I thank KatherineOzawa of Wattpad for helping me.
"I can hear the wind….."
Niho felt like she was floating on air in her dream as the atmosphere became filled with light. On top of a majestic rock stood two lions and a mandrill. The mandrill, holding a shaman's staff, had blessed the lions' newborn cub on the day of his birth. Holding the child close, the mandrill scuffed to the edge of the rock, where below on the ground stood many savannah land animals ranging from gazelle to meerkats to zebras and more as they awaited in anticipation. The mandrill took the newborn with both hands and lifted him high into the air as the animals cheered with excitement; the sunrays breaking through the clouds to shine down on the prince of Pride Rock.
As the scene faded, the sound of a lion's roar echoed through the space. She strained to hear it correctly, but then intended up turning into a meow.
She woke up in confusion, only to see it was Grim who was making the noise.
"Was that a roar?" she mumbled.
"Myaaah… Thass whatchu get… fear crossin' Grim da Miiightyyy…" he smiled stupidly as he dreamt, no doubt.
"He's even a jerk in his dreams." she shook her head and silently crept out of bed to stretch her limbs for the day.
"That's right! Cower before me, teapot tyrant! BWAH-MYAH?!" Grim woke up with a start and looked around in confusion. "…Huh? Where am I? Aw, man! I was dreaming that I was trouncing Riddle with my magic. You shoulda seen his face…" Grim frowned.
"That was a rough couple days. I'm still exhausted." she shrugged in sympathy and ripped open the curtains, admiring the sunrise and feeling the light shine down on her like a spotlight. If only she could stay here and enjoy it forever….
"All right, lemme just fix my bed head. Then it's off to class! I've got magic to master!"
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The group made it to the cafeteria once classes were let out for the day.
"Ugh. Professor Trein must have cast a sleepin' spell on me. I fought to stay awake, but he was sooo boring!"
Deuce looked at Grim unimpressed, "Yeah, "fought," sure. I heard you snoring five minutes in."
"Grub time! What's it gonna be today? Huh, wait? What's going on? Why's it so crowded in here?" Ace puckered his lips as he observed the line.
"Must be something good if it's that crowded." Niho nodded as one of the cafeteria ghost's materialized.
"That famous bakery from out of town is serving up their goods. It only happens once a month! Their stock sells out fast, so you'd better hurry!"
At the front of the line, several students began to file out order requests. "Gimmie three of those chocolate croissants!"
"Woo-how, I actually snagged an egg sandwich this month! These things are AMAZING!"
"Egg sandwiches are now sold out! Only one deluxe ham and cheese left!"
Ace smiled, overlooking the display with ravenous glee. "Oh, man, everything looks amazing I'm gonna see if I can grab somethin'."
"Wow, they really do seem popular! Niho, Grim, what do you- Huh?"
Niho and Deuce look around only to find: "Where did Grim go?!"
"Hey! Outta my way, losers! That grilled cheese is mine!" And speak of the little fire devil, he was scampering right towards the front, cutting the line set out, ignoring the other students and his group like flies on cow dung.
And already, two students were not having it today. "Hey, no cutting!"
"A freshman, cutting in front of an upperclassman?! Time to learn you some manners."
"He's got such a one-track mind when it comes to food!" Deuce shook his head in disappointment.
Ace sighed, agreeing with him.
But Niho was fast on her feet. "Let's go stop him!" and dragged the others with her to catch the fire creature.
"Ha! Guess who scored the last deluxe grilled cheese sandwich? This guy. That's why they call me Grim the Great! Myahahaha! I also snagged a bear claw AND a cronut!" Grim stuck his tongue out teasingly.
Deuce chided, "Grim, you need to learn some restraint! I'm really sorry, guys." he turned to the annoyed students that were the first in line.
"Yo, Pops, gimme one of those roast beef sandwiches!" Ace called out.
"Hey! You're cutting in line too!" Deuce punched him in the shoulder as a sign to knock it off.
"Melon bread, please." Niho spoke up and Deuce sent her a glare, but she shoved his shoulder in return. "Hey, you gotta take a chance, otherwise you get nothing but scraps and crumbs."
From the entrance in the cafeteria, Ruggie panted as he stopped to catch some air and analyze the area. "Rats. Looks like I'm late for the monthly bakery battle royale." he grumbled, seeing the display empty. "And now they're sold out of the grilled cheese Leona sent me to buy for him." However, his ears quickly picked up nearby gloating from a glee-filled creature, prancing around the mentioned sandwich he was tasked with getting.
"Myahahaha! I'm gonna savor the flavor of this victory!"
Ruggie was already concocting a plan in mind as he approached the first years with a fake grin. "Pardon me, friend. I see you were able to get your hands on the highly-prized deluxe grilled cheese sandwich. Incredible!"
Grim gave him a questioning look, "Huh? Who're you and whaddaya want with my meat?"
"Oh, I'm just a guy who really, really wanted to buy that sandwich you've got there, but arrived a smidge too late. Speaking of which, here's a proposition for you... Might you be willing to trade your deluxe grilled cheese for this very exciting hot dog bun?" the hyena offered, slipping out a bun the size of a baseball, golden and flaky looking that he snagged from a nearby table while no one was looking.
"Whaaat?! You must be outta your mind, dude!" The tanuki was fast to defend what was his with a scowl. Ruggie smirked mentally, noting how cute he looked when he pouted. But he was needed somewhere ASAP with the food. And he knew just what to do.
"Oh, come now. Let's not be like that. Here, have the hot dog bun. I insist." He swiftly held out his hands with the bean paste bread to Grim. And all of a sudden, Grim began to mirror the exact same thing!
"Myah?! What in the name of tuna…?! My paws are movin' on their own!" Grim's voice shook as he walked like a zombie toward the hyena, arms outstretched with his proclaimed meal.
"You're actually going to trade?! It doesn't even have a hot dog in it!" Niho stared weirdly at them as she watched the exchange go down. As soon as the food was in one another's hands,
"Sounds like we have ourselves a deal! Shyeheehee! What luck that I found a kind soul willing to trade. You enjoy that hot dog bun, I do hope you can find something to fill it with. Maybe a squirt of ketchup would imitate the real thing? Anyway, nice doing business with you. Toodles!" Ruggie lazily saluted and scampered off as Grim whined,
"M… M… Myaaaaaaah! My deluxe grilled cheeeeeeese!" And he never stopped complaining about losing his mentioned food as well.
"Aw, maaan… This is the worst day of my pathetic life! I can barely choke down my lunch!" he tried to gnaw on the hot dog bun he was "traded" with.
"You just ate three pastries in ten seconds." Ace muttered.
"Always the glutton." Niho agreed with a nudge.
Deuce sighed, "I still don't get why you even traded at all."
"I didn't!" Grim shook his head wildly. "It's like- when he put out his hand, my paw just shot out-like it was copyin' his! It all happened so fast…"
"Like a deer caught in the sandwich-stealing headlights." Ace nodded, biting into his food again.
"Nah, it wasn't like that at all. But I…I don't know how to explain it! Ugh, this stinks. I need to eat my feelings, stat!" Grim gripped and whipped his gaze to Deuce. "Deuce, gimme a bite of your pasta." He dove for the plate, only to get caught mid-air by the bluenette and thrown to the other end of the table.
"No way! You made your "bread," now lie in it!" Deuce snapped.
"Oh, by the way, guys-the headmage said he had something he wanted to tell us after class. No clue what it could be, though." Ace notified.
Deuce looked up in confusion. "It probably has something to do with what happened to Housewarden Rosehearts a few days ago."
The ginger looked back. "When he went all berserker mode on us? Yeah, I bet you're right."
"Maybe he wants to lavish me with a smorgasbord of succulent fish for all of my hard work that day!" Grim seemed to lighten up at the idea immediately.
"Yeah, dream on, furball." Ace gagged. But Niho was in her own headspace as she took in the features of the hyena-hybrid from earlier.
"You know, that guy who came by earlier… I feel like we've seen him somewhere before."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
-in the Gardens, Temperate Zone-
Ruggie scurried through the maze of vegetation until he came upon a familiar lazy figure. "Leooona! Lunch is served, my friend!" he called out.
The Lion Hybrid opened one eye, which darted to the window to see the sun was leaning toward the east. "…Is it noon already?"
"Don't tell me you've been asleep all morning! You're going to fail more of your core classes!" Ruggie pouted, a tad worried for his senior's lack of keeping up with his academics.
Leona merely disregarded his words as he sniffed the wafting smells from the small plastic bag. "Smells like you actually got what I asked ya for!" he smirked and, now fully awake, sat up to claim his prize.
"Barely! Must you always request the most popular item on bakery day? Anyway, here: one deluxe grilled cheese and an iced tea." Ruggie handed him the order and plopped down beside him with his own ration.
"Are ya braindead? The fact that it's hard to get is exactly what makes me want it so bad!" he grumbled as he unwrapped the sandwich, ripping a huge chunk out of it.
"Me, I'll eat anything, so long as it isn't moldy. But as a prince, I doubt you could relate, Your Highness." Ruggie sniggered. But something in the sentence made Leona go on edge a bit.
"Hmph. It ain't like I'm first in line for succession. I'm second, so I probably won't ever be king. I'm practically a commoner, really." After he finished talking, he stuffed more of the sandwich into his mouth to quell the hunger inside him.
"That reminds me of the time you mistook a picture of my family's home for a doghouse." Ruggie recalled.
Leona looked at him in confusion, not remembering that moment all too well. "Did I… really do that?"
"You really did. I wish my perspective was so warped from a life of luxury." The hyena sighed.
Leona chugged down some of the tea before speaking up, "Nah, the royal life stinks, honestly. All that matters is the order of your birth. Hard work and talent basically mean nothin'." he sounded almost like he had enough BS to handle already.
"Hmmm… I guess I could see that being a drag. Oh, by the way, there's a housewarden meeting after school today about the Spelldrive tournament. Please try to actually show up." Ruggie reminded him.
"Ugh. What a headache." Leona clicked his tongue irritated, but Ruggie reminded him,
"As housewarden, you get the biggest room in the dorm. You could at least make a token effort to do the corresponding job."
"All right already. Fine. Stop whinin'." he waved it away, the threatening notion of getting his sleeping right revoked bouncing around in his head. Once the last few morsels had vanished, he yawned, "Ahhh… Now that my belly's full, I'm ready for another snooze. Wake me after lunch break is over." he curled onto his side, back facing Ruggie.
"I'm not your alarm clock, Leona! You know, I have my own-ah, he's already out." Ruggie rolled his eyes at Leona's tenacity to doze off when he wished and decided to pass the time with any loose leaf homework on him. But as he clicked his pen to start writing, something came up in his head, "Anyway, that weasel at the cafeteria and his freshman friends… Where have I seen them before?" he mumbled to himself.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Deuce knocked on the Headmage's door and poked his head in. "Headmage, may we come in?"
"How's it going, sir?" Ace followed, opening the door for Niho and Grim to follow through.
Crowley looks up from his paperwork. "Ah. Thank you all for coming. I'll get right to the point." he stood from his seat and approached the group. "Now that the Heartslabyul incident is behind us… I wanted to give you a proper debriefing on the matter. If you're to become mages, you need to fully understand the malady that befell Mr. Rosehearts."
"You called it "overblot," right?"
Crowley nodded at Deuce's answer. "Yes, that is correct."
"What even IS overblot?" Niho asked. "Just the name alone sounds malicious…"
"My brother told me a little about that. He said that could happen to anyone who builds up too much blot. Sounds like Cater was pretty much on the nose with "berserker mode."" Ace tried to remember.
"Yeah, but what is "blot," anyway?" Grim rose a paw.
"Ah, indeed. For your sake and Niho's, it would behoove us to start with the basics." Crowley looked over Grim and Niho. "I shall teach you all you need to know. Charity, thy name is Crowley! Ahem. Now, "blot" is a form of waste that is created as a byproduct of using magic. Just as cars run on gasoline, and in the process, expel dangerous gases as exhaust… Casting spells consumes magical energy, and in the process, expels blot."
"Who knew magic had a carbon footprint?" Niho put it simple and to the point.
"Quite. Research into the nature of blot has been conducted since time immemorial. And yet, we still understand little about it. All we know for sure is that it is terrifically toxic, and excessive amounts can wreak havoc on a mage's mind and body."
"I guess that's why Grandma was always naggin' me to not overdo it with magic, huh? Here I thought she just didn't want me to break stuff." Ace mocked, earning a glare from Niho in return.
"And she was right. Do you really want to end up like Riddle did?" she fired at him, making Ace sour.
"No….."
"Power and peril are two sides of the same coin. Even the greatest of mages cannot cast spell after spell without consequence." Crowley said.
"So you're tellin' me I'm gonna get sick if I keep usin' magic whenever I want?!" Grim started to shake.
Crowley shook his head, "Not necessarily. Hm. Perhaps a demonstration would prove more efficient than a mere explanation. Ghosts, assemble! I have a job for you!" he clapped his hands as two ghosts materialized before the group.
"Huzzah! You summoned us, Headmage?" one asked politely.
"Not these guys again?!" Ace backed up, caught off by their appearance.
"Would you be so kind as to help me put these young students through their paces?" Crowley instructed.
"T-this seems like a bad idea." Deuce could only utter.
"Yeah, okay. We'll go a round or two with 'em." the second ghost taunted playfully.
Crowley ushered Niho to the sidelines. "Now, students, ready your magical pens. Prepare to receive a special lesson from your headmage!"
The three kept throwing attack after attack at the ghosts, who merely vanished or dodged their attacks with little ease. Before long, the trio were starting to tucker out from the fight.
Grim got fed up pretty fast, "Hey, Headmage, what's the deal? What does fightin' ghosts got to do with blot?"
"Direct your attention to the magestone on your collar, Mr. Grim." Crowley beckoned. The fire creature did as he was instructed and looked down at the pendant on his neck. He spotted small black blotches concealing most of the purple crystal.
Naturally, he began to freak out. "Myah?! My magestone looks all Grundy now. …MYAH?! It won't rub off!" he looked down helplessly.
"Precisely. That inky black stain is the byproduct of spellcasting known as "blot."" Crowley explained.
Deuce squinted as he raised the pen close to his eye. "There's some grime on my magical pen, too!"
"Ewww! This is capital-G Gross!" Grim gagged.
"Will it come off eventually?" Niho asked.
"It will." and that answer made Grim calm down in a snap.
"Phew! Had me worried there."
"With sufficient rest, blot will vanish from your magestone. This is why a magestone is so valuable to magic users. Not only does it aid your casting, it also serves as a lightning rod of sorts, to prevent blot from accumulating within the caster."
"I see. So when our magestones start to get cloudy, that means it's time for us to ease off?" Deuce began to understand.
"Correct. Eat well and get plenty of sleep, and most of the blot will clear away."
Niho didn't seem like she had believed the Headmage's words. "Not as easy as it seems…." she muttered to herself.
"Gotcha. So when I become an even greater mage, I'll be able to fire off spells left and right! Pa-PEW! After all, I do plenty of sleepin' and eatin'." Grim was off in his own la-la-land.
"People vary greatly in their capacity for magic. However, save for a few key exceptions, there is little variance in most mages' tolerance for blot." Crowley pointed out the flaw, making Grim stop mid-step.
"What's that mean?"
"I think I know what he's saying." Niho shushed him, remembering the ink dripping off Riddle's body as he transformed. "What happened with Riddle...after he transformed, it looked like his arms were also dipped in that inky liquid too! It even floated off him!"
"In essence, it means that those who possess a great capacity for magic must be meticulous in their efforts to avoid accumulating blot. Like Mr. Rosehearts, for instance." Crowley nodded.
"So folks who know their way around magic gotta lay off once in a while. Seems simple enough." Ace summarized to himself.
"Correct. That said, it isn't anything that mages at YOUR level need to worry about. How very fortunate for you!"
"I…guess that's only kind of an insult?" Ace soured.
Grim, having absorbed Niho and Crowley's words felt a shiver go down his back. "Anyway, I think I get it. Use magic, get blot. Blot bad. Slept and food good. But is that really all it took to make Riddle activate berserker mode?"
"The accumulation of blot is significantly affected by the sorcerer's mental state. Anger, fear, panic, sorrow… Harboring those sorts of negative energies hastens the accumulation of blot by a significant degree. This, in turn, leads to the dreadful state known as "overblot.""
""Negative energies," huh? Interesting…" Deuce murmured.
"That and too much magic….Those two things are a recipe for disaster." Niho shook her head.
"Do you recall the giant shadow that appeared behind Mr. Rosehearts? Such manifestations are believed to be the result of a fusion between blot and negative energies. I'm afraid that's the extent of what current studies have revealed to us, however. There remain many mysteries surrounding overblot. After all, there are not many opportunities for study and observation." Crowley answered, sensing Niho's confusion.
"Let's hope it stays that way!" Ace held up his hands in mock surrender.
Crowley frowned, "It is fortunate that we were able to snap Mr. Rosehearts out of it so quickly. If that had been allowed to continue… AAAH! It is a prospect too terrifying to consider!"
"GAH! W-what's your problem?! Yellin' outta the blue like that!" Grim had ducked behind Niho's leg as protection.
"Ahem. Forgive me. I lost my composure." the principal recomposed himself. "In summary, the use of magic is always accompanied by a certain degree of risk. And I expect you all to keep that in mind."
"Yes, sir." the troupe answered.
"Thus concludes your special lesson form the headmage himself! How wonderfully kind of me. Now, back to your classrooms with you." But before anyone could move, Niho stepped up, inquiring,
"So have you found a way to send me home?"
"Ahhh, yes… A means to send Niho home. Right, right. I have been diligently searching for one, of course. I have certainly not forgotten! It is merely that I've been quite busy of late." Crowley spun, but Grim looked less than pleased.
"Your eyes got all shifty all of a sudden." the cat pointed out.
Crowley stuttered out, "I-I'm certainly not lying! The October interdorm Spelldrive tournament is consuming a great deal of my attention at the moment! In fact, I've a meeting with the assembled housewardens immediately after this."
This made Grim and Niho raise their eyebrows. "What's a "Spelldrive tournament"…?"
""Spelldrive tournament"? Come again?"
"Dude, Niho… You've never heard of Spelldrive?!" Ace looked at her.
"It's a world-famous sport! There's even a pro league and a world championship tournament." Deuce points out
Grim waved his paws up high like he was invisible. "I ain't never heard of this neither!"
Ace began to explain it. "Spelldrive is a sport played by competing teams of seven people. Basically, players battle for control of a disc and earn points by drivin' it into the enemy team's goal. The team with the most points wins!"
"That sounds like football." the girl shrugged, earning a confused look from the boys.
"Football…? Say what?"
"Yeah, everyone comes to see it. In fact, teenage boys would kill to play football." she chuckled dryly.
This raised interest in the Headmaster, "Hm. I've not heard of such a game, but I'll look it up the next time I'm at the library. Perhaps it will yield some sort of clue."
"Oh, man, I just realized that Niho would have a hard time actually playing." Ace reiterated.
Grim perked up, "Yeah? Why's that?"
"You need magic to play. Not only do you move the disc with magic, but you use it to attack and defend, too." Deuce answered.
Ace added, "The flashier the magic, the better-it's how players show off their skills!"
"Yes, quite! That is why Night Raven College is known throughout the world as a leader in the sport! This school has produced countless pro players! That's why our interdorm Spelldrive tournaments attract attention even from pro league recruiters. Also, those simply looking for up-and-coming magicians use the event to scout hopeful candidates. Yes, the tournament is quite an affair. The campus will be full of visitors and lined with various kiosks. And the main event will be captured by television cameras and broadcast worldwide."
Niho's jaw dropped in shock, "Television cameras?!"
Grim smiled in glee. "It's broadcast throughout the world?! So you're sayin' that if I were to play in this tournament-and win of course-the whole world would see it?!"
"Of course! Players who excel at the tournament invariably attract great attention. Both from the pro leagues and the public at large!" Crowley's voice rose higher in happiness as he spoke.
"In your case, the magic would barely even matter. Just having a monster like you out there is sure to turn heads." Deuce chuckled.
Grim jumped up and down, ecstatic, "It's settled, then! I'm gonna train around the clock, join a team, and become a legend!"
"Alas, Grim, you cannot enter." Crowley interrupted.
"…Wait, what?"
"Did you not hear me speak the word "interdorm" multiple times? Your dorm doesn't even have seven members. Therefore, you cannot enter the tournament." Crowley states bluntly.
"Whaaaaaat?! No faaaaair!"
The headmaster added in with a grin, "But there's plenty else to do, from tending to the grounds to selling drinks in the stands! Those who stand upon the field are not the only stars of tournament day."
But Grim, being the stubborn one, didn't budge. "Not. Interested! I wanna be on TV! I want everyone in the world fawning over me! "Squeee! Grim is sooooo cool!" "Did you see that play Grim made?" You get what I'm sayin'"
"Your delusions are oddly specific, dude." Ace rolled his eyes.
"Well, if you can't field a team, I'm afraid that's that." Deuce apologized. "Maybe next year, Ramshackle House will get some new members. But it's not happening this year." he smiled encouragingly.
"Anyway, as I believe I've mentioned, I'm a busy man. I must be off." Crowley muttered to himself as he turned back to his desk.
Grim whined, "Yeah, thanks for takin' time outta your busy day to build up my dreams and crush 'em! Myaaah!"
"Hold on a minute." Niho stopped him. The Headmaster turned back to see her. "What about getting new students for the Ramshackle dorm?" was the main thing that slipped out her mouth, growing a bit peeved. "If you won't do anything right away, I'll just have to do it myself." She turned on her heel and started for the door. "I'm going to go talk to the Dark Mirror and ask if-" but something stopped her.
"Hold on, my dear!" Crowley stopped her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I can assure you: there will be more new people to join your dorm!"
"I'm a bit skeptical about that, Sir..." Niho replied.
"Just give it some time! You may never know who may just appear out of nowhere!" he laughed to himself.
Niho felt herself getting an aneurysm at his happy-go-lucky smile. "You don't understand what I'm saying. TIME IS NOT ON MY SIDE!" she snapped, making Crowley put his hands up in mock-surrender at her loudness.
"As we stand here, someone else could show early signs of overblot and we wouldn't even know about it until it's too late.'' That was the last thing she said before she turned heel once again and strode out of the room, hands clenched at her sides and a scowl crossed on her lips.
Worried, Crowley scurried after her, tripping over his own two feet after her.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Niho pushed open the door of the Mirror Chamber and walked right toward the ornate mirror, looking at it right in the glass. She stood in front of it and demanded: "Dark Mirror: we need to talk!"
The face in the Dark Mirror materialized. "What is it you wish to know?"
"Can you detect those with Beastmaster talents so that they may enter the school?" she asked.
"The answer you seek believes to lie in me. But it is a human's destiny to ponder the riddle of existence, and as a byproduct of wonderment, to create a new coven on this place... six...or seven souls...they've yet to appear before thee..."
Niho's eyebrows perked up. 'Okay, now we're getting somewhere!' she thought. "Try one hometown!...Headmaster, do you know where the students come from?"
"Yes of course! I've profiles on all the students and their places of origin!"
"Tell me where Leona Kingscholar's from. We can start there!"
"If I remember...it's the Afterglow Savannah..." The mirror heard this and silently searched.
"...one female. A girl of the same birthplace..." was all it answered.
"Bring her in."
From the Mirror's surface, the glass warped and slowly began to spit out a young girl, around Niho's age. Her skin was dark, but her hair a different contrast: a polished chestnut with several dark highlights. She wore a beige halter top with dark green cargo pants and leather sandals. But the elephant in the room: a pair of lion ears and a tail protruding from her lower back and head.
She opened her eyes to reveal gleaming brown irises reminiscent of a chocolate bar. "Where...Where am I?" she asked, her eyes moving around the room in curiosity.
"You're at Night Raven College." Niho answered, walking up to her calmly, to show she was not an enemy. "We asked the Dark Mirror to bring you here because I firmly believe there are more people like me out there: beastmasters, as they're called. I'm Niho Shimoba. And you?"
"Rajni...Rajni Jeevan." the newcomer answered carefully. "W-Wait...isn't Night Raven...an all boy's school? Why was I brought here?!"
"Miss Shimoba said she wanted to recruit more people like you to this academy, Miss Jeevan." Crowley spoke. "She believes there are more people with the talent to tame monsters in this world than just herself. Oh, yes! I am Dire Crowley, the principal of this establishment." he bowed.
"So...any idea?"
"Uh, what do you mean 'any idea'...?" Rajni asked confused. "I still don't understand: why was I even brought here in the first place? And HOW is an even bigger question?!"
"We have asked the Dark Mirror to find one in a certain Region of Twisted Wonderland." Crowley pointed her to the Mirror. Rajni looked over her shoulder to look at the face inside the glass, looking back at her. "We believe that you may possess the same or similar abilities to that of Miss Shimoba here."
"Do you have any strong abilities?" Niho asked. "Can you communicate well with monsters of all kinds?"
"I guess you can say that...I have some good commander skills and I'm a capable combatant..." Rajni shrugged, her left hand clung to her right elbow as she unconsciously moved it to her, catching Niho's attention.
"Uh, are you hiding something...?"
"No! I mean...no, i-it's nothing..." Rajni tried to cover herself.
Niho narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't born yesterday. You're hiding something. Let me see!"
Rajni backed up a bit at her harsh tone, but reluctantly complied. She raised her right arm up slowly and out.
Niho's eyes widened. On Rajni's lower right arm was a long and faint scar, running vertically up said arm, from a few inches below her wrist to almost at the crack of her elbow...it was faintly pink but still had a bit of red at the sides. "Oh my god...how'd you get that?"
Rajni ran her fingers lightly over the scar with her fingertips, a glossy look in her eyes. "I'm not sure myself...it just...appeared one day..."
"Is that even...possible?" Niho murmured, looking at Rajni with skepticism and sadness.
"...For me, it may as well be." The lioness remarked humorlessly.
"Anyways, it is with great honor that I humbly welcome you to Night Raven College, Miss Rajni Jeevan!" Crowley perked up. "I shall let you settle in with your things at the Ramshackle Dorm. When you are accommodated, we shall get you fit for a new uniform! I will see you in my office soon!" He waved and left in a hurry, leaving the two girls alone.
"So...wanna check out the dorm?" Niho offered.
"By all means." Rajni nodded, and picked up her duffel bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Lead the way."