IRISTHIEL
Eighteenth of December | Early Morning
She felt him before she saw him. Power radiated from him like coils of thick smoke or beams of ethereal light, depending on whether you were on his good or bad side. It was a magic she recognised all too well, having watched the Academy from a distance for some time. It was a relatively decent place to find blooming young talent, but not so often the types of mages she required, ones who had no moral qualms about doing what was necessary and craved rebellion. Yet a few members of Red Eclipse attended the Academy to keep watch and corrupt, because their guardians demanded it of them and because wrecking havoc on school grounds was simply satisfying.
The keys in his hands jingled irritably, giving her the distinct feeling of a fork scraping against her teeth. She loathed the sound of metal against metal, yet she remained unchanged, curled over in a small, pink and blue ball, with her head tucked against her arms. His feet hardly disturbed the water as he walked by, pausing at the gates.
"You should really be more careful, there are monsters out here," came his calm and low voice. Indeed, Iris mused. This world is overrun by monsters. Monsters such as yourself. She wondered if he was threatening her or merely stating an observation. Or both. She did not allow her amusement to peek through, having long mastered the art of maintaining one's facade and deceiving with not only her childish body but her feigned innocence. Her act was impenetrable by most counts and it forever would be.
"Anyway, I don't want there to be a dead body outside the gates, so come with me," he continued. What a grim statement. Cynical, self-aware and guarded, Iris concluded from what she'd seen of him. The gates whined open as Alistair Leviathan stepped through, his dark hair damp from the rain. He was exceptionally young for a teacher of the academy, and one especially held in such high regard. As one who favoured Xephereal type magic, Iris was well aware and attuned to the subject the young teacher taught. His last name was one familiar to most experienced mages who'd discovered their abilities a time ago and she knew his family and the circle they primarily belonged was one feared by many. Yet Aleistair Leviathan did not seem to be a part of that circle Red Eclipse was already affiliated with. He was a strange case indeed.
The small girl grasped to her feet, stumbling quickly through the gates before they shut. Her pink hair bobbed around her shoulders as she shuffled closer to the tall man, seemingly frightened of the vast expanse that was the Academy. Her gaze was shy and uncertain. staring at her shuffling feet as she walked. Her red ballet flats were soaked through, clutching a pair of small, dainty feet for dear life. The two figures, one leading and another following, headed towards the one of the classrooms. The young girl was utterly silent.
She looked around with wide eyes, taking in the strange mechanisms of a classroom built to teach magic. Her long lashes were glazed with a sheen of liquid, framing impossibly large emerald orbs. Iris clutched her arms tighter around her shivering body, the cold taking its toll and causing her body to tremble uncontrollably. She stood in the corner just outside the door, rubbing her feet together and looking wholly uncertain. She was frightened and her mother had warned her not to follow strange men, especially not into secluded classrooms filled with strange magic. But she'd been so very cold, lost, alone and - her stomach growled loudly - hungry.
Her eyes lifted slowly to meet a pair of incandescent, ruby eyes, her gaze widening gently with surprise. Her lips parted as if to speak but were quickly shut tight, the movement doing nothing to make them look any less blue and cold. She did not speak for either fear of punishment, nervousness of something else. Instead she rubbed at her arms, her sleeves falling back to reveal rows upon rows of horrid bruises.
Eighteenth of December | Early Morning
She felt him before she saw him. Power radiated from him like coils of thick smoke or beams of ethereal light, depending on whether you were on his good or bad side. It was a magic she recognised all too well, having watched the Academy from a distance for some time. It was a relatively decent place to find blooming young talent, but not so often the types of mages she required, ones who had no moral qualms about doing what was necessary and craved rebellion. Yet a few members of Red Eclipse attended the Academy to keep watch and corrupt, because their guardians demanded it of them and because wrecking havoc on school grounds was simply satisfying.
The keys in his hands jingled irritably, giving her the distinct feeling of a fork scraping against her teeth. She loathed the sound of metal against metal, yet she remained unchanged, curled over in a small, pink and blue ball, with her head tucked against her arms. His feet hardly disturbed the water as he walked by, pausing at the gates.
"You should really be more careful, there are monsters out here," came his calm and low voice. Indeed, Iris mused. This world is overrun by monsters. Monsters such as yourself. She wondered if he was threatening her or merely stating an observation. Or both. She did not allow her amusement to peek through, having long mastered the art of maintaining one's facade and deceiving with not only her childish body but her feigned innocence. Her act was impenetrable by most counts and it forever would be.
"Anyway, I don't want there to be a dead body outside the gates, so come with me," he continued. What a grim statement. Cynical, self-aware and guarded, Iris concluded from what she'd seen of him. The gates whined open as Alistair Leviathan stepped through, his dark hair damp from the rain. He was exceptionally young for a teacher of the academy, and one especially held in such high regard. As one who favoured Xephereal type magic, Iris was well aware and attuned to the subject the young teacher taught. His last name was one familiar to most experienced mages who'd discovered their abilities a time ago and she knew his family and the circle they primarily belonged was one feared by many. Yet Aleistair Leviathan did not seem to be a part of that circle Red Eclipse was already affiliated with. He was a strange case indeed.
The small girl grasped to her feet, stumbling quickly through the gates before they shut. Her pink hair bobbed around her shoulders as she shuffled closer to the tall man, seemingly frightened of the vast expanse that was the Academy. Her gaze was shy and uncertain. staring at her shuffling feet as she walked. Her red ballet flats were soaked through, clutching a pair of small, dainty feet for dear life. The two figures, one leading and another following, headed towards the one of the classrooms. The young girl was utterly silent.
She looked around with wide eyes, taking in the strange mechanisms of a classroom built to teach magic. Her long lashes were glazed with a sheen of liquid, framing impossibly large emerald orbs. Iris clutched her arms tighter around her shivering body, the cold taking its toll and causing her body to tremble uncontrollably. She stood in the corner just outside the door, rubbing her feet together and looking wholly uncertain. She was frightened and her mother had warned her not to follow strange men, especially not into secluded classrooms filled with strange magic. But she'd been so very cold, lost, alone and - her stomach growled loudly - hungry.
Her eyes lifted slowly to meet a pair of incandescent, ruby eyes, her gaze widening gently with surprise. Her lips parted as if to speak but were quickly shut tight, the movement doing nothing to make them look any less blue and cold. She did not speak for either fear of punishment, nervousness of something else. Instead she rubbed at her arms, her sleeves falling back to reveal rows upon rows of horrid bruises.