Mystics IV: The Final Chapter - Reincarnate! {M} IC

[Koti~]

Josh was getting close to school, slowing down from his light jog. A morning jog was his usual start of the school day, keeping him awake during the more tedious classes. Taking a deep breath, Joshua stretched his warm limbs, wiping the light dew of sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good day, only a light breeze to disturb the foliage. Looking ahead to the students milling the grounds, he smiled and began making his way to them, raising his arm to wave at those he knew.

Storm clouds slowly began to form above the school. There was a loud boom as thunder bellowed amongst the obsidian clouds. Wind began to swirl faster and the students looked up at the sky expecting rain only to feel wind. The moved to get cover, but immediately paused when a large lightning bolt crashed down in front of Joshua knocking the teenager off his feet.

Dorian stood where the lightning had struck glancing down at Joshua.

“Joshua, I’ve come to speak to you. Do you have a moment?”

It took Josh a brief moment to get his thoughts in line. The sudden bolt of lightning had consumed his world for that brief moment, having been looking at the spot where it struck. The jarring sound was coupled by a blinding flash of light and the now strong smell of ozone. Blinking heavily from the light, he was finally able i get a look at the man. Old intuition told him to run, the other stalled as he tried to sort out his world again.

“I'm sorry, could you give me a moment. I seem to have just nearly been struck by lightning.” Joshua spoke as he managed to stand back up, brushing the dust off his clothing. Once standing, he looked the man over, senses telling him to run. While not having been in a fight before, he hoped he could last long enough to either get away or get assistance. It would require his half form for it.

“If I remember understanding you right, you wish to talk? Can we take it back in there?” Joshua asked him, motioning back into the woods. Rule one he had learned about fighting, know the location. The woods were familiar and would offer him some leverage in a fight.

A soft smile shown on Dorian’s face as he looked upon Joshua. His dragon essence filled Dorian’s nose. It had been quite some time since Dorian had taken his dragon form, he only did so when he felt like flying through the sky and enjoying the wind blowing through the modified scales that resemble hair on his dragon head. He had started reminiscing before he realized that Joshua had spoken to him asking for them to relocate before speaking.

“Not a problem at all Joshua, lead the way.”

*When given the rare chance, take the lead.* He could hear his grandfather's voice in his head. The man was allowing him the lead. If the weight of the man was enough, and his flashy display proof, this person was not one to be messed with. He couldn't allow the other students get caught in the crossfire, yet attacking without taking giving him a chance to guard.

He took them back down the path that he had taken earlier that morning. Finding the split was easy, motioning the man off the path into a hard to find clearing, just wide enough to for them to stand a decent space apart.

“Now, introductions are needed,” Joshua began. He shifted fast, scales growing across his body. A frown formed as he felt the scales tear into the outfit.

“,My name is Joshua Cambria, dragon of sound. Please tell me what brings you seeking me out here.”

There was no talking the entire walk to the clearing that Joshua had lead him to. He was thinking about the black comet that Marzarex and Galez had spoke cryptically about. Nonetheless, he had to get Joshua to Blackbrick Academy as well as the others in order to get them trained and ready for whatever Auro was going to unleash on the world. There was still silence and it was thick until the clearing came into view and Joshua began shifting. Dorian tilted his head softly to the side and smirked. The teenager wanted to fight. This was indeed a first for him in his many centuries of living. Well, he hadn’t stretched his abilities in a while, and Joshua may just be the outlet to have some fun.

“Joshua Cambria, Dragon of Sound,” Dorian began, “to hold that title so loosely. I remember the master of sound, Marzarex, a dragon quite like you, but more potent and raw in his power. Are you truly ready to take on the responsibility of that title?”

Dorian closed his eyes and felt the wind whip through the trees snatching leaves as it went. It swirled around him, embracing him, sending his hair into a frenzy.

“Do you want to see the power of a storm dragon young Joshua?”

Another dragon. His chest tightened some at those words, feeling the raw power wipe around him. Running now would be pointless, and he could tell he was outmatched, outgunned, and fully unready for this. But he was already in this, so he had to see it through. His only hope was to bluff and wear him down.

“i may not match you in power, but I've been trained by both a space and air dragon. Let's see if technique and training can prove a fight.” Joshua puffed his chest out. Taking a defensive pose, he bounded his hands in sound, the slight vibration making his hands hazy. He would wait for an opening before moving, watching closely.

“I must commend you for being so brave. You are truly the one I am looking for to help protect this world,” Dorian said as he watched the young dragon take a stance upon informing him of his training. “Being a Mystic will surely allow you the opportunity of increasing your power.”

Dorian took a few steps back, knowing his full dragon form would completely fill the sky once he began to transform.

“Now I shall show you the full power of the dragon,” Dorian said as he began to shift. His form began to stretch and pull, beautiful obsidian scales covering the length of his body. His head shifting to that of a massive maw, jagged teeth in lines within his jaws. A horn like a crown stuck out of his forehead. His eyes becoming a beautiful sapphire. His mane a beautiful beige in color as it fluttered in the wind produced from his transformation. Lightning surged through the bosom of the black clouds above swirling above Dorian’s form which intertwined in the clouds. His head lowered down to Joshua as he began to speak.

“The power of a dragon is yours to command young one should you choose to train and work hard,” he said his voice booming, shaking the foundation that Joshua stood on. “I have come to ask you a question, to ask you for your help.”

Joshua watched as the man before him changed. His eyes followed the changing man. It proved just how outclassed he was. His hands drooped just a small bit. No attack of his would ever land. His mind screamed to run, his smaller form hopefully allowing him to hide in the trees. But his pride kept him there. It would be wrong to flee like just a small bird. With a bow, he ended the magic around his hands and smiled.

“I do not believe I caught your name. Answer me that, and I will give you my answer about help.” Joshua offered the massive storm dragon, keeping his position relaxed and vulnerable, as a sign of respect.

“You ask my name and I shall give it,” Dorian began, “My name is Dorian.”

He lowered the base in his voice as much as he could without causing the trees behind Joshua to uproot.

“What else would you like to know?”

“It's a pleasure to meet you Dorian. “ Joshua replied while looking as the impressive dragon. He tuned his magic down some to not drown in the blast of sound. At the question of what he might more wish to know, Joshua paused, mind already clicking away at high speed.

“I do…”Joshua started, but stopped. He could bet that there would questions Dorian wouldn't answer, and to get as much info out of him, he needed to be smart.

“First question, why me? Surely a dragon of your caliber could easily best most everything.” Joshua asked Dorian.

Dorian’s maw formed into a smile as best it could. His form began to shift back into his normal humanoid one standing once more in front of Joshua. Dorian looked up at the clouds and snapped his finger as the clouds began to slowly dissipate, revealing a beautiful sun that bathed the forest in much needed light.

“Ahh, that’s better,” Dorian said before turning his attention back to Joshua. “You ask why you, and I ask why not you? How old would you guess I am Joshua? What would you think I am?”

*A crazed man, if I had to judge by appearance first* Joshua first thought, having to resist giving the first thought he could. The question was a trick, not easily answered by looks alone. He studied the man with a quiet stare, allowing his world to go silent for a few moments. Going by the size and power he has, it had to be at least in the hundreds, if not border thousands. The words stalled him though, if not fit how he picked them. It took him to wonder what Dorian meant.

“An ancient being. At least a thousand years old. You still have yet to answer my question as to why. My only real guess is that you cannot do it.” Joshua asked the last part, staring at him. He was watching to see what he would have to say and react.

“You are mostly correct young one. I am thousands of years old, I am an ancient being; however, it is not that I cannot do it, it is that I am forbidden to do it,” Dorian replied turning slightly with his hands held behind his back like an old martial arts master. “I must say I am enjoying my time in the mortal realm. I remember when I was in your shoes Joshua. When Master Naja came and recruited me to save the world. I asked the same question. Why me? But I soon found the answer within.”

Dorian turned and moved closer to Joshua.

“I see you’re still wanting to fight, so I will make you a deal Joshua. Show me what you can do, and I will divulge why fate has chosen you.”

Now Joshua was curious. The man was far older than he thought, yet still close. The fact that the man couldn't partake what he was worried about had him concerned. What rules would bound an ancient being, more so a dragon. What had Joshua gotten himself into. At the offer of a fight for answers, Joshua couldn't help but smile. He knew that he couldn't win in a fight, so it would be more a child flailing at a brick wall to prove himself.

“I'll take you on that offer, on one condition. No using your full dragon form. I can tell it would be a hard match with you in your human form, and I would rather not make it impossible.” Joshua asked him, a smile appearing on his face. He shifted into a defensive stance, placing his right palm towards Dorian while his left curled into a fist. It wouldn't do to bite it here.

If Dorian answered, he didn't here, shifting hum field into Zephyr, feeling the vibration against his skin. With the strength difference, he would have to take an advantage, going for the back side. Dashing towards Dorian, he jumped and released concussion burst into the ground, sending up a wave of dirt. The effect also sent him further behind Dorian, where he coated both hands in dense balls of sound and went try strike Dorian in the lower spine.

A nod was all Dorian had the chance to do before Joshua took the offensive. It was nice to see such a young spirit so courageous. He hoped that Joshua would maintain this confidence even in the midst of destruction. Offering a little fighting session was Dorian’s way of showing Joshua that he meant him no harm, he was only there to make sure he was safe. Auro would be looking for them, he would try to snuff out any resistance to him, and Dorian wanted to make sure these teenagers had a fighting chance against the darkness on the horizon. Dorian watched Joshua move with great speed. There was a burst of sound that struck the ground sending debris up in the form of a cloud of dust. Dorian remained still as he felt Joshua’s presence grow closer and closer until he felt the strike against his lower spine.

Wind whipped around him removing the debris. Dorian turned his head and looked at Joshua.

“Strength comes from within young one. Again!” he demanded turning to face Joshua.

The hit did nothing, only resulting in Dorian clearing the air. Joshua jumped back carefully, granting him some distance. He couldn't hear Dorian at all, but from his stance, he wasn't ready to end things just yet. Joshua would have to rethink things. Taking a moment, he began to stalk Dorian, tail swishing the ground with his movements. Physical attacks has minimal effect, and with wind at his command. If he could break his attention to break him.

“Silence!” Joshua spoke in a booming voice, followed by the perfect quiet. Joshua felt the energy leave him before charging up the next spell. Without a second thought, he began to release a concussion blast in a flurry of blows, slowly backing up carefully. He hoped that the sudden silence and violent burst of sound would be enough to throw him off.

Dorian placed a hand to his chest, his eyes wide as he looked at Joshua. The teenager had demanded silence and Dorian’s lips acted as if they would obey the command, but eventually they parted, but not after the bombard of concussion blast came crashing down on him. More dust whipped up and clouded Dorian’s vision, but when the wind removed the dust particles from his view, the sight was definitely one to behold. Dorian’s hair was sticking up straight as if he had been electrocuted and he had a surprised look on his face.

“Well, that packs quite the punch if I do say so myself,” he said shaking his head as his hair fell back to his shoulders and his expression returned to that of an amused instructor. “I must admit, you have quite the spirit young one, so much so that it shows in everything you do. You have a determination and fire in your eyes, I can see it. Yes fate was right in choosing you.”

There was no warning when Dorian unleashed a single attack, but the wind shot out like tendrils only inches from Joshua colliding with the trees behind Joshua leaving a trail as far as the eye could see. Dorian hadn’t moved a muscle and yet it looked as if someone had reached down and snatched up a chunk of the earth just to the left of Joshua and continued to pull it up in a trail until the earth met the lake off in the distance. Dorian was not trying to frighten Joshua, he wanted him to see that the reason he had not attacked was because if he had Joshua wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Shall we continue, or are you ready to hear what else I have to say?”

Joshua was stunned at the attack. He had managed to duck to the side, though only by luck of Dorian not aiming to attack him. He stared, mouth agape, while looking at the ground. A scar traveled the length of the forest, from where he had been standing, far into the woods, nearly to the lake. Letting Zephyr drop, Joshua was able to catch the tail end of Dorian's question.

*Ready to hear what he has to say?* Joshua repeated the question in his mind, casting tempo around himself in case of any other spells. Did he honestly wish to continue the fight? Even if he did, and went all out, would it really make a difference. Looking behind him, he knew the answer right away.

“Yes, I'm ready to listen. I believe I've met your demands rather well.” Joshua spoke, letting himself slip back into human form while hum field test restarted around him.

Dorian smiled. Joshua knew how to maintain a level head during a battle. Dorian was honestly impressed by his display. He approached Joshua and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“I shall keep my end of the bargain. Listen, or rather view closely,” Dorian said as he turned Joshua around in tandem with waving his hand. An image appeared before them both. There was the beginning when Erobus assigned the Archites to protect the world. Slowly through the ages they became the Order and fought against Mahvalli to drive him into the void. After his defeat Auro was later captured by a magi who encountered him in a cave. The magi cast a spell and placed wards to keep any unsuspecting soul out of the cave. Time went on and the image flipped to the Mystics of old with Naja as the head. The picture showed the battle of New York with glimpses of Dorian and Kurama as well as the other old Mystics. As the images shifted, it went into the battles they had against Naja, it showed Dorian’s lineage and it showed the final battles that each Mystic and Nobility had to encounter to overcome the Zodiac 12 Ancient 5 and Azael herself. From there the images shifted to the dark sorcerer Diamex, who was defeated by the Mystics from 565 years ago. The images slowed and eventually ended while Dorian stood beside Joshua.

“I was in college when I was chosen. I was in college when my life changed completely. During the battle of Azael the previous Sound Dragon, Marzarex, gave his life to give the rest of us the opportunity to destroy Azael once in for all,” Dorian said, “time has a way of reminding us just how lucky we are. Peace followed and we worked so hard to maintain it until it was time for our children to face the evil sorcerer Diamex. He wanted to resurrect a powerful demon known as Gar the Terrible. Thankfully they were able to stop Diamex and ensure the continuance of peace.”

Dorian paused and looked down at Joshua.

“Now, now it’s your turn. I can not directly interfere. As a god, I have been given special permission to recruit each of you and take you to the Blackbrick Academy and it is there that you shall receive your training. Joshua I want to see you achieve heights unknown to many, I want you and your team to stop the Voodoo Dragon known as Auro. Will you accept this responsibility?”

“I'm not sure what help I'll be, but I promise to help you out as I can. It's my honor to save the world.” Joshua spoke with pride, giving Dorian a large smile. A frown crossed his face but for a second before looking to him again.

“Though, if you're going to just whisk me away, can you tell my grandparents about it so they don't think I'm just skipping school.”Joshua asked the man.

“Do not worry about your grandparents, they are dragons are they not? I will speak to them personally although I am sure they’ve been waiting for this day. Please step through the portal. You will be taken to BlackBrick Academy and Headmaster Gandor will be waiting for you. Tell him Dorian sent you. Thank you Joshua, I look forward to the day we have our rematch,” Dorian said with a smile as he stepped to the side and began speaking. His voice was enchanting, it filled the area around them. Energy began to surge from the ground coming alive. A burst of lightning opened up a beautiful portal of swirling color and Dorian looked at Joshua.

“TIll we meet again young one, step into your destiny.”

“I'll meet you again for sure.” Joshua said before stepping into the portal.

==========================================

Nora loved the feeling of the ocean over her scales, the salt helping relax her. Even while she was doing her job of patrol, the waters had been so quiet that they were more used for a relaxing swim around the island base. She also used this to deal with her boredom and wanderlust. Even after helping with the Mystics, she has still gone adventuring, waiting quite a while to settle down here to help.

“Man I wish something fun would happen around here.” Nora bemoaned her luck as she surfaced, heads scanning the beach and looking for anything that needed her attention. Other than the men running drills on the beach and the naval fleet, nothing was going on at all. Giving a sigh, she swam to the beach head, shifting into her human form before getting into the shallows. Clad in a one piece suit, she headed up to the main facility, only to be drawn short by a voice, an old one at that.

“Dorian?” She looked to the air before a smile broke on her face. Cheering in joy, she bolted to the island, planning to grab the first heli out of here and to the school. Finally she has something to do! Finally an adventure.

[ShabadooBinx]

~Two weeks prior~

“Everything is ready go to?”

“Yes. The box has been set and the bait laid.”

“Rick all set up to go? I don't want a giant space laser on my head because some repugnant imbecile forgot to clean up after themselves.”

“Don't fear. I personally checked over each step. If anything, it'll fall onto Mr. Scarto’s head, which I made sure to prep the stocks in should it go to plan.”

“I'm glad I have you here. I swear half this country would burn in nuclear waste if not for you.”

“Thank you Master. Shall I prep a new limo for you then?”

“Yes.. and make sure to get a bullet proof body.”

“Of course Master.”

~Present day~

A modest limo pulled up to the curb, the afternoon sun resting behind drifting clouds. The scent of aged wine and oakpine hung on the door as the chauffer settled the car to a stop, making sure not to jostle the rider before exiting the vehicle. With practiced grace the man pulled the door open for his guests.

“We have arrived at your destination, Mr. Raven. CWDU headquarters. Shall I wait by the door or find a spot to park?” The driver asked, helping the man and woman out of the vehicle. Eldrich was dressed in his normal attire, a pleasant smile on his face. Quickly behind him was his secretary Jackie Chun, dressed in a sharp pencil suit, the tight skirt just above her knees. The soft blue suit matched well with Eldrich, making them pleasing the eyes.

“Good sir, I would never ask you to wait, so please go park and stretch your legs. I insist.” Crowe offered him a pleased smile and a generous tip, handing him two Jacksons and heading into the building. The driver could only look in shock as his customers walked into the building. A huge grin broke out while hopping back into the driver’s seat.

“Good afternoon and welcome to the.. Oh! Mr Raven and Ms Chun, what a treat it is to see you here. What delight brings you here today?” The officer at the front desk asked, giving the two a welcomed smile.

“Oh, I wish to talk with your chief here please. I would like to discuss an event that I need his help on.” Crowe asked the woman with a smile, looking around the room. With the peaceful times, things had become slow around here, yet people still bustled and fro, others sitting around three waiting room. Even a rather well built young man, magic exuding off him. He gave a wave to him as the Secretary made her calls.

“Chief Zanut is free to see you” She spoke with a cheery smile.

“Thank you very much. Come along Ms Chun.” Crowe bade to the women as they headed up the stairs, greeted at the office door by the aged chief officer.

“Mr. Raven, it's so wonderful to see you again. May I ask what brings you around here today?” Chief Zanut asked him, offering him a seat.

“Well, I would like to discuss something personal with you…” Crowe began. With a smile, he pulled out his checkbook and pen. With a few simple strokes, he wrote out a few things onto the check and handed it to the man. The chief took a look at the paper, before his eyes went wide in shock.

“Are, are you sure this is right? 5 ..50 million?!” The chief asked, incredulous at the massive sum of money. It was then that Crowe moved. With the magic infused in the paper, it was easy to grab the man's emotions, ramping up the feeling of joy. He relaxed into the chair while watching, a gleeful smile while the man went silent from joy. It was too simple, controlling them like puppets on a wire, made to dance and move for his pleasure.

“I assure you, it's correct. I know we are in a time of peace, but without such a great force as the CWDU, we would be awash in death and despair.” Crowe spoke, allowing sadness to creep into his voice. He eased back on the magic flow, making the man droop and sag. A sigh escaped him, from the emotional drain and weight of memory.

“These are some troubling days indeed. Many good men and women are lost to us.” Zanut sighed heavily, spinning in his chair.

“Yes they were…,”Crowe spoke, before flooding the man with his magic, allowing joy to fill him again,”but they wouldn't want us to be sad. Which brings me to the reason why I'm here. I would like to host a charity ball in honor of the CWDU and those who lost their lives. Which would require some knowledge from you. To help raise funds for those horribly affected by the events.”

“That, that would be wonderful!” Zanut started, yet stalled a bit. Crowe held off on increasing the man's high, letting wariness take hold for but a brief moment.

“But… there are some who wouldn't want to be known or be given such a public display.” Crowe held his hand up to pause the man

“No fret good man. I'll keep them anonymous and keep them out of the proceedings. If that is all you are worried about, I'll be glad to deal with that personally if need be.” Crowe responded with a polite smile.

“Well…. I don't see anything wrong with that. Shall I print off a list of them, or would an email do better?” Zanut asked, waking up the monitor and looking through the systems already.

“Ah, email would be best. It'll make setting up funds and the party much easier then. Thank you so much for your support.” Crowe said, lowering the control carefully as the man worked. A few clicks and a beep later signified the email being sent. They chatted amicably as the file was processed, Chief Zanut wanting to assure that everything went well for him.

“Ah, and there were have it. Thank you again for obliging an old man with a simple notion.” Crowe addressed the man as he stood, holding out his hand.

“No no, it was my pleasure. I'm sure those for who the ball is for will love the idea. You have a wonderful d-”

The retort of gunfire broke the pleasurable atmosphere as bullets littered the entrance with glass soon behind it. Zanut jumped, hurrying to the window to look at the scene below.

~Moments earlier~

A man burst into the door as Crowe and Zanut had been talking, swathed in a heavy cloak and low hanging hat. His face was obscured with a heavy mask, and one could see bulk beneath the cloak. Tension rose as the man stopped in the doorway, a quiet mumbling from the collar. Few stopped to look, the first being the Secretary, left wary at the man.

“Sir, may I help you?” The secretary asked the man, resting her hands on the desk. The room fell deathly silent, the man finally catching the attention of others. A minute chuckle echoed from him, filling the room with an uncomfortable air.

“Sir, please. Is there anything I can do for you?” She asked again after a few moments without an answer. The man stood stock, the laugh dying in his throat.

“All shall perish for the power of my master! Blood for the throne!” The man shouted in a shriek. Without a second chance to respond, the man pulled out a large bulky AK-47, painted solid black. The tension broke like glass as he let loose a flair of bullets, taking a few civilians and the Secretary in the burst. He was quickly lit with fire from those who could respond first. Holes riddled the man's coat, hat flying off from the hot lead. Coat now in ruins, one could see the seat uniform beneath it.

“All shall feed the dark lord's plan!”He shouted into the air, drowned out in the burst of fire between the two.

~Chiefs office~

“The fresh hell is going on?” Chief Zanut asked the air, dragging the two guests away from the window. Crowe has already dropped the magic fully, allowing the shock of the situation to deepen further. Even from here he could hear the screams and laughter, a beautiful cacophony of anarchy. He allowed himself to be pulled to the desk roughly, fear etched clear on his face.

“Stay here behind the desk.” Zanut ordered, drawing out the standard .9mm revolver from his hip. Resting both hands on the grip, he burst from the door, rolling into the hall and clearing a desk to hide behind, a splatter of bullets nearly clipping him in the side. Crowe had wished the man had been shot, just to be done with the false niceties. It made his blood boil and want nothing more than to gut him like a fish. Giving a sigh he pulled out his phone giving a silent nod to Jackie to keep watch.

“Time to see what they hide.” Crowe whispered while navigating his phone, finding the file he needed. A virus scrubber had been created to break into the Cwdu, designed to copy and store the files in the system, bury itself and send the info once deleted. Sending the email, he sent it as a reply to Zanut, using his magic to speed it up as get it into the system. Turning and peering over the edge of the desk, looking to be curious of the events, hand resting on the keyboard.

His magic flared to life on the machine, the keys pressing and depressing in a blur, opening and downloading the virus file, clearing the email reply and setting it to work. He was guaranteed a 24 hour window to get this, but he forced the virus to move faster, needing to gather as much as needed before it got cleared.

With a malicious grin he ducked behind the desk, motioning Jackie to duck and cover, shielding his ears mere moments before a shrill bellow blasted from the front.

“Blood for the throne! Anarchy will live!”

Fire and shrapnel engulfed the front, a concussive blast crumbling as an explosion rocked the building.

Sitting in his last class Arsan was watching the clock as it slow ticked towards the final bell when the school day would finally be over. Every tick that brought the bell closer filled Arsan with excitement. When the bell rang dismissing the class Arsan shot up from his desk and raced to get his letter from his ROTC instructor. “Here is the letter as promised. Good luck with your meeting and make us proud” his instructor said. “Yes sir” he replied stumbling out the door. Arsan made his way to his car and headed for the CWDU Headquarters. Once he arrived at the CWDU headquarters, Arsan prepared himself and made his way inside. Upon entering the large building Arsan was greeted by a lovely officer at the front desk.

“Hello sir, how may I help you”? The front desk officer said. Arsan smile and said “Yes ma’am, I have an appointment with recruiting officer Mr. Van Zandt”. After clicking away at the computer in front of her for a moment the officer replied “Ah yes, I do have an appointment here for you. Sign in here and have a seat in our waiting room while I let Mr. Van Zandt know you’ve arrived.” As instructed Arsan took a seat in the waiting room. Time slipped away and before he knew it Arsan had been there for twenty minutes. He turned to look and see if Mr. Van Zandt was around when he noticed a seemingly handsome man and a pretty woman at the front desk. The man looking at Arsan with such intrigue, Arsan returning the gaze wondering who he was and why he watched him so intently. The man waved and finally went on his way.

At that time Mr. Van Zandt had come around the corner to collect Arsan. “Hello I’m Mr. Van Zandt and your Arsan correct?” Mr. Van Zandt said greeting the young man. “Yes sir I am, pleased to meet you” he replied. Mr. Van Zandt said being very hospitable “If you would be so kind as to follow me young man, we’ll discuss your recruitment in my office”. Following various scans and security measures to get into his office Mr. Van Zandt offered Arsan a seat to discuss his application. “So I’ve been going over your application. Everything looks good, I just have one concern” he said peering down over his glasses. Arsan knowing exactly what he was talking about. “I do what I can sir to keep my abilities under control” he said with a rather stern look on his face. “Arsan we’re giving you special consideration because of your abilities”

Before Arsan could say anything else the two overheard a loud commotion. A man’s voice carried heavily throughout the headquarters. Mr. Van Zandt pounded away at his keyboard and after a few clicks he had access to the entire security feed for the building. Observing the situation, he pushed a button and with a biometric scan of his hand a draw popped out from his desk. Removing his firearm, he ordered Arsan to get down and stay down. Arsan asked if there was anything he could do to help and Mr. Van Zandt repeated “get down and stay down”. Once he left the room, Arsan made his way to the window and watched everything happen.

The gunman opened fire and Mr. Van Zandt dove in front of a lady saving her from getting shot. Arsan raced out of the office to Mr. Van Zandt, putting pressure on the wound. The other officers had already opened fire on the man by this time. He yelled out something but Arsan wasn’t paying any attention to what he was saying. Suddenly the building began to shake and Arsan stood up and turned around. Arsan’s eyes glazed over as he watched the fire from the blast come right for him. Extending his arms Arsan was able to absorb the most of the blast. Arsan still in shock, returned to Mr. Van Zandt to help with his wounds.

When the ambulance arrived Arsan insisted on riding with Mr. Van Zandt to continue the meeting. Mr. Van Zandt smiled and chuckled “I knew I was right about you”.

[Atrum Daemon]

“Magnificent!” Darkholm crowed with a loud laugh. “Such intense power after so long slumbering! The passing of years have not left you in ill form.”

He walked forward, but stopped a respectable distance from Auro. “I am Darkholm, a Lord of the Abyss,” he said with a bow. “My comrade, Mister Crowe, and I have awakened you because you have laid too long at slumber. The light shineth too bright upon this world. And at its brightest is the most opportune time to strike it down. Have you not slumbered this long for such a chance? I and Mister Crowe are only two powerful individuals who share similar thoughts. There are at least two others who will be inevitably drawn by your intense awakening.”

Shadows lengthened as he spoke, as though raw darkness emanated from his form in reaction to Auro's intense power. A grin was upon Darkholm's lips as he spread his arms out wide. “A grand chance, wouldn't you say? This world has no guardians to stand against us. Well...none of consequence at least.”

[Kayser]

Art’s routine was going just as usual, his morning exercises were done for the day and he had some spare time before he had to start his special training… He couldn’t really notice if he was actually getting any progress done, at least when it came to his magical powers, or whatever they were...
His dad knew a lot, but still, he wondered if someone who didn’t possess any kind of special ability would be able to teach him how to use his own… It just didn’t make any sense, there should be somewhere he could go to get some proper training, he didn’t feel capable of taking on any kind of ancient evil, not at the rate his training was going at the very least...


Art simply chose to hang out on his living room in the spare time he had, he was home alone and he still had two hours before he had to practice absorbing metal from cans again. His had to be the most useless ability there was, he didn’t exactly see how turning his forearms grey would help him in a fight…
Maybe taking a walk would help him get his head back in the game...
As he walked outside his house he noticed something he hadn’t been really payed attention, the sky was covered with dark clouds as if some kind of storm was approaching, something of a rare occurrence in texas considering they were nearing summer, something didn’t feel right…


The clouds darkened as they got closer to Art’s location. Within minutes wind blew hard against the trees causing them to bend strongly. The clouds came alive with lightning as the bolts coursed through the darkness, illuminating small patches. A buildup of electrical energy burst forth from the bosom of the clouds striking near Art. Dorian appeared, rising from his crouched position, as he turned to look at Art.


“Hmm, you must be the wielder of metal. Hello there, I am Dorian.”


Art tried to process the events that had just unraveled in front of him, understandably startled by the uncanny nature of Dorian’s entrance, he gave three steps backwards in order to put some more distance between him and the strange man.
“Holy $#¿+ !” Art yelled at the top of his voice once he had enough time to analyze what he had just witnessed. The strange man in front of him was presenting himself by the name of Dorian, he was wearing some kind black coat and had certain appearance that made him look rather… sketchy… Hell, his whole image basically screamed that…


“Ahhh… Yeah, nice to meet you, Dorian… My name’s Maikol Yaxon, and I’m an R&B singer…” Art outright lied about his identity, the nature of this encounter was bizarre, enough for him not to trust a complete stranger with his real identity, not that he would in any other circumstance anyway...


There was silence as Dorian looked at Art for a few moments before bursting into a hearty chuckle. He held his stomach as he laughed, a tear falling from his eyes as he wiped it away with his free hand and put one finger up as if to tell Art to give him a moment to gather himself. When he was done, he straightened up and smiled.


“I know who you are, but do you?” Dorian asked with the same sincere smile he gave Joshua. “I know you want to know more about metal than simply absorbing cans on the street. I have a proposition for you,” Dorian added as he crossed his arms and waited for Art to speak.


Art stood up somewhat dumbfounded about the fact that Dorian knew about his powers, while it was not the most unearthly thing that man had done or said it was enough to convince Art that Dorian did know who he was and what his powers were, due to him being sure that only him and his father knew about his secret training and that he used cans from the street in order to practice.


“But how do you…” Art said before pausing for a moment, once he analyzed everything Dorian said he realized that this could be the opportunity to hone his abilities and get the training he so desperately needed and wanted…
“Y-yes… Yes, yes, you don’t even need to tell me the details, if it’s training that you’re offering then just sign me up!” he said excitedly, he had already agreed to what Dorian had already told him without even hearing a word of it… The young man was the very definition of “overzealous”


There was a moment that Art reminded him of his own son. Cyrus was so ready to save the world, so ready to learn how to use the powers he had. Dorian looked away from Art for a moment before he turned back to him and shook his head in a pleasing manner.


“Before I let you jump head first, I must warn you that what you are about to take part in is very dangerous. Lives have been lost to protect the greater good, and maintain peace. Are you willing to protect this world, and those you love?”


“Abso-freaking-lutely!” Art responded in his ever so energetic tone. Art had always considered himself a thrill seeker, his sense of adventure could never be satisfied unless he was aware his life could be on the line. His plans to join the military after high school should be enough to know what kind of guy he was… Perhaps he was a little too starry-eyed about the whole deal… But at least his heart was in the right place.


“Very well then. Art, step through the portal and you will be taken to BlackBrick Academy. Once you arrive Headmaster Gandor is who you shall seek out. May the power of the Ancients be with you this day young one,” Dorian said with a smile as he stepped closer to Art. He thrust his hand forward and a portal opened with beautiful sparkling energy. Dorian stepped away and waited for Art to enter.


“Remember, your training will push you to the boundaries, but if you can overcome you will become a Mystic.”


Art had some second thought going in his mind as the portal opened, should he tell his parents where he was going to go? Should he leave them a note or something? Or was it it better to leave them be? Would they be safer not knowing where he was?


...No, he never did like letting them worry about him for too long.
Before entering the portal he pulled out his phone and wrote a text message to his dad, explaining he would be away for a while and that it would be best to get away from home for a while. Even if it meant breaking contact for a while…
After turning off his phone he walked forward into the portal, venturing into the unknown and leaving his fate into the hands of the Blackbrick academy...

[Froggy]

"Thank you," Ocella said, her voice quiet as she turned towards the direction in which Master Hillard had pointed. Her mind couldn't help but to ponder over what he had said- clothes left from the previous residents. 'Who were they?' she wondered, wondering what exactly this place was, who he was and suddenly... who he believed she was. She knew who she was, but that didn't seem to matter to him.

After having found the bathroom at last, the first thing Ocella did was take inventory. There was no soap, which made her wonder exactly how long ago someone had last resided there. Still... her gaze fell to the shower before her and she didn't hesitate for a moment to strip off her clothes that had now become tattered rags and test the water. It was warm, and she immediately stepped inside- her shivering ceasing almost instantly.

She could feel the tension and worries of the day washing away, though not completely, and smiled just a little as she tried to sort out the situation. She allowed the water to wash away the mud from her body, that which had caked her skin for two weeks now after living in the jungle on her own.

After about an hour in the shower, she was grateful to have found a towel and dried off quickly. With the towel wrapped around her, she made her way into the attached bedroom and immediately went to the dresser. Dust was everywhere, as if the place hadn't been touched for quite some time. The drawer stuck a little when she tried to pull it, indicating that it hadn't been used for as long as the dust had settled. Still... there were clothes inside! Her eyes lit with joy at the site, for the raging waters had washed away everything she had brought with her to the jungle- including her clothing.

Still, as she looked through the clothes to determine the sizes... she realized they were very, very old and was beginning to feel insecure again, wondering just whose clothes they were, what their story was- what had happened to them and how long ago it had been. Something was off, and it didn't feel right... but she didn't have any other clothes and dreaded the thought of pulling her rags back on, so she picked a pair of pajamas that looked like they would fit and went through the clothes for clothing the next day. She found a pair of jeans and a rather old-fashioned looking blouse, one that she certainly hadn't seen before.

With the task done, she took note of every window, every possible exit before returning to the front of the house, looking for Master Hillard. She was exhausted, frightened, and wanted nothing more than to flee- but at the same time, he had yet to harm her- and may very well have been helping her from the kindness of his heart, and she didn't want to be rude or ungrateful. As frightened as she was, she made her way into the kitchen, a look of worry and curiosity on her face as she took everything in. She could smell the scent of food wafting through the air, her attention darting in the direction it came from. Her stomach rumbled and she stood politely in the doorway.

"May I help you with that, Master Hillard?" she asked, her voice quiet and polite. ***
After shaking the grim news Dorian had delivered from the front of his mind Master Redscar allowed his easy smile to return, no sense in scaring the already scared girl. Humming to himself he was preparing a simple meal of fish and some vegetables gathered from the jungle. He’s lived in this rainforest for centuries, he converted the courtyard into a small farm and the lands around the base were ripe with animals and small bodies of water full of fish. It’s been so long since he had a guest he had to stop and think of the proportions to prepare. All and all it took him an hour, but by the time the girl had gotten herself cleaned up and calmed down it was nearly ready.

As she offered to help the old man shook his head smiling handing the girl a plate.
“No, just help yourself. Hehehehmmmm.” He gave one final almost mad laugh before ambling his way to the balcony overlooking the jungle where he always took his meals. He liked to watch the jungle breath and sway with the wind.

Ocella watched him with a careful eye, frowning a bit as he informed her to help herself. She looked at the food before her and smiled, for it truly looked like a wonderful meal for the evening. It was certainly a better way to spend her evening than sitting under a palm tree with water pouring on her. Following suit behind him, she stepped out to the balcony with him and took a seat at the small table, where she could oversee the jungle beneath them.

She thanked him for the food before mentally thanking the fish for its nutrition, as well as taking a note of gratitude for having her first real meal in two weeks. Taking a bite, she savored the flavor of the fish- and she had to admit that it had been the best fish she had ever eaten. “You certainly know how to prepare a wonderful meal,” Ocella commented, smiling at him. After taking another bite she looked curious this time, though she wondered when would be the best time for her to ask him the many questions that she had for him.

Out on the balcony, she had the perfect opportunity to flee- for there was certainly something going on, but she wasn’t certain whether or not he was friend or foe. “Master Hillard… earlier in the forest, you seemed as if you knew me… what did you mean, when you said that you knew who I was?” she asked, clearly curious as she tried to conceal her nerves.

He knew this would come eventually, Hillard was basically born to his role, so it was sometimes hard to think of anyone being lost on it. Finishing his mouthful of food he nods wiping his mouth before answering.
“Well, I’ve never been on for fancy talk so I will tell you straight. You are a mystic, a reincarnated elemental warrior meant to save the world from total annihilation.”
.

Ocella just looked at him, trying to see any logic behind what he was saying and to follow him. There was no logic in what he said, she didn’t even know what a Mystic was and had difficulty believing in reincarnation. Suddenly, she wasn’t so hungry anymore and felt like leaping off the balcony. “A… what?” she asked, her expressions that of disbelief. “I’m a half angel, from my grandmother. She had powers over nature, and I inherited them. There’s nothing more- I’m just Ocella Hermine Lancelle, from Montana-” she paused and looked at him, trying not to look as though she thought he was crazy. “You just met me less than two hours ago- what-ever led you to assume I was a… what exactly?” she asked, still looking to be in disbelief.

Hillard let out another amused mad chuckle placing his food on the small table.
“A Mystic, I can feel it in your aura Ms.Ocella Hermine Lancelle. You are the latest version of the ancient Nature Mystic, an Elf woman by the name of Nirel. She was a good friend of mine many centuries ago, but I’m sure you’ll do her memory justice. You have control over nature yes, but you have it to a far greater degree than even your grandmother could manage. Given time and the proper training you’ll save the world. You were chosen for this before you were even born!” He smiled going back to his food.

For the first time in a long time, Ocella was speechless. He could feel her… what? She was supposed to do what?! “I’m all for saving the world… but you are making no sense to me,” Ocella said, her heart beating faster with each breath. She wondered if she was faster than him, he seemed to be skilled when it came to maneuvering through the trees…. But maybe she could fly higher than the canopy. He indicated that she would have to be trained, over time… what exactly did he mean by that?

She shook her head in defiance. “Thank you for your kindness Master Hillard, but I’m afraid you have me confused,” ‘That you may be confused,’ she thought to herself before continuing. “I should go. I can see that I’ve disturbed you enough,” she said, trying to be as polite as she could, standing from her chair. She was not the slightest bit happy regarding her situation- she should have dressed in the jeans and t-shirt, rather than the pajamas.

Hillard’s smiled didn’t fade he simply shook his head indicating for her to sit back down.
“Relax young one, I know you must be all kinds of scared and confused and honestly you should be. The Mystics aren’t a well known group, but you may remember their exploits. Have you ever wondered why so many places around the world look brand new even though they’re a few centuries old? Also didn’t you ever wonder how so many mystical races walk freely around the world when for most of human history they were never mentioned anywhere else but in fictional stories?” **

Ocella didn’t sit down. Her fingers were clutching the top of the chair and her knuckles were turning white from the strain, but she didn’t seem to notice this. “I’m a half angel. There are now only three people alive who know this. I’ve never felt safe telling anyone else, and the only reason you found out is because you caught me with my wings,” Ocella could feel a burning sensation in her chest and realized that she’d been holding her breath for far too long, and took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. It didn’t work, but she did manage to pry one hand from the back of the chair and then the other.

“And now I wish that you hadn’t have,” Ocella said, taking one step back and looking at him in horror. She spread her wings in an instant, taking flight faster than she had ever flown before, reaching the canopy within a matter of seconds. Her heart was racing, tears were in her eyes but she refused to look back. The old man sighed deeply and put his food back down and summoned his sword to his hand before leaping out the window and landing in the tree below the fleeing girl and chasing after her with ease while keeping out of sight so she couldn’t see him.
This wasn’t how Hillard planned to spend his evening.

Ocella didn’t look back once as she made it to the canopy. Her next challenge would be to penetrate it, given her massive wingspan it would be a difficult task, so she flew to the highest branch she could find and began to climb. She moved quickly, the water soaked trees making things difficult as she tried placing her foot down and pushing herself forward. Within a matter of minutes, she was sitting atop the canopy for only a split second, the storm that had ravaged the area not far off in the distance.

Still, she knew that he was a master of the trees and that she had to act quickly. She spread her wings once more and took off in flight, heading off in the opposite direction of the storm- she had no desire to be in that mess again.

As Ocella took flight again the branches under her erupted and a giant claw hooked her leg and swatted her out of the sky like a fly. She’d had just run into a Manticore’s nest and he was very mad at her now. As the girl fell the massive creature let out an otherworldly screech and dove down after her claws first and scorpion tail oozing with potent venom.

It seemed as though only a millisecond after having taken flight again, Ocella felt something sharp grab onto her leg with enough force to knock her out of the sky and rip apart her skin, leaving behind an open wound. She screamed in fright, believing it to be the man for a moment as she crashed into the canopy, but much to her horror it was something worse entirely. She screamed in fright at the sight, scrambling as she tried to avoid the creature- but she’d never passed the canopy before, and as soon as she placed her hands down and applied pressure, she fell straight through it.

She landed roughly on the tree branch beneath where she had been, the Manticore breaking the surface with ease. She screamed in fright and rolled off the branch, allowing herself to fall as quickly as gravity would have it. She dropped from tree branch to tree branch, but when her wounded leg landed first she crumbled against the branch in pain. She knew that she had to flee, and the moment that she recovered from the intense pain she dropped from the branch again, spreading her wings and taking flight- she didn’t know where the beast had gone to, only that it was still hunting her.

A Manticore rarely loses it’s prey and the pretty little Half- Angel wasn’t one of those lucky few, but her speed saved her from death. As she took flight again the falling beast clipped the edge of one of her wings and brought crashing to the ground with it. The two of them tumbled from the canopy, and just before Ocella hit the ground a figure swung across the gap on a vine and scooped the young woman up swinging them both to a nearby tree.It was Master Redscar and he didn’t look too happy.
“See what happens when you try to run from destiny! A Manticore gets you! Just stay here, I’ll be back.” Drawing his sword the Body Mystic backflipped from the tree and fell gracefully through the air quickly falling towards the snarling screeching pile of limbs and leaves that showed where the mad beast had landed.

Ocella screamed in fright and pain when the beast reappeared behind her, clipping the edge of her wing and sending her spiraling down. She tried to save herself before the impact, but she couldn’t regain strength in her wings and she braced herself for impact. It was ironic, that she would die then after having fled Master Hillard’s home. It was ironic, that she’d barely lasted five minutes out of his home when she had spent the past two weeks in the vast jungle. Then… when she thought she would hit the ground and perish, she was suddenly scooped into the sky and for a moment feared that the beast had caught her.

Looking up, she saw Master Hillard with one hand holding onto a vine and the other arm wrapped firmly around her. He looked most angry with her, and she was even more frightened of him than the beast that had been attacking her. He swung them both into a nearby tree, and he was shouting at her. She curled up against the tree as he took off, tears in her eyes as she applied pressure to her wounded leg, transforming back into her human form due to the pain in her wing. All she could do was watch helplessly and pray for his safety.

Hillard’s mind was focused on killing this creature, he’s run into many beasts in his adventures around the Amazon Base. Manticores, Wraiths, Lichs, many creatures that just shouldn’t be, he’d become quite the monster slayer since his youth. Plans were forming in his mind, attacks patterns, weakness, strengths, it was like looking at a textbook. He landed a few feet from the beast who had just freed itself from the mess of vegetation it landed itself in and saw its original prey was lost, but in her place was a much juicier looking slab of meat. Rattling it pinches the Manticore charged the old man hoping to overpower him by sheer muscle. Never a smart plan when going up against the Body Mystic.
Throwing his hand out he quickly paralyzed the beast before clenching his fist and began to crush it’s hard exoskeleton. What sounded like bones breaking popped through the sporadic claps of thunder and flashes of lightning. It was only when the Manticore stopped fighting that Hillard released his hold on it. The beast fell to the ground in a quivering heap, it’s breath coming in short deep bursts and black blood oozing out of the cracks in it’s body armor. Keeping his sword at the low ready the Master summoned up one more burst of power and threw a charged punch of kinetic energy at the ground before the creature making the dirt and ferns burst up like a small meteor had landed. The last of the fight left the wounded beast and it shot a defiant hiss at Hillard before it turned tail and ran away as fast as it could.

And thus Hillard saved the day, but that wasn’t all he needed to do. Turning back to Ocella’s tree he jumped back up and looked the girl over.
“Can you move?”

Ocella watched the events in awe and disbelief. She would have believed that she had died long before she believed what she was witnessing, but it seemed as though she were in fact, still alive. She watched as he thrust his hand forward, causing a small crater to appear at the bottom of the forest floor in front of the beast. The Manticore hissed in defiance at Master Hillard and fled, leaving them at once. Ocella was trembling when Master Hillard returned his attention to her, blood coated her hands and she was exhausted.

He asked if she could move and doubted her ability to fly, but she was able to move- she just wondered how she would get back to his home, if he would allow her back. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the forest around her before an idea came to mind. She could use the vines as he had earlier, given her affinity with nature.

Feeling around her, she could feel a vine around the side of the tree and tugged at it, making sure that it was stable. “I can,” she said, her voice weak as she looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry. Thank you,” she said, her voice even quieter as she looked at him with guilt. She took hold of the vine and nodded to him, indicating that she was ready.

With a nod the old Mystic sheathed his sword and picked the girl up before he began leaping his way through the trees towards the base. Taking the easiest route through the treetops the pair arrived at the gates of the base and without missing a beat Hillard carried the new Nature Mystic up to the room she went into before and laid her down on the bed.
“Ok I can heal you, but if I do no more of this running off ok? I may be an immortal, but I’m still and old man and it is way past my bedtime now.”

Ocella was certainly quiet as he took her back to his home, grateful that he wasn’t too angry with her. She felt exhausted when he laid her down on the bed, trying not to think about the pain in her leg. When he said that he could heal her, but told her not to run off again she nodded. “I promise not to run off again,” she said, sounding genuinely apologetic and her expressions that of sadness and guilt. “Thank you Master Hillard…” she said again, wincing from the pain.

The Body Mystic nodded and clapped his hands beginning to rub his hands together quickly. In a few seconds a soft red light began enveloping his hands. Once they were glowing like fresh coals he pressed them both around the girl’s wounds and they began to fuse and heal. She could feel the energy humming through the air and her pains began to quickly fade. The whole operation only took a few seconds before the vines fell off showing Ocella’s completely healed wounds.

Sitting back on his heels he smiled.
“There ya go.”

Ocella was amazed. She couldn’t believe any of this, yet here she was… here everything was happening before her. Her wounds were closing and she could feel the healing magic coursing through her like hot coals. She still couldn’t believe what he said, yet here he was… a Mystic before her eyes, proclaiming that she was as well. It was a lot to take in, especially given everything that had happened to her that evening, but when he finished she smiled at him.

Quickly, she sat up in the bed and hugged him to thank him. “What is next, Master Hillard? If my destiny is truly as you say it is… what happens next?” she asked, looking concerned and worried once more. How was she supposed to save the world? And from what…?

[RisingPhoenix]

Kyori looked upon his master with sincere eyes. Something troubled Chiatzu that much was certain. It was hard seeing his mentor in such a way, but Chiatzu held up a hand to prevent Kyori from approaching.

“I am fine young one, practice your abilities,” Chiatzu ordered as Kyori nodded and turned back to the wooden dummy in front of him. He began with light strikes feeling out the movements he was taught. As Monk Chiatzu ordered him to strike harder, Kyori struck the dummy with intensely stronger strikes splintering the wood with his bare fist. He was determined to make the man proud.

“Use your gift,” Chiatzu said as Kyori kicked off from the ground, spinning and slashing with a round kick striking downward at the dummy. A gust of wind like that of a blade surged towards the dummy and upon contact sliced the dummy in twine. The two pieces fell to the ground and Monk Chiatzu turned to face Kyori.

“You’re getting stronger, this is good,” he said as he noticed the set of storm clouds moving above the training grounds. There were other students training to the sound of their mentor’s yell. Kyori drowned it out in his head and focused intently on Chiatzu for the time being. Lightning streaked across the naked black clouds. Thunder whispering its name amongst the swirling darkness. Kyori managed to look up in between his strikes on another dummy, and noticed a funnel developing in the distance.

“Storm clouds Master,” Kyori said standing up straight. Monk Chiatzu glared at the funnel as it touched down and looked to Kyori.

“It is more than what it seems,” he said as a funnel swirled down from the heavens and struck right in front of them without warning. Kyori was both amazed and quick to react by thrusting a open palm towards the swirling mass of wind attempting to dissipate it. When the wind refused to leave, he took a few steps back and watched as the wind slowly subsided and there stood Dorian. Kyori looked over at Chiatzu who was extremely calm for some reason. Then he noticed everyone bowing.

“It can’t be,” Kyori said as he too bowed.

Dorian looked around at the monks and smiled.

“Now now, you do not need to bow to me,” he said as everyone looked at him with a confused look. “I come seeking the one known as Kyori.”

Chiatzu looked over at Kyori with a puzzled look and quickly stood to his feet.

“Ancient one, what is it that you want with Kyori?” Chiatzu asked as everyone began to stand to their feet.

“He is the next in line Monk Chiatzu. You knew this day was coming, and that is why you have trained him is it not?” Dorian asked as he approached them.

“Yes Ancient One, but I did not know it would be so soon,” Chiatzu replied a look of sadness falling on his features. He glanced over at Kyori who was standing and looking directly at Dorian.

“What is it you want with me?” Kyori asked finally speaking up.

“Ahh,” Dorian began, “Do you remember your teachings on the beings that protected this realm?”

Kyori was silent for a moment before he spoke. “Do you mean the Mystics? I thought that was a fairytale that Monk Chiatzu told me.”

“It is no fairytale young one, you are to be the next defender of this realm.”

“But he is not ready,” interjected Monk Chiatzu as he took a step between Kyori and Dorian. “He has a long way to go.”

Dorian glanced at Chiatzu and smiled. “I trust you have felt it, and you know full well that time is of the essence Chiatzu. What will you do when he comes for the boy? You will not be able to stop him and you know it. I shall take Kyori to a secret place where he can finish his training.”

“But…,” Chiatzu began but realized that Dorian was right. He had felt the darkness and knew it would come. He sighed and turned to look away. “You are right Ancient One, forgive me for my stubbornness, he is like a son to me.”

“I understand, but he will be taken care of,” Dorian said.

“But what if I don’t want to go,” Kyori said causing both Dorian and Monk Chiatzu to turn their attention to him. “I don’t want to leave the monastery.”

“Kyori, please you must go with him.”

“Why?”

“If you do not, darkness will spread to the corners of this realm and it will snuff out the light.”

Kyori struggled. He didn’t want to leave the Monastery. If he left and they were attacked, he would never be able to forgive himself. Monk Chiatzu placed a firm hand on Kyori’s shoulder.

“Remember Kyori, we are protectors, it is our job, it is who we are.”

Kyori looked into his mentor’s eyes and sighed before turning to look at Dorian.

“If the scrolls are correct, which I have no doubt that they are now, you must be the one known as Dorian, a rarity, one of only three others ever to ascend to the realm of the gods.”

“You are correct,” Dorian replied with a smile, “quite the knowledgeable one. I was the Storm Mystic, and I struggled with the decision just as you do now, but I realized that there were things in this world worth saving.”

Kyori smiled and looked at Chiatzu. “I guess this is goodbye?”

“For now young one, for now, but you never forget your upbringing.”

Kyori nodded as he walked over to Dorian. “Will this training break me?”

Dorian closed his eyes. “The training is different for everyone. Focus Kyori and you will do great.”

Dorian opened a portal to BlackBrick Academy and looked at Kyori. “You remind me so much of how I was at your age. Whenever you are ready.” Dorian said before placing a friendly hand on Kyori’s shoulder. Kyori nodded and smiled. If it was for the sake of the realm, how could he not? He took a step towards the portal but one of the elders of the monastery yelled his name.

“Kyori,” he said approaching in haste, “take this with you.”

The Monk held a long object covered in a silken green and white cloth. Kyori turned and saw Monk Tai approaching with the item in hand. He took the object and started unraveling it to reveal a monk staff, beautiful with a soul green gem in the middle of the head that held twelve beautiful rings of the same color. The staff was surprisingly lightweight. He looked into the eyes of the elder and bowed.

“Thank you Master,” he said softly as he turned with the staff in his hands and entered the portal. Dorian turned to the monks and nodded.

“It has begun. Prepare yourselves, for it is the beginning of a war.”

“Ancient One, is there a possibility of peace continuing?” Monk Chiatzu asked.

“Perhaps, if there are those willing to fight for it.”

Dorian smiled and took his leave in a flash of light. Before he returned to BlackBrick Academy, he would swing by and collect the remaining Mystics. He would stop outside of a hospital where Emily and Arson had managed to find one another. Emily’s father was in the hospital and although Arson was skeptical about the whole thing, Emily was more than willing to help save the world. The final mystic was the water mystic Kelda. Thanks to Marissa Dorian had been able to find her and had actually set up the encounter. Kelda was also willing to help if it meant keeping her world safe.

With everyone finally at BlackBrick Academy, the Headmaster collected everyone in the training yard and awaited the help of those Dorian had called to come. Lightning surged from the bosom of the dark clouds above the Academy. The bolt struck the ground where everyone was gathered. This would be the place where the training would take place. It was outside so any destruction would not damage the school. Magic protected them, they were secure. Dorian’s form slowly appeared as the lightning bolt vanished and the residual energy sparked off of Dorian’s body. He looked around at everyone and smiled. The trainers were there, that was good and those who would be the recipients of the training were looking either eager or completely mortified. There were two he had his eye on to train, Joshua and Kyori. The two were dragons, although there was another dragon in the ranks, these two were more compatible to his teaching style.


The others would be selected based on the element they represented. Halley would train Alimiax, Kelda would be trained by Marantha, a beautiful sorceress who understood the element of water. Arson and Emily would be trained by Kiran and Hanah respectively while Ocella would be trained by Kurama. Kana would train Aleksander, and Callan would train Art. The pairing was complete and Dorian felt that the pairings would work best if the trainers were given range in their training.


Training would begin soon, for now Dorian allowed everyone to co-mingle and get to know one another. It wasn’t often that he got a chance to see his brother Kurama, and his niece and nephew as well as Halley.


Hanah had barely been able to contain her excitement when her uncle Dorian had appeared before them all. Together they stood, Halley’s hand firmly on her shoulder to keep Hanah from running up to Dorian in the middle of his speaking. When he finished, Halley released Hanah’s shoulder and she left immediately to her uncle. Anyone who witnessed this would swear her feet hadn’t even moved, rather that she had flown, but to those who knew her well she had used the speed of light to get to her uncle that much quicker.


Her arms were around him in an instant, the speed and strength enough to knock them both to the ground. “UNCLE DORIAN!” she shouted with as much enthusiasm as she could, and suddenly Kiran was there beside her, joining her in assaulting their uncle with as much love and affection as each of them could. “Uncle Dorian!” Kiran shouted, large smiles present on both of their faces.


“Oh how I’ve missed you two,” Dorian said embracing both of them, even though they were almost as tall as he was. They were both grown adults, over 700 years old, and yet they still showed Dorian as much love as they could every time they saw him, which was very rare with all the work he had to do. Still, it had been nearly 10 years since their last visit. Dorian smiled accepting the love that was being poured into him by his family. He looked up and saw Kurama shaking his head.


“Those two have a special connection to you Dorian,” Kurama said, “as well they should. How is the world of immortals brother?” He asked embracing Dorian in a brotherly hug.


“As well as it can be brother,” Dorian said with a warm smile. “It has been 10 years. I am sorry Kurama.”


Kurama held up a hand. “You have no reason to apologize, I know you have big responsibilities. You called us and we came, clearly we care and respect you Dorian.”


Dorian nodded before turning and looking at Halley before returning his gaze back to Kiran and Hanah. “You know I may be able to work something out that will allow you two to visit me, but I will have to speak to the others.”




Kiran and Hanah were simply thrilled, both embracing their uncle lovingly and not allowing him off the ground just yet. Their holds were firm, indicating that they had no intentions of letting him go anywhere just yet. They may have been centuries old and experienced most everything life had to offer- but they still loved their family. It had been so long since they had seen their uncle, but when he mentioned the possibility of them visiting him- their faces lit up in joy.




“PLEASE!” they both shouted in unison, looking entirely excited at the possibility. “Please, please, please uncle Dorian,” Hanah said, looking sad for the first time since she had seen him. “I miss you so much… I know you’re always working, but we miss you. We could even help you so that you aren’t so busy all the time,” Hanah said, looking rather sad as though unable to hide how much she had missed him. Kiran did a better job than Hanah at concealing his emotions, but it was evident that he had missed his uncle to. “I’d be happy to help as well, uncle, for I too miss you greatly,” Kiran said, finally moving to allow his uncle freedom. Hanah did the same, grinning sheepishly at Dorian and offering her hand to help him up.

There was talking, everyone catching up with one another while the students stood idly by looking at one another. Kyori was watching the entire scene with the staff held firmly in his grasp. He seriously didn’t know what to expect and all of those around his age looked as if they were either scared or ready to begin. The Headmaster approached the group and smiled.

“While they catch up, you are free to roam until it is time to train you.” He spoke to all of them before turning and observing.

[Koti~]

Joshua could tell that he was the first to arrive at the school. He was going to be a while, at least from the time it took to get here. Choosing a decent place to sit, he laid down, letting the normal breeze and sun keep him company. It wasn't long before the others joined the throng, but he didn't pay them much heed with each appearance, as he knew just as much as they did for the current situation. He would wait until Dorian returned to them to begin this. It wasn't too long before that, and shortly made pairings for the whole group. They were given the chance to mingle with the others. Finally getting of his rather sunny spot on the grounds he looked around, his magic picking up odds and ends of their conversations. Upon looking though, he spotted one girl off to the side some, looking very out of sorts with them. More so with the large crowd. With a smile he headed over to her with a small wave.

“Greetings there. I am Joshua.” Joshua said with a polite bow.

After Master Hillard had left her, Ocella couldn’t help but to be nervous in her new surroundings. She was watching, observing others as she always did- trying to figure out who she could trust, as well as any odds and quirks others might have about them. She noticed what appeared to be a family reunion of sorts and smiled at the group, finding it most interesting and hoping she had the opportunity to meet them soon.

Then a rather tall figure approached her and she felt even smaller. Granted, he was not overly tall, but she still had to look up to see him. “Hello Joshua… I am Ocella,” she said, smiling when he bowed slightly and offering him a curtsey. Ocella smiled as she noticed everyone else seemed to be mingling. “This is all so new. One minute I was in a jungle and the next I’m at school again,” Ocella said, laughing lightly at the thought. It seemed as though she had just left school not long ago!

“Funny you should mention that. I had just been in the woods and now I’m back at school. Granted it's not a jungle, but it puts us in a similar situation.” Joshua responded with a light chuckle. She had a sweet voice, not unlike a spring breeze in the early dawn. He enjoyed her light tones and chiming laugh. He looked back around the group and followed the minglers.

“Still, going back to school isn't all that bad. Surely you've gone to school, and I know school is a big scary place, but you'll make fast friends soon.” Joshua said with a deep laugh, placing his hands into his pockets.

“Oh it’s not necessarily school being a scary place, but rather, the situation being intimidating. The man who found me… said that I was a Mystic, and told me it was up to us to save the world from destruction. It’s a daunting thought, with so many questions… but it’s nice to know that I won’t be alone,” she explained, shaking her head, still thinking that she had gone crazy and would wake up somewhere in the jungle.

“Funny, we both came from similar places,” she commented, grinning a bit. He seemed so calm and relaxed about everything, and he seemed rather friendly. It was easy for her to gravitate towards him, for he seemed to be someone she could trust.

“Before you go out the house, always check the window.” Joshua said with a smile, giving her a light smile. He placed a light hand on her shoulder and motioned her to the group. Others had begun to talk with each other and Dorian was engrossed with his obvious family.

“It's something my grandfather tells me whenever I had to start on something that scared me. If you know what to expect, plan for that and be ready for what may come your way. We're going into this together, so we’ll watch each other's back.” Joshua said, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

“Assuming the outhouse has a window,” she teased, grinning at him again. “But I see what you mean, and it makes sense. All we can do is prepare and go from there. And yes… we’ll have each other’s backs. We’re not alone,” she said, still smiling. She could feel the sun against her skin and it was a rather nice change from the Amazon, where sun rarely penetrated the forest she had lived in for the past few weeks. “It feels so good to be in the sun again… it’s much better than a monsoon,” she commented, chuckling a little at the thought.

“ A monsoon huh? You survived a storm like that and you're worried about being a little shadow overhead.” Joshua said, chuckling on her response. He took a whiff of the air and let it go with a huff. The air was sweet and held promise, but with another scent tickling his nose. He looked to her and gave a curious sniff in her direction.

“You smell a bit different than a normal human.” Joshua asked. He knew it would be a bit rude to ask a personal question, but with the news Dorian had given them, getting to know the others would be paramount to learning to fight.

Ocella grinned. “Well, I had a bit of help,” she admitted, thinking back to Master Hillard and wondering when she would see him again. She looked back at him when he said that she smelled different than a normal human and shook her head, grinning at him. “Right, because that is completely something a normal human would say,” she countered, taking in a deep breath. She stood back from him, allowing herself to transform into her angelic form, large wingspan and all. “Half,” she answered, smirking as she took off into the air, doing a circle just once to allow her wings to soak up the sunlight. She landed mere inches away from him, a smirk still on her face. “What of you?” she asked, curious about the three freckles on his forehead.

“Oh, what makes you assume that I am nothing more than a human?” Joshua quipped to her, giving a large smile to her. Seeing her as an angel was a strange thing to see, even a half one. It was also rather showy for a first time meeting with him. With the fact that she didn't just greet herself to others and her nerves, he could guess that she was proud of that form.

“To admit, I am a dragon, sound dragon to be precise. I think it be best to show you later on when not standing out in the open.” Joshua said with a light frown, giving her a small look. He did give her a small treat and reformed his right hand into claw, scales flowing across his arm and down to his elbow.

“Because most humans aren’t able to smell if someone else is a human or not,” she commented, smirking. She raised an eyebrow when he said that he was a sound dragon, looking most intrigued. “And that wasn’t a show. I’ve been in the jungle for a few weeks now, this is my first real exposure to sunlight during that time. I just can’t help it,” she explained, though now that he mentioned it she quickly changed back to her human form and wrapped her arms around herself, looking rather insecure now.

She watched as he transformed his hand into a claw and her jaw just about dropped, though she couldn’t help but grin. “That is severely cool,” she commented, her voice low and quiet.

“Thank you. I can understand about being gone for a while without sun, though not due to being in the Amazon and in a monsoon.” Joshua said, seeing how quickly she had returned to human form. She didn’t seem very confident anymore now and he knew he said something wrong there. He let out a sigh.

“Hey, I promise to show you my new form, but honestly, a dragon is greeted a lot differently than an angel. Where most would revere and praise you, others would fight and challenge me. To prove their strength and show their skill.” Joshua said comfortingly to her. He didn't want the new friendship to turn sour so quickly.

“It’s a long story,” she said, glancing nervously over to Master Hillard. “He helped me out of it,” she said, nodding in his direction. “I wouldn’t know… until yesterday, only two people knew of my heritage- my family. Yesterday, Master Hillard found me in the jungle and discovered it. I’m not quite sure why I showed my wings… I suppose they missed the sun more than I thought,” she pondered, shaking her head.

“Still… I think it’s pretty cool that you’re a dragon. Nothing to be weary of. Or at least that’s what I think,” she said, offering him a smile.

“Don't worry, I won't attack you or anyone here unless needed. It's the others that I am worried about. I can sense at least two other dragons here. So, you were brought in by Mr wrinkles here? I was brought in by Dorian …. aaafter trying to fight him after showing up in a bolt of lightning.” Joshua said with a light laugh.

Ocella nodded in understanding. Her jaw dropped when he gave Master Hillard the nickname ‘Mr. Wrinkles’, looking to him in horror. “Don’t call him that- he’ll… he’ll…” Ocella looked to be having difficulty with her breathing as she looked to Master Hillard, trying to determine if he had heard that or not. “His name is Master Hillard Redscar…” she corrected him, wishing she could simply vanish away right then and there.

“Ah, I shall address him as such, though he will be addressed as Mr wrinkles. You look adorable when you're flustered.” Joshua said with an enjoyable smile. He gave her a light and stretched his shoulders, feeling his arms stretch and unwind a bit from the earlier travel.

Ocella’s jaw dropped as he said Mr. Wrinkles again. She found herself blushing a rather bright shade of red when he said she was adorable. “That may be but this is not the way to get me flustered!” Ocella said, her frame seeming to grow smaller. She looked to Master Hillard again and shook her head. “He fought off a MANTICORE! Imagine what he’ll do if he he hears that…” Ocella said, her eyes begging him to stop with the nickname. “If any of them hear that-” she looked to Master Dorian and his family, looking terrified. She visibly seemed panicked, and he was working her into a frenzy.

“Okay, okay. I promise to stop the nicknames, if it'll get you to relax.” Joshua said with a chuckled with the red blush glowing on her face. She was positively livid yet relaxed to some degree. He had done right to get her mind relaxed completely off the possible future.

“I will greet them responsibly, but hey, I got you to smile. Just look how focused you are right now, and may I ask one last question.” Joshua stated, leaning closer with a relaxed and coy smile.

“What is the right way to get you flustered then. Would love to see that red blush on your face more often?” Joshua charmed with a slight smile and a very light seductive glint to his eyes.

Ocella sighed in relief when he promised to stop the nicknames, visibly calming down almost at once. She smiled at his reasoning and nodded. “It’s true, and thank you,” she said, her smile growing just a little more as her blush began to fade. He requested one more question of her and leaned closer, a coy smile on his face that caused her to look at him curiously. As soon as he spoke, the blush returned to her face and she did her best not to look like a fool, not to fall over or say something stupid- but her expressions were exactly what he had been looking for. “Anything that won’t get you maimed or killed,” she answered, her face still red, though she smiled at him that much more. Her smile turned into a grin and she fought off the blush as best as she could, though it was clear he had won this time around.

“I will keep that in mind birdie. I personally don't like the idea of getting hurt or maimed either. I like breathing, and wish to keep it that way. Plus, I wanna see you smile and relax. Now, I can see a nudie Nancy already staring daggers into my back, so I’m going to see what she wants.” Joshua said with a polite bow, signaling the end of their time together.

“Just remember, we're in this together, so relax and remember. We're in this together, all of us. Unless I get strangled.” Joshua said as he headed over to Ali, giving Ocella a wave.

[Epostle]

A Man and His Dog

It was a late afternoon in the swamps of Louisiana. Frogs were hopping about and crickets were then finally begin chirping. It was hot as hell that day, being around the upper 90s. Mixed with the humidity and the rotting smell of a swamp, it wasn’t pleasant to say the least. Every time a step was made, a mushing, squishing, almost balloon-like sound would fill the air. The ground was super soft and almost made of pure mud and moss. The wetter areas only amplified these effects, especially going deeper within the swamp.

Hunting wasn’t ever superbly popular being on the land. Every now and then something would come out from behind the trees and make its way through, but nothing really worth killing. Alligator was what was on the menu for this day and time. Through not everyone’s favorite, Alligator does not taste that bad, and is in some cases, a delicacy. People around these parts tend to pronounce it by it’s nickname “Gater Huntin.” It was rare, but sometimes you would find some alligators on the banks of the swamps from where they would come to rest and dry out a bit before returning to their murky depths.

Bill was a good person. He lived in a small town around 20 miles up from where he currently was. He was pretty well built for his age. His skin was slightly wrinkled underneath his eyes, most likely from both squinting and aging. His face was rugged, with 2 piercing green eyes that showed by sympathy and dedication. He yielded a bit of a commanding presence, standing straight and tall, only hunching over to duck beneath the brushes and timber that would sometimes be in his way. He brought along his dog, Bourbon. His dog was named after one of his favorite past times. Bourbon was a German Shepherd, and was fully grown at this point. It would sometimes dart between the brushes, being somewhat playful, but also keeping a good scent on everything that it was tracking. It was loyal and obedient.

Taking on the hunt, Bill began to take upon a sweat a bit, due to the rigorous terrain and heat. By this time, he had already collected 3 alligators, and readied them for transportation back to the house. There he would be able to skin, gut, and prepare what he needed with the reptiles. After loading the alligators onto the back of his truck, he called upon his dog to sit in the back was the dead alligators. Bourbon caught up quickly and sprinted to the back of the truck, jumping as if it were one fluid motion. It was then Bill stated, “Good boy, tomorrow we’ll get some more. I think the old lady may tear me a new one once I get back for being so late.”

Bill closed the gate of his truck as he prepared to leave, but something a bit glittery caught his eye. “What you got there boy?” He looked and saw a small bottle that the dog was playing around with. Bill knew that Bourbon was too smart to get himself cut on the glass. So he decided to ignore it and proceed to lay the gun in his truck. “Damn… it’s hot out here…” He said to himself and he jostled in the truck a bit, preparing for the ride home. The night began to come at an alarming rate, and with that and the worry that his wife would beat him, he began to make his way home, with the rustle of an engine and old music blaring.

The Following Night

Bourbon was out in the yard, and had just got done playing with the glass object, when suddenly, something caught his attention. Bourbon was wild and enthusiastic about new noise and began to dart towards where the noise was coming from. It wasn’t too long that glass could be heard being broken. Bourbon spotted a few teens, no older than 15, going around and breaking things like they normally did. Bourbon took notice and saw them around the house, and began to wonder the outskirts of the forest, to keep a close eye on what they were doing. The man and wife were out and catching a movie at this time, but Bourbon was about to allow those boys to rough up the house, especially while the master was away. As soon as he got to a desired position, he began to growl, making known that he didn’t like what the boys were doing. They boys began to scatter as one trips in the soft spot that Bourbon had made. His ankle was twisted bad, and he began to hobble away with the help of his other friends. They made their way back into the woods, and most likely away from there. With the distraction gone and the home safe, Bourbon sat back up on the porch of the house. He circled a couple of times in front of the door and began to nod off. His job was done for the night.

A Week Later

Messing around in the small back yard of his home, Bill was splitting timber. The hard splitting chops could be heard quite a ways out and each swing of the axe hit its mark. The would faltered and split right down the middle, with great accuracy, and what would seem like ease. Bill was good at living off the land, doing his own things while still enjoying the other more modern things of life alike. It was early in the morning, the sun had just began to peer through. Sweat was beginning to roll through the ever increasing heat. He was hoping to be done soon so he could get in the house before it got too hot. Maybe have a few glasses of water and make a sandwich or two from the alligators he carved up a week ago.

After a few more pieces of timber, he noticed something a bit strange with his garden. The ground was starting to become more swampish than it normally did. It was weird due to the lack of rain, and the location he was at. He walked over to take a better look. Everything looked almost normal, except the ground looked a bit off. He put his hand on the ground, and like a sponge, it smooshed, squeezed, and gargled under the pressure. “Maybe there’s an underground spring close by that I never found.” He said to himself as he looked out, and wiped his hand off a bit. He decided that this part of the soil was ruined and it would be best to plow it over before it got worse and fill it with better soil. The rest of his day was consisting of that task, and the smell was terrible, almost like the soil was rotting.

2 Weeks Later

“This is terrible… I just don’t know what to do.” He said as he cough a wet and terrible cough. He was getting a little bit sick, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Bourbon had died the night before. He was found dead near the garden in which was spoiled. In fact, almost all of the property had began to take a turn for the worse. All of the ground was becoming murky and rotten. Weird vegetation began to grow, and if people thought rotten garbage smelled bad, then they had no clue how bad this plant smelled. It was as if someone had died, mixed that with sulfur, made that into a beverage, drank it, and crapped it back out. It was the worst experience that he has ever known. They day began to get worse as he took his dog back to the swamp to burry him. Bourbon loved the swamps and loved the hunt, so it was fitting that he took him to his favorite spot to be buried.

A small, handmade wooden cross was put on the soil where his best friend was buried. He then snorted into some tissue. This cold was becoming a nuisance and was not letting up. A few tears went down his face as he began to give his final farewells. He had Bourbon for at least 12 years. It was like losing a son he was never able to have. All the times began to flash back into his mind as he made his way back to the vehicle. With the turn of the ignition and one last look, he could only grieve, as he never thought this could get any worse.

Later that night, the cold was keeping him awake. Sweating began to take effect as well as hot flashes. His bed began to feel like a furnace, so he finally gave up on sleeping for the time being in order to get a drink of water. He flipped a light switch and began to fill up a glass of water almost immediately. After filling the glass and taking a chug of the cold, delightful liquid, he began to hear barking. He knew where it was coming from, and decided to get his gun ready. Stray dogs were a nuisance around that part, and sometimes they would get into things and break them. He listened for the barking some more and realized that it sounded a lot like Bourbon. That was impossible though, there is no way.

After hitting the outside in his sleepwear, he took off towards the woods in his back yard. After nothing could be heard. He was paranoid and the complete void of sound. Then another bark was heard, and it was to his right in the brushes of his back yard. His gun was loaded and ready to fire when he noticed, that the beast looked a lot like Bourbon. It came out of the brushes, still concealed by the shadow, whimpering. “Bourbon?” The man said as he took a better look, but it was really dark. The man then finally got a look at the dogs face and realized that it was indeed Bourbon, but there was something badly wrong. Bourbons left eye was intact, but the right eye had something along the lines of a tentacle hanging out. “What in the name…” before he was able to get out the next word, Bourbon had jumped and caught Bill on the arm.

The dog began to flail, ripping and tearing flesh from Bill’s arms, almost breaking it under the shear about of bite force. Bill finally got the dog off of him and slammed the mutt hard into the ground. Bill jumped back a bit, still in horrendous pain from that terrible bite. Bourbon arose once more, growling and snarling like it was possessed. Bill drew his gun as Bourbon sprinted towards him faster than he ever saw him do before. As the gun was raise, a light lit up at the end of the barrel, and before he could acknowledge it, pieces of his best friend were sprawled across the back yards. Bill threw down his gun and fell to the ground, almost gagging from what he had just done and witnessed. All of the sudden his wife ran out, bare foot and in a night gown, trying to find out what was going on. “It’s… Bourbon… or what was once him…he apparently was dead… just sick… shit…” He said as he held his arm and his wife looked him over. “We have to get you some emergency care… why and how did Bourbon do this? He was dead… I am positive he was dead.” She said to him reassuringly.

“We’ll worry about that later, I gotta stop this bleeding… you drive.” She swore at him as she went to the house quickly to find the keys to the truck. Bill began to walk along and to the vehicle, meeting her at the front porch. She opened the door and assisted him in the truck as she ran back to the driver side in a hurry. The truck started and they both started down the highway.

“We’re almost there, only 10 more minutes!” She said to him, trying to make sure he was still conscious. He was going in and out of consciousness as she was talking to him. For whatever reason, he was becoming angry at her. The constant talking kept annoying him, but he was powerless to do anything about it. They eventually made their way to the local doctor, since the hospital was in another town. The doctors office was a 24/7 office with many staffed there. After making it in the doorway, he and his wife were seen and they rushed immediately to aid them. “Get this man to the back now!” They said as they wasted no time getting him to the back. “Sir, are you still with me? We’re going… hospital…” Bill couldn’t keep awake anymore, he needed to sleep for some reason. He knew he shouldn’t be tired. The sleep was needed though, the sleep would make him feel better, at least the voice in his head told him.

1 Week Later

“This is Global Span reporting in. Many residents of this small community have been driven away by some weird and new fungus that is growing rapidly in the town. The smell is impossible to describe as I’m standing here. The ground is almost completely covered by this fungus that seems to just spread. Many researchers are looking into this new fungus in hopes to contained it. What’s more interesting is how many people have up and disappeared in the small town that was what people once called home. Search and rescue teams have been deployed so that we may be able to find these people. Here’s what some of the locals have to say.”

An elder woman begins to speak, “I’ve lived hear my whole life, but now I’m being forced out to begin in another place where I don’t belong. I hate to see it go. We shouldn’t have to leave.” A younger man begins to speak, “My water was beginning to taste a bit funny when I noticed that the pipes that were running to my sink were completely infested with roots. As much as I’ve cleaned it out, it just keeps growing and I don’t know what to do. This fungus has completely taken everything away from me. The fungus has made my wife sick, and doctors have told us that we need to leave because the climate is now inhospitable.”

The news reporter begins again “All of these stories and all of these lives that are now being changed. I only feel sorry for them, but researchers are completely astounded by what they see.” A man in a hazard suit begins to speak “It’s miraculous that something like this can spread so far and so wide in so little time. This fungus also has great mutation properties, changing faster than some viruses. We’re currently collecting samples to ship out to other parts of the world in very contained areas. So far, we have a researchers in China, England, Japan, Africa, all of them currently looking into this.” The woman then takes back the spotlight, “And there you have it folks. We’re hoping to…” a man interrupts the broadcast in the background “Bring the camera’s, you’ve got to see this!!!” The woman in shock, looks back and forth a bit and sends a gesture to follow them. The camera was bumping around at the fast movements.

It wasn’t but 5 minutes of blank footage later that they were in front of some sort of cave. The cave was filled with the same things that had infested the area, but further back, they found something that shocked everyone. “Is… is that…” the reported said shocked, looking at what appeared to be a human arm. The smell was even worse than before. “Cut the camera… we can’t show this on TV, cut the damned camera!!!” The camera then went blank.

This was the last that anyone had heard from any of the residents of that town, the camera crew, and anyone involved with the research and area. It was almost as if they had disappeared from the face of the planet. The spread of this new plant life however has grown 20 fold, taking over more towns and areas of the world.

[Kayser]

Art took a deep breath as he traversed through the portal, closing his eyes out of pure instinct, as if that would shield him from whatever was on the other side, it really wasn’t like he didn’t trust Dorian, even though he didn’t know him well, his words sounded sincere, he was just too new to everything related to magic, just a couple of weeks back his idea of magic was pulling a white rabbit out of a top hat.


As he stepped out of the portal he found himself in some kind of training facility, he could only speculate that that was blackbrick academy, the place Dorian was talking about…
There were other people in there too, all of them seemed to be around his age, some of them seemed to know each other, judging by how they were talking to each other so casually…
He spent the following 10 minutes awkwardly standing in place before he decided to approach someone and spark a conversation.


Kyori had managed to stay quiet the entire time as he watched everyone commingled and got to know each other. It was odd watching them and not wanting to participate. Usually he was very talkative, always smiling and laughing and having a great time, but lately his mood had turned for the worst. He trained day in and day out, but despite it all he didn’t have that many friends. He tightened his grip on the staff that the Elder gave him. It meant a lot that the Elder would entrust him with his staff.


While Art was usually a rather sociable guy, he felt rather sheepish at the moment, out of all the people in there he seemed like the plainest out of all of them, he doubted he could simply ask any of them what their favorite show was or what their favorite band was....
It wasn’t long before he noticed Kyori, as he was the only one who stood out for obvious reasons…
Despite his better judgement and out of sheer curiosity he approached the Mystic and asked; “Yo dude, are you some kinda monk or something?” Ignoring how rude it was to ask said question the way he did…
“Aaahhh.... Sorry, did that came off as rude? I shouldn’t had asked that… My name is Arián Arturo, but no one can pronounce that, so just call me Art.” Art said while stuttering nervously, his anxiety clear in his tone, to him it was official, this was the worst first impression of his entire life…


Kyori’s sapphire eyes fell on Art for a few moments as he spoke. Art was quite the attractive guy. His face was chiseled in all the right places. His eyes beautiful pools of jade. His messy hair only added to his attractiveness. Kyori found it hard to not smile when asked if he was a monk. He resisted the urge to reply in a joking manner, and simply nodded.


“Aren’t you rather observant,” he said forgoing his earlier thoughts of not making a ‘smart ass’ remark. “Kyori, Kyori Reynolds. It’s nice to meet you,” Kyori added noting the obvious nervousness Art was exuding, or was it anxiousness? Either way Kyori continued to smile and reached out to shake Art’s hand. “So I take it you were snatched away from your home as well?”


Art shook Kyori’s hand firmly without gripping too tightly, he wanted to avoid looking weird by placing a flaccid shake or a death grip in the young monk’s hand, making the whole deal a lot more awkward than he already had…
“Nice to meet you too. And yeah, I’m not sure if “snatched” would be the word, more like “Asked politely” but Yeah. Dorian brought me here… Again, sorry if I seemed rude before, that wasn’t my intention” Art said as he smiled clumsily back at Kyori, although not the way he had expected to, he was at least having a conversation with one of the other guys instead of standing in complete silence like an idiot… Besides all of that, Kyori seemed like a nice guy, he was willing to overlook Art’s dumb question…


“By the way, do you happen to know why we’re all here, Dorian didn’t tell me much about the whole thing… All I know is that where supposed to be Ancients or magics or something…..” Art said before remaining quiet for a little while. “Can you do what I do?” Art asked Kyori before he raised one of his hands, which subsequently turned into a metallic grey.


At least he wasn’t standing on the side silent like he had been when he first arrived. Art was his chance at making a friend. He watched him, he was adorable as he tried to not look as awkward as his actions were making him. Kyori thought it was cute. With how he was acting, one would have thought that he was the clumsiest guy ever, but Kyori simply stood there holding his staff with a soft smile on his face as he listened to Art speak. Kyori nodded when Art spoke about Dorian bringing him there and apologizing if he seemed rude at all.


“You know you can relax Art,” Kyori began, “although it is cute to see you all flustered.”


Was he flirting with this guy he didn’t even know? It was odd, but the Academy gave him comfort in knowing that he would be able to help protect those he loved.


“Oh, and what is it that you can do?” Kyori asked a smirk appearing on his face. Art raised his hand and they turned into a metallic grey. Kyori’s eyebrow raised in surprise. “So you’re the metal user? According to legend there was a group known as the Mystics that protected this world. I’m starting to believe the legends were true and we’re the next in line to protect this world.”

He let go of the staff and watched as he hovered in place on its own. “Although I don’t have metal skin, I can do something else,” he said as he held out a open palm towards the sky. Electric sparks formed into an orb above his hand and sustained there until he closed his hand and winked at Art. “I have a feeling you and I are going to get along.”


Art’s eyes widened as Kyori called him cute, it was just a small gesture and yet it still caught him off guard, he had never been called cute by a guy before, not that it bothered him or anything, it was uncommon, Art’s face became bright red and he was lost for words at that very moment…


Art watched in awe as Kyori demonstrated his powers, the hovering staff and the orb of electricity gave it away almost instantly, the monk’s powers had something to do with storms, or at least so figured Art.
“W-was that a conductivity joke? ...It was pretty good.” Art said before letting out a forced laugh in an attempt to hide how flustered he was at the moment…
Well, everything had turned rather well, Art had found a new friend and he was already getting complimented on the first day of school, all that was left was survive the rest of the training...

[Yamimoon]

A shadow jumped from tree to tree to quickly navigating the forest. Not even stopping when animals ran from the unearthly presence that was the shadow. Only taking a couple of minutes to get out of the forest and reach the course of the power that it was being drawn to. Once at the base of a dark mountain the shadow once again took human form, and Etrama was now standing there. Breathing a little hard since he pushed the spirits power to its limits. The spirit left his body returning to when’s it came.

Looking at the mountain he could feel the overwhelming magical energy. He hadn’t felt a power like this in a long time. However, he couldn’t tell where the course of this energy was coming from. It felt like the mountain it’s self was the course. Knowing that was impossible he decided to enlist some help from the corpses of what looked like a family of goblins. Bending down and touching one of the corpses he closed his eyes and concentrated on bringing back the creature’s soul. Summoning one of the goblins to do his bidding, the creature looked at the man with contempt in its eyes.

Etrama understood that the creature was not too happy with him, but he needed to know where this power was hiding. He would be unable to find it on his own. Well he would be able to find it, but he didn’t want to take the time to search the mountain for the entrance that must have been their “The dark power that is inhabiting this mountain I want to find it. Lead me to this power I will set you free.”

The goblin then smiled wickedly at the poor fool. He knew of whom this man sought, and he was more than willing to take him there. Aurorallii had been freed, and this man had been called by the dragon’s dark power. So he would be honored to take this master of the dark arts to see the dragon. For he is worthy to enter the tomb, though he didn’t know about the people that woke up Aurorallii. Though if they were not worthy then he would have killed them by now.

The goblin started to lead the way into the tomb, with Eterma right behind him. The entrance he took the man through was littered with the bodies of humans that had come to defile the dragons tomb. Etrama fallowed the goblin into the mountain, and past the bloody scene that was before them. “More worthless should to enter the spirit world.”

The goblin walked into a room that seemed to have people in it, and the magical power he had felt was getting even stronger. Once he entered the room he saw three men standing in the room, and one woman. Not saying a word, he only looked at the group of people. All of the three men were powerful in their own right. Though one of them had the power that he had felt. They were all practitioners of the dark arts, and that was reassuring. “Well it seems I was late for the party.”