The Tower Academy

[DrStein]

Alright, let's get started. For reference, here's the OOC thread:

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=430850

If you'd like to join, post a character there first and wait for the word to join in.



Amrufel sat calmly on the ramparts of the south wall of the Tower Academy. He had no concern about the 70 foot drop below. Aside from the fact that falling was extremely unlikely, he could always fly. Though his dragon blood had driven him away from many people, it did have its advantages. Strength, speed, flight, fast healing powers... just to name a few. Quite a mixed blessing, all things told.

This was his eighth year at the academy. He progressed with the other students, despite his obvious natural aptitude and talent. Not because he was a slow learner, but rather because he preferred to take his time. He liked it here. He had no need to hide his heritage and there was nearly unlimited access to volumes upon volumes of eons of magical knowledge and research.

Today was the only day of the week which he had no classes, so he took the time to meditate and wander the sprawling grounds of the academy. He wasn't going anyplace in particular. Only relaxing...

And taking in the local "scenery" he thought to himself as his eyes followed two young ladies in wine red initiates' robes pass below.

 

[ghost101]

Ruruik

“Elves.” Ruruik said to himself grimly. There were many elves, many more than he was comfortable with. Most of them students.

The half breeds he could deal with, they probably had no prejudices that the purebloods had against his race. Mildly rebuking himself, he reminded himself that that was only with their brethren across the sea. These were probably different.

Still, it made him uneasy. He would have to watch his anger levels.

Trying to focus on something else, he marveled at the dragons. They were much smaller than the ones he was used to, and were able to work in the magic arts. Curious that they could be so different from the Great Dragons of the Tower Mountains. Even more curious were all the half-breeds. He assumed that the racial status was more relaxed here, and that rested his nerves a little.

Ignoring the pain blazing inside him, he turned his attention a Pixie. They were by far the most different from what he was used to. In the Black Forest of his homeland, they were hyperactive balls of light (from what it seemed) that took immense delight in annoying the life out of the Nagas. Many a time had he laughed as Pixies buzzed around his Naga friends, doing this and that. Not that it was much their fault, Pixies were powerful little creatures with immense energy, and all they did was take care of trees. They had to release some way, and they took it out on the deadly keepers of the forest, the Naga.

Pixies, you had to love them.

He had seen none of the Assassin race, and none of the Ghost race. He had seen no Kuuta either, which disturbed him.

He closed his eyes as and Elf passed in front of him. Maybe becoming a professor here was not such a good idea.

He really needed the calming spirit of Avron at this time. The winged Kuuta had always been his support.

 

[Rufus the Mad]

Orin sat beneath the trees in the main Plaza, winding his way through a pleasant melody on the pipes he seemed to always have with him, and letting his eyes drift over the shifting shadows at the back of the womens robes as they walked by, chatting pleasantly. He arched a brow and changed the tune slightly, suddenly creating the illusion of a swarm of glowing butterflies that swirled around the pair, and vanished into nothingness once more. His eyes dancing with merriment, he returned to the tune he had been working on before, and winked at the girls when they turned to smile at him. He was going to like it here...

It was only his first year, and truth be told, he had no idea how long he would be here. Master Anthurias had made the arrangements for his entry, and was willing to pay the fees it took to help him learn the things his mother had always hidden from him. He was half human, this was true, his father being a Herdsman from a distant range, but his mother had been a Satyr, and had given him the gift of natural magics, and an affinity for the pipes he played... but she had told him precious little else.

He would learn though, he would learn all he could. He owed Master Anthurias that much, at the very least... and he owed it to himself. His mother's wishes be damned.

 

[caela]

Lyra yawned as she woke to a day that was bright and full of promise. The sun was shining and she could tell that it was warm enough out to suit her. Of course being half Arctic White she could be comfortable in much lower temperatures than most of her classmates. Still she suspected it was warm enough even for the most easily chilled to be comfortable today.

Shifting from her natural form to her more human one she quickly tossed on her buckskin breeches and the matching halter she wore with them. She gave thanks that she didn't have classes today as it meant that she could practice her flying in this form. As a dragon she could fly for days but in this shape her range was much more limited, human musculature was simply not designed for the rigors of flight! Still she practiced on each of her free days and her range was improving.

Barefoot she ran up through the castle to the south wall where she barely noticed the male classmate staring out over the grounds. Without pausing in her run she lept from the ramparts, launcing herself into the air with a joyous laugh.

Unfurling her wings she grinned as she caught a thermal that launched her higher into the air. When she could catch the natural air currents she could glide almost as far this way as she could in her natural form but what she needed was to build up the shoulder muscles so she could fly against the currents. Executing a lazy turn she shifted so she had to fight against the air and began to beat her wings. She managed to fly against the air currents for just over an hour before becoming tired which made her smile in delight. Last week she'd barely made it 45 minutes. She was improving.

Spiralling back down to the ramparts she slid free of the breeches and halter she wore and shifted to her natural form. Pearly white she got her hide from her mother and it almost glowed with the same natural luminesence in each scale that a pearl heald. The black wings folded across her back were a gift from her father as were the matching neck ridges. Curling her clawed feet under her, her large green eyes closed contentedly while she sunned herself in the early afternoon light.

 

[ghost101]

Ruruik

The way the dragon flew… Graceful was the only way to describe it. Powerful and graceful. White and black scales glistened in the sun; if he were a normal human he would have had to look away. His Furyon eyes easily filtered out the excess light, and his binocular vision zoomed in on it.

For a moment he wondered if it was able to breathe fire, the way the Firesteeds and the Great Dragons were able to do. These new dragons were alien, mysterious to him. He would have to learn about all these new races and learn their strengths.

For a moment he saw a Kuuta in the dragon’s place, then the dragon again. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Eight months and it still wouldn’t leave him alone.

Ruruik’s eyes widened as he saw a brute of a hominid walk past him. Almost as tall as the Giants of his world, it was… different. Maybe it would spar with him, as he had been unable to find a suitable sparring partner.

Right, maybe a Furyon would come to the school.

An Elf walked in front of him, and he instinctively reached for his Assassin Knife. The Elf gave him a distrustful look as he placed his hand on the handle, and she walked off. He sighed; his paranoia was getting the better of him. He really needed to calm down.

He forced himself to watch the dragon, soaring on thermal currents. She was quite a flyer, maybe even able to teach Avron a few things…

 

[CuriousKatie]

Idunn Molani

Idunn sat cross-legged on a rock near the south wall and enjoyed just being outside.
The sun was shining and it was a very nice day.
She watched the sky and a small smile crept on to her face as she saw a pair of sparrows flying along. She pursed her lips and gave a series of tweets that were indistinguishable for a sparrow’s.
The two birds changed direction and flew over to her. She held up a hand and the birds landed on it, one clutching her thumb and the other her pinky.

They chirped happily and Idunn reached over to stroke their feathery chests gently. She then reached into a small bag on her belt and pulled out a small amount of seeds, placing them in her palm between the birds, who immediately started munching on them.
Her smile grew wider. They were such adorable creatures! So small and fragile, yet so strong in their own way.

A burst of joyous laughter cut through the air, startling the birds and causing them to scramble into the air. Idunn looked around, quickly scanning the area only to see one of the girls from school soaring out from the ramparts up on the wall.
For a second, she was worried that the girl was going to fall to her doom, but the wings suddenly unfurling from the girl’s back set her mind at ease. Oh, a dragon… That girl was really a dragon… Very nice!
Idunn watched the dragon girl soar through the air, the sun reflecting off of the scales, making it appear as if she were made entirely of light. She was very graceful; lithe and limber. Idunn remembered this girl from some of the classes. She was very pretty… very beautiful. She remembered watching her from across the room, admiring her smile, her eyes and the way she could mingle with everyone.

Broken out of her revelry, she noticed that the sparrows were back. And they’d brought three friends! She smiled at them, giggling a bit before spreading a small pile of seeds on the rock in front of her. The sparrows started munching eagerly. She watched them with a smile on her face, stroking one of them gently with her finger.
But occasionally, she’d steal a glance at the beautiful dragon girl, hoping she wouldn’t get caught admiring her.

 

[ghost101]

Ruruik

They landed on her hands! Ruruik was amazed to say the least, never before had he seen such trust between animals and humanoids. Oh predators were easy enough to earn trust from, but birds? He told himself he needed to get out more.

Another half-breed. Ruruik swore he had never seen so many in his life. Oh sure there was the occasional Mage/Human marriage, but between near immortals and humans? This was something that would take a great deal of getting used to.

Maybe it had to do with the Elf side of her. He never was able to learn much trivial information on the race, as he had never had time. Or maybe… he shook his head clear again. His mind wouldn’t keep wandering.

This afternoon he would hold his class. He wondered how his first day would go. More specifically, he wondered if anyone would challenge him. He did not want to do anything rash, but some of the students here were snobs. Then there was the issue of his eyes. He didn’t want too much attention on himself, and the red glow would defiantly be a shock if he lost control of himself.

What was there to worry about? He wouldn’t lose it, and class would be just fine.

Yah, and birds would come at a half-breed’s beck.

He quietly chuckled to himself. It was the first time he had laughed all day.

At any rate, the day was going as planned. He was unnoticed by any of the students.

Today the curse might give him a break from the blazeing pain within him.

 

[Hikari]

Cerridwen

Cerridwen had woken early that morning.. She loved the smell of early morning and watching darkness shift into light. She sat on a branch of a tall tree. It was a baffling sight. There was no logical way a human girl with her build had the armstrength to pull herself up there, but yet she sat up there smiling at the day.

She was relatively new there compared to some, especially the male elf dragon who was blessed with longevity. She'd heard stories of how long he'd been there. There were many different races who went to the academy, and many she'd never seen before. None of them really resembled what she looked like. She had wings like that of a bird on her back and had some features that resembled that of an elf, but she really had no idea what she was. Some that had seen her figured it was their time to die and were about to ascend to the heavens, yet she did not understand why. She thought it best that she look as harmless as possible, even though she could be far from it. Other students seemed to show her respect, but she had a feeling that they spoke of her when she was not present and found it strange that a mere human had such abilities. She always kept her illusion going and always looked beautiful in the school robes with her mysterious eyes and her lovely brown curls spilling over her shoulders, but she preferred simple clothes when not during school hours.

Students and a few teachers began to gather below the tree and probably figured she was stuck up there. She strengthened her illusion as she jumped off the branch with her wings spread open and landed gracefully just away from the crowd. To others it was an amazing feat. A human girl had just landed on her feet from a height that would kill most of that race. She knew she probably should have let them save her through levitation, but she couldn't risk them picking up on her form. She smiled and laughed a bit nervously, then quickly walked off towards the female student housing.

 

[ghost101]

Ruruik

Power seemed to emanate from her; the air around her was thick with magic. He reached out with his senses… it was dark. Something was dangerous with that girl. Picking up on stray thoughts he discerned that she was not threatening. One thing was clear though, he did not know what she was. Perhaps he would never find out.

He knew why she covered herself in illusions, to keep the others from shunning her. They didn’t know and hopefully they never would. It was as if she was not meant for this world.

His eyes widened in moderate surprise as she jumped down from a high tree. She was no human, that was for sure. He watched as she ran for the women’s quarters, her brunette hair flowing behind her. This one would be interesting to watch.

Now the question was how long before everyone realized what he was. No one here even knew his race, only that he was powerful in the martial and magic arts. No one knew where he came from.

Good. Let them never know. No one should know.

 

[papillon24]

Limuna

The morning had not woken Limuna. Morning never had. In fact she never really slept acording to the other students. Her family was pure elf, only sleeping a few times a month and last night was not one of them.

She sat on a wall in the common garden this morning as all the rest of the students began to awake from their rest. She watched as many began their practices. She did not. It was what she had done all night while the moon was full. her secialty ws moon magic and healing. Quickly she pulled her silver hair back up into a bun so it would not be in the way

Limuna streched basking in the morning rays before pulling a small book from inside her sleeve. Inside were ancien incriptions which her father had given her before she left for the school. These were the ties to her family background and her history. Everyday she reviewed them and peacticed the ancient meditation of her ancestors. This moring was not much different than any morning since she had arrived here at the acadamy 6 years ago.

 

[Rufus the Mad]

This seemed to be a day for wonders, and this place, a nexus for the strange and unusual! Orin lounged beneath the dappled shade offered at the edge of the trees, and was amazed at the things he had seen. A girl had circled high overhead, laughing and dancing on the winds, with wings as dark and shimmering as any dragon he had heard tales of, another, obviously a child of the wilderness, had called the very birds from the air with her twittering whistles, and had been joyous in feeding and petting them, and a third had made a miraculous leap from a tree not far off, travelling farther than he had ever heard of anyone leaping before, and landing so softly as to barely make a sound! Such a day, such a wonderful day!

Rising from his supine repose, the young Satyr-kin adjusted his new robes, making certain that they covered all they were supposed to, and strode forth into the sunlight, his wild mane of dark brown hair catching the light and shattering it into a thousand reflected gleams as is sang along the curls, and his hooves making odd clopping sounds as he left the soft comfort of the grass and crossed over to the worn stone pavers of the path. His pipes hung at his belt, ready to entertain, ready to defend, and the smile that graced his lips was ready for anything. "Such wonders..." he said softly, his rich baritone rolling forth like golden honey to touch the ears of all within range "Surely 'tis a most glorious morn to reveal such angels to one so lowly as myself. Well it is that I am here, and blessed too! I would that I would be nowhere else but attending to such beauty..."

He bowed low to the nearest group of women, not truly caring how they held him in return, and rose again with a light laugh. Yes, he would like it here indeed! It seemed a place of refuge for those that would otherwise be hunted or shunned, and he had at last found a place where his heritage not only didn't make him stand out, but actually made him fit in! Glorious, oh wondrous day! He owed Master Anthurius more now than he had even suspected!

 

[Hikari]

Cerridwen glanced behind her getting the strangest feeling that someone had been watching her back there. Which was quite odd, because no one was ever truly watching her. It was as if someone had really seen her and she shuddered at the thought, pulling her glorious wings against her body. She knew she hadn't been being as careful as she should be. Dropping her illusion occasionally at night, early morning flights, her wings sometimes accidently knocking things over, none of this was good and could easily get her caught. One time someone had stepped on one of her lower feather pulling it out and she'd yelped in pain and had appeared to have no apparent reason for this action. That had been really hard to get herself out of considering that she had been sitting down on a stool and the person had stepped no where near her feet.

She just wondered how long she could go without really having anyone to talk to. She'd changed into her school garb and walked towards the common garden. Changing clothes was always a laborous task and she had to be careful that no one ever got a good look at her clothes up close. She had to alter every piece of clothing that covered her upper torso to fit her wings. She'd cut two basic lines down the back of the outfit and sew on buttons or stings so that she could slide the slide the strip of cloth over the space between her wings and button it or tie it to the top. It sounded complicated and it had been until she'd gotten used to it.


An elf could be seen reading atop one of the garden walls. She was very pretty and thought she might enjoy company or a nice conversation. It did not strike her at all that she appeared to be human and that elves were considered to be above mortals in every sense of the word. All she knew was that she'd love to talk with someone new.


"Hello there! It's a glorious day, don't you think?"


The elf was silent and was looking at her as if she must be crazy.

 

[ghost101]

Ruruik

Ruruik chuckled. She wasn’t going to get much of a conversation out of the Elf. If anything the Elf was giving her the awkward eye. But he couldn’t blame the girl either; sometimes life truly was worth living.

He was reminded at how Elves were arrogant in their own way, thinking they were above other mortals. He snorted. They hadn’t been able to earn the respect of the Wolves of the Black Forest. Great they were, but not nearly as great as they thought themselves to be.

He sat down on the steps and watched the scene unfold, his binocular vision directed at the pair. His ears picked up a deep baritone voice, but he ignored it.

A light breeze kicked up, sending a few leafs floating around him…

 

[MissVictoria]

There was no day off for Professor Ka'vanth, for even if her schedule wasn't full, the dark elf didn't want one. There was almost always something to be done, from deciphering the newer students messy arcane scribblings - messy only because she was decidedly picky- to reporting her activities and progress to the sisters of her old order. It was a day of rest, but the professor was in her classroom waiting. She had divined that her presance would be needed here today, though the reasons were yet unknown.

The room was large and dark, its only windows small slits near the ceiling that offered little in the way of light and even less in ventilation. The scents of the room were heady and rich, stifling and overwhelming, the scent of old death and exotic spices hard to grow accustomed to. It was fitting, the shadowy darkness that barely illuminated the shelves along the back walls. Various bones, runed or not filled the shelves along with glass jars containing bodily organs and other various substances. If one were to peruse the shelves long enough, most would find something or another to turn the stomach. All was not revolting, however, many of the artifacts and tools quite beautiful and of mysterious origin.

The shelves contained not the only oddities in the room, for strung about the ceiling on thin chains were the stuffed corpses of many different birds. The theme continued throughout the room, and a few of the stuffed creatures mounted to wood along the walls were not easily identified. Mixed between these were paintings of famous necromancers, along with portraits that depicted the gruesome end of a few who had grown far too bold.

A large black vat rose from a stone island in the center of the room, a focal point of the room that was for now empty. Several smaller vats were lined about the east wall, various student tools stored within each. The southern wall behind the professor's desk and podium were filled from floor to ceiling with thick dusty arcane volumes intermingled with small beautiful woodcarvings that seem out of place.

The veil that the professor almost constantly wore was hung upon a small hook near the bookshelf. The professor herself sat at her desk, a half finished woodcarving in one hand, and a small carving knife in the other. As her small hands pushed the knife forward, the yielding wood curled into a spiral before dropping to the surface of her desk. Lei'ursathdd stared at the wood block with no expression, waiting.

 

[DreamGrrl]

Mistanie Deditsi

Morning slipped across the campus, yet within the depths of the heart of forest it was still quiet – remote, peaceful, and serene.

Perched silently and in utter stillness upon a granite boulder beside a meandering stream, Mistanie let the white sound of the shifting water drown the sounds that were already reaching her from the Tower Academy. Head bowed and limbs buried under the crimson robes, her hair was tightly leashed against her head in a braided coronet from which some rather determined strands had already weaseled their way out of, despite her having pinned them back less than an hour before. Her long ears flicked – nestling against the sides of her head and almost burying themselves in the fabric of her robe as she hunched her shoulders.

Morning was one of her favorite times – a time of awakening for most, yet a time of peace and quiescence for others. Around her, the forest stirred; the wind whispering through the leaves seemed almost voice-like, the forest floor shifting under the skittering of claws and paws as the residents went about their business. Her augmented senses slithered through layers of stimuli – the scents of all things nearby, alive, dead, and dying; the shifting motes that danced through the scattered beams of light; and the sounds of movement, both around her and beyond, in the Academy itself.

The day was beginning – her first day, as it turned out. The bitter, acrid taste of wry anger spread across her tongue as Mistanie contemplated a small, swirling pool of water before her. The Academy had not been a place she wished to immerse herself; a pariah amongst her own kind, stranger to all and friend to none, she knew that despite what tools or understanding she might grasp here, it would just be another array of tools in her personal arsenal. After a century of existence, she had learned never to have too high expectations of ‘civilization’.

But, she had agreed to come; her fathers request had been considerate if not really understanding, and her brother thought it was time she learned some more advanced social skills but particularly the arts and gifts of magery, as she would undoubtedly never be half the weapons master that he was. Her mother… Well, that was a grave best left unmolested.

Hearing the noise level from the direction of the Academy begin to spiral upwards, Mistanie figured that class time was drawing near and it was probably best she join her fellow classmates. Her sigh was inaudible; even as she lifted the staff lying alongside her upright and propelled herself to her feet. Her thumb and forefinger absently traced a series of runes – etchings of the unspoken language – as her feet, bare beneath the hem of her robe dragging itself along the forest floor, began moving her away from the inherently beautiful sing-song of nature and back into the clashing, almost angry world of the civilized.

As she left the tree canopy behind her and then the low ground cover in her return, she kept her head bowed – her brows drawn in an expression that she hoped would appear contemplative rather than befuddled or beleaguered, especially as that was the way she felt. Already the multifarious scents assaulted her nose and the cacophony of her fellow students and teachers and even the politely distant staff’s voices rose in a tide of sound she could visualize with her mind.

Stepping through the pillared, arched entryway into the compound, she gave a shake of her head in an attempt to shake of her negative thoughts. She knew that the biggest factor to her discomfort was not the people – after all, they were tolerable, at least for the first few days – but rather her lack of sense of self. Without the cloak and cowl to hide behind, the gloves to shield others from the sight of herself, she felt naked and vulnerable, exposed and completely open to these utter strangers who would most like know nothing of her people; the seelie and unseelie alike had cloistered themselves away for many human generations, and since she was a half-blood, doubly as rare a being.

Then again, considering the range of races and people, shapes and forms here, she thought to herself as she took note of the unnerving diversity of the people around her, mayhap I will be able to pass unnoticed. Wouldn’t that be nice?

 

[Rufus the Mad]

Orin was smiling broadly, his clip-clopping steps carrying him toward the scents of perfume and femininity that had always seemed to draw him so. His heart was light, his senses were sharp and keenly tuned to his surroundings, and he seemed almost to glow with warmth and merriment as he seemed almost to dance along in the sunlight.

Suddenly, however, his warmth faded. Something... someone, was here. He felt an odd sensation, one he had never felt before, and one he could not place... One that urged him, quite simply, to turn and face... her.

With a kick of one cloven foot, he spun on the pavers, and stopped facing the main gate, and there he saw a figure swathed in fabric, all but completely concealed by the cloak she wore, and bearing a staff of intricate design. He felt her, knew her, in some manner, and bagan moving toward her in an almost unconscious fashion. His thick brows were drawn together in consternation, and his shaggy head was cast slightly to the side, as if he strove to recall her but could not. "Your pardon, mi'lady..." he said cautiously, drawing close enough for his rolling voice to reach her, but not invasively so "You bear an aura of familiarity about you that I seem unable to fathom, and am sorely vexed by the puzzle of it. Do I know thee, fair beauty, or do you have knowledge of my visage, mayhap?"

 

[Jazzi]

Professor Whispersong

Professor Whispersong slammed the headmaster’s door shut as she angrily marched away from his office. The nerve of that man! How dare he!

Her gossamer robes billowed behind her as she walked briskly down the hallway towards the main doors. Students jumped out of her way as she barreled down the stairway, her soft leather slippers making no noise as she blew past them.

She threw open the main doors, all but flew down the marbled front steps, and strode across the front lawn. Her hands were clenched into tight fists by her sides. Her violet eyes flashed dangerously. Professor Whispersong was not in a good mood this morning. Not at all.

She barely spared a glance at the various students loitering about and enjoying the morning. Her mind focused on the conversation she just had with the headmaster.

Earlier…

“I’m sorry, my dear. But you are the most qualified.”

“Don’t try to placate me, headmaster,” she warned as she glared at him, “Let one of the new professors do it. Hell, any one of the staff can do it! I have better things to do.”

The headmaster sighed and took another sip from his morning coffee. He knew his professor of alchemy would be difficult but there really wasn’t another choice.

“My dear Professor Whispersong. You know as well as I do, that there is no other way. Unless we can get a new gardener in the next hour or so, someone has to see to the green houses and you are the most qualified.”

Kaili’s eyes flashed dangerously at him, but he continued, “It is unfortunate the current gardener had to leave, but you know, family emergency.”

The headmaster leaned across his desk and peered earnestly at her, “You know full well that our green houses grow some of the rarest plants and herbs. And many require special care. They must be maintained carefully and only by one skilled enough or they will die.”

“My dear Professor, the stores in our green houses are used in so many classes. As ingredients, reagents, and components. And as an alchemist, you have more knowledge of rare plant life than the others.”

“There is no skilled needed to water plants,” she mumbled in response, crossing her arms and frowning.

The headmaster chuckled, “True, true. But there is much more as you are aware. I promise, you won’t have to do this long. But I much rather know someone qualified is taking care of the academy’s valuable green houses while we wait for the return of our gardener.”

“No.”

The headmaster sighed again, “You leave me no choice then.”

He pushed a parchment towards her, motioning her to read it. He watched as the high elf’s eyes widen and then darken with fury. Kaili uttered a curse in the elven tongue and threw the parchment back on the table.

The headmaster nodded, “I knew I could count on you my dear,” he said jovially with a smile.

Without a word, Kaili stood up and stormed out of his office. As the door slammed shut behind her, the headmaster chuckled, “Oh my, I’m afraid the first years are going to have a horrible morning in potions today.”

Present…

Professor Whispersong stood in the first green house and stomped her foot. Dust swirled around her ankles. She gritted her teeth, she better get started. She peered into the trough attached to the side of the green house and groaned. It was empty.

The trough should be full of spring water for use. It was one thing to play gardener but there was no way she was going to haul water from the south well. Use of magic was impossible. The water must be free and natural, with no taint from magic’s touch. The only way to do that was to fill the trough with buckets hauled from the well.

She stepped out of the green house. Spying several students nearby, she pointed at them.

“You two there. Come here and fetch me two buckets of water from the well. Now!”

 

[android1966]

OGRIC

Ogric was in a content mood as he ambled back towards the tower academy. He'd risen before dawn in the dark cellar beneath a lopsided deserted tower which he'd claimed as his quarters. The wilderness around the academy had proved to be an excellent place to forage for the herbs and fungi the shaman needed to practice and teach his craft, the sack thrown over his shoulder was bulging. He'd been particularly pleased to find an ample supply of a rare type of toadstool that was prized for dreamstate it induced.

The main gates were just ahead and Ogric's thoughts turned to breakfast, the excercise had worked up his prodigious appetite.

 

[Hikari]

Ceri saw the proffessor step out of the green house looking more flustered than usual, just as she had decided to give up on the silent elf girl..


“You two there. Come here and fetch me two buckets of water from the well. Now!”


She froze for a moment then did as she was told. She didn't know who else the master had been pointing at, but she retrieved a single bucket of water and hauled it over to the professor. A person quickly founded behind her having done the same. She hoped there wouldn't be any further yelling from this teacher as it tended to hurt her hears..

 

[aging_empress]

OOC: been at work all day so haven't had a chance to keep up, but here's my entrance into the story at any rate:

---

Caliandra just finished up her last class and sent her students scurrying out the door. She sat down exhausted and slumped in her chair as she stared at the parchments that littered her desk: notes, scrolls, etc. She stared out her window that was to her left and watched several objects flying around, most likely younger dragons or anyone else who knew how to fly. Turning back to her desk she sifted through love notes and crap papers that had either crude drawings on them or papers that would normally ignite or send liquid all over, practical jokes from her upper classmen. She tossed them aside and stood up from her chair. She took off her cape and hung it up as she opened the doors leading to her balcony. Her shape now only hid the beast that lay within, and she lightly fingered her pointy ears, trademarks of the Elven race. But she wasn't Elven, not a trace of their blood in her.

Since she had a lot of time to kill before her next class she jumped out and over the balcony and fell at an accelerated rate. She smiled to herself as she knew that her Tower was just over the lawn where the freshman gathered, and since they hadn't taken any of her classes chances are they didn't know her that well, if at all. She surprised many of them as they pointed at her and looked horrified, as if she'd fall to her demise. But in an instant her Elven shape was gone and was replaced by a nearly 21 foot Black dragon, her wings fully spread out and the scales glistening in the sunlight as she turned upwards, barely 10 feet above the ground and headed towards the sky. She stretched her neck to look over her wings and saw only the clouds and the tree line below.

"Finally." she thought to herself "I hate being cooped up in that room, maybe one day i'll just have class outside and stay like this." She flapped her wings up and down to get some air under her and her eyes darted back and forth over the land below, looking for someplace to land. After a good deal of flying she finally spotted a secluded pond with a good deal of lawn right at the waters edge, a perfect place to rest. She settled down and rested her body on the cool grass, a little bit of morning dew still attached to the blades of grass. She was old; older than a lot of the other inhabitants at the academy. But she felt so young, and in fact she would probably live for nearly 100 times her age. She nestled her head against her body and folded her wings over her, hoping to sneak in a snooze before next class. Hopefully no one would bother her.

 

[caela]

Sunning herself and watching those below her Lyra chuckled softly though the sound probably came out similar to a growl in her dragon form. It seemed everyone was enjoying the day except for the professor who'd come storming out of the Acadamy and started snapping at students. Sheaking her head she snorted softly, Whispersong might be a great alchemy teacher but she really was a bitch and Lyra was glad she only saw the woman once a week.

Feeling her stomach rumble suddenly she was snapped from her thoughts and a slow grin curved her mouth. She was sure it was a rather frightening sight on a dragon but she didn't care. It was time to hunt. Looking around she tried to decide just what she was in the mood for and as she scented the air it came to her...venison.

There was nothing like a fresh kill and the forest was well stocked.

Rising slowly from her perch on the ramparts she remained in dragon form this time as she swooped down over the Acadamy grounds. Flying straight out and toward the forest she knew the sun would gleam off her scales so the professors would still be able to see her but she never got into trouble for hunting. She was a dragon, it's what she did after all. She could survive on the food she ate in her human form but at least once a month she had to hunt or she started to grow weak.

Drawing in the scents carried to her through the air she opened her senses feeling the creatures below her. It was a trick her mother had taught her. Not really magic, just a full utilization of the senses. It was amazing what a being could do when they paid attention. The sound of some sort of large animal moving through the forest to her left reached her and she banked in that direction and was rewarded with the sight of not just one but an entire herd of deer.

Roaring her joy in her find the herd scattered before her but there was nowhere to run once they were in her sight. Swooping down she grabbed a large buck in her taloned feet and lifted him high into the air where she deftly snapped his neck. Carrying him back to the ramparts she remained far enough back that none would have to watch her while she settled in for her meal.

Her father was right, there really was nothing like freshly caught meat to satisfy a dragon's hunger.

 

[DreamGrrl]

Mistanie Deditsi

Mistanie was proceeding with head bent, brow furrowed – her robes swirling about her as she moved yet she noticed it only in the most absent of manners. Between one breath and another, the taste of the air changed and she flared her nostrils, pausing in surprise even as she perceived a new set of footsteps nearby.

The smell itself – that of warm, springy fur and the sweetly dark scent of the forest’s rich, green-black moss – was not at all unpleasant. Yet the stream of memories it evoked in her mind made her pause even as she tilted her head back and paused in startled bewilderment at the figure before her. A tingle of pleasant surprise makes her lips move into a warm smile of surprise even as she inclines her head in a gracious nod.

A satyr! Here? Mayhap she would not be quite so deprived of her sense of homeland and identity as she had believed. Even as she strode forward, her head slowly angling backwards to keep her gaze locked upon the warm visage before her. Oddly enough, he seemed intent upon her as well, and she felt a heated rush of gratitude through her pale limbs.

"Your pardon, mi'lady..." he said cautiously, drawing close enough for his rolling voice to reach her, but not invasively so. "You bear an aura of familiarity about you that I seem unable to fathom, and am sorely vexed by the puzzle of it. Do I know thee, fair beauty, or do you have knowledge of my visage, mayhap?"

Mistanie couldn’t help it – she gave a soft laugh of happiness and shook her head. Now standing before him, she tilted her head to one side and carefully examined his face, her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. Taking another deep breath through her nose as her ears tucked themselves partially closed against themselves, she finally gave a little shake of her head and frowned.

“I do apologize, sirrah – I am afraid I do not recognize your face. But I must admit – your form and figure are familiar to me, and I am grateful and delighted to find such excellent company amongst these hallowed walls.” Once more she smiled, transported beyond the angry solitude of her own thoughts by the face before her.

Thank the Goddess and Consort, she was not the only half-blooded creature of fey to be isolated here…

 

[Rufus the Mad]

Orin looked on her as she approached, seeming to be as enthralled as he, and all but lost himself in that soft laugh, that willowy smile, and those wondrously deep eyes. He snapped back to himself as she spoke, however, the lyrical tonalities of her voice easily distracting him from her unearthly radiance, and his eyes began to glow with the inner fires of the subtle attractions his heritage had grown famous for.


"My thanks to you, sweet angel, for the gracious inclusion into such a notable ranking, yet I am but a humble student, but late arrived for my first investature of the knowledge retained within this learned edifice." He bowed low, sweeping his hand forth in a grand manner as he did so, and then rising once more with a warm smile, saying "'Tis my wish that this season allows for our continued interaction, and perchance the chance to explore our strange familiarity. Ne'er before have I beheld a creature of such grace, and you do intrigue me in such a profound manner! I dare not attempt to explain it, yet it begs me do so. Most curious..."

 

[DreamGrrl]

Mistanie Deditsi

Mistanie found herself laughing and blushing simultaneously – and settled for burying her face against the folds of her robes and pointing the crown of her head at her amusing and entrancing companion.

“Nay, sirrah, you are ill-advised to think such gracious thoughts of one such as me. However, I do very kindly appreciate your chivalry in thinking so, and,” here she paused, frowning and then shrugging her shoulders, “believe your enchantment has naught do with aught else other than my association with faery.” She gave another chuckle and then shook herself straight, shifting her stave to her left hand with an unconscious ease before extending her right hand towards him, palm upwards. “I am Mistanie Deditsi, of the house of Meztli Deditsi. It is an honor to meet you – and I, like yourself, find my presence here in a manner most timely for my induction into the mysteries of magic and magery galore.”

She found, unaccountably, her smile widening.

“You and your people are a not uncommon sight amongst my father’s people – and as a being of mixed heritage myself, it is comforting to encounter a familiar face and smell amongst such a diverse setting as this one.” Once more tilting her head forwards in a warm acknowledgement, she gave a rather befuddled shake of her head and absently noted that even more of her unruly hair was wiggling its way free from its pins.

“Again, I thank you, and count it a high honor to make your acquaintance,” she murmured, smiling in a wryly amused manner.

 

[Rufus the Mad]

Taking a stride forward, his bold nature taking over, Orin reached forth with a sure hand and wrapped a strand of her escaping locks around his index finger. He spoke to her again, turning his smoldering brown eyes from his own fingertips to her face once more, saying "Well it is that you are able to rend the veil that had shrouded such knowledge from my, kindly one, and in truth it may well have been naught but liniage that hath brought me thither, yet I can but say that your parents foils laid aside, I would yet stay to gaze again within the depths of those eyes, to hear the song that is your voice. These, too, may be from your parentage, and ir e'er I see them I would give thanks... But verily... now I can see only you.

Releasing her hair, he drew the back of his strong finger down the smooth line of her jaw, and smiled again into those great dark eyes.