop was to some degree rough. Away went Kristen's expression of pleasant cordiality, and in its place a slow-burning glare of stern reproach that she turned on the Lecreaux daughter.

The irony of what she was about to do was not lost on Kristen. Only just had she mentally excoriated Edric for his conduct, and now here she was preparing to defend him. But an insult, delivered either intentionally or inadvertently, had to be addressed. Firmly.

"He is not a servant," Kristen said, eyes locked to Juliette's own. "He is a Dreadlord Initiate, and you would be wise to refer to him as such."

 

[Edric]

Edric blinked, Juliette blinked, her two compatriots let out gasps.

“Oh. Wow!” The half-elf said, turning towards Edric as though she had just realized he was something interesting. For a brief moment he felt as though he were being studied, like some sort of predatory raptor had spotted him while sitting atop a cliff and was now judging if he could be this nights meal. “I am like soooooooo sorry!”

Juliette intoned in a manner that Edric couldn’t interpret what so ever. “I like, just didn’t know how it worked!”

The two girls who had been hovering behind Juliette and Kristen now stared daggers at the latter, as if she had committed some affront by standing up to the former. Edric noted their piercing gazes, but didn’t pay them much mind given they were half a head shorter and a full head emptier than him.

“I just like thought, all like nobles would have servants!” Juliette said, shaking her head. “I like, wasn’t trying to be mean!”

Juliette said, taking a step forward and grabbing Edric’s hand. Her fingers were soft, like silk, but the way she grasped him was with a surprising amount of strength. “Please, please come! You’ll be my extra special VIP!”

Edric stared at the little Elf Girl in front of him, entirely unsure how he was supposed to feel at this moment. He had gone through every emotion he had, annoyance, anger, indifference, and now he was…well, not he was out of options. Slowly his gaze turned Kristen, as though seeking some sort of answer.

 

[Noel]

Noel watched as the well dressed half-elf tried to yank Edric and Kristen Pirian with her. Watching the entire thing play out from afar was entertaining but there was something about the half-elf that left Noel with an uneasy feeling.

She'd continue to simply watch this situation play out. Approaching Juliette seemed like a terrible mistake, whatever web she'd enraptured her two initiates in looked more dangerous than some of the games that Proctors used to play on the students back at the academy. Perhaps Henk had been right, maybe this college really was strict and that half-elf was one of the enforcers.

Her train of thought quickly became derailed though as a finger poked at her shoulder.

The elf fumbled with his hands before pressing his glasses up off the bridge of his nose. "Hi, are you lost? I'm still your campus buddy while you guys are here, after all!"

An audible groan escaped her lungs. Fucking Bingo again.

"Sorry if I'm intruding, I just assumed you must be lost since you're out here alone in the hallway," Bingo looked over at Edric and Kristen before his head swiveled back towards the library where Henk and Davi were exiting. "Ohhhh, I understand," he said with a nod and a look of sympathy, "a lot of my," Bingo created quotation marks with his fingers, "friends don't want to hang out with me either. But that's why they assigned a campus buddy! In case Vel Anir sent over students like..."

Whether it was the growing rage on her face or a sudden rush of common sense Bingo realized what he'd just implied and was already starting to apologize.

 

[Henk]

Davi had a point about finding the others, but the idea got a laugh out of him anyways, and he turned his head with a brow raised quizzically. "Awful lot of faith you're placing in me, assuming I could convince any of them to join us. You saw how well that went with Noel." Henk wasn't usually considered a leader amongst his peers, and while he would have liked to have Noel's company, it wasn't a good idea to push her, or Edric for that matter. They wouldn't bend to him particularly easily.

They passed another hall to the right, where Henk saw Noel once again cornered by her 'campus buddy' bingo. The boy fought back a smile as he ever so briefly locked eyes with her and he saw the anger bubbling underneath the surface. "Besides..." He added to Davi. "I have a feeling Noel is regretting her choice right about now..." He nodded towards the scene, briefly before it dipped out of their view as they emerged at a door leading outside to a small courtyard where a large group of new students gathered around the old Maester in question.

Henk had no idea where Edric or Kristen had gone, and the Maester was doing his best at quieting the restless new admissions, assuring them the tour would begin soon. The wizened face spotted the pair of them and offered a smile and a wave. Davi's thoughts fresh in his mind, Henk took a quick look around, seeing no trace of any of their companions. Perhaps he'd missed them?

Davi

 

[Davi]

The initiate was having a hard time keeping a straight face as they walked by Noel. There was no way he would offer her any assistance; guessing if her pride could take the hit of asking herself was far more interesting. Instead he pretended to be examining the tapestry they walked past as they talked.

Once outside his eyes ran across the crowd curiously. A site like this in Vel Anir would cause something close to a riot. Students from elven, orcish, dwarven, and species he hadn't even known existed all stood around attentively listening to the old maester. The Anirians still had a long way to go - would they even get there? He thought about the Forsaken and grimaced.

"Edric has probably found something fun to do and Kristen is probably attempting to stop him having fun if it makes you feel any better about keeping people in order," Davi pointed out and folded his arms over his dark coat. A few students glanced their way and began to whisper.

 

[Kristen Pirian]

And from Kristen Edric would get no answer at all.

She crossed her arms. Said simply, "Well?"

The powerful aversion she felt the moment prior was replaced in that moment by a little change of heart.

Did she vastly prefer that the reputation of her homeland remain as untarnished as possible? Yes. Was she going to hold Edric's hand through what was to him the foreign landscape of civility? No. There was a sort of satisfying poetry in it. Where the foreign landscape of combat had been Kristen's folly many times in the past, and where Edric had been right in his stern corrections whenever she floundered or failed, now the tables were turned. Just like Kristen with battle, Edric would, unless he planned to make good on his thoughts of escape and self-exile to some remote and untamed corner of the world, inevitably have to learn how to be social. He would inescapably flounder and fail as she had, and he, in his turn, would have to be sternly corrected in kind.

It was the only language he understood. Not empathy nor compassion, but rather remorseless discipline.

She awaited his forthcoming folly.

Edric