AN: Finally, the last arc of the Wizard City Saga. This is finally where things come to a head. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.
"Blah" = talking
"Blah" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks
"BLAH"= Yelling
A nexus of onyx sweeping curves, surrounding a flawless jewel of the deepest mauve.
Dworgyn's beady, irregular eyes eyed the necklace with an inquisitive fascination as he rested on the second lowest step of the staircase. The jewel at the center seemed to shimmer darkly every time light from the slowly swinging chandelier above passed by, and the piece as a whole gave off the faintest vibration in his hand. As if trying break free from its container.
Once his attention for it had worn thin, his eyes indifferently wandered around the room. Only a slim line of sunlight from a crooked shade high up let him know it was daylight outside. The only real way to keep track of time over the past week. Or what he assumed had been a week. He'd been rather lax on keeping track.
He partially regretted that actually. It would have at least been something to do since he'd been confined to remain at their base, presumably while the hooded man and the witch girl finished up whatever it was they were doing. The skeletal and scarecrow minions the man had summoned weren't very sociable.
His only real sense of companionship had ironically been their injured captive, who half on Sasha's request, half on ensuing boredom he'd taken the time to fix up. And who was now sitting bound on the staircase next to him, plastered leg outstretched. Dworgyn wasn't much of a healer, but if he'd learned anything in necromancy, it'd been how to set a bone.
"We're both stuck here, you know…" The hunched man said evenly, dangling the necklace in front of his eyes. "Being antisocial doesn't help anyone."
"Don't say a word." Artur continued to stare off in the opposite direction. Body still and unmoving.
"But discussion is often the best remedy for conflicted feelings. You should talk about it." Dworgyn adopted a toothier smile, but then scrunched his eyebrows like he was analyzing the boy. "I'm sure your sister's treachery is still a shock, but she has good intentions I'm sure."
"Shut up!" Artur rounded on him.
His anger only kindled more by a wry grin. "Ah, there's some emotion."
"Don't you talk to me about good intentions and treachery." The Diviner gritted his teeth, switching to a controlled viciousness. "You have no right after what you did. You deserved to be jailed up, you monster."
At that, Dworgyn went silent, Artur's echoes climbing to the ceiling. Then, the elder turned his sight ahead and conjured the saddest smirk the boy had ever thought he'd seen. "…So Ravenwood still thinks I did that, huh?"His voice was even, and for the first time completely devoid of any mirth. "If you listen to anything from me, boy, hear this. Your real enemies are much closer than you think. And tonight, I'm going to show all of you that."
The sentence gave Artur pause for a few moments, and before curiosity opened his mouth to query, a swirling black rift opened a few feet ahead and discharged two figures in hooded cloaks. Only the latter of the two pulled hers back, bringing Sasha's brown hair and purple eyes into the room's dim light. Neither brother nor sister so much as glanced at each other.
"Oh, you're finally back. I've missed you so." Dworgyn's playful nature returned without a hitch.
"Everything should be prepared now." The hooded figure ignored the comment, skipping straight to business. "Have you gained a grasp on it?"
Dworgyn shrugged his hunched shoulders, letting the necklace dangle on his hand. "More or less. I can at least pull off my job for an hour or two." The figure nodded.
"What about him." Sasha motioned to Artur, who noticed the lack of any recognition in her tone or words. "It's been a week. Somebody's sure to be looking for him by now."
"Leave him here. I have no further use. Someone will find him eventually." He turned to face both Sasha and Dworgyn. "Be ready and gather up what you need. We strike tonight."
Both nodded, the girl after the old man, then took off for different parts of the space. Sasha threw back on her hood and tried to hide her last withering glance at her brother before stepping back out through the door and into the day. The hooded man moved to a darkened door off to the side. Dworgyn remained where he was, swinging his dangling necklace back and forth again before his eyes, as if trying to hypnotize himself.
Artur watched him out of his periphery with some reservation, and an oddly placed sense of concern arose at what he'd said before. And how much closer he meant.
EXSEED
Seventeenth Pip: Nightfall
Wind billowed over the empty pastures, ruffling the raven locks and loose articles of clothing of the boy sitting calmly there. His eyes closed, ankles brought back to sit on his knees, back facing the monstrously towering oak tree. A mushroom cloud's worth of branches snaked into the air, wearing verdant green leaves as healthy as the grass below. The only sound came from the soft whistling of the wind.
And the withered voice at the boy's back. "Seek me out."
"Why." The boy responded hesitantly, conflicted. "Who…who are you."
"You are not yet whole...come to me."
"Where." The boy's eyes scrunched, but remained closed. "Where are you? Please answer me."
"You must become whole."
"Where are you!"
Fate's fist slammed into the granite top, causing the bathroom counter and sink to shake while knocking off a precariously perched bottle of bath soap onto the floor below. The sound of it hitting the tile broke him from his trance, and his eyes flew up to the large mirror ahead.
Beads of sweat ran down his reflection's face, and his labored breathing had just started to come down off its high. Trembling hands, now just regaining themselves, wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth before tapping the sink faucet twice, and a steady stream of water magically poured forth.
There was it again. That dream, or memory, or image. He honestly couldn't discern between them anymore. At first, it'd only happened during deep sleeps, but lately he'd found himself zoning out, as if his consciousness was shutting down. And it was completely random now too, not to mention more painful. He'd been fortunate enough to keep it at the apartment, but one episode had happened during Cyrus's history final. It'd taken twenty minutes of test time and an aggravated yell from the Professor himself to snap him out of it.
He wet the rag to his right and ran it over his face, spending extra time on his mouth to get the blood off. He really just didn't know what to make of it anymore. Someone had to be contacting him, that much was certain. It was the same beckoning message every time, sometimes alone, other times appearing with a sharp pain somewhere on his body. The question was, who or what was it? And why did it seem so important?
Furthermore, what did it mean by complete?
"Fate, are you okay in there?"
Victoria's voice pierced his thought train through the bathroom door, and he quickly shut off the water. "Yeah, I'm fine. What's wrong?" The opening of the door greeted him to the blonde in question, sporting a blue knee-length dress, frilled at the brim. A white cardigan sleeved her arm up to the elbow, and those same sparkling red flats she'd borrowed from Dorothy Gale cushioned her feet.
Her brown eyes looked concerned. "You just…yelled all of a sudden."
"Oh, uh…" His hand ran over the back of his head, and he gave her a sheepish grin as the doorbell sounded. "…I just hit my foot."
Her nod and subsequent 'alright' didn't seem too convinced, but she took the explanation anyway, asking him to get the door while she returned to her room to finish preparing. A quick peek through the eyehole produced an image of three familiar faces, and the subsequent opening allowed Ty Stormwhisper, Aria Nightingale, and Tala Mythhammer in.
All three exchanged greetings with the emerald eyed boy, before Ty looked around the living room, noticing his sister wasn't around. "Don't tell me she's not ready yet." Fate shrugged, but at that moment the girl in question pedaled back down the stairs to meet them.
"Okay, I'm ready now." She remarked, taking note of everyone's appearance as she moved towards them. Everyone in her class was required to dress up at least a little tonight, so Tala and Fate were able to scrounge up some appropriate pants and shirts from a Shopping District visit earlier in the day, adverse with having to ask Malorn for clothes all the time. Everyone else held a more liberal freedom of choice. Aria of course didn't care much for her outfit, wearing her usual get up and even bringing the sitar as well, but the blonde had to crane an eyebrow at Ty's choice of wear. "What, you're wearing your school clothes?"
"Unlike you, people already think I look good. So I don't need to—"
A fist to the gut and an irate look silenced him, but he still managed a superior grin before she huffed out the door. Fate and Tala snickered at the exchange, and Aria soon caught up with her, giggling as well. "Your brother is quite the humorous one."
Victoria sighed. "Too bad he wasn't joking."
The group soon exited the building and eased into the Commons, the sun peaking just above the horizon and casting a deep orange tinge over all the stonework. Victoria noted how odd it was traveling to Ravenwood at night for once, after having gone through a semester of early morning rushes. But then again, this was quite the special night for her and her classmates.
After a grueling first semester of nothing but wizardry fundamentals, where many of the wizard hopefuls were weeded out over the course, the survivors came together for the graduation ceremony. Perhaps equal in importance, while the final graduation marked the end of a magic user's conventional education, the first marked the beginning. For here was where the students finally entered the discipline of their choice, or more commonly the discipline that chose them.
Fire, Ice, Storm, Myth, Life, and Death. By the end of this night, each and every survivor of the Runewarden, Phantomhide, Sunchaser, Seedcradle, Gladecrest, and Copperhorn classes was guaranteed a spot in one of the six schools, and their magical training would truly commence. These placement decisions were supervised by a committee of high ranking wizards and Professors as well as the teachers' own recommendations based off of observed performance. Students' own wishes were taken into account, of course, but few ever felt the need to challenge; most placements were spot on.
"Wait, Malorn isn't coming?" Ty asked Aria in disdain, mirroring all the others' thoughts.
The girl's short red locks swayed with the shaking of her head. "Afraid not. He's still stuck with cleanup duty on Colossus Boulevard with the rest of my class." She seemed to sigh as she continued. "Only reason they let me off is because my plants aren't very effective in that kind of cold."
The Diviner and Victoria tried their best to hide their disappointment at the revelation, only managing to keep each more reserved until they neared the wrought iron school gates. Tala, Fate, and Aria were sad too, but were surprised at how much it affected Ty, much less Victoria, when it was her graduation. It made them wonder just how much of a history they actually had with him.
Upon reaching the gates, they saw a rather strange sight. What appeared to be an adult Cyclops, dressed in the cleanest work clothing Victoria had admittedly ever seen one, stared defiantly down at one of the guardsman, gilded helmet only reaching up to the giant's knee. A few others stood around, finding safety in numbers should the situation escalate, but the young wizard group's fears of conflict were quenched as they came within earshot.
"Sir, I don't think your son is here. You're the first Cyclops I've seen all night, and there's none on the student ledger."
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. My son isn't a Cyclops. He's human. Name's Tala Mythhammer." The guards flipped through a few pages, collectively spying the name but not outright convinced of the man's claim.
They continued to eye him suspiciously, until Tala jogged ahead of the group and pushed his way to stand beside the Cyclops. "I'm Tala Mythhammer. He's with me, I promise."
Their faces still looked skeptical, but the one holding the ledger eventually caved in and granted a nod of passage. The boy and one-eyed giant stood off to the side within the gate while the rest of the party received authorization as well, and once inside Victoria and Fate dashed over to them, the latter speaking. "Hey, Remus! It's been a long time."
"Aye, it has." He responded with a grin, scratching along his beard. "Your security here sure isn't a welcoming lot."
He knelt down to better communicate with them, and the Theurgist and Diviner who approached seconds later. The next minute or so was occupied by formal introductions to Ty and Aria, whose first time it was meeting any of Tala's relatives. Their faces were surprisingly devoid of one of the standard two reactions, unbridled fear and amusement. Aria seemed strangely unfazed by the revelation, almost unnaturally so, even knowing and feeling that the man was much larger than the average human. On the other hand, a playfully sadistic glee consumed Ty, who could only think of the potential stunts and gags they could pull with a full grown Cyclops on their side.
They soon moved back into the flow of people heading deeper into the campus, the chivalrous Remus offering Victoria and Aria a ride on his broad shoulders, which they were glad to accept. Only softly glowing streetlamps lit their way, unaccounting for the full moon above or the glow of dorm room windows on the far side. The sidewalk wrapped around the base of the Grandfather Tree, no less imposing than ever, some roots emerging from the ground at places to form arches above their heads.
The General Studies building hallways were completely packed, enough for Remus to barely make room for his feet as he near crawled under the doorway. First year students dressed in their best, upperclassmen, friends, and relatives all swarmed around, conversing. The group pushed down the hallway, muttering apologies as needed, before reaching a relatively sparse area near the gymnasium doors.
And there at the end stood the members of their class, and those they'd chosen to bring along. Contrary to what Victoria and Tala had thought, two parents accompanied relatively few of them, including only Anna Flamewright, Susie Gryphonbane, and Sabrina Greenstar. Everyone else seemed to be missing one or both, and they were sure it'd only been a lack of invitation. Surely that many parents couldn't be missing. Regardless, Victoria couldn't help but fight back a single tear, which Ty offhandedly noticed before patting her back.
"Hey guys!" Susie approached alongside Mindi and one other girl, as the group came into view. Everyone exchanged greetings, and soon the other members of the class came around to form a makeshift conversation circle. Once she'd reached everyone, the Gryphonbane girl leaned to the girl behind her and yanked her to the forefront. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my older sister."
"Greetings." The girl, who looked like a taller, more mature version of Susie, greeted reservedly. "My name is Sasha Gryphonbane."
There was a small pause, and the girl looked around to find the entire group staring at her. Eventually, Pathos Thornriver broke from the pack and took to a knee in front of her.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, mademoiselle." He planted a kiss on the back of her hand, an action which stunned her and Mindi into silence and gathered amused laughs from Ty, Fate, and Tala. "Truly the brightest of blooms, thou art. Perhaps we could become a tad more...acquainted? Over dinner, possib—?"
Thena Owlfinder's hand grabbed his collar, and the girl dragged him away from the group with a subdued exasperation. Alex soon went after them, waving apologetically over his shoulder. "Sorry about that. He does that to all the pretty girls. We'll see you guys inside." After they left sight, Susie coyly nudged her sibling, who only turned her head away in embarrassment.
"Wait…" Victoria mused. "He's never done that to me."
Ty stepped up. "He did say 'pretty' gi—" And the sudden feeling of instant death ensured his retreat. "Nevermind."
"Ms... Aria, is it? You are in Witherseed class, right?" Susie followed up to diffuse the tension. The redhead nodded kindly, prompting her to continue. The girl looked down at her feet, and drew in a calming breath. "Well…um…have you seen my brother Artur this week? At all?"
The Theurgist resisted the urge for a blind joke when she felt how solemn the girl seemed. Instead, she shook her head. "No I'm sorry, I haven't. Is he alright?"
"We're not sure." Sasha answered with a controlled voice. Controlled to everyone around her, accept for Aria, who noticed the girl's sound shift ever so slightly upon the mention of his name. "He hasn't come home all week."
"He did say something to us about an assignment from Ambrose." The redhead shrugged. "He could just be on an extended mission. I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. He'll turn up soon enough."
Susie seemed placated by the thought, and though Sasha took on a comforted smile too, her actual mood did not get past the Theurgist. The gymnasium doors finally swung open moments later, and people began to file in. Aria watched the older Gryphonbane's sound signature disappear into the flooding crowd, with a sense of something she couldn't quite pinpoint. She quelled her thoughts, though, as Fate's hand grabbed her wrist and brought her in with them.
Victoria had been to Ty's graduation ceremony the year before, where he was accepted into the Storm school, and so was vaguely familiar with what to expect. This, however, exceeded that time by a wide margin. She couldn't even distinguish it from the gymnasium, as if it were an entirely different room. A unique design lay plastered over every wall, moon and star symbols glowing and moving in coordinated patterns across a murky navy blue background. What was once the recognizable gym floor was covered in a sea of confetti and balloons of every shape and hue. A massive stage lay at the head of the gym, framed with red curtains that hung from the high ceiling, revealed by spotlight sconces perched at the far end and the corners. Wood, padded chairs encompassed draped tables, each set with climbing glass centerpieces and a host of dining utensils.
The masses split apart upon entering, moving to the tables whose centerpieces held their name card. Tala luckily was allowed to stay with the group here, though they had to accept a table nearby the edge of the setup, so Remus' large stature wouldn't block anyone's view. The different classes separated into different blocks so that all class members were close enough. Those students without any guests were at least granted the privilege of sitting with others.
Fate peered around as his table sat down, recognizing relatively few students from the other classes. Mr. Runewarden did take the time to visit all his class's tables, giving congratulations like all the other assistant professors, but before Fate could really get into it, his attention turned with the spotlights as Headmaster Ambrose and his avian companion Gamma took the stage, voice projecting and bouncing off the walls. He proceeded to greet everyone, thanking them for their hard efforts through this preliminary trial, and how those before him were those the faculty believed would be able to succeed as Wizards. And that they'd like to express just some of their appreciation through a humble meal.
Humble became a meager choice for a word. Waiters and waitresses wheeled in carts one after another, packed to the brim with hors d'oeuvres, soups, salads, meat dishes of every variety, and desserts. Glasses failed to run empty, occupied by orange, blue, and red liquids the likes they'd never seen. The once reserved and quiet space became abuzz with dinner chatter over the next hour, with people trying to find conversation between stuffing their faces. Especially Tala and Remus, who could neither stop eating nor comprehend how much food there was.
Everyone had long since ceased once the two had their fill, and the workers quickly began ferrying trays and remains away while Ambrose retook the stage. "And now, for what we've been waiting for. If my fellow Professors would join me on the stage." Six figures moved from behind the curtain: a flaming red woman in a crimson evening dress, an aged fairy wrapped in blue, a dapper frog twirling a cane, a stern man swathed in a yellow robe, a cheerful cow gracefully sliding her green kimono across the wood, and the cold eyes of the pale, black-robed man. All as astounding as in the advancement exam. Ambrose unrolled the scroll in his hands. "These six men and women have hand selected you to join your upperclassmen on the road to excellence in the magical arts. Please ascend the stage as we call your name. From the Copperhorn Class…"
A block of students towards the front right side rose from tables with smiles, and one by one began to come up. As they did so, they gave a curt bow to the audience during applause, then turned to face the line of six professors. Ambrose's voice recited a few prepared lines, tailored at parts to each individual, before revealing which of the sextet had selected the student. Unanimous nods came from each student, who looked perfectly content with their choice and the school-specific plaque they received, and they moved to the stage's side to repeat the process with the next. Applause sounded out as expected, giving one last burst as the entire class finished and returned to the tables of proud guests.
Fate, Victoria, and Tala all separately noticed the distant looks in Aria's and Ty's eyes, while the classes passed one by one. Occasionally, ever so subtly, they would look to a nearby table on the right, and after subsequent instances, the trio was sure it was Susie Gryphonbane's table. They didn't know what to make of that, though. Upon their own viewing, the group seated their looked normal enough, if ignoring the pervasive gloom from the one empty chair meant for her brother. The two parents looked strangely…disinterested though. Not obvious by any means, but Tala for one could pick it up, having been subjected to it in the past for so long. Susie did her best to keep conversation going, mostly with Mindi and her uncle, who'd been invited to sit with them.
The strangest one by far, though, was her elder sister Sasha. Her eyes were focused, but tracing her line of sight only brought them to a blank far wall. One thing Victoria noted was the way she constantly fiddled around with her necklace. More of an amulet, one that gave Fate an unexplainable feeling of uncertainty.
The behavior carried on for another half hour, under which the fourth class, Phantomhide, received their moment in the spotlight. This one brought about more attention from the Runewarden trio, if only for the situation in Colossus Boulevard. It was also quite the humorous contrast seeing the gruff form of Kald Ironclaws accept his plaque from the tiny Professor Greyrose. Penny's commencement produced the opposite effect, Malistaire reservedly and unemotionally presenting her the plaque as he did the others. Not that they expected much from the death school professor, but a little flair would have been nice.
As the Phantomhide group disembarked from the stage, something caught Aria's and Ty's eyes again, which prompted another look from the three. Sasha mouthed something indiscernible from their distance to those at her table, and they all seemed to nod before she moved to one of the entrances, under cover of the returning class.
The Diviner and Theurgist gave each other curt glances, with the former declaring to the table. "Hey, we'll be back in a few minutes."
"What! Where are you going?" Even under Victoria's harsh whisper, they already begin standing from their seats, adjusting themselves.
"We left some things in one of the classrooms. If we hurry, we can grab them before they lock up."
That was probably the worst lie she'd ever heard him come up with, but the graveness of his stare convinced her not to call him out on it. Instead, she only looked back, voice adrift on dejection. "Just…get back here soon. Our class is going up in a second."
His nod signaled their exit. The fact that Aria brought her sitar along only served to heighten her confusion and anxiousness, but Ambrose's voice drew them back to the stage. "Now, may the Runewarden Class please rise to their feet?"
—o—o—o—o—o—
Sasha moved quickly from the moment she shut the gymnasium door behind her. Down still-lit hallways, around corners, peeking briefly at every room she passed with a translucent pane of glass on its door. Hands always fiddling with the amulet. Steps purposefully light to obscure her presence from whatever could possibly be patrolling the hallways.
She paused at a particular corner, hearing footfalls and the clinking of chainmail approaching from the adjacent corridor. Her body hugged the wall, mind running through a variety of plans she'd thought up. Take them out now? What if more than one was nearby? Would they see her and the plan be placed in jeopardy. With the steps growing in volume, she eventually bit her lip and stepped out into the open, doing her best to look as innocent and perplexed as possible.
Apparently it worked, for the guard was wary, but not outright hostile. "What do you think you're doing over here, ma'am?"
Sasha feigned astonishment at his 'sudden' appearance. "Oh, my. You frightened me."
"Oh…uh…I apologize for that." This made him ease off somewhat, and after he cleared his throat, his voice was more gentle. "But you know that no one's allowed back here. Are you with the first year graduation party?"
She nodded. "Yes, the Gryphonbanes. I was just trying to find the ladies room. If that's alright?"
"Ah I see." A flush of red conquered his cheeks. "Yes. That's quite fine. I'll take you there."
Silence took over as they moved back the way he'd come from, Sasha following a few feet behind him. The route wrapped around towards an area somewhat far from the main entrance, at the back of the building. An odd anxiety began building up inside him, one he couldn't explain, though eventually he decided to just discard the notion and continue forwards.
Once he arrived at separate set of doors with male and female insignias, he finally turned his body to face her, smile on his face. "Well, here we go ma'am. I'll be in the hall over if you need help getting back."
She mirrored the smile, cocking her head innocently. "Thank you so much."
A surge of electricity ripped through the guard's body, shooting up through his spine and knocking out his consciousness. The last thing he could remember, the last he saw as he buckled under his weight, was the girl's cold, unflinching eyes. She was already walking as his helmet touched down, bending to grab his chainmail by the collar, and dragging his limp body into the bathroom with her.
She didn't bother to prop him up against a wall. She simply let him go in the center of the floor, and obeyed the command that came out her medallion.
"Open it up."
Tearing the air took considerable more effort than any of the others had, and by the time the swirling black rift could be called stabilized, Sasha was drenched in sweat. Something the eldest of the four figures that passed through touched on. "You seem…out of sorts."
"What did you expect?" She responded through labored breaths. "Opening a rift this close to Bartleby isn't the easiest thing." The girl drew deep breaths to compose herself, after which she turned to the hooded man, the scarecrow and rattling skeletal warrior beside him. "Can we still even pull this off?"
"Of course." He turned to Dworgyn. "You know what to do, correct?"
"Possibly."
The man was too accustomed to the hunched being's playful grin to question it. "Good." Dworgyn's subsequent nod signaled everyone's exit, the group moving in a roundabout way back towards the gym. Avoiding single guard patrols when possible, Sasha's electrical surges cleaning up when not. Their flow through the route was seamlessly led by the hooded man and Dworgyn even with the building's winding halls, and they had no trouble arriving at the gym's entrance, hearing the muffled applause she'd been hearing from within before.
The hall lay silent, except for the spreading of stance and the jingling of Dworgyn's levitating in a dark glow before him. The hooded man and Sasha stood on either side, nodding to each other before uttering. "Sasha and I will assist with the dimensions. Let's get to work."
—o—o—o—o—o—
"Do you accept this hand of invitation, Mr. Mythhammer?"
Tala's eyes traveled down to plaque held before him as Cyrus's magically enhanced voice spread around the room. Shaped more like a shield, coated in a polished royal blue glass with the Myth School's yellow pyramid symbol at the center, its eye creased in pride. He'd seen plenty of it from watching all the other classes go before, but to have it in front of him after all this time was truly stunning to him.
Instead, he just managed a nod and the largest smile anyone had ever seen on him, and thunderous applause accompanied his moving to the side, Remus's wide hands and proud bellows being the primary contributors.
Victoria watched with pride also, standing next to her table and thinking how good a match the school would be for him. She watched him until he joined the others on stage that'd already received their nominations. Susie Gryphonbane and Blain Seastrider were shoe-ins for Diviners, what with the former's familial history and the latter's thunderous personality which manifested in excited howls on being chosen. Mindi, she guessed from her living arrangements, might be averse to dealing with ice and cold during school too, but the girl seemed ecstatic enough. Tala had joined Alex Greatspell in the school of Myth, noticing a connection with the two most intelligent people in the class being accepted into such a mind focused school. She admittedly couldn't see Duncan Grimwater in any other school except for death, same with Sabrina Greenstar with life.
Perhaps the largest shock of her class came with Pathos Thornriver and Thena Owlfinder in Death and Life, respectively. Sure, she knew it was wrong to stereotype, but 'Playboy' Pathos was far from the mostly reclusive, dark attitude of a necromancer. And Thena's antisocial behavior over the semester wasn't the most reflective trait of standard Theurgists. Though in hindsight, Malorn Ashthorn's easygoing, jovial nature was a walking contradiction itself. Perhaps there was more to them than she'd first assumed.
And that left only three. She, Anna Flamewright, and Fate Evergreen. "Would Ms. Victoria Flaresong please come to the stage?" Well…two.
The blonde took a calming breath, then did as she was told. She wouldn't have described it as nervousness; that sounded to negative. It was more like an anxious longing, to finally know what school she would be chosen for. Ambrose continued to speak of any accolades, even including the efforts in Colossus Boulevard, as she made her way up and onto the stage. She stiffened as she looked over the crowd, but a second deep breath set her at ease. She noticed Fate writhing around back at the table, no longer standing, but was drawn away as the Headmaster spoke.
"We are pleased to pronounce that Ms. Flaresong has completed every requirement of her Novice Wizard training. Professor, would you please step forward?" She heard shuffling of feet, which instantly told her the floating Greyrose was off the list. That left five. The footfalls had an odd quality to them. A rhythmic tapping sound, growing louder as the person approached. Could it be hooves? Moolinda Wu, maybe?
Then, the growing heat at her back told her all she needed to know.
She spun around to Dalia Flamea, holding a wooden plaque shaped like a fiery ember, swathed in red and orange glass, high heels ceasing their pounding as she came to a halt. A pleased smile uttered the words. "The School of Fire has requested that you, Victoria Flaresong, join our ranks."
After letting the moment settle in a few seconds, Ambrose tacked on with a smirk of his own. "Do you accept this hand of invitation, Ms. Flaresong?"
She paused even longer than Tala had. Fire, huh? Wouldn't be so bad to see where it took her. "Yes. Yes I do—"
"Aughhhhh!"
—o—o—o—o—o—
Dworgyn's pupils rolled up behind his open eyelids, leaving nothing but white and strained lines of red. The floating amulet's glow began to expand outward, barely contained by his outstretched hands, keeping it deep purple hue as it did. It stretched and swelled until a perfect sphere, swirling and churning within.
Beside him, the hooded man and Sasha watched his chant. Watched him complete the ball of energy and hold it cautiously between his hands. Then, like wind carrying a bubble, the sphere began to float from him, passing unhindered through the wall before them. The moment its edge dispersed through, the hooded figure and Sasha's arms were moving in complicated motions, the former's voice just audible enough or their group to hear.
"Sasha, set the radius for the capture point. I'll expand it."
—o—o—o—o—o—
The strained yell resounded over the room, drawing heads and eyes towards the front right where it originated. Fate fell from his chair, body hitting the ground with a loud thump and garnering surprised gasps. He writhed around on the ground, clutching his head, screaming at the limits of his voice.
"You are incomplete. You must become whole."
A number of people around began to look on, and Remus was the first one to actually shift over to him. He reached out a hand, index finger extended to turn his body over. "Hey, kid. What's with all the screaming?"
Fate's arm suddenly flew up and around, knocking the Cyclops' gesture away with his finger. The momentum turned him over, and his limbs pushed up to a kneel. Tear lines ran down both of his cheeks, face twisted in agony, hands gripping the sides of his temples as if trying to keep something in. He staggered to his feet, chest heaving, and began running. Weaving in and out of tables like trash through a rocky downstream, murmurs following at his back.
Victoria, too taken aback at the sudden onset, stared out at his retreating form pushing people out of the way. Her voice grew from a whisper to a distressed call. "Fate. Fate! Fate, where are you going!"
All his classmates, all the professors and the headmaster looked out at him as well, completely surprised at such a turn in the normally even-keeled boy. All except for Tala, whose upturned eye had caught the strangest sight from its topmost periphery.
A dark ball, in its simplest form. Stirring and roiling just underneath the ceiling at the gym's center. It hovered inconspicuously and daresay innocently, making no sound, at least not audible from their distance. The newly appointed conjuror couldn't put a finger on what had set him off about it. That was, until a line of darkness like a short wall of fire appeared on the fringes of the room's floor, barely visible against the shadows. His eyes moved up again. The shadow ball began to expand, open up perhaps. He couldn't tell.
But he knew something was happening. And he had to move.
"Everyone! Move!"
The very moment his voice roared out, a swift cascade of the dark energy poured out from the sphere, spreading out in every direction and curving downwards towards the dark lines on the floor, which now completed to form a perfect circle. Tala's body was already in motion as people turned at his call, his tattoos snaking down to his legs. He rushed across the stage, dropping his plaque without a second thought, and instinctively grabbing Victoria who was in his path.
The dark purple energy fell in seconds, forming what looked to be a barrier around the stage and every occupied table in the gym, people just now realizing what was going on. Tala was almost dragging the girl at this point, but luckily in her confusion did not obstruct him too much. He poured on the speed as the wall fell to near completion, yelling out for her to dive. They leapt into a forward roll, passing just underneath the dome, hearing the unhinged screams of the people within go silent as the malevolent structure completed.
A dome indeed, its curved walls churning with the same dark energy as the ball. They lay against the eastern wall just on the cuff of its span, a few feet between it and the wall behind them. Haggard breaths became the only sound in the room. Their pupils constricted in horror.
Nobody else had gotten out.