With Adamus Locke behind her, Delphine Vawdrey gracefully processed down the fort's outdoor staircase, and into the courtyard. "Dee," her partner in crime started, "Are you going to continue on with the orientation even if all thirty of them aren't present?" She turned around for a second, and gave him a hard glare. "Of course. I cannot force them to come. It is their problem if they would rather disregard our resourceful information and have themselves slaughtered by demons in two days tops. If they do not wish to see their future again, however pleasant it may be compared to this time, then so be it."
She sauntered her way up to the fountain, reaching the students' line of sight. Delphine seemed to gaze at each and every one of them with petrifyingly sepia-colored eyes. To her surprise, quite a few of the thirty showed up. Not all of them, unfortunately, but a decent amount. She planted her feet about six feet away from them, while Adamus took his stance behind her. He crossed his arms behind his back in a military-like fashion, and watched the present scene unfold.
"Good afternoon, newly recruited," she began, her voice sounding firm, deep, and robust. Whenever she spoke, silence was always sure to follow. She had used the term "newly recruited" instead of "students" because she knew the fort was not a school. Delphine didn't feel like it was her job to teach these young adults. However, they were obligated to learn. "I am sure that most of you have already acquainted yourself with the fort's interior and exterior. Now that you know the basis of it, I will ask it of each of you to respect it as if it were your own.â
She paced back and forth. The woman stared ahead towards the forest and the fort rather than at the young adults who watched her from a perpendicular spectrum. Adamus crossed his arms, and at times, turned his gaze downwards towards the grayish-black stone tiles of the courtyard. âI will now state how things are going to work around here.â Delphine stated boldly, âI advise you to keep these standards in your minds at all times. In other words, break any of these rules, and it is your quandary, not mine. I am only here to ensure all of you are safe, as Adamus has instructed me.â She turned back to face the man, who gave a small nod, and then placed her arms in front of her, and gripped them tightly.
âFirst and foremost, this fort is not a school, nor is it a college or institution. It was never established as a school, and it will not be referred to as a school. Our ancestors have simply referred to it as a âheadquartersâ of sorts, a safe-haven where not only magic-users are protected, but are given tools to aid them in a secretive and prejudiced world.âDelphine then gazed sharply at Jenny as she spoke, at least, that was what the young French girl was getting from her stern, heart-stopping glare. âWhen I say a prejudiced world, I am referring to the many peoples in this area who are unfamiliar with magic. There are people who do not believe in it, and who understand it to be a vile craft. It is because of these peoplesâ views that I ask each of you to be cautious to an extreme degree. You do not want to reveal your identities to them, as they may not be so willing to accept youâŠâ
Adamus then quickly stepped up to speak, âIn addition to what Dee has just said, Iâd like to add that every little thing you do in this past will add up in the future.â Delphine strongly held her gaze on Adamus. She preferred the title âMadame Vawdreyâ in front of those who were below her in rank, and he knew it better than anyone else. âIf you arenât careful, the eradication of the demons may not be the only thing you change in the future. It is because of this that we ask you tell us where you are going. We donât mean to invade your privacy or personal boundaries, but we just want to complete this mission as subtly as possible.â He then stepped back, letting Delphine take the stage once again.
She cleared her throat, and then spoke clearly, âNow, as for what you will be learning here and how you will be learning it, we have set up a structure for all of you so that you will learn to harness your powers, as well as other skills that may come in handy as we all try to find and rid of these demons once and for all. Including Adamus, there are six instructors who will be teaching you a certain subject of magic. Five of them will be mentors for a specific class of magic. When I mean class, I mean what certain category your special power belongs to. I am sure Adamus has already explained, but if you need help figuring out your class of magic, you can see me after this orientation, and I will further explain it to you.â
Delphine then moved farther back, and started to project her voice. âBecause the world and the future is at stake here, in addition to whatever special power you may have, we are going to require that everyone practice in at least one of the magic sub-sets per day. There is alchemy, taught by myself, runes translation, enchanting, transfiguration, which involves shape-shifting and such, and finally, summoning, like soâŠ.â In a split second, Delphine had drawn a bow from behind her back. She turned around, revealing a quiver of arrows strapped around her right shoulder. Clearly, the items hadnât been in her possession before the orientation. If one had inspected the situation closely, they would notice that Delphine had supernaturally taken Oasisâs bow, as it was missing from the red-haired girlâs possession. The quiver of arrows, however, was a mystery. Delphine moved slightly closer to the targets that were set up far away from the fountain, and continued to speak.
âIn addition to using magic, we would also like you to train in combat, as it is useful to know, and valuable in certain situations you may encounter.â She carefully gripped just below the tip of an arrow, and with her fingers clenched in a fist, she lighted it on fire. âThere will be chests set up around the courtyard that will be filled with a variety of weapons, such as bows, maces, flails, swords, and knives. You may train with them as much as you like, but please do not destroy them too much. Some are very ancientâŠâ She strung the flaming arrow into the bow, pulled the string, and aimed for the target. Her stance as an archer was impeccable. You could tell just by her mannerisms that she was extraordinarily professional in the art of archery. âAs for practicing, you may do it alone or with others. There is really nothing to say about the subject of the matter, HOWEVER, if someone is irrationally fighting another for purposes other than training, there WILL be consequencesâŠâ She let go of the string, sending the arrow flying through the air. With extreme speed, it hit the target right in the center. The flame was then put out, leaving a distinct black mark right on the targetâs bullseye.
The bow then disappeared out of Delphineâs hands, and found itself perched right next to Oasisâs feet. The tan-skinned woman sauntered back up to the young adults. âNow, tonight is the Holiday of Mages, and so normal protocol will not commence until tomorrow. We ask each of you to celebrate the holiday with us, as it is a traditional part of our culture. Of course, just entering under the wing and protection of the Five Mages, it would be incredibly wise to make an outstanding first impression on them. You may not believe soâŠbut they are always watching over us.â She turned her head towards Adamus. He gave a quick nod again, the same expression plastered upon his ancient-looking face. âFormal attire appropriate for the holiday can be found in each of your rooms. While you all get ready, Adamus and I will be decorating the courtyard. The Holiday of the Mages is a festivity that you certainly do not want to miss out onâŠâ
Delphine took a moment to let the last sentence sink in, and then spoke louder than before, âThat is the end of the meeting. If you have any questions you pray need answered, I will be staying put for a few more minutes in order to quell your curiosity. As for the rest of you, I encourage you to make haste and get ready for the feast we will be having in a few short moments. Thank you all for your participation.â
Everything seemed quiet at first, but then the ball got rolling again. As Adamus gave a gentle smile upon the group, Jenny got up from the edge of the fountain, and made her way towards the staircase that would bring her towards the inside of the fort. She had no questions, as she remembered the talk Adamus had given the group about the different classes of magic. Although the orientation had been simple and to-the-point, Jenny couldnât help but feel a little overwhelmed. Hopefully sheâd get to drown her anxiety in plentiful food, as the Holiday of the Mages sounded absolutely exquisiteâŠ.