Fable - Ask What Happens After

[Elise Virak]

Anirian Territory - The Academy

Never once in it's five hundred years of history had the Academy been so quiet. There was no training within the yards, no shouting Proctors, no Initiates practicing their magics. It was an eerie, foreboding quiet, the sort which seemed to creep into the very bones and take hold. A strangling grasp, that made one want to whisper instead of speak.

It hung within the air ever since dawn had arrived, and with it a cadre of Anirian Nobles, parliamentary members, a single General, and an army of soldiers headed by the famed Black Guard.

They stood in vigilance throughout the great Keep of the Academy. Perched upon the walls, in the corridors, and at the corners of the training fields. They answered no questions, their black helmets offering no hint of their demeanor. Stoic silence clung to them, setting a note for the rest of the Academy that seemed to cling to both students and Proctors alike.

Through the quiet, those close enough could hear the shouting of a singular voice.

"You are finished!" Elise bellowed, fingers clinging to the edge of the heavy oak table. Trembling with pure ferocity. The men and women to her flank staring at her with no small amount of incredulity.

"Lady Virak, I am sure you, better than many here, understand that the culture of the Academy is not easily changed. These Pro-"​

"These Proctors fall under your purview. Your oversight!" Elise said, not able to keep the rage from her voice. Seething rage pouring through her veins. "What happened is your fault, Headmaster. You made promises to Parliament, in front of all of us. We were assured by the Guard, by you that things would be different."

She pressed, even as she noticed the General a few seats to her left glower in her direction. "Why didn't you know? What exactly have you been doing here?!"

"I've enacted reforms, bettered the students lives, weeded out the worst offending Pro-"​

"THE WORST?!" Elise demanded incredulously, now standing as she continued to rebuke the man. "My little cousin Liliana nearly died! Her and her classmates thrown into an impossible situation by men you allowed to stay here! What fucking use are your reforms when our children, my family, are constantly being put into danger? A full fourth of the graduating class was taken by a madman for Kress' sake!"

She demanded.

"But my Lady the changes are so recent and the chaos of it all…your own family benefitted for hundreds of ye-"​

"We promised these children better! New lives. Better lives. We sacrificed for them! And you let them down!" Her voice was utter venom. "Do you even know what's going on behind your own back?!"

By now the Headmaster had gone completely pale. His fingers nervously wringing one another. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but Elise continued to roll over him like a boulder. "That Edric boy sent on a mission for personal revenge by one of your 'screened' Proctors, students sent half way around the world in pursuit of a trinket to buy favor, my Liliana thrown under prepared and ill-informed into a cabal of sorcerer's. What's next? You let Caeso be tossed into the desert and left for dead like the Pirian girl?!"

"I-How did you...that was an isolated inci-"​

Elise jabbed at the table with her finger, her eyes set on the man in front of her.

"I want the offending Proctors hanged. I want this place torn apart. Every Proctor's, every servant's, every fucking room in the Academy searched for any link to what happened. I want the students to receive a full and genuine apology. I want-" For the first time, someone interrupted the Baronness. The firm voice of Vel Anir's new General of the North breaking into her tirade.

"Elise, you don't have the authority. The Academy falls under the purview of the Gua-"​

"I will take the authority Garrett." Elise hissed, her head whirling towards the new offender. "I will stop all production from my mines and forges. I will call in every favor and debt owed to my family. I will go to the people. I'll beg the fucking King to make an appeal if I have to."

Bright golden eyes stared at the General. "I will grind this whole fucking nation to a halt until I have the votes."

Those at the table quickly began to share nervous looks, though some seemed utterly bemused by Elise's shouts. Their whispers quickly spread, the discussion falling into place as Elise finished her tirade and returned to her seat. "This will not be swept away like so many other missteps."

 

[Liliana]

Liliana sat perched upon a large boulder in the main courtyard of the Academy. Surrounding her were half a dozen other Initiates, some friends, others simply too unsure of themselves to know where to go at the moment.

All of them had been somewhat...shaken, by the events now a day passed.

They had come back to the Academy limping. A fourth of their class gone, and some of their compatriots dead. Half of them expected court martial and prison, while the other half expected nothing less than to hunt down those who had left.

Chaos had risen quickly after their return. The remaining Proctor's already in a panic at their disappearance, and the Headmaster in an absolute state after they had returned. A certain few had been sent directly to the Infirmary, others to their rooms, and some seemed to have completely disappeared.

The night had passed quickly, and by dawn Academy stood as an occupied city.

Black Guard and their fawning lessers stood in every hall and corner. They watched Initiate and Proctor alike, cold dead eyes staring down each and every one of them. No small amount of suspicion staining each offered look.

It was a wonder they hadn't all been locked in their rooms.

Over the deafening silence Liliana could just barely make out the muffled sounds of someone yelling, but her own voice quickly drowned out the sound. "This is ridiculous."

She hissed bitterly.

"We're the victims." Her fingers curled into a fist. "They should be scraping their knees apologizing to us."

 

[Samantha Black]

The infirmary hall was quiet aside from the gentle din of the Healers and Nurses hard at work patching up the Initiates who'd seen the worst of it. After giving over Zael to their care the day prior, Ralene had not seen nor heard any news of him since. He was at the end of the hall in an intensive care triage area blocked off by raised curtains. In her own separate area she remained silently waiting on her bed, peering out from behind layers of gauze wrapping around her head. The gouge to her face from Charon's claw had cut so deeply that the Healers were certain it would scar no matter what they did.

She didn't care and she didn't want their help until they'd done everything they could for Zael and for Davi. Both of them had taken far worse damage than she had. The latter of which presently rested on the bed beside her - his sorry wolfen form taking up most of the space. She idly ran her hand over his head, one of the few places she felt she could touch without causing him undue pain.

"Ralene Banick?" a woman stepped in, one she did not recognize, but her uniform told Ral all she needed to know. "I'm Lieutenant Mina Hilcrest of the Internal Investigations Branch. I'm collecting evidence and accounts of what happened yesterday. Is-" Mina raised her brows at the beast on the bed beside her, "...is that a dog?"

"Wolf, actually," Ral replied quietly and stroked her fingers over Davi's ear.
"I did not realize the Academy now allowed Initiates to keep pets."
"They don't, he isn't my pet - he's my friend."
Mina offered a small smile, "That's ... sweet."
"I mean," Ral furrowed her brows, "he's an Initiate. Shapeshifter. I think he's ... stuck in this form because of his injuries."
"Oh, I see. Which, ah-" Mina paged through her file, "which Initiate is he?"
"Davi," Ral answered, realizing suddenly she wasn't sure she knew Davi's last name, but it wasn't as if there were any other Davi's to sort through.
"Ah, yes, of course. I also have him on my list: Davi Nevarro. Can he speak like that?"
Nevarro. Huh. Had she known that? "He's resting, you can talk to me."
"That's fine. Should we step outside?"
"No," Ral shook her head, "you can talk to me here. I'm staying with him until he's taken care of."
"Very well," Mina moved to the chair by the bed and took a seat, produced an inkwell and quill, then prepped a journal for a fresh and empty page, "let's start at yesterday morning."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair leaned his head against the wall, his eyes closed, as he listened to everything around him. His back pressed against the cold stone of the courtyard. It was finally calm...but why did that unsettle him so much. Maybe it was the yelling from deeper in the Academy. Those would be the nobles, irate at the handling of their own specific offspring.

He finally opened his eyes to look at the others that were gathered in their large group. A shattered family, that's what they were whether they wanted to be or not. That is what happened when you tried to kill students but also limited them from killing each other. They formed a bond. A bond that had been crushed and thrown away, in an instant.

Al glanced at one of the Black Guard in the distance, they already felt like they were in prison without the bars. He pushed himself to his feet and moved closer to the group, Liliana had begun to talk which meant the others would too.

They had to figure out how to handle this. Not the nobles. Not the academy. It was going to be up to them.

"Unlikely, we are going to be used like pawns for both sides. Judging by the noise, someone is getting hammered. My guess would be Headmaster or more of the Proctors."

Liliana

 

[Meredith]

Meredith had spent her time pacing the hallways, avoiding any other intiates she came in contact with. Thoughts had been gnawing through her brain that made her wring her hands and bite her lips until they bled. The redheaded girl was terrified she hadn't been quick enough for Zael and the others, they'd hate her forever.

Meredith had even been avoiding Sable, he was her rock, and yet she wouldn't be able to bear looking him in the eyes. Noel had made a point, and Meredith stewed on it, was kept awake by it. The fallen haunted her waking dreams, and she had been useless.

Her echoing footsteps brought her to the door of the infirmary, but she couldn't bring herself to step inside. Her lips began to tremble, and tears threatened her eyes, she should be in there. No. She should be dead, she didn't belong here, she was weak.

She was nothing .

 

[Davi]

"I think we've finally -- Oh."
​

Proctor Ximena drew up short when she found Lieutenant Hilcrest occupying the chair she had intended to take for herself. She hovered like a hummingbird for an instant, glancing between the boy unconscious in the skin of a wolf, Ralene, and then back to the guard. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Ximena had shown nothing but compassion since the revolution and had fought hard to protect as many students as she could in the fighting that had erupted, but even she did not like the Guard stepping on what she considered Academy business.

"I didn't realise you were in here, Mina," she said and brushed past her as if already dismissing her from her mind. The Lieutenant made a similarly irked expression before turning her attention back to Ralene. Frosty silence followed broken only by the scribble of quill on paper as Mina finished writing down Ral's last bit of information and the slight jingle of metal as Xi took Davi's manacled paw.

"So, you were saying Ra--"

Mina was cut off by the triumphant hiss Ximena gave as the manacle finally gave way in her hand. Almost immediately the sabred wolf's form shimmered and shrunk turning from lupin to human.

"Matron! I'm sorry Mina, but you should probably get going, I'm sure Ralene will be here to answer any follow ups," Ximena couldn't quite keep the pleasure she got from ushering the other woman away off her face as the matron and a team of other healers appeared to finally begin their work on tending to Davi's burns.

 

[Jiya Luana]

The Houses of Virak and Luana had never seen eye to eye, their feuds a long and bloody one that stretch back through the generations. But Jiya Luana, first of her name and current Matriarch of the Luana Family felt a stirring of agreement with her tirade of anger. It had only been recently she had learnt of her sister having been kept for five years in the Academy's version of an insane asylum instead of given over to their brother who might have been able to do something about the girls shattered psyche. And now this. Beatrix's mother had written most furiously to demand Jiya do something as her Houses liege and so she had found herself here, agreeing with Elise Virak of all people.

"Headmaster, nobody is insinuating you knew of this, of course, but you have to think how it looks to those outside the room," she swept a hand casually towards the door as though a raging mob waited just beyond the sturdy bit of oak. From the way he gulped, it was certainly what he was imagining. "For the good of your own reputation, and that of the Guard," her eyes moved to the newly made General before on to other faces in the room. "An apology is probably the least you should do. And of course, the investigation like the Lady Virak says. My House would be more than happy to assist in whatever way needed to help rid the Academy of the few stains that remain from Before."

Whispers were, after all, a trademark asset of her House.

 

[Trix]

Beatrix Umbra tore up the letter in her hands after she had read it for the tenth time and let the pieces blow away in the breeze.

"My father wants me home immediately," she grimaced and slowly moved her feet where they were currently dangling in the water of the fountain. Strictly speaking that was not allowed but right now not a single Proctor dared so much as raise their voice to the initiates. Trix was taking full advantage of it. Despite the calls from the Healers she had refused to stay overnight in the infirmary. She had wanted her own bed, surrounded by her plants, and she had more importantly wanted to be alone. Which, consequently, she was now as her roommate had been one of the many bodies they had been slowly bringing back from the forest.

The cold water of the fountain also eased some of the pain. Not that she would ever admit that aloud.

"What happened was only bad because we were told it wouldn't happen any more, two years ago and maybe only one of us would have walked off that Tower alive. I don't care about apologies or whose fault it was," she kicked at a fish when it swam too close to her toes. "I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again and I'm convinced that no matter what they do, they won't root out all the rot."

 

[Zael Castomir]

Zael's eye slowly slid open.

He stared up at the ceiling, having not yet the cognizance to know where he was. This despite that the ceiling was familiar. There was not a single Initiate who passed through the gates of the Academy without knowing what that ceiling looked like. And the embrace of the sight of the Infirmary ceiling was not warm upon the eyes. It never was.

He could still feel them, even though the ice shards were long gone. It felt as though he were nailed to a wall, with ghostly spears impaling him upon the callous stone. He felt sluggish. Crushed by a fatigue whose closest kin was that of the weakness instilled by a bad fever. His skin still felt deprived of warmth, and yet underneath the sheets of his bed his flesh was clammy as well. Fever wasn't a bad description at all.

Zael lifted a hand which felt like it weighed a hundred pounds more than it should and let it fall onto his face. He felt on the tips of his fingers bandages over his right eye (or what was once his right eye). And though he could not see it, the mark of Proctor Kimble's magic still stained his left.

He lifted his hand again. Blocked the view of that awful ceiling with it. He stared at his hand for a moment as if he was having difficulty believing that any of this was real.

Then came the first welcoming thoughts into his mind.

And they were not kind.

(Yes, this was the hand that had killed her)

Zael clapped his hand down over his mouth and screamed into his palm, his anguish muffled like the last breaths of a man strangled.

 

[Tobias Pirian]

Placid and studious eyes peered at the headmaster from behind rounded, gold-rimmed glasses. Strands of dark, graying hair fell over the man's face, neatly kempt if somewhat long for a man of his stature, though matching a well cared-for beard and moustache in color. Unlike the others, this one had made no attempt to speak thus far, content to simply and calmly absorb the situation as it unfolded around him. The third of the nobles attending this dressing down was none other than the patron of House Pirian himself, Lord Tobias.

He, of course, had also felt the distress that came with the news of this tragedy. It was, in a word, devastating. An atrocity like this had not been seen since the establishment of the republic, and it was far too soon in the burgeoning new government's rule for something this horrible to occur. There was, however, no undoing what had been done. What mattered now was how the senate and indeed the representatives of the former Great Houses handled the situation.

As ever, Tobias advocated for caution and a calculated, intelligent approach. Lady Virak had not acquiesced to this. Tobias sighed as he sat, leaned forward, hands resting atop his cane.
"Lady Elise, please..." The lord of House Pirian spoke at last, his voice gentle, yet exuding experience and authority. He shared a look of apologetic understanding with the woman, but did not go so far as to make her feel undermined or condescended to. Those three words were enough to convey what he needed to.

Tobias turned back to the headmaster.
"We are all rightfully distressed by this development, headmaster, least of all myself. I was relieved to hear that my niece was not present at this travesty, and I can only imagine the tribulation that has been wrought upon the greater Virak family." He spoke, rich, dulcet voice complemented by the evenness of his tone and the formalness of his words.
"While I cannot condone the any threats of overreach on Lady Virak's part, her anger is certainly well founded. This was gross negligence, open and shut, on your part. I fear an apology may not be enough to quell the coming storm." He glanced at Jiya knowingly. To this day Tobias did not trust the Luanas, but he was well aware of their knack for affecting public opinion. Jiya would be instrumental in preventing large scale unrest in the coming weeks. Again, his eyes returned to the headmaster.
"I believe your resignation may be in everyone's best interest, including your own."

 

[Sable Pembroke]

Of any one of the initiates now sat among the infirmary, Sable was the one who least needed to be there. His injuries had been mostly superficial, and even then they'd been primarily inflicted on himself due to overexertion. The lacerations he'd suffered to his hands and wrists from shattering his bonds was likely the worst of anything--that or the damage he'd done to his vocal chords from the screaming he'd been doing.

Healers had been kind enough to spare him some of their aid, despite the young man's protests. He'd insisted that they not waste a drop on him and instead spent every ounce of their efforts on ensuring Zael survived. They'd told him more times than he could count that Zael would recover and that he needed to calm down and rest, that fatigue and dehydration were now at greater risk of killing Sable than Zael's wounds were to Zael, but it took another several hours past that for Sable to finally listen.

After that, Sable went into shock for some time. He didn't have the presence of mind to register that Meredith had gone off on her own, clearly shaken in her own way. Instead he'd simply sat among Ralene and Davi holding his head in his hands. Guilt and self-loathing swam in his mind, but so too did something more...esoteric. A fleeting, distant memory, like he was trying to remember a song but couldn't quite find the tune or recall the lyrics, right on the tip of his tongue. It made him feel sick. Something was wrong, he just couldn't quite place it.

Anguished screaming finally pulled Sable back into reality. He swung his head up, both relief and regret drenched Sable like spring rain as Zael came to. The young titan shot to his feet.
"Zael! You're awake! Ral--" He swung his head towards her, calling to get her attention as though Zael's own cries would not have done so already.

Already one of the infirmary staff was trying to ward Sable away, warning him about Zael's need to rest. Sable barely registered that to be the case. He was barely registering anything right now. To anyone that knew him, Sable's instability was apparent.

 

[Evangeline]

Failure was not something Evangeline often dealt with, nor even considered. It was something she'd long since tried to eliminate from her life, each limping step and twinge of pain in her leg a bitter reminder of her own mistakes. Perhaps that was why she'd been so reluctant to allow healers to aid in her recovery process: so she wouldn't forget to stay vigilant.

Failure had come all the same. Perhaps only a few months had passed since the canal mission report had landed on her desk. Learning of just one student's untimely demise back then had been a hard pill to swallow, and Rafael's name had not left the back of her mind since. Discovering the sickening betrayal that was the "graduation" had rocked Evangeline to her very core.

So many dead. Still others missing. And "Proctor" D'Amour, who'd sworn to raise and protect the children of the Academy, had let it slide under her nose. She'd done nothing to stop it, was unable to have done anything to stop it. Evangeline had failed. She'd failed the Academy, she'd failed House Pirian, she'd failed Vel Anir, but worst of all...she'd failed her students.

At Lord Tobias urging, Evangeline had taken leave for the day. Between her own anger and sorrow over what had happened and Elise's wrath and fury, it was better that she remained out of the way. She'd left her office door open to any student who sought her out, to any who wanted counseling or anything else, but that was where she would remain for now. It was for the best.

 

[Ysobel]

Where is he? Where is he?

Ysobel had spent the better part of the morning searching the grounds for any sign of his return. There was absolutely no way he would have left Vel Anir. Not without saying goodbye, at least. She was sure of it. Absolutely sure. Probably.

Carrying a small hand-wrapped package, Ysobel peeked through a dusty window into the courtyard where some of the former initiates gathered along with some of those in her class. None of them bearing the messy red hair that her favorite hot…hot-headed dreadlord, Gaage, did.

Was he dead or had he chosen to exile?

If those were the only two options, she hoped it was the former.

Death was forgivable, but exile?

“Have you seen Gaage?” Her questioning grew more frantic as she scoured the academy for him, stopping only briefly after bumping into Meredith and dropping the gift on the hard stone floor. “Gaage?” Her voice was barely a scratchy whisper as she collected herself.

“He’s gone.” The redhead didn’t even glance in her direction as she revealed her nightmares had come true.

Without a response Ysobel would turn and make her way back towards her dorm, leaving the package and its shattered contents beside Meredith.

 

[Zael Castomir]

Even from his bed at the end of the hall, Zael heard Sable calling out his name. Hand still clamped over his mouth, Zael tried to look. Only white partitioning curtains. They blocked his view. On the other side of those curtains he could hear as well infirmary staff trying to coax Sable back.

Footsteps. Approaching. The smart clacking of shoes, not the heavy footfalls of boots. Sable did not come around that curtain. It was, in fact, the worst sight Zael could have imagined—

(Little Lilly, her half skeletal form reanimated, come to ask him in a heartbroken tone, "Why?")

—and it was one colder still than that awful and familiar ceiling.

The Head Nurse, Ingrid Barlow. Much like the ceiling, a familiar sight to many an Initiate. Much like the ceiling, cold and unwelcoming. Not a sole spot of warmth could be found anywhere in Ingrid's eyes, nowhere in or around the deep laugh line wrinkles (these were certainly not born of any humor or affection) framing her dour lips. She was a perfect fit for the old way, and had been here for as long as Zael could remember. To Ingrid, her patients weren't people—let alone children who needed compassion or empathy. They were bothersome things with bothersome problems to be remedied, like paintings she didn't like which had been vandalized and it was nevertheless her duty to restore them.

"And keep him away," Ingrid said of Sable, speaking to the other infirmary staff. She held a parchment in one hand, cradled in a rigidly formal manner close to her meager chest, and came around the bed to one side.

Zael let his hand slip away from his mouth. Of all the people he wanted to see right now, Ingrid Barlow was the absolute last among them.

"Zael Castomir. Heavily injured," she said. Matter-of-factly. Always matter-of-factly. Not people. Things. Problems. Her goddamn parchment was more important than just looking at him.

"Eighteen impalements throughout the body. Most severe impalement through the skull—a quarter inch from immediate death. Loss of right eye as a result. Magical residue within the blood. Hypothermia."

Her lip twitched at this last word. She looked up from her parchment, at him but not at him, as if before her on the bed was a mannequin of Zael and not the actual Zael himself.

"Your gift was a nuisance. Fire Immunity. Made warming your body a troublesome affair. Combined with the aforementioned magical residue within the blood, a nuisance indeed. It still isn't done."

"I want...to talk...with—"

Ingrid cut him off before he could say Sable. "We're not done here, Initiate Castomir."

Initiate Castomir. It stung in a way Zael couldn't have expected.

And fueled an anger within his chest. More than anger. A hatred for the old way.

The old way which was represented in stark, condemnable clarity by Ingrid Barlow, cold and callous Head Nurse.

Sable Pembroke

 

[Samantha Black]

That the Nurse seemed to be irked by the Guard's presence was telling and gave Ralene a rub in the wrong way. Caught between a rock and a hard place as she was in helping the Guard get to the bottom of this mutiny against the Republic while also keeping Davi's dire health needs a priority, she settled on staying out of this silent spat between the two older women. Refocused her attention on Davi just long enough to watch the Healer release the manacle from his paw with her key.

Of course she had a key, but for fuck's sake why did she wait so long to use it?

That was when Zael started rousing and she heard him as clearly as Sable did - fucking hell, had Sable been here the whole time? How long had she been here? Had she fallen asleep at some point? Everything from the point of departing the scene of the crime with Zael in her arms up until right then had become something of a blur. Ralene frowned and glanced to Lt. Hilcrest as she brusquely got up from her chair to depart - had she even finished telling her what had happened?

Had she even slept at all last night?

A weight at her side pulled her back and Ral looked down to see her hand settled over long, coarse, blood-sticky curls atop the head of a boy and not a wolf. Davi's hideously burned figure lay curled and naked beside her on the bed where there once had been a beast. She was relieved and mildly shocked at the same time. So the manacle had locked him in his wolf form ... but how had he managed to shift to that form to begin with?

So many questions.

Sable was yelling at her, the Nurses were restraining him. The desperation on the air was reaching palpable levels. Ralene took a slow and steadying breath, and with a final stroke over Davi's forehead she pushed herself to her feet and moved to where Sable struggled with himself as much as he did with the Healers and placed a strong hand on his shoulder. She squeezed and pulled him back toward her, away from the women who needed to do their work to save their fellow Initiates.

"Sable," Ral rasped at him and she realized only now how badly her voice sounded and how much pain was presently pounding inside her skull, "stop. Look at me."

If he did, he'd find her gaze of steely blue, hardened by her anger for what had been forced upon them all, but calm the way the ocean was before a terrible storm. She was anchored there, steadfast and ready to hold against the maelstrom or cut loose with her fury to become the storm. Only now wasn't the moment to make that decision.

"Are you with me?"

 

[Liliana]

Liliana scowled at nothing in particular as both Alistair and Trix offered their opinions on the mess.

Both of them were of course completely right. This whole debacle didn't really matter and probably wouldn't in the end. Someone, likely Cousin Elise, would maneuver things to gain a political win, a new headmaster would be installed, and the next generation of students would get fucked over in some new way.

None of which particularly interested Liliana.

She didn't care about the next generation, she didn't care about what anyone else got. She cared about what she would be getting.

Her eyes flickered over the inner courtyard, watching as one of the black armored men trudged over to one of the regular Guardsmen and spoke to them. "Are you going?"

Liliana asked Trix, still watching the Guardsmen.

A small thought forming in the back of her head.

”Al.” She said softly, knowing full well what the boy had done with his father. ”What are you going to do now?”

Liliana asked almost idly, carrying on the conversation. Her eyes following as the regular Guardsmen pulled himself from his black armored compatriot and began to make towards the entrance of the courtyard. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Liliana’s fingers twitched.

Trix | Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair nodded in agreement with Trix's thoughts on the situation. At the end of the day, shit was going to be shit for someone. None of them were powerful enough to change that fact for everyone, so the least they could do is try and make it better for themselves and their group. Yeah, let's start there.

He took a moment to think when Liliana asked him the question. Maybe all of these events should lead Alistair in some new and interesting direction, but that was not destined to happen.

"I am the only one left to handle the affairs of House Krixus, so it will take some time before I can get everything set up to operate without me. I will join the reserves, and I believe my next post is already decided."

It had been decided for some time now that after graduation, Alistair would continue to a full-time position with the Vigilite. He might be able to use that position to learn about the whereabouts of the others.

Trix Liliana

 

[Kalix]

Kalix, despite the horrors that was graduation, had slept soundly. Actually, it was some of the best sleep that he had gotten this year. This unrest, this uncertainty, this fear… it was comforting. It was home. This was the academy that Kalix had grown up in.

When he awoke, he was ready for breakfast. For once the dining hall was quiet, and a good majority of initiates had actually skipped breakfast. Weird, but hey, when Kalix went for seconds he wasn’t turned away this time! It was only after breakfast that things started to dawn on him.

Jaxan is dead. What? How? Impossible. Edric left. Whatever, he didn’t like Edric much anyways, he was always calling Liliana a cunt. Delaney is gone. Eh, she was kinda weird with her shadows so that was fine. Zael might die. …….. Gaage went with them. Well, that made sense, only he could handle Delaney.

“Kalix!” Kalix looked over at Jackson, who was smelling like the horses as usual. “You made it! I thought…”

“You thought I’d die?” Kalix said, his voice low. His eyes narrowed at the initiate that… well, it was no secret that Jackson thought Kalix was the coolest and the toughest initiate there. “If Lys passed ‘course I’d pass!”

“No, I mean…” Jackson looked to the side, and it was then that Kalix saw the perspiration on his brow. “I overheard that Novgorodoff planned on having you… die yesterday.” Kalix leaned back, shocked. Wait. Wait wait wait. “Kal? Hey, Kalix are you—“ alive. Without Alistair there was no way that he would have— “survived. I can’t imagine—“ being dead? But for that moment, Kalix had tasted it and it tasted— “horrible. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to—“

The phantom pain overtook him, causing Kalix to suck in air through his teeth. A hand instinctively went to his shoulder as if he could feel nothing there.

“Are you hurt—“ Jackson reached out towards him and—

“Back the fuck up!” Kalix growled, thankful that those words had the right effect on the other initiate. Jackson looked hurt, confused and… Kalix turned away. Was that pity in his brown eyes?

---

Kalix knocked on the wooden door that was wide open. There was only one place he could hide away at. Classes seemed to be mostly cancelled for all in his grade and while Kalix would normally be napping or with Liliana or maybe sparring with Zael… well, nothing sounded more exhausting to be around others.

Stepping inside Proctor D’Amour’s office, Kalix was for once, quiet with a sheepish look on his face.

He said nothing as he went and sat down at on of the chairs before her desk, hunching over resting his elbows on his knees. He hung his head, a curtain of a starless night obscuring his face.

Evangeline

 

[Musah]

"My sympathy to all of your relatives caught up in the ordeal." A deep, smooth, resonating voice came from the doorway as a large individual stepped in. The air seemed to vibrate slightly as the man walked in, creating a sense of apprehension. His eyes were looking down at the Headmaster, a cold smile on his face.

Archon Ronan Osmani stepped into the room, making his presence known. Some of the nobles were content to release Virak girl on the Headmaster like a wild dog. She certainly was in quite the rage, amusing.

"However, we also should no shy away from the other issue at hand. Headmaster, your incompetence has led to the loss of nearly half of a class of future Dreadlords during a time when they would be greatly welcomed into the ranks of Vel Anir. You were aware of the potential dangers and still did nothing...Dare I say it, your gross negligence would stretch by many to be labeled as incompetent treason."

Ronan never had to say exactly how he could feel. His powers would handle that as the vibrations around the headmaster would shift to increase his anxiety.

With that out of the way, he finally turned to some of the nobles and offered polite nods of greeting.

 

[Meredith]

Meredith hadn't even registered the girl that attempted to break her reverie. She didn't even turn her head as she gave the girl an answer she could muster. She clenched her hand and slowly as if on its own accord, her hand twisted the handle of the infirmary, opening it slowly, and stepping inside.

Chaos invaded her senses, and for a moment she was transported to the woods. She blinked, blocking it out. Her face was pale, almost a greenish tint to it. Eyes skittered over fellow classmates, not lingering enough to catch anyone's eyes.

She had come to help, but she quickly realized she was in over her head. Sable was in anguish, Zael was awake but still not doing well, Ralene and Davi weren't much better. It was too much, and yet she was glued to the floor.


There was no hint of light in her eyes as she finally looked up at Sable. He was stressed, upset, in despair. All she could do was utter a soft apology in his direction as she turned on her heel and fled the room. It was a mistake, she never should have come here. Everything she had done up to this moment was a mistake.

Meredith ran down the hall, past the comfort of the library, past students and teachers alike. The air from outside as she hit the lawn brushed tears from her cheeks. She ran until she reached the tree, the one where she had learned to be safe the night of the ball. It felt like centuries ago, but it was still fresh in her mind. Here is where she hid, collapsing into herself. Here is where she would decide her future.

 

[Trix]

Are you going?​

"No."

There was not even the smallest of hesitations before Trix gave her answer and the conviction in her voice surprised even her. Until then she had not fully made up her mind. Or at least, she thought she hadn't. The idea of returning home and being a part of the greater Luana family had always been her mission before; Umbra needed to remain a strong contender should Jiya fail. But over the last year the promises of what graduation could bring had been more enchanting.

It was a different kind of freedom.

"I'll join the Guard. Gilram isn't collecting Dreadlords for fun, Vel Anir needs to be ready. My cousin can handle the politics and mess, I would rather focus on ensuring we're strong enough to survive whatever is coming next. No matter what path we all pick, there'll be no point to any of it if we don't survive."

 

[Aisling Weiroon]

When the news had reached Aisling's ears she'd dropped everything. Poor little Lily had nearly died and Aisling was surprised that Elise wasn't overcome with worry. No, by the time she'd arrived her dear friend Ellie had set her mind to fixing this situation. Elise wasn't some dread-stricken relative, she was as ferocious as any pirate or corsair that Aisling had seen back in her days of service.

The current head of House Weiroon waited until the other nobles had said their piece. Virak and Pirian had already stated the obvious, the headmaster would have to resign. And Jiya had backed the investigation. Ellie was, as usual, correct in her instincts that brushing this under the rug would be the choice of the old ways. They were here to represent something new. "Headmaster, I'm sure you were aware before we even arrived that this is the single worst disaster in the history of the Dreadlord Academy."

Aisling wasn't completely confident if that was true but it sounded both correct and poignant.

"You will resign. Your apology will be the highlight of your resignation speech." Emerald eyes narrowed at the headmaster to make it clear that this wasn't just some request. The revolution had changed a great many things but the collective will of three Great Houses was still difficult for anyone to overcome in this day and age.

"As for the investigation as to how this occurred, I propose that our four houses," she gestured towards the lords of Luana, Pirian, and lastly her closest friend from Virak before meeting General Garrett's gaze, "work in tandem with the Guard and the new headmaster."

If it was funding, insight, or manpower that was necessary to see that this never happened again then Weiroon was ready to provide.

 

[Noel]

Noel had arrived at the academy surprisingly fast given her weakened state. She'd alerted the first Guardsman she encountered, who in turn grabbed the first available Proctor that was loyal to the republic, who then fetched the headmaster. She knew that any 'rescue effort' would be too late to retrieve her wayward classmates but letting the Anirian Guard and the academy know what had happened had been her duty.

And in return she ignored them when they told her to visit the infirmary. Choosing instead to hobble towards her room at the academy and crash into the uncomfortable bed she'd spent the entirety of her teenage years. For one last time she slept in the academy's accommodations.

Gods did she sleep. For nearly an entire day as her body and magical reserves recovered from the carnage the day before.

Upon waking her muscles still felt sore, her magic still dampened, but none of that mattered. She just needed time before she'd be back to full strength. But when she glanced outside her window she could make out the glimmer of possibility.

Noel made her way out into the courtyard, rubbed elbows with a few members of the Guard, and then finally approached a man she'd met only once before. "Commander Ephraim," a man donning enchanted black armor turned and nodded towards her.

"Noel Schwarz, correct? The metal-manipulating initia - or should I say - Dreadlord. What do I owe the pleasure?" His face was filled with curiosity as to what the dark-haired girl could possibly want with him.

"Our graduation hasn't officially happened yet, sir, I am still an initiate until such time." She shook her head and re-took the man's gaze, "regardless our Guard assignments are imminent. If they've not already been decided," biting at her lower lip Noel regarded the Commander once more and stiffened her back. Settled her nerves. "Sir. I'd like to request to join the Black Guard for my assignment."

He crooked an eyebrow at that whilst several of the other members of the Black Guard looked at her with bewilderment. "You want to join a bunch of Guardsmen that most of your kind regard as mage killers? Lass, you remember from our mission that our armors are enchanted. Our weapons forged from fallen meteorites. Why would you want to join the Black Guard?"

"You've described every reason I'd be the perfect fit. The nature of my magic makes me one of the least threatening Dreadlords to your unit and," her brow furrowed and her cheeks turned red, "I presume it will be the Black Guard who will hunt former Archon Gilram the most relentlessly. That is why I want to join you." It was her best bet of finding the students who walked away. Her best shot at getting to see the life snuffed out of Gilram's one good eye.

 

[Elise Virak]

Elise had fallen back into her chair, lounging within as though it were a nothing less than throne.

Her face was still a mask of rage, the simmering anger easy enough to keep in place. Her gaze focused almost entirely on the Headmaster across the table from her, eyes flickering to her compatriots only now and again when they spoke.

A slight, ever so slight, smile tugged at her lips when she found each of them falling on her side of the line. Tugging just a bit wider when the Archon stepped in and agreed.

"I think the mood of the room speaks for itself, Eldrin."​

The General said, drawing in a tight breath and slowly shaking his head. It was clear that he was displeased, though about what was difficult to read. His gaze turned towards the man in question, eyes saying more than his own words ever could.

"I-Yes, I can I see...I believe it would be best if I were to resign."
​

A long sigh escaped The Headmaster, but he knew it was done.

There was no arguing, not against the entire room, and certainly not against his strongest enemies. He shook his head, and then sagged back into his chair. "Garret?"

Elise said, looking at the General. Her intention more than clear. The general took in a breath, and then nodded.

"The Resignation will be accepted, and an investigation will be conducted. Headed by the Vestigare, but with offered assistance taken. This will not be a Witch Hunt."​

"No, of course not." Elise said, her voice a bit more soft, but a simmer still clearly in her tone. "I merely want justice to be done."

She smiled, at the General, though the expression did not hit her eyes. "Now, As for a new Headmaster..."

"The Guard retains it's control of the Dreadlords, we wi-"​

"Come now, Garret. You are very well aware that the Assembly will want some form of input and between the four of us we control nearly a third of the votes." Though Vel Anir was now a democracy, the Great Houses and the Royal Family still carried a great amount of power. Not the least of which was controlling votes from various districts through familiar connection. "A simple conversation now, can prevent weeks of discussion in a month."

The General scowled, his head shaking as he let out a scoff.

"Fine, In the interest of...inclusion, does anyone have any ideas?"​

 

[Jiya Luana]

Jiya grimaced in sympathy; a head had had to roll for what had happened but in her opinion it was the wrong one. At this time the Academy did not need new leadership. Certainly not a puppet leader who would be next to useless. They needed somebody strong in charge to prepare for what was coming. For, from what the students who had been willing to talk to her had told her, including the stories her own sister and brother had heard, there was a much larger threat to be thinking of.

But if it needed to happen...

That morning a letter had come to the House. There had been no flowery address, no well wishes or even a signature. Just a single name in sharp, clear handwriting anyone in her House would have known on sight. For twenty years her family had followed the predictions of that woman and it had led to nothing but the growth and prosperity of her House. When they hadn't, it had led to ruin.

She had no intentions of making the same mistake as her father in ignoring her again.

"I propose Evangeline D'Amour."