Etelka was glad the mage would allow her clothes to be examined, having mental notes for most types of clothing would allowed easy repairs and replication. Miss Sawada then proceeded to ask some questions, also requesting tips on the art. The demon was unsure why this mage was so interested in stitching and sewing, but if she wanted lessons then then the servant had no reason to decline. "I do not know if I am good at stitch work as I have little to compare myself to, I am better then my teacher, that I know. If you wish to improve in the art then I shall oblige with my Lords permission." Etelka was unsure as to how good of a teacher she would be, her reference for teaching was a little to rigorous and harsh to apply to the young mage. She would try think of some useful tidbits of information and tricks to tell the girl later.

The mage girl suddenly desired to run ahead, spouting the oddest words before doing so. While Etelka was not going to protest with the human, despite that she had it backwards as to which species was supposed to scout ahead. The three demons continued on for a bit until the rabbit halted and looked into a shop. "Yes technically those are textiles, a lot of things are textiles. However this is not a textile shop." Her response fell onto deaf ears as Kou darted into the shop that was clearly not the demons destination. Despite lacking interest in the shop she also wished to stay in the same area for as long as possible so the mage could find them easily.

Sprinting off was a rather dim witted thing to do, none of the four had any way to find her were she to get in trouble. Etelka exhaled deeply as she entered the shop full of trinkets and other such things. Not caring to browse the girl followed the rabbit’s eyes to see what seemed to be enthralling her. The main trinket of interest seemed to be shaped as a small sword, it didn’t seem to deserve the attention it was given. Etelka found the thing rather dull, so she left Kou to enjoy herself observing this nonsense. The girl made her way over to the exit and waited close to it until the other demon finished what she was doing.

---

---

Upon revealing what country Liliane hailed from Muse seemed surprised. Apparently, the demon also hailed from the Germany. It made Lili feel more comfortable with the demon knowing they were of the same nationality. Muse then asked of Momoko's nationality. Liliane had already guessed roughly due to the young girl's fashion sense but wasn't one hundred percent sure due to Momoko's hair and eye color. She looked to be from Europe at least but her answer was indeed Japan.

Before the group left for the town Momoko's teammates caught up. So Momoko left to join them quite abruptly but Liliane had the previous night to grow accustomed to the Japanese girl's impulsive behavior. Lili was already planning out the what to do with just her and Muse when Bugby approached. He said that he would be joining their group. Before Lili could utter a word Muse spoke what was already on her mind.

There seemed to still be an issue of students missing but Liliane didn't have much to dwell on the thoughts before everyone set out for the town. Upon reaching their destination the Headmaster gave his twist on the day's events saying there would be some sort of surprise. The mage didn't waste too much time pondering over what the "surprise" could be. It was impossible to know without further information so she would enjoy the time spent in the time as much as she could.

"So what should we do first?" Muse asked. She gave a few suggestions and Liliane still felt the need to shop for Muse but the fact that Bugby was now in their group changed the plans. Lili had to consider his suggestions as well.

"It is not known how often we will be able to shop freely like this in the future so we should take full advantage of this special occasion. I personally, would like to shop for Muse that way she can have some possessions. Especially, because it seems the academy is having a close eye on her. This is what we originally planned. I personally don't need anything at the moment because my priority is making sure my teammate is happy. And at the moment, Bugby, you are also a teammate so you may give a suggestion as what you want to do as well."


"What if he wants to go do something else?" Sarah butted into the conversation after catching up with her group. She had used some medicine from the nurse had given Sarah a few days back when she was having similar symptoms back then. It wasn't until now that the medicine was finally kicking in. Sarah felt a little better at least. She just hoped the medicine would last throughout the day. "I don't think shopping is much of a hobby men enjoy as much as girls. So you two can go on ahead and do your thing and I'll escort Bugby to wherever he fancies going." Sarah then turned to Bugby.

"Sorry for the sudden intrusion. I didn't know if you wanted to be stuck window shopping with the girls or not." Sarah sudden placed a hand over her mouth as if realizing something. "Unless, you wanted to go clothes shopping. In that case I'm very sorry! Either way, you lead on from here. I hope you don't find hanging out with one of the instructors annoying. I promise to not bother you. Oh, and I have a list of the places the town has." Sarah said as she pulled out something resembling a pamphlet and handed it to Bugby. "Just say what interest you and we can be on our way." Sarah said giving her usual smile. It seemed to be a bit more convincing than her attempt in the classroom. Or at least she hoped.

Ruzik looked to the boy with visible amusement and couldn’t resist the urge to grin at him, the evident distrust that was oozing from the lad was undeniable and Laurence even admitted it to the demon straight. ”At least your straight-up honest, kid.” As the two males walked along and after the mage answered his question, the incubus tilted his head a little and gazed to the shorter boy. Laurence had asked how Ruzik had ended up at the academy and enquired about his name, a strange thing perhaps though the redhead hadn’t really thought of how unusual his name was. He had always had it and was assumingly given the name out of love by someone who cared enough to name him, but that was about it.

”Some mages caught me and dragged me to the academy, I didn’t want to be here unlike you and I still don’t, so you know.” He answered and forced his stare to turn a little more serious to emphasize his feelings. ”As for my name, well it is what it is and I actually quite like it. It’s something different, just like me, and I like to make sure that no one ever forgets it either.” Soon the focus was moved back onto the game that Ruzik had suggested and the demon grinned wickedly, feeling a little more enthusiastic once seeing how determined the mage was to beat him. So far one mage had already defeated the incubus quite badly and he wasn’t about to let it happen again, though at least Mikari and the other staff weren’t about this time and so things wouldn’t be so easily disrupted.

”Well someone’s confident,” Flashing a sharky-grin the demon gave a quick look-around to see if anyone was watching them, though nobody was and the Headmaster looked asleep according to Ruzik, which was brilliant timing. However it was only then did the redhead get a fun idea and quickly turned to Laurence as result, grinning even more before quietly instructing the boy. ”I’m sure they sell water about here, don’t they? Go get some water and meet me round the back of these buildings, I have an idea for what our game can be.”

With that Ruzik gave a nod to the mage having given him his objective, which was to simply get water. What could be hard about that? Not a lot though its use would prove greater if what Ruzik had in mind worked. ”Now get going and don't take all day. We only have an hour so best not waste it.” Having said his piece Ruzik turned and strolled casually down one of the alleys to wait for the mage.

Bugby had been listening to both Muse and Liliane until the woman spoke up, gaining his attention for the moment as he looked to her. It was strange to see someone considering his own interests, besides Cleo, though he didn’t exactly know the teacher overly well beside their class from a few days ago when the students were pitted against monsters.

”Yeah, guess shopping is more for girls.” The boy wasn’t really the type to go shopping, or at least he had his own distinct style and therefore anything beyond that rarely interested him, per say. Bugby wasn’t in any dire need of clothes either, compared to the girls perhaps, so leaving them to it wasn’t entirely a bad idea. It wasn’t long after that the woman handed him something similar to a pamphlet of sorts, to which he held in his hand and looked it over. ”I am perfectly capable of watching over myself Miss. Rayne, you needn’t inconvenience yourself, unless you really want to.” Moving his gaze over, Bugby turned to the two girls and offered a smile to the pair. ”You both should go shopping, it sounds like a nice idea and if it helps Muse, then all more for it. I however, don’t need anything since my parents provide me with things that I need.”

Placing the pamphlet into one of his pockets Bugby then returned his gaze to the teacher. ”Thanks for the list, I’ll be sure to keep a hold of it. If that’s all then I think I’ll be good to go on my own, since I know where I’m going I believe. Besides, I have my own group and when they return I’ll be sure to find them, since we’re family and all.” Whether the woman followed him the boy didn’t mind either way, as Bugby bid a farewell to the girls and took his leave from the group. ”See you later.” Giving a brief wave the demon headed off down the path, keeping his hands in his pockets as he walked. Hopefully they didn’t think of him as rude, but the boy was fairly competent on his own and ‘girl stuff’ wasn’t his thing anyway.

---

Laurence listened to what the demon said and quite frankly he wasn’t that surprised when hearing how Ruzik had been practically dragged to the academy, against his will no doubt, but the mage couldn’t bring himself to feel completely sorry for the redhead. Instead, the boy kept quiet and continued to listen, until Ruzik turned and gave a grin at the boy which unnerved Laurence slightly. Raising an eyebrow, he felt somewhat confused at first when the demon asked if the town sold water. As far as the boy knew they did, or at least he just assumed so, though as to why Ruzik cared for it he didn’t know.

”Uh, I think so.” He answered a little unsurely, before looking up at the demon when ordered to get some. ”Wait, why do I have to get it? It’s your idea!” His words had seem to have fallen on deaf ears as Ruzik continued on before taking his leave down an alley, presuming Laurence would fetch the water, which the mage would likely do despite whatever protest he gave. ”Fine, I’ll see you soon then.”

Sighing a little to himself, the boy turned and headed off in another direction as he searched for water. Using his common sense the first place he went to was a local shop, which he assumed sold every-day things. But then, what sort of water was Ruzik after? Laurence presumed bottled, given that it was the easiest to acquire and handle. With that in mind he entered the shop and made his way over to the drinks section that lay on the opposite side, before scooping up a few bottles in his arms that he could carry, and quickly took them over to the counter. The mage also snagged a few snacks as well, and Laurence got everything for free as expected before taking his leave from the shop. At least the Headmaster had been true to his word, for now. Thankfully the woman from the counter had put everything into a plastic bag and so the boy could carry it around much more easily, as the mage began to make his way back to the demon.

Sometime later Laurence returned to the area where he had been with Ruzik, before walking down the alley and soon enough found himself back with the redhead. Without saying anything at first, he held out the bag filled with bottles of water and snacks towards the demon. ”I got the water, but what’s it for?” He asked, giving Ruzik a questioning stare. ”That’s all I’m getting for you, I’m not some servant to do your donkeywork you know. At least, if you don't tell me what you're planning.”

---

---

---

Momoko had ran further up the street before scanning over the area, her eyes keeping a keen look-out for any shops that would prove useful to the group of girls, and perhaps make the mage feel a bit more helpful to her friends. That’s what they were, correct? They might have not known one another that long but given their friendliness, it was more pleasant to view them as friends than strangers.

Having come to a gradual stop, the girl began to walk along the pavement as she gazed into a few of the shop windows. The first few were book shops mostly, selling this and that for those eager to read, as well as a flower shop towards the end of the street. Shaking her head, Momoko refocused on her objective and looked about some more until coming across an unusual stand that contained many pieces of folded up paper. Taking one and opening it, the paper turned out to be much bigger than originally thought, and quickly the mage realized it was a map.

Gasping ever so slightly the girl beamed a smile and quickly scrambled round, taking the map with her as the girl assumed it was free, and began to run back the way she had came to find her group once again. However Momoko held the large map out in front of her and by sheer luck, hadn’t bumped into anyone as she retreated back to the location she believed her friends to be. Somewhat blindly, Momoko ran with the map held out and weaved in and out through the passerby’s, occasionally calling out the names of the three demons now and again.

Managing not to stumble over, Momoko eventually made her way back to where the girls were or so she believed, as she loudly yelled, ”Hey guys, I found a map!” When trying to make a quick turn the girl ran into the doorframe of a shop-door, bouncing back a little out of force as the mage shakily regained her balance. Fumbling around, Momoko stared in through the shop-window when noticing the familiar faces of the girls inside of the shop. Excitedly she called to them, ”Guys, I found a map. I think I know where to go, look, look!” Remaining outside the mage stepped to the side and flopped the map out in front of her again, glancing over it, before allowing her gaze to wonder over the entire street.

Etelka looked over to the doorway as she heard the mage shouting front the street. As they collided with the doorway the demon sighed, she didn't realize it was possible to lack this much grace. Wandering over to the mage she gazed over the sprawled out map for a while, trying her best to commit most of the town’s layout to memory. Locating the area where textiles would most likely be sold didn't take long; more time was spent on analyzing street layout in case they were required to return.

Looking up from the map the demon looked down the road where they would be going. "I see where we decided to go, no need to delay any further." With that Etelka went off towards the destination, for the first time looking around at towns residents. Doing so brought no feeling she hadn't felt before, her style of dress always made her feel out of place in public. People oft gave her odd glances but rarely was she bothered, right now she was more bothered simply but the amount of people around. Travelling at night prior to now she had grown accustomed to vastly smaller amounts of people.

Etelka did not particularly care in the other girls were following her, the rabbit was with her mage so the group could deal with trouble. Keeping an eye on the open windows of shops it wasn't long before she found one that dealt in the materials she desired. Wasting no time she entered, curtsying to the human at the counter before perusing the textiles. Etelka wandered around, feeling fabrics and checking if they were the kind of composition and colour she desired.

Ruzik had been waiting for the boy to return, and once he had, the demon looked to the mage and grinned. ”About time,” He said and eyed up the bag that was offered to him. ”Nice to see you got what I asked, though it wasn’t exactly a difficult task was it? Anyway come on, I’ll fill you in later.” Wasting little time Ruzik lead the boy further down the alley until coming across a set of ladders against a wall, which lead to the roof of one of the buildings. Staring up at the top momentarily the demon then gave the mage a look. ”You coming?”

Not even waiting for a response he snatched the bag from Laurence and then placed a foot against one of the steps before climbing up a little, gaining his footing, before continuing up the ladder until reaching the edge of the roof. Pulling himself up and over, Ruzik gave a wave to Laurence and called for him to hurry up, before slowly standing upright a little uneasily whilst he waited for the other boy.

Later and once the mage had rejoined him, Ruzik eagerly continued to guide the pair across a few of the rooftops that were close to one another. It was by no means encouraged for people to do such a thing but the incubus thought differently, taking a slight risk as both he and the mage carefully maneuvered across the slated surface. Thankfully no major incident had occurred though Ruzik did nearly stumble a few times, until he arrived on the side of a rooftop that overlooked a familiar part of town. Stopping, he turned back to the mage. ”Keep up, it’s better to travel this way as no one will notice us. Now, come on. Unless you have any issues?”

Laurence couldn’t help but let out an uneasy sigh as the demon asked him to follow the redhead up a ladder, as it wasn’t exactly something he had planned on doing, so the mage was naturally somewhat hesitant to climb up. However, despite initial protests, the boy decided to go along with it, if not for the sake of ensuring Ruzik didn’t get into any trouble. ”Yeah, I’m coming!” Since the demon had taken the bag climbing was a bit easier, as the mage gradually made his way to the top of the roof. However, although not having any fear of heights, being up as high as they were was a bit uncomforting to say the least.

It wasn’t long until Ruzik began to lead the pair across a few of the neighbouring rooftops, though of course Laurence wondered as to why they were using such a means to travel, though regardless, the mage still went along with it. Somewhat shakily the boy hurried on behind the demon, waving his arms about on either side for balance, as the two of them made their way over the rooftops. ”Hey, do you know where you’re going?” He asked after the pair had come to a halt, raising a questioning eyebrow to the demon. ”It’s pretty dangerous to be wandering about up here, especially when you still haven’t told me what you’re actually doing. We could fall you know, or something worse.”

Perhaps the boy was exaggerating a little, but he was still right to express concern at any rate. He was stuck on a rooftop with a demon he didn’t trust, and still had no clue why they were up there in the first place. ”Look, if this is some game you’re playing then it isn’t funny. Why don’t we just go back down and do something else… and I don’t even know if we’re allowed up here anyway, we could be breaking rules!”

---

---

---

Momoko watched as Etelka studied over the map that she held, before taking the lead and heading down a selected path that would presumably lead to their destination. The mage refrained from saying anything at first, merely giving a nod of agreement, before turning to Kou. ”Looks like Etelka knows where to go, so we should just follow her.” She said happily before folding the map and placing it into one of her pockets, and then taking a step forward. ”We best hurry to make sure we don’t lose sight of Etelka!”

With that said the mage called for both Kou and Venom to follow, as Momoko continued forward as she kept a slight visual on the other demon that was already ahead of them. By the time the demon girl had already entered the shop of her choice, the mage was only a few shops behind her, as Momoko peered into every shop-window on the way there. Surprisingly, despite coming from a town that had plenty of shops of its own, being in this strange town still felt completely new to her, in an odd way.

Assuming both of the other demons were close-by, or on their way there, Momoko didn’t feel a need to worry about them just yet as she found herself outside of the shop that Etelka had disappeared into. Quickly entering, Momoko looked over the area and eyed up all the pieces it had to offer. Truly there was plenty to choose from, though given her poor ability to use such material, the mage couldn’t help but sigh a little in slight defeat. ”I want to make something but I don’t know what.” She told herself quietly, a few thoughts passing her mind as she wondered what she could possibly produce from such fabrics. Not a lot she mused, but it was worth the effort to try at least. With that in mind Momoko made her way over to where Etelka was, hoping she wasn’t bothering the demon who seemed a bit focused. ”Say Etelka, if you do not mind me asking… what do you plan to do with your fabric? Are you going to make something? Or...”

Pausing for a moment the girl waited for Kou to arrive, as then maybe she could ask the rabbit for suggestions as well. Or, maybe she could just make something for Kou? That was an idea, and there was always Ruzik, but there was also a high chance the redhead would reject her gift. He seemed the type and Momoko didn’t wish to anger him, so she quickly dismissed the idea. ”Maybe I could make something for myself, to start with at least. I am not that good so perhaps that is best.”

As Midora was still walking towards his best friend's room, he suddenly heard his phone was ringing. Taking the device out, he swiped the screen as a message from his hot-headed was sent. Stopping for a moment, he opened the message and read. Midora knows that this could mean either he would be given an errand to do or he will be informed of something. However, Midora had lived long enough to know the Demons all so well. Whatever Memphis up to could only mean one thing: trouble. Somehow he felt that his Sensei must had had a hard time keeping his beloved son in tamed, no doubts. But there's nothing that his Sensei couldn't do and for that, Midora always looked up to him.

Narrowing his eyes as he read the message, Midora could only wondering what schemes are the red-head Headmaster having up to his sleeves right now. Has he forgotten what purposes Raiden came here for? If anything serious happened, Midora has no doubts that his Sensei will personally come here himself. After all, he was a Legendary Mage and a father. And fathers will know how to take good care of their kids even if they're far away. If anything happened to the Demon, Midora wasn't sure if even he can do anything to help him.

Sighing, he put his phone away and continued walking on the hall. Classes had begun and all students are now in their own. Another seemingly busy day, it seemed. Midora just hoping that he won't have to waste his energy on any stupid problems that could occur. Dark Mages are dwellers of darkness and it is their fate to remain in the dark. Only if the problems are serious that their powers and experiences are needed. Then it hit Midora that he's going to have a new mage today, since Ichiro was moved.

As he reached Mikari's room, he knocked on the door and then opened it. Only to see both his best friend and the Lunar Deity together. Midora sighed, "There's no time for dating now, baka. Would you mind checking the time and place for me just once?" He said to his fellow Mage without paying much attention with the god in front of him.

"What do you mean, 'dating'?" Mikari was a bit surprised at first and the laughed it off, "Just for you know, I'm not that interested in the hentai-kami. I'm just taking a few minutes break, that's all."

"Whatever. Just leave it until after work." Midora let out another sigh, "Let's go for now. Memphis's going to up to something and I don't want to spend my day negotiating with the whole town if something goes wrong by his mischief. We're the only one left and I have a Mage to pick up."

"Yeah, yeah. Coming right up. Quit the bossing part already." Mikari said playfully as he stood up and walked to his friend. Before they left, he turned his back to the purple-haired man, "I guess we can talk at a more suitable time. See you again sometimes." He said as he closed the door and headed towards the entrance with Midora.

"So... what exactly is he up to right now?" Mikari asked as they were walking.

"No ideas. But he said that if he'd told me about it before, I wouldn't have accepted it so it could only means that we're going to have yet a long day." Midora replied with no emotion in his tone.

"Sounds like a typical hot-headed Demon, huh? Oh well, I hope he's still remembering that Raiden-kun was watching him. Maybe Sensei would even pay a visit if something really happened." Mikari giggled, "And your new student?"

"I saved him once when I was sent along with the other six to a region in Sweden to solve the conflicts between Demons and Mages there a long while ago. He was only a kid back then but he already has that confident gleam in his eyes." Midora replied, "Perhaps he'd be more disciplined than Ichiro. Never have thought him to have the talent though."

"Hehe. Awesome teachers needed to have awesome students too, don't you think." Mikari winked.

As they talked and walked, a short boy with silver hair standing near the entrance soon entered their sight. As they approached him, Midora spoke up, "Olov Folgren." When he has gained his attention, he stood right in front of him, "I suppose you were waiting for me?" He bent down a little bit as their faces met, though his expression still remains stoic. He reached his hand and held Olov's chin by his fingers, "I hope you haven't forgotten the person who saved you from those rogue Demons back then. It's been a while since the last time we met. Though, I must admit that it was quite remarkable for you to grew up this much. Let's hope that you will show me your best."

With that said, he straighten himself up, "As you might have been informed, I'll be your supervise teacher from now on. If you're having any questions, you may ask now before we leave for your first assignment."

---

---

Olov stood waiting by the entrance as instructed by a member of staff, apparently he was to stand there and await the arrival of his supervising teacher, Mr. Kurayami. The name though was already familiar to him and it hadn’t taken the boy long to recall the face that belonged to the name, a dark mage who he had met once before, during his childhood. However there was little time to reminisce over that point of his life as before he knew it the very mage who lingered in his thoughts was approaching, along with another mage presumably, which caused Olov to take a few steps toward the pair until eventually they met one another.

The black-haired man said his name to which the boy gave a nod, and then stopped, as the older mage grew closer to the younger male. Towards his question the student merely gave a quiet, ”Ja.” As the teacher bent down a little towards Olov, the boy partly took a step back in mild surprise over their closeness all of a sudden, but his expression failed to alter in accordance. Retaining a blank stare he stood still, allowing the man to hold his chin slightly, as his eyes glanced up to the older mage.

Saying nothing at first, Olov simply listened to what the teacher had said before watching him return to his upright position. Once he had, the boy dropped his head to the side a little, appearing somewhat bored, as the student finally decided to speak. ”I have not forgotten, though perhaps you may understand that it is not a point in my life that I look back upon fondly. However, like you also said I have grown up a lot since then, and I can assure you that I will not ever need you to save me again. I can handle demons on my own.”

Despite his rather disinterested expression and toneless voice, Olov otherwise seemed confident in himself and his abilities. For sure, he would not need some mage rescuing him. He was not the same little boy from all those years before, he was much older and stronger. ”So you are my supervising teacher? Perhaps I will get a chance to show you how much I have improved since the last time we met. I am neither a child nor some weakling, I am a great mage and one day I may even outdo you, Mr. Kurayami. You best watch out.” As the ends of his lips curled upwards ever so slightly, producing a small grin, Olov straightened his head and turned to look away briefly.

As if staring off into space for a few minutes the boy fell silent suddenly, merely staring off into the distance momentarily before redirecting his eyes back onto the two older men. ”First assignment? Is it in the town? I had a vision of a town being attacked by monsters. That demon was there,” He spoke though clearly gave a hint of displeasure. ”The Headmaster, he is a demon correct? Or so I hear – such a disgusting thought. Did they run out of mages fit to run this academy, Mr. Kurayami? I heard you also failed at it.”

Sighing quietly the boy looked to the black-haired mage, before giving the blue-haired man a look as well however Olov didn’t really know who the other man was. Turning, he began to head through the entrance that left the academy grounds. As he walked the boy glanced over his shoulder towards the two teachers. ”I have no further questions, Sir. I welcome any challenge and so I see little benefit in delaying matters. So, won’t you keep up and lead us already?”

Not wishing to carry the fabrics about before she had finished browsing Etelka made a mental note of each one that she desired. It was no small amount, the demon knew she was unlikely to return to this town for a good while, so she would stock up given the chance. She glanced behind her to observe the young mage who had approached her, the demon did not stop her appraising of the fibers as the mage spoke to her. Finishing her appraisal of the cloth that currently interested her she turned around to face the mage.

”Do not hesitate to ask me questions Miss Sawada. I have a two uses for this fabric, I will be creating a number of pieces to entertain myself. The rest of the fabric I shall dedicate to repairing damaged article’s and replacing destroyed ones.” Pausing for moment to observe the rabbit and ensure she was not nibbling on fabrics or some nonsense, then quickly returned her gaze to the mage. “Creating something for yourself first is ideal.” There was a number of reasons why, primarily that from her experience poor quality gifts were rarely welcome. Alongside that to create for another requires obtaining their sizes, which is tedious to obtain from new people.

Nodding to the mage Etelka departed that section of the store in order to locate more material she desired. It wouldn’t be much longer until she was satisfied with the amount she had found. Hearing Kou speak her name she turned from what she was doing, ”Yes?” She listened to the rabbits request, it seemed odd that she wished to learn how to sew. On all accounts it wasn’t that helpful, especially given the rabbit was a useful combat demon. Still, it would not take much of her time to teach Kou if she only desired to know the basics.

”I will be assisting Miss Sawada improve in this skill later, if I have time and permission afterward I will attend to you.” Etelka turned her back to the rabbit and returned to her prior action. ”I do not desire anything in exchange, actually, I am almost finished here and I would be thankful if you could carry some of what I am purchasing.” As she finished her words she began to take a large number of the fabrics off the nearby shelves, handing them to the nearby girl. After getting all she wanted from this part of the store the rabbit had more than enough to keep her hands full. Etelka gave her a small smile on her usually bland face.

”Thank you, if you would wait by the counter that is only a fraction of what I plan on obtaining.” Heading to the other part of the store she quickly located each textile she had been interested in obtaining. In less than a minute her she too had got her hands full of the fabrics and made her way over to the counter. A short exchange with the seller later and her copious amounts of cloth were bagged for easier transport. Etelka grabbed her bags into her hands, then went about exiting the establishment. She waited outside for the others to finish, which would undoubtedly not be long after her. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she had finished all she desired to do with the designated free time. Her only wish now was that whatever activity the headmaster had planned for after this, that her textiles would be safe.

Midora listened to the young Mage with the ever-bored expression as if he isn't showing much interests. That's just how he is. Never showing the others what he really thought on the inside. Despite all of that, it's not that he doesn't care about the others. The pains from the past had really forced him to conceal whatever his feelings are. Midora doesn't care if people misunderstood him or his intents, he just wanted that they'd give him some solitude by not making him run after and babysit them every minute of a day.

Midora stood up as he shot Olov yet another glance, "You have confidence and that's not a bad thing, but just remember that high mountains always have higher ones. Of course, I'm looking forward to see how much you've improved." He said as he stepped back. Mikari also have heard their conversation and just shook his head with a giggle. This kid was interesting indeed. Momoko wasn't a bad Mage but Mikari did secretly prefer that he'd be able to train those Mages who showed confidence like Olov more. It was better to have some fun with them, not just going after and told them this and that.

Upon listening to the boy's next statement, Midora raises his eyebrows, "First assignment for you, of course. The others have already went through a lot yesterday already. And yes, a Window was detected to be opened yesterday but we've already taken care of it." Midora stayed silent a bit before continued, "The Headmaster indeed was a Demon. I wouldn't say that I approve of this either, but it's decided by the superiors and I can't do otherwise. It was supposed to be a Mage - a powerful one at first. I know you don't get on well with Demons and I don't expect that you would change your point of view, but please refrain from any unnecessary actions if you don't want to have your powers sealed. And, for your correction, I didn't fail, I stepped down on my own accord and you don't need to know the reasons why."

Then, Midora and Mikari walked towards the entrance, looking back at the silver-haired boy, "Let's go then. Remember that I will be keeping an eye on you so don't mess up." With that said, the two Dark Mages, along with the new Mage, made their ways towards the destination where their next exercise will take place.

As they were walking, Mikari clung to his best friend, grinning, "Hell, I like this kid. You sure have met a lot of interesting gals, didn't you? You should've told me all about them someday."

"It's not that interesting, you know."

"Hehe. I know, right? But still, you're still a badass Mage and I'm more than happy to be your sidekick."

"Yeah, whatever. As long as you stopped being so dependent on me."

Mikari sweat dropped, "Please stop saying that..."

After a while walking, they finally saw a group in a distance. Approaching them, Midora walked to Memphis, "We've arrived and I've brought the new Mage of my group. Please inform them about the exercise."

---

---

Olov listened to the black-haired mage, slightly intrigued at how the man had said that he similarly did not approve of the chosen new Headmaster. Likewise, the brief mentioning of this supposedly power mage who was supposed to be picked, though clearly wasn’t since the demon was there in place of them. ”I see.” He quietly spoke, though fiend deafness toward what he said next. As to Olov, regardless of the fact that the man stepped down out of his own choice, that was as good as failing to the boy, as much as anything else was.

Midora and Mikari had since taken the lead and before he knew it both men were staring at the boy, causing Olov to give a slightly unamused glance back at them. ”I am coming.” He said, upping his pace just a little as the younger mage approached to two, and walked along with them as the small group left the grounds completely and began to head for the town. Soon enough though they had arrived and were soon met with the Headmaster himself, Memphis. Though Olov looked displeased to see the infamous redhead, the boy did however refrain from saying anything, as if he hadn’t then whatever would have left his mouth would not have been pleasant.

---

---

---

Memphis opened his eyes to the sudden appearance of Midora in front of him, Mikari and some odd boy lingering close by in the background. Giving a very small grin up at the black-haired mage, the demon pushed himself up and onto his feet until he was soon standing face-to-face with his assistant. "Took your time, thought you were going to stand me up." He said albeit somewhat teasingly, before shrugging it off. "Better late than never I guess, though I won’t always be so lenient on you, Kurayami."

"Come, come." Giving a slight nudge to the mage, Memphis gradually continued to give Midora a few more light playful pushes forward, as he somewhat lead the pair back over to Mikari and the mage-boy. "Let’s walk and talk, huh? I’ll get everyone to meet up at the town’s entrance. I’ll explain things to the students there." Placing a hand to the backs of both Mikari and Midora, the redheaded demon returned to his pushing and forced the pair of mages to take a step forward, before releasing his hold and motioning for the two to follow. Memphis had also given Olov a look, to which the mage begrudgingly followed along after the adults.

"So yeah, as I told Kurayami earlier. I have a little ‘something’ planned today but if I told anyone then they’d reject it, well, the higher-ups did already but I worked around it," He began, keeping a steady pace in-between the two mages as the demon lingered in the middle. Speaking only loud enough for them to hear, though not so much that Olov could overhear anything. "But you can’t tell my master, or that other mage, what’s-his-name. Raiden?” He hadn’t forgotten the blonde man from earlier, and the reasons behind his arrival. However, despite knowing the connections each of these mages held with his master, as Memphis was gradually learning, it didn’t necessarily discourage the demon from doing as he wanted. Perhaps Memphis did have a small bad streak in him, after all.

As the small group walked toward the town’s entrance, Memphis maintained his place in-between both Midora and Mikari, as he then raised his hands up and pulled on each of their arms to drag them in a little closer. "I know you both don’t like me, but all I ask is that you trust me enough to know what I’m doing. After all, in a way, we were all raised by the same old man. And even you two should know how strict he is about things, heh." He said though kept his gaze to the ground, as if in some form of thought. "Which is why... it would make sense for us to be on better terms, and I would like for you both to accept my invitation to be formally your friend. Whatever that entails. It’s just, you and the others, who were students of my master, know more things about him than I do. And I want to know those things too – it’s not because I actually like either of you, so you know." Moving his gaze upward, Memphis looked between the two men only briefly before staring ahead. His tone was lacking it’s usual hostility, though his face may have suggested otherwise as the demon was glaring ever so slightly, though at nothing in particular. "My master never wanted me to view him as the mage that he was, but rather as the father that he wanted to be. So whatever he did with you all, and whatever else, was never brought up."

Not long after the group had arrived at the entrance, which wasn’t really that far though the short walk may have felt long due to Memphis talking. "Anyway, we’re here," He said and turned to face the two men straight on, "The exercise is simple, though risky I’ll admit. Once all the students are here I plan on releasing a group of monsters onto the town, but here’s the twist – the students are going to be given a choice of whether or not they want to stop the attack. Doesn’t that sound great? I like to call it ‘radical teaching’."

He paused for a moment to allow his words sink in. "Think about it; a good demon would stop it, but a bad one would not. Similarly, a strong mage would try to protect the town whereas a weak one would try to run away. Doesn’t it make sense? I think it does." Oddly smiling at that moment, Memphis casually glanced to the mage boy who was with them. "You, new kid. Take this and go and find the other students, and bring them here, ok?" Handing a piece of paper over to Olov, the boy glanced at it to see a list of names and photos. It was the register, presumably to aid the boy in his search. Merely uttering a few choices words under his breath in quiet protest, the mage shot a look at Midora before begrudgingly taking his leave to search for the students of his class.

However, before ultimately leaving the adults, Olov quietly told Midora, ”Good luck, Sir.”

Meanwhile, Memphis watched the boy take his leave before eying up Midora and Mikari. "So, what do you think? There's more to it than that, way more, but it's the general idea. I like to believe that every action has a consequence, and this exercise will prove just that. After all, don't you think it would be pretty interesting to find out they're reactions and choices? That's the point of it."

---

---

Olov had long since left the mages and demon to sort out whatever things they needed to speak about, and in the meantime focusing his attention on the register that he held in his hands. On the piece of paper were names and pictures to identify individuals, as well as small notes scribbled down the side. Upon closer inspection the boy managed to just about make out the demons handwriting, reading over what was jotted down, before picking his pace a little as he kept an eye out for the students.

The first to attract his attention was that of a teal-haired girl who stood outside a shop. Glancing at the paper Olov looked over the pictures and recognized the female to be Etelka, a demon from what he read, which only caused a slight frown to form on his features. Wasting little time the boy approached the girl known as Etelka, standing in front of her as he addressed her with a rather toneless voice. ”You, girl. Miss Lantos, ja? You are supposed to be accompanying three other females? Going by these notes, that is what it states. Anyway, the Headmaster has requested all students gather at the town entrance. The exercise will begin – that is all, demon. Please inform the other females.” With the message delivered Olov took his leave abruptly, saying nothing more to the girl as he left the demon and headed for a new area of the town.

Within another area of the town shortly after his first encounter, Olov had no sooner found a few more of his targets, which were also girls. Giving another glance to his notes, he deduced that the pair was Liliane and Muse. A woman was close by that seemed to resemble the other teacher, Sarah Rayne, though the older female seemed about ready to take her leave. Additionally, a green-haired boy was a little further down though appeared to be the boy known as Bugby, who was also listened on the register. Approaching the two girls first, Olov spoke up, ”Muse and Liliane, ja? The Headmaster is requesting all students return to the town’s entrance. The exercise will begin, so you must go there now.” Turning his gaze the boy looked to Sarah and continued, ”I assume it includes you as well, Miss Rayne. You must meet with the other teachers, now. Goodbye.”

Quickly departing from the females, the mage had to hurry in order to keep up with the boy known as Bugby. The demon didn’t know he was there, and Olov didn’t think to call after the other male. Though it didn’t take much effort to catch up with him, and once he had, the mage stopped the demon with a hand lightly held out in front of Bugby. ”Demon, you are Bugby, ja? The Headmaster is requesting all students return to the town’s entrance. You must go there immediately.” With that said, Olov didn’t think twice before taking his leave and hurrying off down the street. Though of course he had realized that he hadn’t even introduced himself to anyone, though if he ever felt the need to, Olov would, perhaps later.

---

Ruzik rolled his eyes a little towards the mage as the boy complained, saying something about how dangerous it was or much of the likes, though the demon wasn’t worried. ”Don’t be such a wuss, Laurence. Or is it alright if I just call you Larry?” He teased with visible amusement, until his eyes caught sight of a familiar trio that passed by below. It was Mikari and Midora, along with the Headmaster. ”I wonder what they’re up to? Something must be about to happen, wanna go see?”

It wasn’t so much a question as it was Ruzik telling the boy, as the redhead straightened himself upright and turned to face Laurence fully. Giving a slight smirk to the mage, Ruzik stretched a hand out and nabbed the boy by the arm. ”I need to see Mikari anyway, so you can just tagalong. Sound good?” Pulling the mage close and holding Laurence against his chest, albeit somewhat uncomfortably for the shorter lad, Ruzik walked towards the edge of the roof before stepping off completely. Falling downward, he came to a sharp thug against the ground though thankfully landed on his feet relatively easily, without even the odd stumble.

A moment after and the demon released the mage-boy, though not before quickly grasping hold of his hand and then beginning to lead him off in some direction. ”This way.” He told him, but only that, as the shark guided both students quickly after the three adults the demon had witnessed passing by earlier. It hadn’t taken long to re-find the three males who stood by the entrance, seemingly chatting. But Ruzik didn’t seem to show much care as he barged up to them, giving the Headmaster a mere glance before looking to Mikari.

”Mikari! Mikari! What’s going on? Are you going to give me my powers back?” He asked, similar to a child with their parent, as Ruzik curiously looked to the mage that was his teacher. ”Talk to me.” Unknowingly he was still holding hands with Laurence, whilst his other hand still held the bag of water bottles that Ruzik may have been planning to use on the Headmaster. Since, if it weren’t obvious, water greatly affected those who bore fire – ultimately canceling out their power once a single drop touched their body. Though Ruzik had merely wanted to force the man into giving his powers back, since Mikari was otherwise taking his time in doing just that.

Bugby heard someone saying his name all of a sudden, causing the demon to turn and see a strange boy beside him. Despite having never met this person he knew his name, though when examining things more carefully. Bugby noticed a sheet of paper in the other boy’s grasp. Perhaps that held his name? But before he could properly say anything the boy promptly left, only mentioning something of returning to the town’s entrance as requested by the Headmaster, so maybe the boy was a student too?

Seeing little need to hang around Bugby did as asked, and began making his way to the entrance. It wasn’t that far and he could remember the way there fairly well, and soon enough he recognized the three teachers already there talking amongst themselves. Ruzik was also there with Laurence, so at least he wasn’t the first to arrive. As he slowly walked over and joined the group of teachers and students, Bugby lingered beside them with his hands in his pockets. He hadn’t thought to speak however, merely quietly observing the three teachers as they talked with each other, and perhaps hoping to overhear what their exercise was going to be. It intrigued him to some degree, considering he was lead to believe that no exercise would occur, from what the Headmaster had said. But then, he had mentioned a surprise of some sort. Was this it?

---

Laurence didn’t appreciate being held by Ruzik in the way he had been, as the pair made their descend to the ground below from the rooftop. Despite whatever protest he expressed the redhead gave little response or care, before snatching the mage’s hand and guiding him down the street. From what he could tell, Ruzik was set on finding the teachers, which really, Laurence couldn’t overly deny himself. At least if they were near the teachers then the shark would refrain from doing anything mischievous, or so Laurence thought.

It wasn’t long before the sight of the Headmaster came into view, along with Mikari and Midora who were with him. As he tried to wriggle his hand free, instead Ruzik marched up to the blue-haired man and tried to gain his attention. ”Hey, you can let me go you know.” He reminded the demon, as the boy snuck up beside him and flailed his arm just a little. ”Uh, Ruzik?” The teachers seemed busy talking, though Laurence wasn’t paying any particular attention to what it was they were saying. Unlike Ruzik, he was perfectly happy to let the older men discuss their business in peace. Though unfortunately the shark-demon was pretty persistent when he wanted to be, from what the mage had gradually learned since meeting the redhead. ”Maybe we should leave them alone, or something. Eh?”

---

---

---

Hearing the arrival of Kou at that moment, Momoko turned to the rabbit as she was asked what to do with the red fabric. ”Well, you can sow and stitch them, make wonderful things out of them.” She answered with a smile, hoping that it would satisfy the rabbit. Once Etelka had gotten round to answering her earlier question, Momoko redirected her gaze to the other demon, before giving a nod in response. ”I see, well in that case making something for myself will be my first objective! Then, who knows what I will make.”

It wasn’t long before Kou had her own question for Etelka, and as the pair spoke Momoko took her time and wandered off for a little while to see if there were any fabrics that caught her interest. Eying up the shelves, there was all sorts of materials on display, though the mage was particularly captured by the fabrics with decorative patters, primarily those of flowers. Handling a few samples in her hands carefully, she was hesitant at first to choose any, though Momoko knew that if she didn’t try then she would never get any better at stitching.

Scooping up more of the material that she liked, the mage carried just about as much as she could carry before retreated back to the other girls, who by that point were already by the counter. Once the pair had settled up and got their things, Momoko was served after them. Talking for a few minutes with the one who served her, she grabbed her bag of fabrics, before hurrying off out the door shortly after Kou and Etelka. Just as she emerged outside a boy caught her eyes, though before she knew it the strange figure had already began to move on and so Momoko hadn’t a chance to speak to him. However, though not hearing what he said, Momoko did catch the latter of Kou’s sentence, which intrigued her.

”Exercise? So it is time for our activity.” Given that she only arrived late yesterday, Momoko hadn’t a chance to actually do any exercises yet with the class. And so, perhaps now, she would get that opportunity and try to make the most of it. ”Well let us go then, I am sure it will be fun! Right?” Taking a few eager steps forward, the mage looked about curiously though admittedly was a little lost as to where to lead the way. Glancing over her shoulder she asked, ”Um… where exactly is the exercise being held?”

Etelka looked over to the boy that called her last name, she didn’t recognize him so it was odd that he seemed to know her. She nodded in response to his questions, and acknowledged the headmasters request to return to the entrance. The silver haired mage left as quickly as he arrived, seemingly having other matters to attend to. This was the first mage at this academy that reflected her beliefs in what was required of them, he didn’t treat her as a peer. He was obviously displeased to have to talk to her, he was formal and direct, and most satisfying to her he did not misunderstand the demon to human relationship.

Etelka glanced behind to the rabbit as she spoke, it seemed she had picked up on the end of the conversation. As the rabbit spoke Miss Sawada exited the shop, this good timing had saved her from having to relay the message. The mage showed her usually giddiness, a shame she had not yet had a chance to become accustomed to what this institute called teaching. The blonde most certainly didn’t look the type to enjoy all the combat exercises that took place, her clothing alone would make such rigorous movements difficult. However assuming was not something intelligent to do, perhaps Miss Sawada had some tricks up her outrageously large sleeves.

”The activity is taking place at the town's entrance, if you cannot recall its location I suggest you follow me.” Answering Miss Sawada’s question with her usually stoicism, Etelka went about retracing their steps and returning to the towns entrance. It was a shame the group had lacked time to acquire some sort of sun protection gear, unless many hours passed before returning to the academy it was going to be dreadful. By all accounts it was probably good for her to get used to the sun, but the demon didn’t exactly wish to seek out burnt skin and blurred vision.

Upon arriving back at the entrance Etelka could see her master had already arrived. The emotionally unstable ‘all powerful mage’ and his cohort were alongside the headmaster, and of course her kin was being annoying. Ruzik was grasping her Lord despite his clear discomfort, something she most certainly did not approve of. She also didn’t like the teacher he talked to, he seemed to indulge her needy kin, which was the last thing he needed, but confronting him was not her place. However confronting Ruzik was something she was rather comfortable with. Moving to her masters side she nodded her head and smiled to him before glaring over at the demon. ”Kin, you are not to lead my master around, release your grip.” Etelka assumed the rabbit and mage would not lag behind her, and hopefully Kou would draw this annoying brat away from her master.

---

---

Muse was excited. She had found clothing that suited her well and had about three bags full when a boy with silver hair and purple eyes approached her and Liliane about returning to the meeting point. Muse nodded her head, turning to look at her mage who had been awfully quiet since they parted with Bugby. One of the teacher's, Ms. Rayne if Muse remembered correctly, was with them as well but she seemed to be tolerating them more than anything and was watching them from the sidelines. Hovering was probably a better word to use, but if Liliane was fine with it then so was Muse. "I guess we should return then," Muse said and began to walk towards the spot the Headmaster had told them to meet at.

Upon arrival Muse noticed that mostly everyone was here. Well everyone except Hive who had been missing for quite sometime and only showed up when it was convenient, as well as the feline whose name escaped her. One of the group's had a large amount of bags with various colorful things Muse couldn't make out. She could tell it was cloth, but what kind she wasn't sure. A tap on her shoulder startled her, Muse whirled around to face one of her classmates, another demon with rabbit ears.

"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you," the rabbit apologized, smiling in a way that could only be described as angelic. Muse blinked, wondering if it would be rude to fulfill her urge to stroke the girl's head. "I was just wondering where you got that from," the rabbit indicated to the new outfit Muse was wearing. "Oh Ms. Rayne picked it for me," Muse replied, glad someone liked the dress. It was a pretty simple black one with a lace back and skirt that flowed when she moved. "We got it in a tiny shop in the middle of the city." Muse explained to the rabbit. The blue haired girl nodded her head, satisfied and thanked Muse before returning to her group that consisted of a red headed shark and a blond Muse had only seen once before.

"What do you think the activity is?"

It was so very convenient Mr. Kurayami and his associate were dealing with any further conflicts. Hive grinned. In spite of his taunts, he'd been well-behaved... Well-behaved enough not to warrant a second glance. Back on the ground, skipping over the pieces of rubble he'd dropped to the ground, Hive found himself next to Cleo. “Sssh,” He hushed, as he touched the forearm of the usually excitable Cleo. “This is our chance, follow me.” Hive said, as he drifted to the back of the group.

Cleo’s ears perked up upon hearing a familiar voice, turning her gaze over to look at Hive as he touched the girls arm and quietly spoke something to her. At first the feline didn’t quite understand and merely gave a questioning stare, until what he was suggesting finally hit her and Cleo gave a faint meow in response as the cat mentally debated what her course of action would be. On the one hand Cleo felt that she had to stay as it was the right thing to do accruing to the teachers, whilst on the other hand it also felt right to follow Hive as she knew him best, in comparison to their school. Then again there was also the issue of Ichiro to consider, and as his demon the feline felt compelled to stay with him.

But if Cleo did leave with Hive, then there was also the chance she could return and come back for her mage at some point. That sounded like a plan, or at least it reassured her and made the girl feel better about leaving. Even if her decision was made in only a few seconds, it would work. She’d make it work. Giving a nod to herself the feline slowed her pace down gradually so that she was able to drift backwards and allow the other students to pass her without suspicion, and soon enough she lingered at the back beside her friend. As she kept to the back and dropped her pace even more a gap began to emerge between the two demons and the rest of the group, though no one seemed to notice or minded. Even the Headmaster hadn’t bothered to glance behind him, which Cleo had noticed and then whispered to Hive, “Come on.”

The academy entrance was fast approaching and soon the group would be passing through it, to which Cleo motioned for the bug-demon to follow as she casually drifted off the path leading to it. Maybe the whole idea was a little amusing to the girl, filling her with visible excitement though she’d try to ensure that she didn’t get carried away, at least not just yet.

The strength of their vanishing act was like a magician’s, subtle and making use of the elsewhere directed attention. The experiences of everyone seemed to have them so distracted, nobody had paid mind to the two slipping away. Like Cleo, Hive wore the sense of excitement on his face. After all his efforts to gather information and seep into the cracks of the academy, it was this simple opportunity that had gotten him away from it. What a beautiful thing. He could hardly keep himself from snickering, as the image of the academy drifted further from the horizon.

The feeling bolstered with every step Hive took and flowed within his pace. From a subtle detour, Hive now felt almost like running. Off the beaten path, Hive had lead Cleo into more open lands. They were still close enough to civilisation, here and there the odd road swayed through the landscape. Yet the scent of the grasslands was positively different from the academy’s.

“Ah… The air.” Hive breathed in deep when they’d come to a stop. He let himself drop into the grass, which colour had already attached itself to his boots and now claimed spots on his jacket as well. “We have missed this feeling.” Hive smiled. The sense of being free again caught Hive in a state of euphoria. His smile evolved into a chuckle. Hive felt a positive energy flowing through all of his bodies as he started to laugh out loud.

“Free, Cleo, can you believe it, we are free!” He roared, unable to contain the raw emotion. “Finally free!”

Cleo had followed Hive onto more open fields of land and for a moment stood idly and observed as her companion enjoyed the fresh air around them. “Aren’t you exaggerating just a bit? There’s air everywhere, silly.” She teased lightly before kneeling down onto the ground near the bug-demon. “But I understand what you mean… it’s different in some strange way.” Smiling, the feline let out a content purr and allowed her ears to flicker in the cool breeze.

Exhaling a long yawn the girl dropped onto her side as she hit the ground and lay in a state of fatigue. “It’s pretty late,” Cleo said and shot a quick glance to the night sky. “We should sleep and continue in the morning, maybe find some food and stuff?” It was hardly surprising for the cat to think of her stomach above everything else, though given how far they had gone in such a small bit of time Cleo wasn’t that worried about the pair being found by the academy just yet.

“Anyway, sleep, sleep.” Pulling her body over and crawling next to the other demon Cleo plopped down against his side lazily, before looking up to Hive. “It’ll be nice to sleep beneath the stars like the old days, out in the grass and fresh air, huh?” Cuddling against him and wrapping her arms round the bug-demon softly the girl began to drift off without little effort. Whether he companion would sleep too she couldn’t guess, but the feline was knackered and needed her rest! So hopefully he wouldn’t mind a little nap for the cat’s sake.

---

Morning came almost too soon. Hive had let a few of his insects nibble off the grass, coated in morning dew. Even though he woke early… It wasn’t like Hive to sit still. Yet today, he simply let his eyes wander the morning glory as he waited for Cleo to wake up and move her head off of his stomach.

Though Hive could feed off the grass for the time being, Cleo could not. He’d have to break this moment of serenity sooner or later… The academy would come looking for them. Yet at that point, as far as his insects left at academy grounds were concerned, Cleo and he weren’t missed yet…

Cleo began to stir and right away her ears began to flicker, a sign that movement was about her as the feline began to animate shortly after. Yawning, she pushed herself up a little and looked onto a familiar face. “Morning.” She greeted with a purr, before fully sitting upright on the ground and off the bug-demon.

“Morning.” Hive grinned back.

It took a few minutes for the girl to remember where they were and that they had left the academy. “Guess no one has come this way?” She said, referring to perhaps mages who may have been looking for them. “I wonder how everyone is doing without us, if they even notice we’re gone.” Mainly her teammates naturally, who she was beginning to miss but she’d suck it up for now, hoping to hide her anxiety for them. Just then suddenly a loud noise erupted from deep in her stomach and the girl let out a small whine. “I guess I’m pretty hungry.” She added with a sheepish giggle before getting to her feet and standing up slowly.

Turning her gaze over across some of the land Cleo then raised a hand and pointed in the direction that she faced. “I smell food that way,” Her senses were more heightened than others given her cat in-heritage, and knowing her, if she smelt food then Cleo was probably right. “Tell you what, let’s race! Like we did in the old days, sound fun? Ok, ok… On your marks, get set…” Before she had even finished the girl had already sprang forward and hurried ahead, being a tad sneaky perhaps, though hunger was most likely driving her sudden eagerness.

“They’re doing-” Hive tried to answer, but Cleo had already sprinted off. “Cheeky, cheeky.” Hive said to himself, as he pushed himself up to chase after Cleo. Hive wondered where Cleo’s nose would bring them… But until his scouts warned him of pursuers, he was not to worried about it.

Cleo had run a good distance before showing signs of slowing her pace down, as the feline took a moment to look back at her companion as he followed. As well, after looking to Hive the girl stared elsewhere and inhaled a deep sniff. Without saying a word Cleo pushed onward and returned to a light run, knowing Hive would follow and not doubt her sense of smell as the feline ran to where her nose lead her.

Running through the open lands of grass Cleo had soon brought the pair to a small woodland area and delved inside through the trees without a second thought, weaving in and out through them with great speed until suddenly coming to an abrupt halt halfway. With a tired breath she hunched over with her hands to her hips, ears flickering to whatever sound they picked up.

“There’s a town close by.” She said, though Hive likely already knew. The food she smelled was most likely from within the walls of the town itself, but simply walking into such a place may not be a wise action to take. Even from where they were, some distance aways, Cleo could practically taste the food and her stomach quietly rumbled a little. Just then however the girl lowered her ears suddenly and looked about, eyes wide and alert, as if something were near them. But for all the eye could see nothing was actually there and yet a sense tickled at her nose, as if warning Cleo. “I sense something.”

Whatever it was she didn’t know, and yet from seemingly nowhere a mouse sprang out from the bushes and darted about the small open patch of dirt before them. Cleo nearly jumped in surprise before offering a hiss to the creature, attempting to nab it with her hand but the small thing wriggled out of her grasp. “Damn mouse, you’re not what I sensed…. Were you? Hm.” The mouse continued to squeak and scamper about in front of the girl as if taunting her, as Cleo tried to catch it with little avail.

The two had often hunted together, so when Cleo started chasing the mouse, Hive lifted from the grass by beating his transparent beetle wings and hovered silently in wait until it would come his way. Unaware of it’s pursuer’s partner in predation, the mouse was skewered by Hive’s stinger within a flash. The bug demon offered Cleo the mouse, sticking it out like a marshmallow on a stick, as his boots reconnected with the grass.

.“Curious. What do you sense?” Hive asked. Cleo’s hearing was superior to his own and her sense of smell picked up different scents. The two often noted different things. “Is it in the town?” Hive wondered, though a little wary. They weren’t far away enough from the academy to leisurely stroll through the local population. Even if Hive felt little for playing hide and seek for the coming weeks.