Session+51

**Enter Libri Vidicos, the Magical School, in Search of Esme, the Last of the Lost Companions!**  Having headed back into the astral sea aboard Destiny, our group had traveled for days heading to the sphere where the red spirit ribbon linked out to Esme, the elder halfling druidess... the last of our companions to rescue.
 * 7-12-14 **

Rain had poured from a dark and storming sky while pale green fire flashed from below where there appeared to be some sort of war going on... with chanting demons surrounding a great keep. Having rescued Mikayla Zizolas, an older dark-skinned human teacher with salt and pepper hair, and his students from the chaos demons that were chanting "Thonak, Thonak!"... Thorn, Posy, Wren, Mali, and Yuki dragged Erevin's unconscious body with them into a basket-like gondola on the back of the large and beautiful white swan - the only way to pass through the magic shield to the keep within... leaving the others to defend Destiny from the waves of demons leaping onto her... The students ranged from 14 - 16 years old, dressed in uniforms similarly fashioned to the arcane university students of Lyrabar. All of them were human, and all were handsome and beautiful. Curious, they looked over our group... a couple of them eyed Yuki with interest as she was very beautiful, about their age, and the only human among us. For some reason, they seemed a little wary of Mali, the halfling druidess. Glancing back, we seen rents in the air and more green fire as creatures piled onto the deck of Destiny and as the ship moved up and took off... more rents appeared with demons spilling into the air, just missing the ship, and falling to their deaths. Horrific creatures... red-skinned demons wielding bloody swords, hounds with lizard-like features, supple female bodies with lobster-clawed hands and black shark-eyes, and gooey little demons that looked like snot! Just after crossing through the shield of the keep, the darkened storming sky and the horrors of the chaos army vanished, and we could no longer see the Destiny flying away. The sky was clear, darkening into the twilight of evening, with a few clouds in the distance... Yuki looked around a little uneasy, "Erevin?" Erevin looked around at the strange and instant change of scenery, "Interesting... it appears that this castle has a mythal." "Is that what that was?" Yuki turned to look at him across the swan, "Because it almost looked like we teleported... a little like what Wren does all the time." "Dance naked and drink tea?" he raised an eyebrow at her. The lovely priestess ignored his obviously feigned confusion, and looked around at the seemingly new sky around them. The swan landed at a dock... not as delicately as it's graceful appearance predicted. Drawn by all of the commotion, about a hundred more students dressed in similar uniforms came running to the docks to greet us. The students on the swan spilled out quickly to hug their friends. Several comments of "You made it!" rang through the crowd.

Erevin turned back to Zizolas, "What happened?" "I was chaperoning a group of students. We were visiting one of the cities in the Greater Glory... curious to see how far the forces of the Thonak had spread. We were discovered and we learned that somehow they had found out where the school was... so all of the students had to be recalled." A booming voice sounded from the crowd, "And 'who' have you brought back, Mr. Zizolas?" <span style="color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Everyone turned to see a slightly older, long-bearded human man wearing a monocle and walking with a cane. <span style="color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Zizolas turned to acknowledge the older man, "Headmaster... forgive me. These brave souls rescued our swan... healing it and enabling us to get back in time before the school moved." Wren blinked, "The school moved?" She looked around at the sky again... Yuki must have been right. They teleported the whole keep?! Erevin nodded to her, "Apparently so." The headmaster glanced around the group, with a closer eye to Thorn and Mali... the halflings, "I don't recognize your style of dress or manner... who are you all?"

Wren nudged the prince of Myth Coramanth, "Would you like to take that?" Erevin nodded, stepping forward to greet the man in charge, "Headmaster, I am Erevin Lionspaw. This is my company." He gestured to and introduced the five companions at his side. "And where are you from, Erevin Lionspaw? You look neither Turat nor Drow," the headmaster looked him over. "I am 'no' drow..." Erevin's eyes narrowed slightly as he spat the last word, but then he calmed a little, "Nor am I this... turat... that you speak of. Where I am from we are called silver elves and gold elves... I am a silver elf, also called a moon elf." The headmaster scowled, "Outsiders... you shouldn't have brought them here, Mr. Zizolas." A younger woman stepped beside him, "They saved the students, Headmaster... Don't you think the deserve a little respect?" He turned and shot her a withering stare that made her shrink back... but then he sighed, "Yes... you are right, Sahdia." He turned back to our group, "Forgive my manners. You've saved some of the students here. We had to move the school for obvious reasons... I am Faustus Editch." Erevin nodded to him, "Forgive our interruption, Headmaster, our coming here is a short one... We seek one of our own who has become lost." "Esme," Mali nodded beside him. Faustus nodded, "You seek Mistress Esme? She is a teacher here..." he glanced around the courtyard full of students and nodded calmly to our group, "Why don't we retire to somewhere comfortable where we can talk while the students return to their 'houses'!" His voice grew louder and more commanding as he looked about the courtyard. The students quickly fled the courtyard with purpose! He nodded, "I will have Mistress Esme brought to my office."

"Interesting place we've come to," Erevin mumbled quietly. "He seems kind of tough!" Yuki whispered as Erevin nodded his agreement. Mali leaned in whispering, "What's with all the humans?" Yuki turned to her, "H-hey! What's wrong with being human?" "Well nothing," Mali shook her head, "but where is everyone else?" Wren glanced around... it was certainly very human here, but it wasn't like they didn't know what elves were entirely, and though the people did look at Mali and Thorn a little oddly... it wasn't the first time they'd encountered that.

The headmaster, Zizolas, Sahdia, and a couple of other faculty members joined us as we were led to the headmaster's office. The architecture here was a little strange... some of it obviously older with newer buildings added on in different times and different styles. We passed several classrooms as we moved up through the floors to gather in Faustas's office. "Esme should be joining us soon, but she doesn't move quite as fast as she used to," Faustas assured us. Erevin turned to him, "How long has she been teaching here?" "About 20 years," he nodded. Mali gasped and Yuki stepped closer to pat the halfling comfortingly on the back. "She is our instructor of the dark arts," the headmaster continued. "Dark arts hmm?" Wren raised an eyebrow. He nodded and sat down at his desk, "I believe the civilized thing to do is to make introductions... You've already met Mikayla Zizolas, he is the head of House Gallien. This young impertinent woman is Sahdia Denmarek. She is the mistress of House Thorn. This other young woman," he gestured to a more distinguished woman in her 30's with her hair up in a bun, "is Lady Carmina Ormaze. She is the mistress of House Darsk Soul. And this young gentleman," he gestured to an arrogant man with most of his hair shaved short with the exception of a ponytail that hung neatly down his back, "is Enzio Glardowen. He is the master of House Malbrecht. Unfortunately the master of House Zaromar is attending to some of the chaos of all of the students being recalled on such short notice. You will meet him later." Wren nodded, "We look forward to it." He nodded, "I am interested in your story... You're here for Mistress Esme? She has been here at this school even a little longer than I have been headmaster. Her past is shrouded in somewhat of a mystery. She is a very tight-lipped woman." Yuki glanced over at Mali, "Must be a family trait." Maliumpkin shrugged, "We don't all like to air our laundry..." "But we're friends!" Yuki insisted, "Friends tell each other stuff! They tell each other lots of things! Their secrets!" "I talk to you all the time," Mali shook her head defensively, "and we drank tea! ...and there was dancing!"

The door to the office slammed open to reveal an elder halfling woman with her hair all white, "Whad in tarnation 'as you callin' me up 'ere, Headmaster? I wuz righd in tha middle o' teachin' class!" Mali sprang up as soon as she saw her, dashing across the room to embrace her warmly. She looked up at Esme curiously... she didn't used to talk like that. Esme was surprised by the young woman's quick embrace and she looked at her a little shocked, "Mali?" the strange accent gone from her voice. Esme seemed so much more frail now... and her face had more wrinkles than Mali could remember, "Esme! We've come to rescue you!" "Not so tight!" the frail halfling gasped out a little as she patted Mali's back as she returned her hug. "S-sorry!" Mali quickly released the elder woman from her squeezing embrace. Esme looked her over more carefully as she stepped back, "You... you've hardly changed at all!"

"I take it you know each other then?" Faustus's voice interrupted their reunion. "Why yes!" Esme nodded to him, returning to her accent, "This 'ere's my young ward! Back in tha woods... Raised 'er up. Haven'' seen 'er in darn near a coon's age!" Mali leaned in closer, "Why are you talking funny? What's a coon's age? Don't they only live a year or two?" Esme leaned in whispering back, "I'll explain later. Just talk kind of like a hillbilly." "M-me?" Mali blinked, "I need to too?" Esme nodded to her. "Alright," Mali nodded with a bit of a drawl, "If I gots ta." Yuki blinked and leaned over to the witch, "Wren it's catching... you could be next! ...or I could!" Faustus gave the elder halfling a stern look, "You can drop the act, Mistress Esme... I've known you're not an ambling for at least a decade." Sahdia and Enzio blinked surprised glances at the elder halfling, "She's not?!" Faustus nodded, "We will discuss this later. You should go back to your houses and check on the students." "Of course, Headmaster..." Everyone left, leaving Esme and Faustus alone with the group.

"You've left me with a dilemma here..." Faustus frowned, "It's clear to me that you all do not belong here." Erevin nodded, "I believe we have said as much." Wren leaned over whispering her concerns of him being in charge to the elven prince. "I don't know how it is in your world..." the headmaster glanced at Wren, "but visitors from other worlds are not common here," he frowned. "Nor in our world," she shook her head. "We are the exception," Erevin nodded to him. "We'sa speshul uns," Mali nodded awkwardly with a thick accent. "Please don't talk that way," Faustus shook his head at Mali, "I hate amblings..." "It's a good thing that I'm not an ambling then... What 'is' an ambling?!" Mali looked at him curiously, and spoke normally. "A prominent family of halflings in our world," he nodded.

"As you no doubt seen on the outside," he continued, looking around at the group, "Things are not 'well' here in these lands..." "It seems to be how our moving from world to world works," Erevin nodded, "We tend to arrive at turning points of time in history." "Times of trouble," Yuki nodded. "Well you've certainly arrived at an interesting time here," Faustus agreed. "So... what was going on outside isn't normal then?" Erevin raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Who are they?" Yuki asked "Who's this Thonak?" Mali asked in rapid succession. "I'm not sure," Faustus shook his head, "Other than it appears to be the leader of this force of chaos that has entered our world... it started a few years ago. You see... this place, Libri Vidicos, is a school. We teach many of the world's heroes... those who are destined to be shapers of the world." "So you have seers that pick the students out?" Wren tilted her head. "The school actually chooses the students... there's magic at the heart of the keep that produces a list. We then travel out and invite them to our school," he nodded back to her, "Due to the school traveling around... most do not know of our school's existence. It is a secret." Everyone listened curiously as he continued, "We know that there is a cult that has most likely gone unnoticed by many countries in the world. Many believe them to be just regional problems... communication isn't exactly speedy across great distances here... and it makes seeing the greater picture of these cults of chaos difficult." "They don't have tentacles do they?" Wren looked up at him with worried curiosity. "Yes," he nodded. Wren frowned, "Mmm... any mention of the name Ghanadaur?" The headmaster shook his head, "I have not heard that name." She nodded, only slightly relieved. "Consider yourself lucky," Yuki shuddered. Wren frowned, "It could possibly still be related... just known under a different name." "What has happened in the last few weeks has been anything but lucky..." Faustus uncurled a large map, laying it out over a table and pointing to a central location, "A few weeks ago, the forces of this Thonak spilled out of the small country of Amalak. Red wizards... from a dessert kingdom." "Liches?" Wren blinked at him, interrupting as her thoughts flashed to Szass Tam. "No, no... they're living," he nodded to her, "but they were thought to worship this Thonak. They spread out into neighboring kingdoms. The Goblin and orc tribes to the north fell quickly. And the Sebu..." "What's a sebu?" Mali looked at him confused. "It's a race of people that look like bears," he nodded to her, "We have one here that teaches fencing." "I bet their cubs are 'so' cute!" Mali beamed! "They really are cute," Esme nodded to her. The headmaster continued, "They're a great bear people, war-like, and temperamental. The Thonak easily corrupted them. Other cults have sprang up, covering half of the continent over the past few weeks. Only Miramel, I believe, realizes the threat. The other countries have been too busy fighting amongst themselves... however this Thonak has some inkling that our school exists. That should not be. There are powerful magics that protect this place. Some of his cultists though have targeted some of our students that were out in the various cities trying to gain information... so we had to recall them all to protect them. Several didn't make it back. Yours was the last... Now I am preparing to take the school somewhere safe."

"Erevin," Yuki tugged on the elf's sleeve, "If these cultists know that the school exists... wouldn't that suggest that someone within has betrayed them?" Before the woodsman could respond, Mali piped up nodding, "Also we found the school as well... so maybe it has something to do with the fact that the Thonak is from outside of this world... perhaps the magic isn't as protective as they think it is." "I do not know," Faustus shook his head, "But in order to protect the students, I am going to take the school to a place where I'm pretty sure that they wont be able to follow. By the gods... I hope that they can't." "Something with these kind of resources and abilities," Erevin gestured around at the keep, "You must have enemies." "As I have said," Faustus nodded to him, "the school is secret. I do not know of any... direct enemies. Those that have graduated from this school previously retain at least some loyalty and memory of it... and those that did not... have no memory of it. However I don't know how this Thonak found out, so I'm not going to take any more chances." "Do you trust your teachers, headmaster?" Yuki asked a little tentatively. "Of course! The school and I selected them all," Faustus nodded to her, and looked around at the group, "Which leaves the problem of 'you'... I assume you don't wish to stay?"

Erevin shook his head, "No... Our world has it's own troubles." "Lots of them," Yuki agreed. "We're just here to collect Esme and skidaddle," Posy nodded. "If... Esme wishes to go," Erevin nodded. "Ah don' reckon... uh," Esme cleared her throat and spoke normal again, "I mean don't know... I'll have to think about it. Why don't we catch up and you come stay with me for awhile?" The elder druid smiled at Mali. "Don't forget to tell her about your boyfriend!" Yuki exclaimed excitedly. "What?! Boyfriend?" Esme blinked and looked over to Mali. The red-haired halfling smiled and nodded, "He's so handsome! He's a druid too."

Faustus nodded at the two of them, "We have a few days until we make the jump to the safe place. You're welcome to stay with us until then... and if there is a place where we can drop you off, we'd be happy to." "Now that our ship is gone..." Wren nodded. "Ship?" the headmaster looked at her curiously. "It's how we travel to the different worlds," Erevin nodded and noted Faustus's intrigued look, "The less you know, the better, sir." "It's mere presence can rip worlds apart," Yuki nodded with Posy shushing her. The headmaster nodded, "Well... your secrets are your own. I don't want to get the school involved any more that we already are. Our school has maintained anonymity for centuries. I will not be the one to undo it." Erevin nodded, "Your secret is certainly safe with us." "I will make accommodations for you all to stay with us for a few days," Faustus nodded, "You are welcome to talk with others in the school. I am sure there are those who wish to know more about you and where you're from... and will show you around, but I have many other duties that I need to attend to. I'll leave you with... Sahdia, you can stop listening at the door." The door opened as Sahdia stepped in innocently, "I just came back to let you know that the students at House Thorn are safely tucked in their beds for the night." She smiled. "Sure..." he nodded, clearly not believing a bit of the innocence she was trying to play off... "But certainly I can have accommodations made for all of you in my house, House Thorn," Sahdia smiled at the group and nodded. Wren giggled quietly and whispered next to Erevin, "No wonder he's so tough." Faustus waved everyone out, and we followed the young woman out into the hall. Wren glanced back and nodded, "Thank you for your time, Headmaster Editch."

As Sahdia led us off, Esme walked beside Mali looking her over curiously, "I don't understand... you've hardly aged a day... How long has it been?" "Maybe a year?" Mali thought about it, trying to count back through the seasons of so many places, "A lot of bad things have happened." Esme nodded, "I can't wait to hear about all of it. I'm so glad you came... and that I'm still alive." "Me too," Mali nodded up to her, looking over the elder druid's very aged face a little sadly. "I have many tales to tell 'you' as well," Esme nodded.

Sahdia led everyone out into an open courtyard, "House Thorn is the house of roses, the guardians of the East, and the bearer of swords... our house duties." "That sounds very noble," Thorn nodded up to her. Sahdia smiled, "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch all of your names... who are you?" Yuki spoke up first, smiling cheerfully, "I'm Yuki Ashdown, priestess of Sune... the goddess of love and beauty." "Oh," Sahdia nodded, "I'm pleased to meet you. You are very pretty." "Aww," Yuki melted a little at the compliment, "Thank you." "I see you're wearing a symbol of your faith, but I don't recognize it or the name of your goddess," Sahdia shook her head. "Oh! Well I have this wonderful pamphlet right here!" Yuki pulled out one of the colorful handwritten pamphlets she had made in the dungeon world and handed it to the young teacher. Sahdia looked it over curiously, "How interesting... love and beauty." Yuki nodded, "We have wonderful baths!" "Mmm, I'd love to hear all about it," Sahdia nodded to Yuki and turned to Mali, "And you... little ward of Esme... you're not really an ambling?" Mali shook her head, "No... I don't really know what an ambling is, but I'm pretty sure I'm not one." Sahdia nodded, looking her over, and then turned toward the gnome, "And you... you're about as tall as a halfling, but you don't look like a halfling..." "I'm Posy," the gnome barbarian nodded. "Earthshaker," Yuki echoed and nodded. "Earth shaker?" Sahdia looked at her curiously, "How does she make the earth move?" "She's the master of the clans... Chieftan,.. war bringer," Erevin nodded. "Oh," Sahdia nodded, looking over the little gnome again, "That 'is' a nice axe... and sword... and other sword..." Sahdia shook her head a little in wonder and then turned toward Thorn, "And you, Mister? Not an ambling either? What is your name?" Thorn smiled, shaking his head, "Not an ambling either. I am Lord Springfoot." The rest of the party raised an eyebrow at his introduction... Thorn never used his family name... in fact he was very discouraging about it... and "Lord"? What was that rogue up to? Mali giggled. "Lord? Are you a noble?" Sahdia blinked in surprise, "I've never met a noble halfling before... you have noble halfling families in your world?" "Yes, yes we do," Thorn nodded confidently. Yuki looked bewildered at the halfling and like she might kick him at any moment. "There are many nobles in the school, so you should fit right in," Sahdia nodded, walking beside him. "Excellent," Thorn nodded, upholding a very diplomatic appearance, "I hope my accommodations are suitable to my status." Wren started to giggle. "Wellllll... we try to treat everyone equally here, but I'm sure they'll be fine," Sahdia nodded and turned toward the giggling witch, "And you are not a turat or a drow?" The young elven witch shook her head, "No, I am not a rat or a drow... My name is Wren Dreamspinner." "Don't call them rats," Sahdia shook her head, "They're very particular. TURat." She spoke the word slowly with more pronunciation. "Oh," Wren nodded "Alright, that's good to know.... but I'm still not a turat or a drow. I don't have black skin." "Drow have light skin," Sahdia nodded. Wren looked at her a little confused, "Oh... well they have dark skin in our world." "They're mostly mean," Yuki nodded, "with dark skin and silver hair." "Like Atlantians?" Sahdia looked at her curiously. "I don't know what an Atlantian is," Wren shook her head. "They look like Master Zizolas," Sahdia nodded. "No... drow have black skin," Erevin shook his head. "Actually black? Hmmm..." Sahdia trailed off in thought, "We have a couple of turat elves here that I'm sure would be very curious about your elves. No drow though... in our world they're recluse and ... mmm... xenophobic?" "So they don't like other races," Erevin nodded. "Ours are like that too, aren't they?" Yuki looked up at the elven prince. "Well they like other races... to be their slaves," Sahdia nodded and turned to Erevin, "And you are Erevin Lionspaw?" "Prince Erevin," Mali nodded. Erevin smiled, "Simple woodsman." "You're a simple woodsman?" Sahdia nodded and turned to Thorn, seeing him as obviously the party leader. Yuki looked back and forth, confused by Erevin downplaying his role and title and Thorn posing as the noble. Yuki nudged Erevin, and whispered incredulously, "What are you doing?! You put Thorn in charge?" Mali scuffed her feet on the carpet and zotted the halfling thief with the charge. "The sooner you convince Esme to get out of here... the sooner this goes away," Thorn gestured at himself and smiled at her. "Mali!" Yuki whispered at her and nudged her to hurry. Wren just giggled and shook her head... this was going to be fun.

A fresh floral scent filled the air as we walked through a garden of roses with the sky above sparkling with unfamiliar stars. Several towers and buildings were ahead. A strange mix of time and culture in the architecture as it seemed the school had been continually built over a long course of history. "Welcome to House Thorn," Sahdia nodded and gestured around as she led us into a tower. The rooms got bigger and more personal as we climbed up through the floors to the upper rooms for guests. "I have rooms for each of you if you'd like your own... or you're welcome to pair up for anyone who would like to. I have some rooms with 2 beds in them." Esme looked at Mali, "You'll come and stay with me, of course." Mali nodded, "Well yeah!" Yuki piped up, "Wren!" and hugged onto the witch. Wren giggled and nodded to Sahdia, "Yuki and I will bunk together." She turned to the gnome, "Posy, do you want to come cuddle in with us or would you like your own room?" Posy nodded and stepped next to the them, "Okay." Erevin and Thorn each took their own rooms. The rooms were fairly nice and freshly cleaned with little book shelves and beds. "You're going to be staying for a few days... Consider me your tour guide to the school," Sahdia looked very excited to have important guests in 'her' house. Obviously the youngest of the House Masters. "I can introduce you to any of the other faculty or show you around. Do you have any questions?"

"Do you have healers in your world?" Yuki looked over at her curiously, "Priests or clerics?" "We have healers," Sahdia nodded, "Clerics of the Pentoch." "Who are the Pentoch?" Yuki looked interested. "Lurani... the maiden of battle, goddess of battle and war. Seeum... the god of knowledge... Agrick... Savenor... and Nave," as Sahdia spoke the names... some of them sounded familiar from people in Sanctuary and a couple of the people from the bags on the ship... "Unfortunately we don't have a temple here in the school, but many of the students and faculty worship the Pentoch." "So who heals your students when they are injured?" Yuki tilted her head. "Oh, we have an infirmary," Sahdia nodded, "You'll want to talk to Mrs Wiggins. She probably has her hands full with the many returning students being injured."

Erevin turned to Sahdia, "Mikayla Zizolas... the gentleman who was with the students on the ship that we came in with... he referred to it as a field trip. Is it common practice to have students sent on 'field trips' to do reconnaissance for attacking armies?" She nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah... not the new students... but those who are close to graduation. There are some dangerous tasks that they are sent out to deal with using what we teach here. We teach a variety of things... weapon skills, dueling, magic, diplomacy, school purposes, esoteric skills, appraisal, item recovery, lying..." "So... the headmaster has a secret flying school where he is training a private army... and believes he doesn't have enemies?" Erevin blinked, "He has to be either lying to us... or horribly naive." "Well...." Sahdia Denmarek thought, "In the school's history, we've never really had a problem before. The students that leave here are usually very grateful for the training that they got... or those who flunk out, don't remember it. There have been a few careers that have been less than... noble... but most go on to live heroic lives."

A few students brought up a platter of fresh cut fruit that got set down in front of Thorn first. Sahdia smiled at him as he tested the freshness of the fruit, "So, Lord Springfoot, you rescued several of the students... what was it like out there?" Thorn thought for a moment and nodded to her, "Chaotic." "Some of the students have talked about the strange creatures of chaos," she nodded, "You'll have to forgive the headmaster... He's only been the headmaster for a few years, taking over shortly after Esme came to our school. He is very fanatic about protecting our school and it's secrets." Erevin nodded, "Rightfully so." Sahdia nodded, muttering under her breath, "Even though some of us feel that we should get more involved." "More involved in the war against the Thonak?" Yuki turned to her, "So... he really intends not to do anything to help those poor people out there?" "From what I understand, there is a place he plans to take the school to... wait it out," Sahdia nodded. "I believe the word she's missing in there is 'cower'," Erevin nodded. "I would never use such a word in front of the headmaster!" Sahdia shook her head. "Erevin, there may not be anything left... you saw..." Yuki's voice trailed off in horrific thoughts about the gathered chaos demons that had amassed outside of the keep. "They 'are' children," Wren interjected, remembering the young faces in the swan boat that was about to be overtaken had they not intervened. "But they have families..." Yuki offered, "They could be called in. Some political clout?" Erevin sighed, "He has a mighty weight on his shoulders. If these children are here... and they are the elites of the elite's children... think of the world of hurt that would come down upon this place if the whole school was destroyed." "But Erevin, what if everything else is destroyed and only the school survives?" Yuki countered again. Sahdia interjected, "He would say... that the best and the brightest could rebuild." Yuki frowned, "They would have to fight first." Sahdia nodded, "You're preaching to the choir, Miss Yuki. I don't agree with the headmaster either." "Nor do I, but I can understand where he's coming from," Erevin nodded. "Those creatures..." Yuki sighed. "...are not going away," Erevin finished for her, nodding in agreement. "They're unreasonable," Yuki sighed again. "They are not men... they are monsters," Erevin nodded. "They are not even of this world," Sahdia nodded, "Mister Glardowen says they are not like any of the creatures that the mages here can summon." Yuki nodded, "If they wait it out... it may be too late."

"Forgive me, Lord Springfoot," Sahdia nodded toward Thorn, "I didn't mean to keep you all up quite so late." She nodded back to Yuki, "I would like to speak with you more later though, Miss Ashdown, to find out more about this 'Love and Beauty'. I've never seen skin like that... it's amazing." "Aww," Yuki melted a little at the compliment. Mali nodded to Sahdia, "It's soft too! Like milk and honey." "Milk and honey, you say?" Erevin raised an eyebrow. Thorn nodded, "It 'is' quite soft." Yuki blinked over at the halfling, muttering under her breath, "He cops a quick feel and now he's an expert!" Wren giggled next to her.

Esme took Mali with her as everyone began parting for the night. She led her back through the courtyard toward the central building, "They have some pretty big guest wings here. I'm not really affiliated with any of the 'Houses' so some of the visiting instructors are given rooms here while they guest teach. Since I've been here so long... I've kind of made the place permanently mine."

The elder halfling led her into a nice little suite of rooms with low ceilings, perhaps designed for these 'Amblings' visiting in the past. Esme hurried her through the meeting entrance where Mali looked bewildered at the strange decor of banjos, a horse up on blocks (LMAO!), and the smell of pipeweed. But beyond there, Mali glanced around at the inner rooms that felt more familiarly like Esme. Little wood carvings sat around the rooms... some of them recognizable as Maliumpkin. Not the greatest of carving skill, but it was obvious that the old druid had missed her.

Esme poured them each some wine and sat down wearily in her rocker, worn out from all of the walking. Time had taken a toll on her. She gestured, lighting up the fireplace and warming the room. Mali smiled and set down a pot of dirt and planted her cherry wood staff into it. It blossomed into a tree with lights dancing around it, brightening up the room. "You still have my old staff," Esme smiled over at her, "Of course I guess it hasn't been as long for you as it has for me." Esme looked her over again, still surprised to see how little Mali had changed. "Of course I still have it," the little red-haired halfling nodded, "It's been a year since I lost you at the wedding." Esme nodded, "You've gathered quite an interesting group of friends... I seem to recall seeing them all briefly at the wedding, but how did you manage to all get together?" "Well you see... what had happened..." Mali wove her the tale of being chosen by Destiny and how the group had all lost loved ones into various worlds... She told her that she knew her Esme was the strongest and most powerful of all who were lost... the most likely to be able to take care of herself. "So many were lost... and you taught me to be patient and think of others first... so I helped everyone be found... one by one... until finally we were able to journey here to find you..." the young druidess looked up at her mentor with teary eyes... so regretful that so many years had passed for Esme... and yet so relieved to finally find her. The elder halfling nodded as her student wove her story, "So... Raven's daughter? ... and that lecherous Falco's grandson? So hard to believe..." Her old eyes blinked in surprise to hear how the descendants of her group had joined her own student in such an adventure. Mali was nodding, assuring her it was true, "And what's with Yuki's dad being a cross-dresser? I mean he has good taste and all, but... really?" Her mind absently wandered to the lacy shawl worn over the priestess of Sune's shoulders. "Mr. Avidon?" Esme blinked in confusion, "I... don't really recall him being a cross-dresser." "Well he left Miss Yuki some lingerie!" Mali nodded, "It seemed a little strange..." "Hmm well it's not like I rummaged through his closet or anything, but..." Esme pondered the odd thought for a moment, "He was always kind of a romantic book guy... I mean him and Raven every once in a while..." Mali nodded, "Well with Crowe and Wren being her daughters... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Esme nodded to the younger druidess, "Raven was rather a ... hmmm what is that word the humans use... whore?" Mali laughed and nodded, "Definitely whore... but Wren is now completely in love with a green dragon... Kale's so wonderful... they're going to get married and everything! " Mali sighed a little dreamily. "Really?" Esme blinked in surprise, "They don't have dragons here." Mali folded her arms, suddenly disgruntled, "Dirty rotten cheats anyway... I got possessed by a dragon and argued with him and he tried to swallow me whole! ... but I showed him! He didn't know I had a feather fall ring and throwing me off the bridge didn't hurt me a bit!" She nodded with a snort. "Dragons are tricky," Esme nodded, "I wouldn't trust them."

Mali went on with more of her adventurous stories until Esme looked at her curiously, "This 'boyfriend' of yours... Ursus? He doesn't sound much like a halfling." Mali laughed and shook her head, "He's not. He's a barbarian... a human." Her mentor still had a look of confusion, "Isn't that a little ... strange? ...and big?" Mali grinned, "It works out just fine! ...He came to rescue you too! He's back on the Destiny. You remember the Destiny, right?" Esme frowned, "I was on it before everything went... to crap." Mali giggled, "Well we fixed her up so she can travel through worlds now... and now we're here to rescue you! You're coming with us, right? Where's your trunk?" Esme blinked, "This is all so... so sudden! I've been here for the last 20 years. It's a little late to make decisions like that. Why don't we get some sleep." Mali frowned, "I don't know if I can sleep... I feel a bit wired. I wish Wren had given me some tea before she left." Esme's eyes went wide, "Oh! Don't drink any of Raven's daughter's tea! That stuff makes you see things!" Mali giggled, "We've seen lots of things!" Esme laughed, "Well alright... you're welcome to pick from the couple of extra beds here... but these old bones need to sleep." (Yeah cause it's 4:30 in the afternoon... and old nana needs a nap! LMAO!!) Esme tottered off to her bed, a big happy smile on her face.

Erevin raised the window in his room, the cool crisp night air brushing against his face. Fairly high up in one of the towers, the air seemed clean and the foul air of battle seemed to be gone. He crept quietly out, scaling down the stone of the tower wall.

Yuki flopped onto the bed, "Posy, Wren, I have a scroll of sending! I could try sending off a message to Axton... let them know where we are." Wren raised an eyebrow at their priestess friend, "Why don't you just try writing in your journal?" "Ah!" Yuki looked suddenly excited and reached for her bag, "That's right! I haven't written in that in forever!" Wren giggled, "Well most of your writing companions travel with us now." Yuki pulled out her red journal, flipping through her pages, and grabbing a pen. She quickly scrolled out words on the page that neither Posy nor Wren could read... "Did you die? We didn't. We're safe. We're in a transporting school!" ...but as soon as she penned the words transporting school, she watched them vanish off of the pages. Yuki peered at the paper, "I wonder if that's a good thing... that's not normal... the words just disappeared. Normally they stay there. Wren? What do I do?" Wren turned to look at her, "Don't write anymore." She quickly shook her head as she pondered over the meaning. "Can I write X's and O's?" Yuki blinked up at her hopefully. Wren shook her head, "No... if someone is able to steal your messages... tracking them to that book... searching for the school and any word as to it's whereabouts... no. Close the book, Yuki. Don't write anymore." "But... but it seemed like a good idea!" Yuki blinked worriedly at her and shut the book, "You told me to!" Wren frowned and nodded, "I did. It's my fault." "Well... it's my fault too! I wrote it!" Yuki whipped her head over to the gnome, "Posy! Why didn't you talk us out of it?!" Posy blinked at her, "I thought it would be okay! I was busy drinking!"

Across the hall, 'Lord Springfoot' sat in his room with a large cart of various types of alcohol...

Yuki held her book tightly, "We should go and tell Erevin what happened... will you come with me?" Wren smiled and nodded, getting up off the bed and following the priestess over to Erevin's private door. Yuki knocked on the door, "Erevin?" With no answer, she knocked again, "Erevin?" "Maybe he can't hear you," Wren frowned and knocked louder, "Erevin!" Yuki leaned against his bedroom softly, "Erevin... I think I might have done something terrible." Still with no answer... Posy stood in the doorway and glanced across the hall, "I guess we'd better talk to 'Lord' Thorn..." Wren giggled and nodded, stepping in front of Yuki as she went to knock on his door, "Hang on, I've got this..." she giggled again and then straightened up, knocking on his door and using her best 'high society' voice, asked, "M'lord Springfoot?" Thorn answered her with a noble accent, "You may enter..." Wren opened the door to see the halfling in a luxurious lounging robe and fluffy slippers sitting with his feet up and surrounded by alcohol and pipeweed. Yuki peeked around the corner and blinked up at Wren. The witch laughed and nodded to Thorn, "Well you look comfy." Thorn blew out smoke from his pipe that formed into a curvaceous woman's silhouette that looked remarkably like Yuki's silhouette for a moment before it disappeared. Wren giggled, nudging Yuki in front of her, "Okay, Yuki... tell him." "Hey!!" Yuki tugged down at her short, diaphanous nightie, "Wreeeen! Don't put me in front!" She quickly moved back behind the witch, shaking a stern finger at Thorn, "Just where are your eyes looking?!" Thorn grinned, "Oh, Yuki can definitely enter." He nodded at the two women, "Please, please ladies... no need for one at a time... come in. Come in." He nodded as they walked in, "You may close the door behind you." "I don't think that's a good idea..." the priestess glanced back at their escape route. Wren giggled, understanding that was the halfling's cover for prying ears, and closed the door behind them before walking closer to the lordly lounging Thorn. "So... so... Thorn?" Yuki tugged at the edges of her nightie, still gripping her book behind Wren. "What's up?" Thorn smiled and gestured to the cart beside him, speaking much more like himself, "Would you like a drink?" "No... I don't think... Well... maybe I should have a drink," Yuki nodded, pouring a glass, "I think I just did something terrible!" "Now, now..." Wren interrupted her, "No need to jump right to that conclusion yet... but..." she gestured for Yuki to go on. "Yuki! If you've ruined this for me... so help me god!" He sat up more attentively and pointed at her. "But-but... you're the 'leader'!" Yuki protested quickly, nearly dropping her glass, "And Erevin wasn't in his room! And..." Thorn frowned in puzzlement, "Erevin wasn't in his room?" His shoulders dropped a little, "Oh no..." surely that meant more trouble. Wren nodded, agreeing with Thorn's unsaid worry, "So anyway... Yuki has this journal..." Yuki nodded, quickly chiming back in, "I have this journal," she held up her red leather book, "It's how I talk to Axton... well before he was Axton... and ... anyway... I wrote to him to tell him we were safe and in a magic transporting school and the message did something that it never did before!" she paused tentatively... "And that is?" Thorn prodded her. Her voice was a whisper, "The words disappeared off of the page." Wren nodded, "I thought it might be possible that someone could track it, but I really don't know... so I told her not to write anymore..." "I didn't write anymore!" Yuki quickly shook her head. Thorn extended his hand openly and expectantly. Yuki blinked at him and shook her head, "No you can't have my journal! I've written..." Thorn nodded to her and gestured for her to give it to him. Yuki shook her head, still protesting, "But!" Thorn's voice was calm and whispering as he nodded reassuringly, "Just... give it here." "Don't read the back pages!" She gave up the book slowly. He flipped to the back and Yuki gasped, turning to the witch for help, "Wren!" Thorn whipped out a pen and started drawing on one of the pages. Wren curiously peered over his arm, "Are you drawing 'her'?" "What?!" Yuki hid behind Wren, "Draw Wren! Not me!" Wren watched Thorn draw a provocative rough sketch of what she could only guess was to be Yuki and Thorn and burst out laughing, imagining Axton's face when he got that. The image stayed on the page. With Wren's laughter, Yuki quickly peeked over her at the book, "What did you send him?! ...WHAT?!" She snatched the book quickly out of his hands, "No! No! Lies! THORRRN!!!" The writing on the page looked like gibberish to Thorn... he could tell that Yuki had wrote it because it had little hearts and doodles drawn on the pages, but he couldn't read the words at all. He calmly looked at her, "I didn't know you had a secret code." "What?" Yuki blinked at him. He explained that he couldn't read the words and she frowned, "Maybe it's because it's divine magic... and we're not close enough to Sune." She looked at the pages in her book and was pleasantly surprised to see that she could still read it just fine. So no one else could read it... she nodded, "So... I wonder if someone's naughty pictures appear so that the other person can read it..." Posy chimed in from behind them, "I guess we'll have to ask Axton when we see him." Wren laughed, imagining Axton again getting the drawing. "I don't want to clean any more things..." Yuki sighed. Thorn patted her, "It's mine. If you like, just rip out that page and I'll dispose of it." Wren couldn't help but giggle. Yuki blinked from one to the other, suddenly imagining perverted ways that Thorn might "dispose" of the drawing. She shook her head at him, "Focus! What are we going to do?" He shrugged, "I don't know... it didn't happen that time." "It was just the line that I wrote about the school," she pointed at the message she had written on another page. Thorn shrugged, "Try again... Write something else." Yuki took the pen and started writing, "The naughty picture on the next page was written by someone else!" The message stayed... so she continued, "School school school school school..." Every time she wrote the word, it vanished off the page. "Disappearing disappearing disappearing..." Those words seemed to stay just fine, and she glanced up at the others, telling them what happened. She wrote "Thorn" and then made it "House Thorn" with a little heart over it. Thorn and Wren exchanged a look and shrugged as they watched her write gibberish. Thorn nodded to her, "Try writing a description of this room.... don't mention the school... just describe the room." She nodded, looking around, "The walls are thick and tall. There is a cushioned chair and a cart of bottles of ales and wine and brandy..." All of the words seemed to stay. Thorn nodded, "Add to that paragraph... All of this describes a room in a school that I'm currently in." Yuki nodded, penning it in, but "in a school that I'm currently in" vanished. "Must be protected by something..." Thorn nodded. "Let's hope it's the school itself," Wren nodded. "Okay, back to bed then! Thanks!" Yuki nodded, and glanced at Thorn, "Stop looking at me like that! Turn around!" Thorn grinned and raised his eyebrows at her, "You're in 'my' room... how about 'you' turn around." He smiled at her suggestively as he moved his finger in a circle. Yuki gasped and turned to the witch, "WREN!" But Wren was laughing herself silly! "You're no help at all!" Yuki tugged on her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Wren continued to laugh, shaking her head, and then casted invisibility on Yuki, "There you go... now he can't see you. Come on." She continued to giggle. Posy reached over and took a couple of the bottles from the cart while Thorn was preoccupied and followed the other two women back out of the room.

Erevin crept quietly down the ivy-covered stone wall and moved out to the outer wall of the keep. Off in the distance he could hear the *ting* of two swords striking together. Keeping to the shadows, he slipped in closer through a dense thicket of trees to oversee a flattened open area set up as a dueling ground. Two elder students were arguing and crossing swords. One of them managed to knock the other to land solidly on his butt. The standing student sneered at the other, "You've gotten no better at all, Mr. Wands. Such a disappointment!" Mr. Wands began getting himself back up, his voice seemingly not backing down, "Nevertheless, curr! You take back what you said about Lady Denmarek!" A few years her younger... the student must be referring to Sahdia, the leader of the House of Thorns. The standing student waved a cutting dismissive hand across the air, "Her ideas will get every student here killed!" Erevin continued to listen to what he could only assume was more about the debate over whether to aid the world or keep the school safe. He took special note that the dominating student didn't try to attack Wands further while he was down.

The simple woodsman finally revealed his presence to the two with a soft voice from the woods, "I believe it is well past curfew, gentlemen. You might wish to retire." Wands jumped in surprise, exclaiming out, "Crikey!" as he turned to the woods. The other student glanced at Wands, "We'll finish this later, Eddy." He took off the other way. Wands stood up, dusting himself off, and glanced into the shadowy woods muttering, "Thanks." Erevin nodded, unseen, "You seem like a good man, Wands... a lady's honor is always worth fighting and dying for." The young student nodded in agreement, a look of infatuation clearly on his face.

The red journal began to go off in Yuki's hands with responses from Axton, "Are you alright? Are you alright? What's going on?! ...and why are you drawing pictures of Thorn's private parts?" Yuki grabbed a pen, speaking aloud as she wrote, "That was just a test! It wasn't me! Thorn was being a brat!" A response appeared on the paper, "You let him look in your book?" Yuki quickly wrote back, "Something weird had happened..." "Where are you?" Yuki paused for a moment, "I don't think I can get that through... when I write about a certain place, the words vanish from the book... at first I thought it was something bad, but I think it's okay." Wren paced beside her muttering various suggestions aloud to herself to try and get their message across without crossing this protective magic from the school, "I am in a keep of students... yes, try that!" That disappeared from the page as well as Yuki tried. She tried "I am in a learning place" but learning disappeared to become "I am in a place." Wren frowned, continuing to pace and mutter phrases aloud as she thought. Yuki continued to write, trying and trying, I am in a place that rhymes with pool ... of water. Axton responded quickly as strange quirky broken sentences kept coming from Yuki, "Are you drunk?" "What?!" Yuki shook her head as she wrote, "No I'm not drunk! Posy is drunk... anything Thorn says... Don't listen to him... Wren was with me. I'm fine!" Wren continued to chatter on idly until finally she turned to Yuki, "Try Our place of location has moved." It went through as Yuki wrote it and Wren cheered beside her. "We saw that," Axton replied. Yuki wrote back as Wren continued to offer suggestions, "ANYWAY!!! I'm safe. We're all safe. Are you safe? and what about the ship?" Axton's reply came through, "Azarius and Gregori are working on repairs. Those creatures chased us for awhile, but we were able to give them the slip. If you can tell me where to meet you, we can come to pick you up if you have gotten Esme." Wren nudged her, "So what did he say? What did he say?" "Wren!" Yuki shushed her as she wrote back, "Well... it's complicated." "Of course... it always is," Axton's words appeared quickly. "You write so fast!" Yuki penned back, "We have Esme... though she's 20 years older. Mali is working on convincing her to come with us... maybe. We have 2 days?? And then our place will move again." "Okay," Axton wrote back, "We'll sit tight. Keep me informed. I love you." Yuki gasped out holding the book out to Wren and Posy, "Do you see? Do you see?! He said it!!" Posy and Wren exchanged a look, and Posy shook her head glancing again at the gibberish on the paper, "We can't read it..." Wren leaned in closer trying to see the words in the blurred gibberish, "What's it 'supposed' to say?" "I love you," Yuki pointed to it, "Right there! He said it! ...wait... I'm still mad at him!" Wren raised an eyebrow, "Aw, does that mean you're not going to say 'I love you' back?" Yuki glanced up at her a little scowlingly and wrote something else quickly in her journal, closing it primly and clutching it to her chest. Wren giggled, leaning against Posy.

Erevin continued on to climb up a wall that was so high he could see clouds hovering around him. He watched a guard who was walking along one of the walls below turn around a little attentively and head back toward Erevin's direction. The elven prince waited... watching the guard come near him, looking around, but didn't seem to see him. A slit opened up in the center of the guard's forehead, opening up to an eye that focused directly on and blinked at Erevin. The guard pulled his sword and Erevin whispered calmly, "That wont be necessary." "Show yourself!" Erevin stepped into the moonlight, shadows seemingly falling off of him, "That's an interesting trick." The guard nodded, "Indeed it is, outworlder... and now that you have seen it..." He brought his blade up, leaning in to attack.

Memories ran swiftly through Erevin's thoughts of the same eyes being in the disks that the mages were floating on when they had rescued the swan boat of students. The guard moved more swift and agile than typical of a human, but Erevin was still faster with his elven grace, bringing out his bow to double shoot arrows at the attacking guard. The arrows made a strange sound as they impacted the guard's body... almost rubbery... and an inhuman screech came from the guard's mouth.

An eye came open on the guard's sword and a sharp row of shark-like teeth popped out and began rotating around along the edges of the sword. The guard struck into Erevin and little mouths opened up on the sword to lap at the elven blood spattered along the blade. Erevin dropped his bow and pulled his blade, "I thought I smelled your stink out here." "You will lead us to the ship!" "Never!" The guard's voice was an excited whisper, "We will be able to take chaos into any world!" Erevin drove his moonblade into the guard only to see the demon glare balefully back nearly ignoring it's own pain, "Such powerful servants the bitch ship has... It is over, elven kind, Saleesh may claim your kind, but my lord Zeetch will have your soul." He leapt up onto the wall and dropped off the edge. Erevin dropped his sword, hooking his bow up with his foot and leaping on the edge, firing arrows into the demon guard as he fell screaming into the clouds with green fire around him. Erevin melded into the shadows as two other guards came running... and returned, climbing up the wall back to his room. He walked across the hall, knocking on the girls door, hearing giggling inside. Wren opened the door to see a bleeding gash over Erevin's shoulder, "Well... no need to ask if you've been up to trouble." She made a mark in the air and laid a hex heal over him as she touched his shoulder. An eye blinked back at her from his shoulder for a brief moment and a whisper echoed into her head, "I see you, witch..." Wren blinked wide eyes as she watched the wound close and whispered angrily back to his shoulder, "You're going to wish you hadn't!" "I already wish I hadn't," Erevin nudged her aside and stepped into the room, "Yuki, can you check this thing out?" "What?! Erevin! You're covered in blood!" She leapt up and ripped his shirt open around his shoulder, exposing half of his chest and arm. The wound was closed. "Check it out really good," Wren muttered from the side. "What? Why?" Yuki barely glanced at Wren before her eyes roamed over Erevin again, "He looks good to me... I mean... muscles chiseled... and I..." "Hang on," Posy rolled off of the bed a little drunkenly to walk over closer, "I'll help you." Wren shuddered, standing off to the side, "You don't see any eyes where they don't belong?" "What?!" Yuki blinked at Wren and looked over Erevin again, "I could dispell evil just to be sure... an eye? That sounds a little creepy." Wren slipped her mirrored mask of Liera over her face and stepped closer once again as now the hands of three women ran over the prince's body looking him over. "This feels like more than just a cursory examination..." Erevin grinned at them. "Just stand still, Erevin... don't move. I need to look a little closer," Yuki ran her hands over him. "If I must..." he grinned. Wren shuddered as she seen green flames flicker over his shoulder, "I would use that dispell evil, Yuki." She nodded, "First an eye that spoke to me... and now I see green flames." Yuki's eyes went wide and without hesitation she laid one hand over Erevin's shoulder and the other over his heart as she quickly whispered out words of magic, snuffing the flames and filling the elven prince with pure holy love. Erevin laid his hand over Yuki's as she did her magic and their faces hovered just a little too close for a long moment. Yuki opened her eyes, looking him over again, "Did I get it?" Wren nodded, standing a few more steps away and pretending not to have noticed their moment, "The flames were snuffed out."

"Erevin!" Yuki turned to him quickly to lecture him about what kind of trouble he got into all alone, but her knees went weak as she caught his reflection in Wren's mirrored mask... the full and glorious noble Erevin with a crown on his brow. Her voice was a whisper as she continued to stare, "Wren... just don't move for a minute..." "What are you doing?" Wren tilted her head and tried to figure out why Yuki was looking at her like that. "Basking..." Yuki sighed a little dreamily. "What?!" Wren peered at her and then realized it was the reflection in her mask that Yuki was staring at... "I feel so used." She laughed softly. But the witch's voice was quickly drowned out by Erevin's voice in Yuki's ears, "Are you okay?" "Am I okay?" Yuki spoke a little dreamily still, but stopped as his words hit her and she blinked at him, "Am I okay?! LOOK AT YOU! You're half..." her shouting stopped as she stared at him and her voice got quieter, "Naked... but ... but... an eye! And fire! And... And... what happened?" Erevin smiled, "I found the infiltrator. A tool of chaos. I suspected the wound might be infected. His sword seemed... alive... sort of." "You had better go wake the lord," Yuki nodded. "Springfoot?" Erevin grinned and gestured to Thorn's door. Wren giggled, "No he's awake... smoking pipeweed and drinking."

Wren, Posy, Yuki, and Erevin headed to Thorn's, "We need to go see the headmaster." "Erevin! My dear friend... please, partake!" Thorn was lounging on his comfy chair with his feet up as he gestured to the cart beside him. Erevin grinned, "Lord Springfoot... it looks like you've been having a good time. When we get back perhaps." Thorn sighed, "Headmaster... always when I'm having a good time." After traveling down only one floor we were confronted by a couple of older students, "Hall monitor. Where's your pass? Oh... it's the outworlders." Wren nudged the priestess, whispering "Talk to them... pretend you need bags carried or something." "Did you need something, Miss Yuki?" one of the students smiled at her. Yuki smiled charmingly, "Yes... we need Miss Esme. It's important Life or death!" With the blushing student linking his arm with the priestess the two escorted us to collect Mali and Esme. "You want to see the Headmaster? It's the middle of the night... He's pretty strict," the student shook his head uncertainly. "I'm certain," Erevin nodded, "There was a chaos demon on the grounds." "A chaos demon?!" The students gasped in shock. Yuki nudged the simple woodsman, "Erevin! Don't incite a panic." The students nodded, thinking he must be joking with them, "Sure, sure... a chaos demon. We'll take you... but we weren't the ones who got you there." Erevin nodded knowingly, "Of course."

Erevin carried Esme after the girls convinced the old woman it was in their best interest. After making our way through several halls, coming across a few other students who pointed the way, all saying that they were never there. Finally we make it to the Headmaster, dressed in his pajamas and looking blurry eyed, "The same group... You couldn't have waited one night before committing your hi-jinx? I assume you haven't woken me on something trivial?" "No, sir..." Erevin shook his head, "I was attacked by a demon spawn on the grounds." The Headmaster glanced to his guard wearily, "Shut the door." He turned back to us, "Tell me everything." Erevin told him the story, omitting the part about the students arguing on the dueling grounds. The Headmaster sighed heavily, "I was afraid something like this would happen. I would feel better if you had your shoulder checked out in the infirmary just in case... that guard... he's been here for years. Why the hell would they show themselves to you?" He looked over Erevin and the group. Erevin nodded, "Perhaps they are interested in us." "Or our shi..." Yuki's voice trailed off. "Or your what?" The Headmaster turned to her, "Don't hold back now." "Our sh...tuff. Our Shtuff," Yuki nodded, "It's a term we use back home all the time." The Headmaster raised an eyebrow, "You're not a very good liar, young woman... You are very pretty, but you are not a good liar." "Aww!" Yuki smiled sweetly, "Thank you!" "Shtuff?" He raised an eyebrow back at Erevin. Erevin nodded, "The ship we referred to earlier." "That's troubling... not only for your ship, but there may be more here," The head master frowned. "Do you have any way of testing for who has been infected?" Yuki peered at him. The Headmaster shook his head, "It should have been detected by the school's magic... but if what our scouts and students have claimed is true, then these demons must be from beyond this world and the protection from this school doesn't always seem to work on them." He frowned, "I'll have the infirmary look over every single soul here." Yuki turned to Erevin, "When we arrived... you said the school was like your mythal... and the mythal... you can tweak it, right? Do you think we can do that here?" "A mythal is difficult to change... but you 'can' change it," Erevin nodded. "I don't know what this 'mythal' is," The Headmaster raised an eyebrow, "The school is not protected by a mythal." "If we had some sample of the chaos demons," Yuki turned back to him, "Can we somehow change the magic protection of the school to..." "I understand what you're saying," Erevin nodded, "But I do not have the knowledge to do so." He turned back to the Headmaster, "In our world... the elven cities are protected by magical barriers called mythals... similar to your protection here." "Do you have eidolons within your city?" "I do not know these eidolons that you speak of," Erevin shook his head, "Our mythals are controlled by elven high magic and artifacts." "Eidolons are magical forces that power the magical wards," The Headmaster nodded, "I can speak to Lord Glardowen about the possibility if we were to obtain such a sample... but I do not know if it is possible to somehow change the magic or not... but frankly I'll need to ask you a favor. You are outworlders, and I don't think that you would bring this to me if you were among them so you may be among the few... hell maybe the only ones... that I can trust. Apparently they seem to have some desire to possess this ship of yours. If you could act as eyes... participate in some of the school's daily activities to observe the people... perhaps you will notice them or draw them out if they see you." Knowing we were stuck here for a couple of days while the ship was being repaired anyway... Erevin nodded, "Alright." Yuki opened the journal, and penned in a quick note, "They are looking for you, please be careful." Axton replied, "I'll tell the captain to keep us moving."

Erevin turned to the group, "If we're going to do this, we go in at least pairs. No one goes alone... and I don't mean you and you." He gestured at the priestess and witch. "Why can't I go with Wren?" Yuki blinked innocently at him. "Perhaps 3 and 3?" Posy chimed in, looking around at the group and not wanting anyone to be too far from help. Erevin nodded to her and turned to Thorn, "Which two do you want?" "Of course, Lord Springfoot... you are welcome to divide your group however you want, but there are a lot of activities in the school," The Headmaster nodded. Thorn pondered over it for a moment, "Groups of 3 sounds safer... I'll take Posy and Yuki." Erevin nodded and turned to Wren and Mali, "Then you two are with me." Yuki blinked wide eyes, "Did you just say Posy and Yuki? I'm with Thorn?" Thorn grinned. Posy patted her shoulder, "I'll keep him on a leash." Yuki nodded and stepped closer to the gnome. Everyone returned to their rooms for the night.

Sahdia awakened the group in the morning, taking them down to breakfast, "I'm sure some of the other house masters will try to get you to spend some time in their activities... I must admit I scored a bit of a coup having you all stay in my house." She smiled happily. Down to the massive dining hall, the different houses and their symbols represented in each of the 5 sections of the room. While the students' uniforms were basically the same, they were accented by different colors that represented their houses. House Thorn, of course run by Sahdia Denmarek, used the symbol of a sword and rose. Their element was fire, They were in charge of the East. House Gallien was run by the dark-skinned man Mikayla Zizolas who brought the group in. They had a symbol of a book and a diamond. Their element was earth, and they were in charge of the North. House Darsk Soul was run by Lady Carmina Ormaze, a woman in her late 30's. They used the symbol of a lion. They represented duty and the element of water, and they were in charge of the South. House Malbrecht was run by a younger man called Enzio Glardowen. They used the symbol of a wand glowing with magic. They represented sorcery and the element of spirit and were in charge of the Center. House Zaromar was headed by Cada Aldeshar, a grizzled older man with some sort of military background. Their symbol appeared to be a scroll. They represented fortune and the element of air. They were in charge of the West.

Cada shook Lord Springfoot's hand, introducing himself, "I'm sorry that I didn't get to meet you and your party yesterday. I had to whip the students into shape and make sure they stayed out of trouble... not that I entirely succeeded." He glanced around at some of the various students eating their breakfast. Thorn shook his hand, "Think nothing of it. Duties are a part of life." "Well I'm not of the house of duty... that would be Lady Ormaze there," Cada gestured over to the middle aged woman, "with House Darsk Soul. Zaromar has fortune and concords... and it was my bad fortune last night to have to deal with the students and missed the opportunity to visit with such a fascinating group of people... and such a beautiful elven woman." His eyes fell on Wren. The elven witch smiled, winking at him flirtatiously. She curtsied with a flourish, "An honor to meet you, Mr Aldashar. My name is Wren Dreamspinner." "You don't look quite turat nor drow... which I find very interesting," he looked her over curiously, "I would like to speak with you... perhaps later?" Wren nodded, smiling at him, "I look forward to it."

Large platters of bacon, eggs, rich buttery rolls, fresh fruit, and various other worldly breakfast foods were brought to the tables. Strange round sweet dough covered in sticky syrup. Students eyed the more extravagant platters brought to our table in the front.

With groups already decided, Wren used her magic to bond telepathically with Yuki, Thorn, and Posy to keep the other group connected to hers. Enzio Glardowen came over and bowed in greeting, "As the headmaster of House Malbrecht, it would be my honor to show you around our House, Miss Ashdown." He smiled at Yuki. Posy put her arm around Yuki, eyeing the young flirtatious human, "You mean show 'us' around." Yuki nodded to the gnome and back to Enzio, "It's in our contract or something." "Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow at Yuki, "I bet that makes things rather... interesting." Thoughts came from Thorn to Yuki, "Have you noticed that group of boys at that table over there who keep staring at you?" "Really?!" Yuki thought back, looking over to the table and smoothing her hair with her fingers. "They're not looking at your hair..." Thorn shook his head. "Oh..." Yuki beamed a little as the realization hit her and she adjusted her diaphanous robes slightly around her chest. One of the students at the table dropped his fork. "This never used to happen at the temple when I was an acolyte... I feel like I'm coming in to my own finally." She sighed happily and blew the students a kiss. "Yuki focus..." Thorn nudged her.

Sahdia cleared her throat next to Enzio who shrugged casually at her. She turned to the group, "There are plenty of activities and classes that you may find interesting... Miss Mali's Esme teaches a class into the dark worlds... all about monsters and such. There's also the study of steel and warfare... historical battles. The school of magic that deals with magical dueling, wands, and the summoning of elementals." Enzio nodded beside her, "I teach one of the elemental classes." Yuki nodded, looking over the handsome young man again becoming a little breathy, "I bet it's quite interesting." Sahdia continued on as though they hadn't said anything, "There's the school of diplomacy. They have classes on acting, dress, and departure." "Oh! Dresses, Wren!" the priestess turned to her friend excitedly. "You're not in the same group," Erevin reminded her. "Remember the purpose of these classes is not to learn or to enjoy them... try to stay focused," Thorn's voice came into their heads. Wren sighed and nodded to him. Lady Denmarek continued on, "The school of purposes deal in esoteric skills... sneaking around crime scenes and spying." "My boyfriend is a spy," Yuki nodded. "Really? That sounds romantic!" Sahdia beamed at her. "Not really... it's... very confusing," Yuki sighed as her shoulders sank. "Anyway... there are lots of classes and choices that you should all find interesting," Sahdia turned back to the others and smiled, "You're welcome to go exploring... and then in the few hours after dinner... there are also some clubs that you may be interested in." "How many?" Erevin nodded to her. "All of them!" Sahdia nodded excitedly, "There's the equestrian club..." "The what?" Wren looked at her confused, "Did you say the ketchup club?!" Yuki burst out laughing. Mali raised an eyebrow at Wren, "Tomatoes?" "No, no... Equestrian... Horses!" Sahdia nodded. "Really? That's a club? Fascinating," Wren nodded to her. Sahdia nodded, "Fencing is run by Master Suda... a bear. There's also the gardening club with a magnificent gazebo and greenhouse with flowers all year long." "Oh!" Wren turned to her excitedly, "I would definitely like to see that!" Sahdia nodded and continued, "There's also the Host club!" "You would probably like that," Erevin nodded to Yuki. "A Host club?" Yuki tilted her head, "What is that?" Sahdia smiled, "Well there is a men's one and a women's one... it's where young men and women entertain other students who have a hard time dealing with the opposite sex." Yuki blinked, "Who would have a hard time with that?! Really... it's not that hard." "Well some find it difficult. They've never been around beautiful men or women before... they put them at ease and entertain them," Sahdia nodded. "Oh... I want to be put at ease," Yuki nodded. Wren turned to her, "Or you could put them at ease..." Erevin nodded to Yuki, "You could go and help the young male students to practice and learn." Yuki nodded to Erevin, "Oh... I could do that... Wait! I'm not a student here!" Erevin nudged her, "You're not going to learn or enjoy the class... you're going to 'investigate' it." "Oh! Right!" Yuki nodded again. Thorn sighed. He hadn't realized how heavy of a burden the priestess's lack of focus could be for Erevin until he, himself, was placed in this leadership role.

Sahdia smiled, "There's also a choir and a drama club... if you like to act, we're currently working on a play! There's also a zoo with various creatures.... and hall monitors who roam the halls making sure students aren't going where they shouldn't." Erevin and Mali nodded, "That sounds promising..." Lady Denmarek nodded, "So what do you all think you'd be interested in?" "Perhaps we should try some of the ones that have a higher number of students?" Mali offered. Erevin nodded, "What are the four most popular clubs?" "Highest attendance," Thorn agreed. "I would say the Fencing Club is very popular... lots of young men and women who like to beat each other senseless... though I really don't understand it," Sahdia nodded, "And the Host Club is also quite popular... many shy young men and women looking to be entertained... or they just like looking..." "Oh! Wren should come with me to that!" Yuki nodded excitedly, turning to the young witch beside her who was smiling rather mischievously and nodding. Erevin glanced over to the two, picturing fire and tea and chaos in no time and shook his head, "And that's why you two aren't going together..." Yuki sighed, pleading with Erevin, "Oh come on! It's our skill set! It'll be fun! PLEASE!?" Posy looked over at Yuki, shaking her head, "Disrobing is not a skill set." Wren laughed and nudged her. Yuki shook her head, "No, no... that's... just Wren." Sahdia continued on, "The Drama Club is probably the next most popular of clubs, but classes are all pretty even since the students are required to invest a certain amount of hours in different classes."

Erevin nodded, "Well we'll go find out how to build a fence." Mali and Wren nodded beside him, giggling. Yuki sighed alongside the witch, "We would have ruled that Host Club..." Wren nodded, "It would have been fun, I'm sure." Erevin glanced over at Wren, "Come on, dragonblood, let's go." She nudged him, "Shh! Don't mention that here so loud!" Erevin glanced around the fairly quiet corner and raised an eyebrow at her before calling out, "DRAGON!!" and pointing at the witch. "Hey!" Wren nudged him, and called out, "Erevin's a PRINCE!!" Erevin called out again, still pointing, and now getting a few strange looks, "DRAGON!!" Wren yelled back at him, "He carries a sword that eats SOULS!" "Only my own..." Erevin shook his head at her more calmly. Yuki blinked back and forth at the two of them, "I don't think you two should be in the same group at all!" Wren and Erevin both laughed good naturedly and headed off with Mali to the Fencing Club as easily as if nothing had been said.

It was mid morning and students carried books and scrolls heading to classes... a few gathering together throughout the halls as obvious friends. Clangs of steel ahead echoed down the hall from the fencing class. A lumbering voice boomed from the classroom, "Too slow, young man. Get up off your ass." Erevin, Mali, and Wren gazed in from the doorway to see a humanoid bear of a man... 7 1/2 ft tall, strong muscled, and dressed in armor. Suda lifted the familiar young man Erevin had met the night prior, Edmund Wands, from the floor. Wands dusted himself off, nodding, "Sorry, sir, I can do better!" A dozen students were dueling around the grounds with different styles that were foreign even to Erevin. Mali smiled up enthusiastically at Suda, "Can I try?" "Of course," he nodded down to her, "What sort of blade do you use, ambling?" "I'm not an ambling!" the little halfling put her hands on her hips, offended. "Oh... I am sorry," the bear nodded to her, "I didn't know there were any non-ambling halflings..." He handed her a short sword and called up the young student to duel with her. Wands bowed formally and touched the blade to his forehead with Mali mirroring his moves, "Are you familiar with the Crane style?" "No..." "Well alright then, prepare for a strike," the student nodded and moved in to strike her with his sword. Mali quickly deflected his swing with her own sword, lacking his grace and style. Edmund nodded and corrected her hand-hold on the pommel, instructing her with care and patience about stances and rules... all a little strange to Mali who fought with survival instincts. Wren and Erevin scanned the students as Mali practiced... one of which seemed to be glancing often toward them. Wren leaned in to Erevin, laughing easily and gesturing toward Mali as she whispered about the student to the woodsman. Erevin nodded, recognizing him as the same one who had been dueling with Wands the night before. The student, perhaps thinking the elves were together... seemed to lose interest.

The sebu walked over to Erevin, "So what do you think, elf?" Erevin nodded to him, "I think your forms are pretty... and it's a nice sport... but I don't know how well it would hold up in a real combat." Wren blinked wide, surprised eyes at him for a moment before regaining her composure, though never moving from his side. "You do have a point," Suda nodded, "Much of this is about learning the basics and the forms... though most of it is useless in a real combat... though certainly there are more advanced classes for that sort of thing... this is about teaching the body how to move with the blade and the sport." Erevin nodded, "In that case, it is an admirable lesson." "It is a difficult time that we are in, so I'm doing 'my' best to try and train the students to defend themselves as best as i can," Suda nodded. "You are doing the best that you can with what they have given you," Erevin nodded, "This is beautiful... war is not." "No," Suda shook his head sadly, "War came to my people... I do not know what madness convinced them to join this "Thonak", but my people have always loved to fight... and perhaps it was a good fight that spurred them on. I have responsibilities here... otherwise I would journey home to try to find out what was going on... though I also worry that I would simply be caught up in the strange madness as well." "It seems that it's best for the world that you are here then," Erevin nodded, "If not in the defense of her... then in the rebuilding." "The world is ill prepared... only a few countries... Miramel is one that has seen similar and realizes what a threat this Thonak is," Suda nodded, "but many of the others... Atlantae, small but still... they could do more, but they wait and bide their time. Aoni is a small island to the south where mages only care about the business of magic. They care little for what happens to the main land. The Greater Glory is more interested in fighting each other than anything else. And many others simply don't realize how much the Thonak's forces have conquered." Erevin nodded, "I fear for your world, friend." "Hope lies in the hands of heroes," Suda nodded, "though it is dangerous to put your faith in murder hobos." Mali thanked the student sparring with her and grew him a little air plant. "My pleasure. You really know Miss Esme?" Mali nodded. "She knows a lot about the nature of monsters!" he handed her an earring of a glass bird, "Could you give this to Esme for me?" "Sure, sure!" Mali nodded, "Who should I say this is from?" "Edmund Wands... Eddy. She always treated me as a student of the school. My family name got me here," he nodded. Erevin nodded to him, "I'm sure until the very end your family will stand shoulder to shoulder with kings." "Oh, I don't know about that... but I sure hope so!" Wands nodded back to him. An hour or two had passed in the fencing class with a lot of raw talent... and the student who had been watching us made an excuse to leave... Erevin, Wren, and Mali followed him out, leaving just a little after.

Posy, Thorn, and Yuki head off to the Host Club. Yuki stopped in front of the mirror in the hall, looking herself over. "Really, Yuki? We don't have time... you look fine!" Thorn tried to move her along. "What? No, wait! It'll just take a second!" She nudged the halfling back to see in the mirror, whipping a stunning dress around her with her ribbon, "There! Now I'm ready." She fluffed her hair a bit with her fingers and nodded. Thorn and Posy walked with her down the hall, "Have fun... but remember when we say we have to go... we have to go... right away!" Yuki nodded, barely hearing them, "Mmm? Sure, okay!" The hall had flower gardens leading them to one of the doors... as Yuki stepped into the door, an elegant shadow of a man swooped around her, sweeping her off of her feet, and dipping her back. Yuki gasped out in surprise before melting slightly into the strong arms around her. He was dashing, wearing a half mask, and holding a rose in his hand. Yuki blinked up at him, a little stunned, "Um, hi?" "Good morning, fair beauty. Certainly you can not possibly need the services of the Host Club... you are far too beautiful," he smiled down at her charmingly, still holding her in his arms. "Really?" Yuki relaxed a little into his arms, "Tell me more." Thorn nudged her "Perhaps we could go the rest of the way in? ... where we can observe?" Yuki stayed comfortably supported in the masked man's arms, shaking her head, "I'm observing just fine right here, thanks..." The mysterious charmer smiled at her, "Would you do me the honor of telling me this beautiful creature's name?" The young priestess melted a little more, "Yuki?" "Mmm Yuki... I shall remember that name forever," he nodded to her, "It will be the first word that will cross my lips each morning." Yuki blinked up at him, "I have someone I'm going to need you to talk to... how do you feel about magic ships?" He stood her upright, his cape whirling around her, "Wont you please come inside?" "Finally!" Posy muttered as she and Thorn followed them into the room. "Oh, right... I have friends," Yuki nodded, as he swept her into the room. He wove the flower in his hand appropriately into Yuki's hair as she thought out to the witch, "Wren! Are you seeing this?!" Wren giggled next to Erevin, listening to Yuki chatter on about the handsome and charming student, thinking back to her "He sounds very dreamy." Thorn nodded to Posy, "There's going to be a lot of looking around here while Yuki is out whoring." "Hey! My virtue is intact still!" Yuki broke into his thoughts. Music played in the room... several male students were talking among themselves. Each was dressed and wearing a persona that would appeal to young girls... the brooding dark boy reading a book of poetry in the corner... the mysterious and suave young man on her arm... the younger and shy boy... the brash bad boy... etc. Yuki glanced back at the gnome, whispering, "Posy, what's your type?" The young barbarian glanced back at her without a moment of hesitation, answering matter-of-factly, "On the boat."

Yuki looked each of the students over, mentally critiquing their approach and outfits to offer helpful suggestions later. The older students performed with experience, treating Yuki as the most special woman in the room. The young priestess gently tried to turn the tables... while they had all been trained to let her do most of the talking, she encouraged them to talk to her... to open up about themselves. A pair of young twin boys and a couple of the younger students fell for her lines, but the masked student was on to her game and continued to turn the conversation back to Yuki... how lovely and graceful she was. Thorn watched the students, observing that the brooding dark boy was a little too brooding, staying to himself and not engaging as much as he should with Yuki, despite her charm and beauty. Thorn thought to the priestess to turn her attention to that student. She tried to engage more personally with the brooding student, and he seemed far away, telling her about how the world was dark and full of pain... she thought to herself how she knew someone else who played that role much better, but made one more push to try again... saying the wrong thing as the brooding student snapped shut his poetry book and stood up, "It has been a pleasure talking with you, Miss Yuki... but I'm afraid I must get to class... alas." He turned and walked out the door. "We need to go," Thorn thought to Yuki as he and Posy headed to follow. "Will I ever see you again?" the masked student embraced her warmly... the two of them practically lit up in a sparkling spot light. "Yuki! Drop him like a rock... we have to go!" Thorn and Posy thought to her as they practically drug her out of the room. "But... but... we weren't finished! We were just getting to the climax!" Yuki glanced back as Posy pulled her out into the hall... Thorn already moving to shadow after the brooding student. The three of them hurried after the student who moved quickly with clear knowledge of the school's layout. Thorn stopped suddenly, picking up a sign that had been knocked down... it read "Danger! Quicksand!" He spun around, holding a hand up quickly, "Stop!" ...but it was too late. Posy's strides were full of purpose, but Yuki's steps sank into the quicksand. Posy grabbed the sign from Thorn, trying to reach out to Yuki who was fretting as she sank quickly, wet sand clinging to her diaphonous gown... (She has sand in her Foo-Foo! LOL!!) Posy and Thorn managed to pull her out, but the brooding student was nowhere to be seen...

The lunch bell chimed throughout the school and students walked swiftly through the halls...