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Post by Johnathan on Feb 1, 2013 23:33:02 GMT -5
Shortly after sunset, a lone figure shrouded in a black cloak briefly flashed into view as he soared through the wards that surrounded the city of Savale. Continuing the arc from his impressive jump, the figure twisted through the air to land on top of a tall skyscraper. If any could see the figure's entrance to the city, they would have expected an equally as graceful landing on the top of said building. This was not the case. As the figure's feet touched down on the rooftop surface, he immediately stumbled, collapsing to the ground and clutching at his side in apparent pain.
For a short time, he laid there, the only movement visible being the hasty rise and fall of his chest and shoulders as he struggled to catch his breath. After two minutes of rest, the figure had regained the will to continue on and struggled shakily back to his feet.
This process repeated itself several times; the figure made the graceful leap from one rooftop, only to collapse immediately on impact with the next. Reaching the center most skyscraper of the city; the one closest to the academy's outermost borders, the figure collapsed again, this time falling into a violent coughing fit.
Erebus's hood feel back from the violent spasms as a large spurt of blood burst from his mouth. Shakily pushing himself upright, he messily smeared the blood from his mouth and dragged himself to the edge of the roof facing the academy. Erebus appraised the distance with one eye, the lights from the windows of the schools various buildings blurring together as his vision failed him.
"Can I make the headmaster's building from here?" He highly doubted it, but he couldn't afford to pass out on that rooftop. Gathering the remainder of his strength, he pushed himself up on the ledge of the roof and jumped.
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A group of senior girls was making there way back from a night in the city. They had been drinking in one of the popular bars closest to the academy. After a night of partying and flirting with guys, they were tired, and the world had taken on a warm and blurry filter. Passing through the courtyard gate, they hadn't traveled more than twenty feet when a bright pulse of energy echoed out along in a dome above them, as something slammed through the academy's wards. Turning to inspect the source of such a disturbance, they caught a glimpse of a figure cloaked in black tumble from the courtyard wall into the grass below. Suddenly, alert, they warily backed away and around the nearby hedge to attempt to catch a glimpse of whatever had just come over the wall. They gasped in surprise as the figure stood abruptly, only to fall back against the wall, doubled over in a violent fit of coughing. As a dark and thick substance spurted from beneath the figure's hood, one of the girls shakily called out to him.
"H-h-hey! Are y-you okay?" When he finished coughing, Erebus raised his hooded head to see who had called out to him. This was bad. He was loosing consciousness. He hadn't even sensed there was anyone near by. Standing up, only to fall back into the wall again, he gasped in pain as his back made contact with the hard stone. He began to slide off as his vision blackened.
"Master.....Eleazar...." Sliding off the wall into a heap on the ground, Erebus left a bloody streak on the tan stone where he had been leaning. Two of the girls screamed and began to cry hysterically at the sight of blood. The one who had called out; the most sensible of the group, turned and ran immediately, seeking out the first teacher she could find.
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Post by Rikka on Feb 2, 2013 0:12:42 GMT -5
Black hair with neon streaks peered around a tree where a girl.....boy? had been typing away on a computer. The light illuminated the persons black shirt and glinted gently off the chains hanging from her cargo pants. Seeing the girls panicking over something she about ignored it but the sensible part of her nature made her put the laptop away and stand up in her combat boots. Making her way over she noted the smell of blood and the cloaked figure against the wall. Curious now as a sort of blood-lust jumped at the back of her mind she scowled. It was not the time for her alter to be waking up.
Oooooooo......Did something happen? Who's that? May I play with it if its not broken tooooooo bad? Alex rubbed her head as Bridgit piped up. The girls crying weren't helping. Turning to glare at them she spoke up in a rather harsh tone. "Get the fuck out of the courtyard. Your getting to be annoying if all you can do it cry and scream like babies." Turning back to the cloaked figure she padded over to identify who it was. Crouching down she pushed back the hood gently and blinked as she recognized Erebus. Bridgit jumped as she noted her non-runaway friend had been injured before retreating to let Alex handle it. Though she was already plotting the downfall of whoever had hurt him. Alex glared as she whipped out her lap top and started typing with her right hand and went fishing into her pockets with her left hand. Pulling out three little cubes she flipped one up into the air right before it transformed into hovering stretcher. All she had to to was reconfigure some of her coding. Tossing the other two she resorted to vocal commands as she ordered the now two androids to help her lift him onto the stretcher quickly and gently. Noting he was losing blood she set about to getting bandages on the wounds to hold him up until she could get him to Chrystalines.
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As the girl raced to find a teacher Mekura, a blond haired pale blue eyed teacher left the gym. Her clothes consisted of a lavender shirt and a jeans that flared at the bottom. Walking toward the entrance to the courtyard she heard the patter of shoes as the young girl reached the doors just as she did. Opening the doors she caught the girl gently and spoke up even as she heard the other girls crying and Alex telling them to get lost in a not so nice manner. "Do you need some help?" Noting her panicked manner she heard a gasp from Alex and started toward them as her hand slid through the air as she opened up wave lengths. Seeing Alex trying to get Erebus in a stable condition she spoke again to the girl. "Tell me what happened. Quickly" She didn't break stride as she appeared next to Alex and began running her fingers across Erebus's neck checking for pulse while Alex finished the last of the bandaging and was typing away at her laptop before they all started moving quickly toward Chrystaline's office.
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Post by Johnathan on Feb 2, 2013 0:28:54 GMT -5
"I-I don't know. There was a flash from above when he came through the wards, and then he just fell off the wall. He tried to stand up but started coughing up blood. I think he called for the headmaster." As Mekura and Alex took control of the situation, the girls backed off to watch from the edge of the courtyard.
Erebus's pulse was relatively strong, but his breathing became more and more labored as fluid slowly filled his lungs. At first glance, his entire left side appeared to have been hastily cauterized to stop the bleeding of some dangerous wound. His left leg was broken clean through in several places, and his left arm was strangely discolored. It was obvious he had directly taken a massive attack to his left side. Across his back were claw like gashes that sizzled with a malevolent energy that appeared to prevent them from clotting properly, and he was covered from head to toe with various nasty bruises that hinted at internal bleeding.
Erebus's trademark chains were notably not present.
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Post by Rikka on Feb 2, 2013 0:48:37 GMT -5
Mekura nodded her head and examine Erebus more thoroughly. "Alright. Get back to the dorms and tell no one what happened here. If I hear one word I will have you all seeing me for detention. Alex Get this thing moving as fast as it can I will get his leg set and the other wounds as stabilized as I can." Mekura noted the chains were gone and her eyes narrowed as if she could see. Hearing the fluid enter his lungs she ran along with the stretcher as Alex stood back and sped it up as she created the route from her computer. She knew she wasn't as fast as Mekura. Mekura on the other hand was thanking that he was passed out as she set his leg and next his arm.
As they arrived at Chrystaline's office she threw the door open and moved about as she changed bandages and realized his back was sizzling. "Chrystaline! Tell me where you need me. His lungs are filling with fluid probably blood his left leg his broken in several places, I think his arm is too. Also I have just realized he has gashes on his back which as sizzling. Obviously he is bleeding internally, also a cauterized wound on his left side seemed to be him trying to staunch heavy bleeding. I set the leg so it can be healed properly already." Mekura seemed to speak up in one breath as she quickly rattled off his condition to Chrystaline the resident healer.
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Post by Johnathan on Feb 2, 2013 1:39:17 GMT -5
Chyrstaline looked up from her paperwork as she heard someone hastily approaching.
"I wonder who it could be this late at night?" Looking back down at the papers on her desk, she jumped in surprise as Mekura threw the door open violently. Spinning around quickly, her eyes settled on Erebus with shock, as Mekura began telling her the situation. Wasting no time, Chrystaline literally flew from her chair as with a golden flash the room surged full of her powerful life giving energy. Landing at his side, some of the lighter bruising had already begun to recede from the presence of her magic alone. She pointed to a corner of the room as two large arcane circles appeared; one on the floor below him and the other on the ceiling above.
"Second drawer from the bottom, vacuum sealed bags with tubes. Bring one here." Chrystaline snapped her fingers and Erebus's clothing and the hasty bandaging that Alex had done dissolved in seconds. Chrystaline did her best to maintain her composure as she appraised his condition, a detailed description of his body appearing in shining golden letters within the magic field.
Heavy bruising covering the entire body. Signs of various wounds over a period of time that were healed in an unknown fashion. Likely by some facet of his power. Due to absence of chains, I'm forced to assume that he's exhausted his power. Likely forced to divert what energy remained to combat instead of healing. Sustained massive damage to his left side by an unknown force. Large wound from piercing or tearing source. Likely cauterized by dark magic, due to it's tendency to resist life-force.
Chrystaline took the tubing from Mekura and with a practiced movement, carefully slid it down Erebus's trachea and into his lungs. She let go of the plastic contraption and allowed it to lock itself into the magic field. It began pumping, pulling the blood from his lungs and forcing oxygen into them. A magic seal appeared just above the skin on Erebus's left side, and began sifting off the dark energy that surrounded the wound.
Left leg is broken in nine places.
Chrystaline paled.
"Did he return to the city on foot?" Pushing the thought out of her mind, she continued.
Left arm radiating an energy of unknown origin. Likely sacrificed to shield an attack of some sort. Erebus's arm became enveloped in a tubular magic seal as it began to work on repairing the cellular structure. Gashes on the back, caused by weapon or creature of unknown origin. Healing the wound is being interfered with by energy of unknown origin. Similar in composition to that which is infecting left arm.
Several additional seals appeared over Erebus's backs and began to pull the malevolent energy away from his body. In response, his back arched and he unconsciously responded as if he was in terrible pain. Chrystaline placed her hand on his chest and began to force her healing energy directly into his body, using her energy to numb the nerves that carried the sense of pain. Chrystaline turned back to Mekura.
"In the large refrigerator there are bags of blood. Can you please grab me four of them, and place them in the magic circle. After, I think you should go get the headmaster. I've already called Alvion and told him to sweep the city. It makes me worried that something could injure him this badly. Better safe than sorry."
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Post by Rikka on Feb 2, 2013 1:50:02 GMT -5
Mekura rushed to the assigned drawer and quickly grabbed the sealed bag with tubes. Bringing it back she handed it over to Chrystaline and waited out of the way as she felt the magic surge in the room. Waiting Mekura blinked and recited what the girl had told her about him falling off the wall around the school. Given another order Mekura quickly grabbed four bags of blood that she had indicated and placed them in the magic field before nodding. It was clear she was of no use here. Disappearing in the blink of an eye she appeared outside the headmasters door and gave it a swift knock before waiting just a bit impatiently. Entering like she had in Chrystalines office was bound to set him up in laughter or some sort of amusement. Shaking her head she gave the door another swift knock hoping he would answer the door soon.
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Post by Johnathan on Feb 2, 2013 2:04:11 GMT -5
There was a loud crash from within the Master's office, and a distinct sound of an Elephant trumpet, followed by a series of loud curses.
"Wait just a moment! I'll be right- Oh blast it! Stop moving you belligerent mammal!" There was an additional short ruckus followed by a distinct magical pop. Shortly after, the Headmaster's voice could be heard again. "Alright, it's clear now. Please come in."
The headmaster was sitting on his desk pretending that nothing had happened.
"What can I do for you this evening Mekura? Come to take me up on my..." The Headmaster paused and wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "Offer?"
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Post by Rikka on Feb 2, 2013 2:19:18 GMT -5
Mekura shook her head as several noises emerged from behind the door. One such sound belonged to an elephant. When had he gotten the elephant? Hearing the magical pop she rubbed her temple. As she was given the okay she opened the door and walked in all while he was pretending nothing had happened. As he piped up the corner of her mouth curved slightly before straightening again. "As much as I know you would love to lose your virginity headmaster, I must once again decline. As for right now you are needed in the medical bay where Erebus is lying unconscious with several serious wounds that Chrystaline is attending to. He also called for you apparently before he passed out as I was informed of by a senior who happened to witness him in his state."
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Post by Johnathan on Feb 3, 2013 3:26:23 GMT -5
"Oh my." The master replied, his features turning grave as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That is very serious news indeed." Raising his hand, a magic seal appeared on the floor beneath them. "Let's see if I can be of assistance. I'll be damned if I let him die before teasing him for calling my name." In a flash of magic, the two vanished, reappearing in front of the medical bay, where Alvion and Benjamin had the door flanked from both sides. Alvion eyed the master suspiciously.
"Don't you think it's about time you gave us an explanation, Master." Alvion's voice was accusatory. He didn't like all of the secrets the Master kept from them. Eleazar responded with an indifferent shrug.
"It's not my place to explain." The Master shot Alvion a very serious glare, signaling that this was not up for debate. "You'll simply have to wait for him to wake up." Ignoring Alvion's huff, the Master continued forward and stepped through the door, the others following and shutting the door behind themselves.
The scene inside the room had changed somewhat. The stretcher was gone, and Erebus was instead floating motionlessly within the magic field. Three of the bags of blood were empty, and the fourth was currently dispensing its contents into the field. Several seals encompassed Erebus's head, meant to keep him sedate and unconscious. Meanwhile Chrystaline herself seemed to be under a great deal of stress, as she weaved multiple extremely powerful spells from behind the boy. Benjamin whistled incredulously after seeing his condition.
"Poor kid. It's hard to imagine him getting hurt this bad after that run around he gave us last week. Musta been some crazy powerful enemy." The Master circled around behind Chrystaline to inspect Erebus's back and arm. His face was a shade of grim no one had seen before.
"Rather than one extremely powerful opponent, it was probably closer to untold numbers of exceptionally dangerous creatures. In addition, I wouldn't be surprised if the lad was fighting the entire time he was gone." Alvion's mouth went agape.
"You can't be serious Master. A week of fighting with neither sleep nor food?"
"Oh I'm afraid so. I imagine his energy sustained him for the majority of the time, but I shudder to think of the hell he endured when he reached his limit. Chrystaline, you're not approaching this energy correctly. It isn't dark magic. It is corruption." Chrystaline shot the Master a glance as though she hadn't heard him correctly, before taking his word and shifting her magic. Every seal altered at once and the effect was apparent immediately. The malevolent energy that was coursing through his left arm and back began to recede immediately, allowing her healing energy to begin to repair his cells. Alvion's eyes narrowed.
"Corruption? Master, was he fighting beyond the wall?" The Master crossed his arms with a huff.
"I said you'd have to wait for him to wake up didn't I? Although, I suppose I do owe you this much. Your deduction is correct. Whatever the boy was fighting, there were a lot of them, they were powerful, and they originated beyond the wall."
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Post by Rikka on Feb 4, 2013 0:14:25 GMT -5
Mekura blinked as she realized she still had Alex's wavelength on her computer open and quickly shut it. Not before noting that Bridgit was now out and heading toward the medical bay. She must be worried about her new friend being injured, which was interesting to say the least. She must have taken a liking to the boy. As she vanished with the headmaster she only had to blink as she felt the area around her with her sound waves. They were back at the medical bay and both Alvion and Benjamin were guarding the door. Keeping silent she followed the headmaster inside before finding a spot out of the way of Chrystaline who seemed to be getting somewhere. Letting out a silent sigh she seemed to follow the headmaster with her eyes as she listened to the exchange between them all.
Bridgit who had set her heels aside was sneaking up to the medical bay door. Silently she slide up beside the door and pressed her ear up against it as she attempted to hear what was going on inside. She wanted to know if Erebus was okay. Of course she ended up getting an earful of what he had been doing for the past week. Corruption? Alex seemed to get quiet at the back of their mind as she sifted through the information she was getting from Bridgit eaves dropping. Bridgit chewed on the bottom of her lip as she lost her normal childish happiness. Neither of them liked the idea that their friend had gotten seriously injured by these enemies with corruption. Plus he was a rare friend who had accepted both Bridgit and herself with out the complications.
Mekura shifted slightly as she heard Bridgit listening silently from the other side of the medical bay door. As Alvion seemed to be surprised as Erebus's ability to continue a week of fighting with out food or water she rolled her eyes. Most assassins were trained how to do so though Mekura never liked the skill even though it had been a very valuable skill. Listening to the steady heartbeat of Erebus she felt upset that he had to do that much fighting. He was a child who should be with his friends and learning his much needed social skills. She kind of wanted to kick the headmaster but refrained from doing so as it was childish. Hearing Alvion's deduction of him fighting beyond the wall she waited hoping Erebus would wake up all healthy again.
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Post by Johnathan on Feb 10, 2013 22:36:15 GMT -5
For a short time, the only sound to be heard was the faint hum of magic as Chrystaline’s seals did their work. After the changes to them, the healing was progressing more quickly but it was still agonizingly slow. Each second was accentuated by the quiet tick of the room’s clock, and by the unhealthy weaze the boy emitted as the tubes attempted to clear his lungs of fluid.
The Master left Chrystaline to her work on the boy’s back and arm, and walked around to his front. Extending a single finger to touch the boys midsection, a seal more complex than anything Chrystaline had made appeared. With Chrystaline’s attention focused on the more dangerous energy the boy was infected with, the Master worked on repairing the trauma damage his internal organs had sustained.
As Alvion stood by being effectively useless, he huffed in irritation and stormed over to the door, throwing it open to glare down on Bridgit.
“It’s impolite to eavesdrop on the conversations of others.” His voice was cold, and his eyes furious, but it was not her he was angry with. Reigning in his temper, he sighed and massaged one of his temples. Eyes softening slightly, he leaned his shoulder against the door frame and turned slightly, leaving a space for her to enter. “Swear to me you’ll behave and I’ll let you stand next to me for awhile.”
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Bridgit crouched outside listening her whole body starting to shake as she feared the worst. She didn't want her new friend to die. She hadn't had a chance to play with him yet. And Briar wouldn't even know what had happened! When the door opened she jumped back surprised then the color seemed to drain from Bridgit's face as she realized just who was at the door. Alvion. She getting ready to take off she stopped when his eyes seemed to soften a bit. Watching him warily like a child about to get scolded she debated back and forth with Alex on whether they should run or not. Then he asked her to come in with a condition. Let me out that way you won't be tempted to do anything and we both get to make sure he is okay. Bridgit furrowed her brow as she decided she would be good! She would! "I can be good. You don't need to come out......maybe."
Looking at Alvion again she glanced past him and saw Erebus all bruised up and from experience with torturing others Bridgit already identified that he had internal bleeding and obviously from the tube protruding from his mouth he had blood filling lungs. For some odd reason she felt like crying like a baby ‘cause her friend had been hurt. The only one she really cried for was Briar. Receding she let Alex out who instantly gave the ring a twist and was dressed in her normal attire black neon hair down to her combat boots. Stepping in Alex looked over Erebus glad that he looked much better than he had earlier. Moving to a wall she leaned back against it and waited though she eyed Alvion slightly. Neither had really gotten over the punishment they had received from him and had made it an objective to avoid him when necessary. Of course Bridgit had blown up his physics classroom......
Mekura heard Alvion let Bridgit in who apparently decided to let Alex out. Arching a brow she decided Bridgit must have really taken a liking to the boy. What had Erebus done that had earned Bridgit's trust. Maybe she would talk to Bridgit later. Returning her attention back to Erebus she waited patiently.
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Nodding to himself, Alvion took the shift in personality to be an agreement to his condition. Shutting the door behind her, Alvion followed along and made a point of leaning on the wall next to her, uncomfortably close.
The minutes ticked by and Chrystaline finished removing the malevolent energy. Due to the potent concentration of her healing magic, the open wounds sealed themselves immediately. She reigned in her magic in response, not wanting to cause damage or instability to his cellular structure by flooding it with magic. The Master released his own magic, allowing Chrystaline to step in for him. The scabbing and bruises had all receded to a point only to stop at Chrystaline’s discretion. It was never good to overheal a patient. Forcing the process with magic was fine for emergencies, however nothing was better for the body than being allowed to heal naturally.
Chrystaline stepped around to the boy’s front, placing her hands on his midsection and exerting her magic. With the external wounds closed and the risk of infection much lower, her main priority now was his internal organs. Focused on her task, she failed to notice as the light in the room grew darker.
Alvion shifted uncomfortably, while Benjamin’s hand went to the hilt of his sword. The master closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
“Chrystaline,” Engrossed in her work, she didn’t hear him. “Chrystaline do not forget the magic to keep him sedated.” Huffing impatiently, Chrystaline threw the Master a glance. “It’s under control Master. I’ve healed enough patients to know when-” She was cut off as a hand closed around her throat, lifting her from the floor.
The magic surrounding Erebus shattered with a force strong enough to break all glass in the room, including the lights. There was a scuffling sound as the teachers all moved at once, followed by a distinctive snap from the headmaster. At the command of his magic, the glass repaired itself and the lights returned revealing an interesting scene.
Suddenly regaining his senses in an unfamiliar place and recognizing the effects of sedation magic, Erebus reacted offensively. The teachers who had moved at once, restrained him together, while distinct spirals of dark energy protruded from their shadows, threatening to impale them. Chrystaline clutched at the boys arm, unable to breathe in his grip. The tube that had been running to his lungs had evaporated at the surge of his dark powers. The headmaster chuckled in bemusement at the scene.
“Now, now Erebus, it’s time to wake up. Look around and realize where you are.” There was a short pause as the focus returned to his eyes. They settled on Chrystaline’s features and in realization, he released her immediately. The next moment, he fell into another violent coughing fit and the dangerous shadows dissolved in the light. The Master summoned a typical hospital bed and set it in it’s place in the room. In response the teacher’s lowered him onto it, cautiously releasing their hold on him, while Chrystaline attempted to regain her breath.
Breathing heavily, Erebus clutched at his chest and stomach in obvious pain, as he attempted to remain still. Still coughing, Chrystaline stood and rushed to his side, immediately resuming where she had left off. As soon as she could speak she did so.
“I’m sorry Erebus, it was careless of me to allow you to regain consciousness like that. Please try to relax as I repair the damage to your organs.” Erebus managed to nod in response as his eyes became somewhat distant once again.
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Alex shifted ever so slightly toward Mekura since she was a safer bet than Alvion. Eyeing the discipline teacher warily she inched herself slightly closer before she realized that the room was starting to darken. Blinking she looked toward Erebus and stood just slightly straighter. Reaching for the small of her back she unhooked her daggers and waited. It was never really a good idea to let a powerful person regain consciousness in an unfamiliar place. Bridgit surged forward slightly to see what was going on through Alex's eyes. Seeing as he was alright enough to use his affinities Bridgit settled into the back of their mind definitely happier now.
Mekura let a couple of daggers slide into her own hands but stayed back knowing it was never ever a good idea to be near an assassin when they wake up. Many had a tendency to wake up rather violently, especially if they had been fighting like Erebus had. Mekura felt the light go out and heard the teachers rush forward. Bad Idea. Staying where she was she waited until the light had returned before opening a wavelength to Chrystaline's room to find the scene rather amusing. Hearing the headmaster chuckle she decided to keep silent. No need to state the obvious. As Erebus regained focus and dropped Chrystaline, Mekura slid her daggers back into their sheaths and secured them. Hearing Alex do the same she focused on Erebus who was in pain.
Alex looked at Alvion as they lifted Erebus and placed him on the hospital bed the headmaster had summoned. Sliding right up next to Mekura she decided that if Alvion tried to lean against the wall near her she could put Mekura between them. Bridgit on the other hand wanted to get closer to Erebus and hold him like she might Briar when she got hurt. Alex promptly threw a wrench into that plan by pointing out he would probably pick them up by their shadow and promptly put them back against the wall. So instead of allowing Bridgit out she opted to let Bridgit have a bit of control to placate her. It ended with their right eye being a dark green and the left a light green, which signaled that they were both out keeping a careful eye on Erebus.
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Erebus cringed and fidgeted anxiously, but it appeared to be caused more by impatience than pain. After a few additional minutes of healing had passed, without waiting for any form of okay from Chrystaline, Erebus sat up abruptly and immediately began to inspect his leg. Chrystaline took a step back in surprise at his sudden movement. He rubbed and prodded the limb experimentally.
“How long until it heals?” Chrystaline blinked in surprise.
“I’m sorry?”
“My leg. How long until it heals?” Blinking again, Chrystaline shook her head.
“It varies from person to person. It would take several months for the bone of a normal person to heal. With your abilities it could be closer to-” Chrystaline trailed off as a profound sense of dread flooded the room. A black flame flickered into existence around Erebus’s hands and spread down along his leg. He hissed sharply at the contact. After a moment, the flames receded and Erebus turned to Chrystaline expectantly.
“And now?” He questioned, his haste obvious from his tone.
“Uh-um.” Unsure how to respond in the current situation, Chrystaline extended a finger, a magic seal appearing at the tip, and ran it over the top of Erebus’s leg. Chrystaline’s eyes grew wide. “The fractures are gone.” she stated blankly. Erebus nodded to himself in satisfaction and swung his legs down over the side of the bed. Gesturing to the wall, one of the medical gowns that was hanging there was flung towards him. Catching it, he wrapped it around himself and tied the belt off around his waist.
“Void fire has the ability to ‘burn’ away even conceptual things like damage, fracture, and time, although it would probably be dangerous to use it on anyone else.” Slowly pushing himself from the bed, he placed his weight onto the leg experimentally. He winced slightly but managed to rise to his feet. Benjamin stepped forward, holding up a hand.
“Now wait a moment Erebus, there’s no need to rush. You were in critical condition when you arrived here. You need to rest and let your body heal.” Erebus regarded Benjamin for a moment before ignoring him and turning to the headmaster.
“The Corrupted cited in the report you gave to me last week were part of a ten unit scouting cell. They must have been investigating the fluctuation in the wall caused by that student. When I engaged them, they fled immediately. I gave chase.” Eleazar opened his eyes and settled his gaze on the boy, nodding for him to continue. “They ran into the mountains, taking divergent paths but still headed clearly in the same direction. The chase took me around several of the mountains and into a large valley. They led me right into their trap.” A disgusted look crossed Erebus’s face as he looked to the ground, remembering what had happened.
“I was forced to release my chains immediately; their numbers simply overwhelming.” Raising his head he met eyes with the Master, whose expression had remained the same. “After the third day I stopped counting the number I killed. It was nearly five hundred thousand at that point.” Erebus paused as he and the Master continued to stare each other down. “They’re starting to gather again, and that pitiful excuse you call a guard will not be able to do a thing against their horde if they find a weak point in the wall and exploit it.” Erebus extended his left arm and from the shadows in his sleeve, his katana came forth. He caught it, and held it tightly as he attempted to walk straight for the door. He didn’t make it three steps before his balance faltered and he fell towards Alex and Bridgit.
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Mekura watched him as he started to get agitated. Biting back a smile Mekura watched im through the computer in Chrystalines office. It was rather interesting seeing him able to surprise their head healer. Noting him quickly healing his leg it was her turn to chuckle with amusement. Chrystaline should have known what was coming when he had started to question the healing process. Standing straighter she shifted slightly encase she needed to catch the boy. He had just healed his leg and used up more of his energy. He was gonna end up overdoing since he had been in critical condition only an hour before.
Alex and Bridgit watched him and ended up smirking as he surprised Alvion’s wife. Upon realizing he had no clothes on though they averted their eyes to give him what little privacy he still had. When he started giving a report they looked back at him. Alex stored the information away while Bridgit wanted to have a battle against Erebus now. Though she would wait till he was all better. She didn't wanna break her friend. He looked so very tired. When he finished he looked like he was gonna go fight more of those things he had been talking about. Though his balance faltered and he quickly started falling toward them. They surged forward as Alex shifted the space before them and in seconds had her right arm wrapped around his waist and his right arm around their shoulders. Bridgit spoke up quickly against his actions. "You shouldn't be walking so soon!Resting is required for you to get better. Unless you feel like passing out in the hallway with your bare bottom flashing the world." It seemed both girls were working together for Alex had started speaking the moment Bridgit had finished. "Do not make us knock you out!" Both girls were very adamant about him getting better apparently.
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Erebus attempted to push himself off of the girls, but realized rather quickly that he couldn’t stand on his own. Sighing with frustration, he considered his next move. Sensing his concern, the Master finally responded to him.
“Calm your mind and rest Erebus. Until you are well again and gracing us with your generous service, I will divert the majority of my attention to watching the wall. In the case of an emergency, anyone of us here in this room right now could be at the wall in a moments notice. To be perfectly frank with you, you should have respected your own limits. I’m sure you know better than anyone when the proper time to retreat is. The fact that you stayed fighting until you were on the verge of collapse says that you were careless.” The shadows in the room writhed as Erebus’s temper flared, but calmed soon after. Sighing to himself Erebus swallowed his pride, turning to Bridgit and Alex for assistance.
“I ask that you please help me back into bed. I’m afraid I can not walk on my own.”
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They simply held onto him until he quit struggling. They both agreed then and there he should be more closely watched so he never ended up this state again. Alex swiftly laid out plans to train a bit harder while Bridgit slowly turned Erebus around so he could see the headmaster talking to him. Waiting for him to come to grips with his weakened state the girls kept him standing. Alex didn't even twitch as Erebus's temper flared. When he sucked up his pride and asked them to escort him back to the bed Bridgit and Alex both gave him a soft smile hidden to most of the teachers around them. "Of course we will." Alex contorted the space around them making the bed closer and taking a step forward so one moment they were near the door the next they were at the bedside. They helped him into bed and covered him up with the blankets.
Mekura clapped her hands together once to get everyones attention. Shutting the wavelength off she placed her hands on her hips. "Well I believe its been one hell of a night. Alex, Bridgit How bout you run to the cafeteria to get Erebus something to eat. Probably a soup and water. Alvion probably should be checking for students sneaking out since it is a school night. Eleazar you need to do something about the elephant you are currently keeping, Chrystaline could probably use a good rest after all her efforts. As for Ben....You should be preparing for your class tomorrow....or tricking poor Blair into taking over again." Mekura figured Erebus would like a more silent environment without all the eyes on him. She knew she would. Bridgit and Alex slid out the door and headed for the kitchen to see if they could get some soup or at least something light on the stomach for Erebus.
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As Erebus did his best to pretend to be settled into bed, Alvion huffed once and then vanished without a word. Master Eleazar smiled devilishly.
“Now Mekura, I haven’t the faintest clue what you’re talking about. I’m not sure what made you think I have an elephant, but you may want to get your hearing checked.” Covering his mouth, the Master laughed to himself. Turning away he muttered so that only she could hear. “It would be a shame if you were to lose anything else! Ufu-ufu-ufu.” Vanishing in a magic seal, his laughter lingered a moment longer than his image. Chrystaline sighed in relief at the mention of rest and mouthed a thank you to Mekura.
“If you need anything Erebus, just say my name. I’ll be here in a flash.” Tired, Chrystaline opted to actually use the door. Benjamin chuckled to himself as he walked slowly past the gym teacher.
“I thought you might like to know Mekura, that all of my students speak so highly of you. They even had the audacity to claim that you could teach history better than I could. Of course, I laughed off such an implausible idea, but I thought you might like to know, just incase you hear any students talking about it. That way you can set the record straight yourself.” Uncorking his jug and taking a massive swig from it, Benjamin proceeded to walk out the door, and laugh himself all the way down the hall.
As the teachers left, Erebus remained completely motionless, waiting for Mekura to do the same. Finally getting tired of waiting, with a sigh and the last of his strength, he sunk through the shadows of his bed, reappearing a short distance away in the shadows of a corner of the room. He sat with his back against the wall, and his left shoulder against the perpendicular one. He settled his katana between his legs, resting it against his left shoulder, left hand never leaving the scabbard.
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Mekura waited as everyone complied. "I believe my hearing is just fine." Though a light smiled jumped to her lips. Hearing the sigh of relief from Chrystaline she smiled gave a small wave as she left. Rolling her eyes as Benjamin started she looked over in his direction. "Well I guess you better set them straight! Your silly students will end up feeling aggravated and cheated if I were to teach your class." Mekura had only made the mistake to get cornered into teaching his class a few times before she made sure not to again. She would rather have an active role in her teachings, rather than being cooped up in a classroom, so Gym and stealth were the best options for her.
As all the others left she wondered what she was gonna do now. She was much more awake then she had planned to be at the moment. Emergencies tended to do that to her. When Erebus moved from the bed to a corner she walked over to the bed and folded the blanket at the bottom of the bed to that all he had to do was pull it up to seem as if he had never left the bed. Speaking up as she did so. "Remember that Alex and Bridgit should be back shortly with some food for you. Try to be in the bed so Bridgit doesn't take it upon herself to watch you all night long. You seemed to have earned her respect though I'm not quite sure how you did it. Oh well." Finished to the blanket she moved to the door as she heard the girls arguing about what soup he would eat. "Hope you like Chicken noodle soup or Potato soup. The girls can't seemed to decide. Sleep well Erebus." With that she headed to the gym. Maybe a little work out would help tire her body out.
Alex and Bridgit argued down the hall about what soup he would like more. On the tray they were holding was a thing of crackers, two bowls of soup, one chicken noodle the other patato soup, and a glass of water. Walking in they both grew quiet as they noted the bed was empty. Looking around they spotted him in the corner. "You supposed to be in bed! Bridgit its fine. He probably doesn't like beds." Bridgit pouted for a second before sighing cause her combat half of the brain showed her the logic of his position against the wall. Walking over to him they sat the tray in front of him before asking, "Anything else you would like to eat? Or would you rather us disappear like the teachers seemed to have done?"
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Erebus remained silent as Mekura addressed him. However, when she was about to leave, he spoke.
“Mekura, make sure your younger students do not leave the city. The Master places far too much faith in that magic wall of his. While certainly impressive to look at, it is not infallible. It would be a good idea to keep that in mind when giving your upper level students assignments.”
Erebus closed his eyes and rested his head back against the wall when he heard the girls enter. It didn’t take long for them to notice him.
“I haven’t been able to sleep in beds for some time. I suppose I find their comfort unsettling.” Eyeing the food, Erebus shook his head. “Thank you, but I don’t have much of an appetite. I suppose some water couldn’t hurt though.” Closing his eyes, Erebus thought for a moment before finishing with a small smile, “It’s not my place to tell you where to go, just don’t make too much of a racket. I’ve heard stories of what happens when you stay still in one place for too long.”
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Mekura paused for a moment at the door as he finally spoke up. Listening she gave a small nod and started planning her assignments for her classes. It would be good to listen to his advice cause she knew all too well that nothing was infallible. As she entered the gym she headed straight to her office to see how she could alter her plans.
Alex and Bridgit stared at him as he explained why he didn't like beds. They watched him smile and smiled back slightly. Bridgit perked up about the stories and wondered which ones he had heard about. "You've heard the stories? Bridgit he probably wants to rest after his healing and we should be headed to bed." Bridgit glared at her hands then gave the ring a twist and tossed Alex to the back of their mind as her usual attire was returned. She wanted to talk to Erebus!.....but what Alex said made sense.
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Leaning back against the wall, Erebus closed his eyes as he rested for the first time in a week. Smiling at Bridgit’s curiosity, Erebus couldn’t help but marvel over the contrast between her dark streaks and this apparently innocent personality.
“Oh yes, your reputation is one that is quite feared throughout the school. Most of the younger students, and many of the older ones quake with fear at the mention of the beautiful blonde girl in the pink dress. It seems you also made quite a mess for Alvion one year, although that didn’t go over quite as well. Slightly less exhilarating, but equally as interesting, I hear that Alex is something of a genius. During my brief chat with Metatron, you were one of the few students he had anything good to say about.”
Still smiling warmly, Erebus opened his eyes to get a sidelong look at Bridgit. Her childlike interest was something he had never experienced before. Most of the people who had interacted with him at his home were either teaching him, or treated him with the utmost respect and reverence.
“When I turned ten, my family began to train me in the various arts of torture and information extraction. While I don’t necessarily condone the torture of others, I suppose there is a sick sense of satisfaction in causing pain to those who have done you or others harm.” Blinking, Erebus thought to himself for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts to reach his point.
“Rumors are not always a bad thing. The ones that bring you fear or respect, can be especially useful when the situation calls for them.Taking actions to bring about those rumors is fine as well, but Bridgit, perhaps in the future, you could better select those you ‘play’ with.” Smile turning slightly insidious, Erebus closed his eyes once again, settling back against the wall.
“I can say from experience, that ‘playing’ with those who have a reason to be ‘played’ with, is far more satisfying than doing it at random.”
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Bridgit watched him smile and decided that she would sit and talk despite Alex telling her they needed to head back to the room. Alex huffed at the back of their head as she was ignored. Fine. Without further arguing she simply went straight to sleep leaving Bridgit to decide when they were gonna head back.
Bridgit felt Alex slip into sleep and grinned as she now had free reign over what they did tonight. As Erebus spoke she looked at him and listened giggling when he mentioned the younger students and many older ones quaked in fear. At the mention of the physics lab disaster she kinda looked at the ceiling as if to say she had done no wrong before looking at him again. "I was bored. Alex had been keeping me under lock and key! I just wanted to make class more exciting. I didn't know one of the vials in Alex's bag was explosive." Well she had but she had forgotten which one was explosive and which one just made the chairs get up and walk on their own. Though the explosion was mighty satisfying until Alvion had gotten to them. She shuddered at having to go through that again.
As he spoke up about his home she perked up and listened like a child might when a fairy tale was being told. When he paused to grasp his thoughts she sat patiently to see what he would say next. Her mind quickly grasped what he was saying but she resorted to pouting as if the child in her didn't understand. "But! Why not play? Its boring if I don't get to play. I'd rather have fun playing with my toys." Her eyes which had been childlike seem to flare with bloodlust which was then overshadowed with the insanity that was her trademark. Looking down at her hands she could almost feel the tender flesh being torn. No NO! No. Gotta be good. I told Alvion I would be good. It had been so long since she had really played with one of her toys.....sensing the trail her thoughts were going she pushed it back by thinking of her sister and knowing it would make her sad. It seemed to do the trick for her mind cleared a bit and the childishness slowly flowed back into her eyes as she looked back up at Erebus.
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Sensing the fluctuation in her mood, Erebus opened his eyes and regarded her with a grave and lethal stare. The reaction going through her mind confirmed the one thing he had been unsure about. It was not that Bridgit didn’t know better, or hadn’t been taught better, she was simply insane.
As she calmed down, the shadows that had coiled themselves around her neck settled back into their natural state, and he allowed his expression to relax. He made a mental note about watching her more closely in the future, before closing his eyes again.
“All I ask is that you attempt to use some manner of caution Bridgit. Should you ever have the irresistible urge to play, you are always more than welcome to come and find me. I do get awfully bored in this city after all.” Erebus had become quite fond of the trio of sisters during their short time together. However, fondness was not an emotion that would stay his hand should he ever deem the girl too dangerous to leave alone. While he hoped that day would never come, he began to plan a conversation he would have with Briar when next he saw her.
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Watching him she tilted her head at his lethal stare. Was he gonna run from her now? She didn't wanna lose her friend. Alex would yell at her again for scaring another one away. Dropping her gaze back to her hands she was like a subdued child. Peeking up at him she watched him relax and closed his eyes again.
Looking at her hands she wondered if she should leave. She obviously had upset him. Twiddling her thumbs she looked up at him again as he started to speak up. Blinking she looked him at him a bit startled. He....he wasn't gonna run away from her? And he wouldn't mind playing with her! Gasping happily she got on her knees and leaned forward giving Erebus a hug. He wasn't gonna run away, which was weird cause all the others always ran away. Pulling back she yawned and rubbed her eyes like a child. "Don't forget! I will find you when I wanna play...Just....Just don't run away okay?" She stared at him wanting confirmation that he wasn't gonna run away. Bridgit in that moment seemed more like hurt child than a girl riddled with insanity that could murder at a moments notice.
Alex stirred at the back of their mind when she had felt the bloodlust and insanity combine. Slightly disturbed she gently sifted through Bridgit's mind to see what had happened. Feeling the hurt from Bridgit she mentally blinked. So he had found out that Bridgit really was mentally unstable. Would he stay or run? Alex was just as tired of people running away. It really hurt when people didn't want to befriend you because they were afraid of your alter or couldn't accept that Bridgit might want to play also. ----------
Erebus didn’t return the hug, it wasn’t in his nature, but he didn’t shrug her off either. He simply remained still, his eyes closed, and a small smile on his face.
“If there’s one thing I can promise you, it’s that I will never run away.” Leaving his statement at that, Erebus allowed himself to fall into his usual version of sleep. His mind closed itself away, while his instinctual senses expanded. In his mind’s eye he saw the misty shadows of the entire building around him. His honed reflexes kept track of each minute detail and change, and still he slept.
For now.
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Bridgit watched him and waited almost on edge for his response. As he promised her mind relaxed and Alex settled quietly in the background. Noting he was falling asleep Bridgit silently stood up and snuck out of the room. She knew he needed his sleep. Feeling Alex awake she smiled and assured her they were off to bed now!
As Alex fell back asleep Bridgit skipped out of the building and headed toward the dorms. Happy now that Erebus promised he wouldn't run away. She didn't wanna lose her friend and she was sorta tired of causing Alex pain too. As she skipped into the dorm humming happily the tendrils of insanity quietly started to twine itself around Bridgit’s unknowing thoughts.
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