PLEASE CLOSE ~ DEAD

[Evangeline]

Seraphina had rushed to the school with her orders prying at her mind. Attacks on summoners were not rare, but deaths in such a horrible manner... this was absolutely sickening. To lose your crystal and your life... The young woman grimaced at the thought of losing Pyrhos; he had been there ever since she was fifteen, losing him would kill her in more than one way.

 

She reached a clearing outside the school as to not attract too much attention. This was supposed to appear as a checkup. Upon landing, she headed off on foot, her fingers tapping at her chest. The fire fiend reared as he shimmered, returning once more to the crimson crystal resting near her heart.

 

By the time she reached the school, a shadow cast darkness over her tiny figure. Her brilliant cerulean gaze fluttered up to catch sight of a familiar fiend. It had been awhile since she had seen Bastian. She had heard rumours of the man retiring from the military to work as a teacher, but she had not believed them to be true. Nonetheless, there was Aero soaring over her head. She would need to speak with him first to report her business.

 

The woman tugged her jacket around her lean form before he headed past the gates, and up toward the school's landing fields to meet the familiar male. That was when she caught sight of Arthur. Her lips pursed slightly; she had never liked the man. Arthur was cold, calculating, and down-right cruel to get accurate results. But her displeasuret was something she would have to get over; this was work, not play. Swallowing thickly, she continued her trek toward the two male's.

"Sirs!"

[DragonSpirit009]

Areo flew over the school giving Bastian a glimpse of what’s going on. He could see Diana with the students and a couple of monsters in boxes. She must be teaching them about element types. Areo then changed direction deciding it wouldn’t be good to land in the training area but rather in the courtyard.

 

Once the large fiend landed Bastian slid off landing with a small thud on the ground. He straightened his clothes and took a few steppes when a familiar voice caused him to pause. Turning around he was met by an old friend who he hasn’t seen in years.

 

“Well now, this is a surprise.” Bastian spoke. “Haven’t seen you in some time Sera?” Areo turned to look at the woman but he didn’t great her. He merely just stared at her with no emotion. Bastian looked up at his fiend feeling a bit ashamed of his actions but sadly a fiend can’t really hide a summoners true emotion.

[Fortune86]

Arthur slid down Areo's scaley hide after Bastain, bending his knees slightly when his feet hid the paved stone of the courtyard. Just as he was straighting up he heard a voice call out to the two of them. Standing upright he looked over at the gates and saw someone else he had not seen in many years.

 

"Seraphina" he said with the barest of nods. He did not ask why she was here. He was sure she would explain her presence in due time.

[Evangeline]

The grounds shook from Aero's landing, and Seraphina found she had very much missed the dragon's presence very much. His size matched her own friend's, and Pyrhos had always liked seeing the large beast.

 

"Hello, Sir." Seraphina's lips twisted into a polite smile despite the male's gruff greeting. It was odd seeing him here; she would have never thought he would become a teacher. At least he had not murdered anyone... yet.

 

She glanced toward Aero, and her eyes flooding with concern. The dragon was usually much more relaxed around them. Had something happened? And then she heard a familiar voice calling her name; Seraphina froze and her eyes widened. She was going to kill him. Sapphire irises shot toward the second party, and only the woman's head dipped in a silent hello before her attentions wavered back to the taller man. Why did she have to meet him here? After eleven long years, it had to be an accidental meeting... They had known each other as children, and she had found out about his return from another investigator. How she wanted to wring his neck and demand that he tell her everything.

 

But lucky for him, this was not the time. It took the young summoner a moment to compose herself before she began her report.

"It has been awhile. I am glad to see you, Sir, but I fear I have come on rather unfortunate circumstances." Her voice was barely anything more than a whisper to avoid the nearby students from hearing.

"There was a summoner that was attacked recently, as I am sure you know. The kid's crystal was ripped out and smashed. The case is being investigated as we speak."

 

Sera cleared her throat,

"Word about a kid that showed up in the hospital a night or so ago reached my division. He had deep lacerations around his crystal, there was terrible bruising to his body, and there were signs that he had been tied down. They sent me to look into it, but he disappeared without a trace long before I got there. They say he is one of yours. I came here in hopes of discovering him, Sir."

[Fortune86]

"So there have been other attacks" mused Arthur softly to himself. He wondered if the same culprits were responsible for each of them. If the victims were all Summoners, then it would be too much of a coincidence otherwise.

 

He watched Seraphina carefully. She had not seen too happy to see him not that it was a major concern of his. He had never been very popular and had never sought to be.

 

When he heard that one of the victims might have arrived at the school he turned to look at Bastain. was this something that he knew of?

[DragonSpirit009]

“Ah yes a boy by the name of Castian.” Bastian spoke as he scratched his chin. “Yesterday after an Abomination attack Diana and one of the students found a boy in the woods nearby. His wounds are as you described.” Bastian looked back at the school then back at the pair.

 

“I think he should be here. Diana requested for him to be brought back and I believe I saw more students than yesterday.” Bastian then decided it would be best to dismiss his fiend not wanting to see it true emotions.

 

“I’ll lead you to the training area. And then we hear where he is and Sera no need to call us sir. We know each other well enough.” With those words he started to move inside.

~~

Bella saw the shadow of a large something moving over the training area. She quickly looked up and noticed it was Bastian’s fiend. He had returned but at what cost. He was apparently in a lot of trouble and would have been away longer but he was back a lot sooner.

 

“I wonder how Diana is feeling.” She whispered as the fiend disappeared.

[Evangeline]

Seraphina dipped her head, "It would seem so. We know next to nothing right now, unfortunately. We just need to stop this before we find anyone else." Her tone was pleasant enough, though her mannerisms seemed devoid of any emotion.

 

Turning back to Bastian, the woman's brows furrowed slightly,

"Sorry. It's a habit. You used to be my superior." She offered an apologetic smile before she glanced toward the school.

 

"Diana? I'm certain you are enjoying her company. Mmm, please, lead the way, S- Bastian."

 

--

 

Castian stood near the back of the group, and his attentions were far from the lesson taking place. He watched the giant fiend towering over the ground not far away, and his hands dug into his pockets. The boy became uneasy, worrying excessively about what military could want here. His gaze fell back to Diana, though his body tensed, and he was already planning his escape. Slowly, he shuffled toward one of the cages with feigned interest.

[Fortune86]

While Arthur's face was its normal blank self, there was the barest hint of confusion in his tone when he next spoke.

 

"What is an Abomination?" he asked. It was not a term he head before. It must refer to something that had occured during his self imposed exile. As Bastian had already started to move, he walked after him, expecting his old colleague to explain along the way.

[Evangeline]

Seraphina shot a look back at the straggling ice summoner. She was going to strangle him, here and now. It was growing harder to remain professional.

"While you were away, the titans came no more. But, these other monsters did start attacking. They are not as strong as the titans, but they are still a handful. It usually takes more than one summoner to take them down, and they caused great destruction for awhile."

[Fortune86]

It was not Bastain who explained, but Seraphina. She started off by informing him that the Titans did not attack any more, something he already knew as he had witnessed their sad demise, and finished by informing him of what sounded like a new breed of monsters.

 

"When did these Abominations appear?" he asked. While he was pleased that they did not sound as deadly as the Titans had been, monsters of any strength were a concern.

[Evangeline]

"Shortly after you left, Arthur. They are troublesome, and never leave without leaving injured men, woman, and children in their paths. Entire homes have been wiped out by a few of them. There are at least thirteen still alive according to the reports."

As they neared the school, Seraphina took a deep breath. A wave of nostalgia settled over the girl. After the place had been destroyed, she had been one of the ones to help rebuild, but ever since Arthur had disappeared, she had not come back. To think it had been over ten years ago that she had come here.

"Mmm. I have not seen this place in a long time... It seems Bastian has done well at keeping the place in shape."

[DragonSpirit009]

Bastian gave a weary smile when Sera asked if it was a pleasure working Diana. For all he know she might either scold her for being an idiot or either completely ignore him. Either way he has no idea how it will play out all he could hope for was that someone would forgive him for what he did.

 

“The building is very different from the old one. I got a bit confused the first day when I got here.” Bastian spoke as they entered the school. They weaved through the corridors until he reached the hallway leading to the training areas.

 

“I don’t know if Diana would be in a good mood or even allow us to talk to her.” Bastian spoke as he entered the hallway. He led the pair to the designated door opening it for them. He then stepped to the side and allowed them to enter first.

[Kestra15]

Making sure that the Cloud-puff was still insensate Selena motioned for Vulpis to step forward. Though Healer and Fiend were not aggressive by nature it did not mean they didn't know how to fight, and with the other students having participated she guessed it was best to demonstrate she was still one of them.

 

No words were exchanged between them, but in a blur of motion Vulpis shot towards the Lamp Eater and with a deft tap of her paws opened the lid to the cage. The Lamp Eater took the chance and with a plume of fire expelled from it's maw slithered out of the box. Vulpis waited for the display to end before darting forwards, her nine tails fanning out and blocking the snake-like creature's vision as she shot past. Confused and trying to snap at the tails, the Lamp Eater was blind to Vulpis as she turned back on herself and came up behind the creature's head. Pouncing, the Lamp Eater shortly found itself with sharp teeth just below it's head and a pair of strong paws pinning it down. Small flames leaped out and danced over Vulpis' fur to no avail.

 

Selena simply looked to Diana, awaiting her word to end the display.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Kestra15

[Chicogal]

Diana smiled lightly once again as Selena let her Fiend come forward. It was elegant - tapping its paws daintily and using distraction as a weapon. The woman was smart and skilled, but she had to be what with having served in the military. She was certainly a few leagues above some of the other students. But she suspected that Castian was quite skilled as well - experience was on their side. "Excellent," she commented. Despite her position, she mustn't forget that Selena was still a student.

 

There were just two monsters left for the lesson - it would be over quite soon. The first was a monster that vaguely reminded her of an old friend's Fiend. It was a large bird, its dappled feathers brown and blue. Its harsh ice cold ice followed the teacher as she walked along. "What can you tell me this time?"

[Kestra15]

With little effort Vulpis picked up the creature in her maw and front paws and flicked the snake-like being back into it's cage. Selena sprinted forward, grabbing the glass lid and quickly pulling it back over the cage as her Fiend slapped the Lamp Eater down with a paw to make sure it was inside. The heat from another gout of flame rolled and warmed Selena's forearm as she secured the lid, making sure the Vulpius' deft work was not undone by a fumbled return to the cage. With the Lamp Eater once again safely contained - and literally fuming at a short and embarrassing defeat - Selena stood up and rejoined the students.

 

"A colleague of mine once referred to it as the Simurgh, in reference to a mythological ice Fiend," she said as she knelt down, Vulpis coming up and allowing her Summoner to inspect her for injuries. Unsurprisingly the Fiend was untouched.

[Evangeline]

"I'm sure she'll be okay." Sera gently lay a hand on the teacher's shoulder as a wary smile tugged across her lips. Was that what was bothering the old man? Times surely had changed if Diana was the responsible one. She remembered the girl fighting to pass her exams for the military, but she had never thought the girl would shape up so quickly. And now she was keeping other people in line. Ceil would have been proud. Ceil...Sera missed her old teacher. She only hoped he was in a better place.

 

Sera thanked Bastian quietly before she walked through the open door.

"Would it be alright to speak to this Castian after class? Speaking of which, do you know where the boy is?"

______________

 

An uneasy feeling settled in his gut when the three new comers appeared. He truly felt sick and he did not want to be here any longer. Castian glanced back toward one of the doors, and at the impressive distraction provided by Selena and her fiend, the dark summoner turned on his heel to slip out a back door. He held his breath as he made his way out into the court yard, and it was only when he rounded a corner that he inhaled deeply, his form barreling straight into a solid barrier. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the familiar form, and he quickly took a step back, glancing over his shoulder nervously.

"Wes! You're still here?!"

[Chicogal]

"Yup. Ice is weak to Fire, but I believe that we do not have anyone with a Fire-aigned Fiend here? So; let's have someone do a physical attack again..." The sound of voices drew closer and closer, and she turned around to see who was coming through the door. The woman who stepped through was vaguely familiar. She'd been at the Summoner School and the military at the same time as her- "Seraphina!" she exclaimed, quite surprised as she made her way toward the group of people entering. "What are you- oh..." Her bright eyes narrowed at the sight of Bastian.

 

He had shown up the standards of the Summoner School. He had set a bad example for her students. And dammit, he was too handsome for his own good. That wasn't any excuse though. "Do you have something to say for yourself?" she asked quietly, raising her eyebrows. There had better be a good reason for his actions - the teacher was expecting an explanation later.

 

((Arthur isn't getting glomped, but Wes sure is. |D))

[Fortune86]

Arthur followed Bastain and Seraphina into the training area where Diana was with her class. He had never had much opportunity to learn much about her back when they first met ten years ago. They had spent only a few hours in each other's company until she had left the group and been kidnapped. She had, in Arthur's opinion, been a silly, frivolous girl. He would not have guessed that she would have been the one to take over after Ciel.

 

A movement caught his eye he saw a young man slipping away from the group. Judging by the state of his attire and the way he moved, he may have been the missing Summoner that Seraphina was searching for.

 

~~~

 

Arthur was not the only one who picked up on Castain leaving through a side gate. Helios turned and watched when he realised the darkness Summoner was walking away. Why was he leaving?

[earwig]

A pleased smile spread across Wes' lips and he slowly walked throughout the school again, drowning in the memories of when he was just starting his summoning career. He had come so far since then; he and Torn had grown into a pair of great warriors, with their own tightly choreographed attacks and manoeuvres. They had learned discipline and responsibility, and he knew so much more about the world and the creatures that inhabited it than he ever thought he would. And to think it all started right here--

"Oof!" the wind rushed out of Wes' lungs as something struck him in the stomach. He took a step backward to regain his footing and looked up to see that it was the boy whom he had brought here.

"Y-Yes I'm still here. I was just...looking around." he cleared his throat and stood up straight. "Are you not supposed to be with your classmates?" he asked, a little worried about the boy looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was following him.

[Evangeline]

Seraphina was on the verge of issuing her greeting to her old classmate when Diana had caught sight of Bastian. A single brow crooked, and she glanced between the two. Taking a step forward, she smoothly blocked the two teachers a part with her gaze shooting toward the students. This hardly seemed the place to scold Bastian in front of potential students.

"Hello! Diana. It's nice to see you. I see we caught you in the middle of class, I am sorry about that. I was wondering if I could speak to you momentarily. Military business. Just doing my rounds."

A stretched cheerful smile spread across her lips while she met the woman's gaze. At heart, she was still the peacemaker... at least until she got bored.

 

With Diana distracting her, she missed the fleeing student, and instead, her eyes surveyed the small group standing in the middle of the training fields.

 

--

 

Castian swallowed thickly, and without even a second of pause, he shook his head. Lying had long since come naturally to him.

"Ehh, nahh. They finished. It's break now. I was just going to go downtown to get some things."

He shifted slowly past the other, his gaze flickering back.

"It's a big place, I think I am a bit lost. Never been out this far. Which way is town?"

 

 

 

 

[Fortune86]

Helios returned his attention to the people who had just entered the training area. Bastain he knew and the woman looked familiar. Had he seen her around somewhere? She had a military air to her. The third person, a tall man with silver man, was looking towards the gate where Castain had left.

 

As he watched the silver haired man reached up to tap his chest. There was a burst of white blue and something roughly the size of a dog sped past and leaped up over the wall. Looking down Helios saw that whatever it had been, it had left a trail of frost on its' wake.

 

~~~

 

Hima padded round the building but stopped and sat down on his haunches when he spotted the boy he had been sent to follow. They were talking to a man with a familiar scent with a similiar uniform to Seraphina's.

[earwig]

"Really..?" The older man raised his eyebrows and remarked softly, as to adopt a more curious tone rather than an interrogating one. "I don't see any others filing out." In all honesty, he did not know why the boy was leaving, nor did he feel he needed to know, but he could tell something was off. And he sure did not drive the boy all this way just so he could bail on his classes. He felt as though he should stall him just for a while longer, to be sure.

"If you need anything, I could get them for you. You'll get to know the city in due time, you should socialise with your classmates first. After all, you might end up working with them eventually."

[DragonSpirit009]

Bastian didn’t answer Diana immediately. He stood there in silence looking her in the eyes. So the option was going to be a scolding then he thought to himself when she spoke to him. Luckily Sera stepped in between them and requested to speak with her.

 

Bastian’s eyes eventually broke free from Diana’s glare and watched as Hima go off. He didn’t even bother to ask Arthur what he was doing because he could see there was one person missing from the group. Arthur must have sent Hima to pick up his sent and locate were he might have gone. Bastian then turned his attention to the class noticing two new faces. They must have been late for school seeing they weren’t with them on the mission the day before. Bastian then looked at the other who he knew and he could tell they weren’t to please to see him. All the man could do was take a deep breath and will eventually apologies to everyone a bit later.

[Evangeline]

"The other students are heading inside, but since I have business in town, I came out the back way." He met the other's gaze, taking each step as casually as he could unto the other's back would be facing the door he had previously exited.

"...Sir."

Castian's lips curled down in a small frown at the other's persistence. Cursing inwardly, he gave a subtle shake of his head. The man didn't know about his injuries, maybe he could use them to his advantage.

"Truth be told, my some old wound are acting up and I have absolutely no clothing right now. I wanted to head down to the pub and get a drink, then buy some clothing. I borrowed what I am wearing now."

 

Hazel eyes darted over Wes' shoulder for an instant, and a few savory words filled his mind at the sight of the wolf. At first, he thought it might be a monster, but once the creature sat obediently, he knew it was the exact opposite. They were being watched.

"Sir, you should come with me. It might be safer?"

The young man stated before he turned to walk toward the gates.

[Fortune86]

When the student started to walk towards the main gates Hima stood back up and began to trot after him. He had no intention of letting the boy out of his sight.

~~~

 

"I think the student you are looking for is trying to sneak away" said Arthur. "He is in the courtyard. Hima is following him."