Deep within Orchidia's tranquil woods, Alaric felt a yearning, a desire to deepen his connection with magic. The peaceful rustle of leaves and the calming ambiance inspired him as he ventured further, eager to master new spells. Amongst the towering trees and the dappled sunlight, he made his way, determined to elevate his magical skills.

In his exploration, Alaric stumbled upon a hidden gem. A secluded rocky enclave boasting a glistening waterfall that spilled into a crystal blue pool. The serene aura of the place drew him in, its tranquil melodies blending with the whispers of past visitors. Scars on the earth hinted at previous magical practices, evoking a sense of kinship with those who had sought growth in this sanctuary.

"This place is ideal," he mused aloud, stretching his arms skyward. Setting his backpack down, he retrieved a worn leather book, his original source on Bomb Magic, along with a newer diary filled with notes and ideas on the subject. Next, a sizable container of water emerged, a precaution against accidental fires, and a resilient, bouncy ball, his target for magical practice. "Perfect for honing skills," he murmured, a hint of wolfish delight in the prospect of chasing after the ball.


Word Count = 201

Her keen eyes spotted him long before any of her ravens had. Lumikki in the form of a raven was flying with her flock toward the city. She had some errands to attend but now her interest lied elsewhere, her curiosity was stirred.

” Tenevi, do me a favor in getting what’s on the list. I see I have a member to pester and I wonder if I could pass it off as mentoring.” Lumi was already losing altitude as she spoke so the harpy that was her companion knew it would be a wasted effort to plead otherwise. Though she was not happy to see her master go and made a mental note to see for whom it was so that she may too bother them on her free time. Yet for the moment, the man below was out of her sight by only a few dozen more meters.
” Do you really think it best to waste time on him? We have so many things to get done by tomorrow!”Trygve, her more attendant raven would whine under the guise of being helpful and responsible. But really, he too would be sad to see her go. He would join her and leave the wretched harpy to the task, but someone had to guide her to certain places with Lumi now gone. And he would be darned to let such a responsibility fall onto another in case they wished to show him up in usefulness.

” It is all mostly finished at this point Trygve. I think it would be best to let the Revna rest and bond with her new partners. We don’t join the battle alongside her sadly.” Lonu a voice of reason would chime in. He was not as clingy as the others. So he had it in his mind to join them and make sure they actually stayed on course.

” I agree with Lonu, let the gal have her fun!” Gunvald, the more rambunctious would also be in favor.
” Sure, easy for you to say. You were planning to slack off from the start!”Trygve would retort quite annoyed.” You know me well Teary.” He chuckled as he joined in the Demonesses glide.

The pair would fly before to where the lad would be in view.” Is this the chap you told me of before?”

” Aye, so lets see what fun is there to be had.”

Lumi made note of the air, minding that she would remain down wind to her companion. She wanted to be sure that she could enjoy the ploy for as long as it could last. Diving into the trees before wrapping around and perching on a nearby branch just out of view. Gunvald would join her and wait on her mischief.

” Do you have an offering for the spirits of the forest dearie?” She spoke in an harrowing tone much like an old woman. Just enough touches of human in the voice to feel familiar but fill the listener with a sense of dread and unease.

Alaric’s fingers gripped the red ball firmly, his eyes focusing on it as he gave it a few tight squeezes, testing its elasticity. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the ball bouncing off the ground, each thud sending ripples of energy through the clearing. His practiced toss sent the ball high into the air, a faint magical sigil forming around it, a prelude to what was to come. The circle glowed ominously before a sudden explosion echoed, the ball transformed into a projectile, shooting skyward.

The blast startled the serene woodland around him, birds scattering from their perches, animals skittering away from the unexpected chaos. Alaric readied himself for pursuit, coiling his energy to launch himself skyward after the ascending ball when, unexpectedly, an old woman's voice sliced through the air, halting his movements. He swiveled his head, scanning the vicinity, but no figure appeared. Confused, he lifted his nose, sniffing the air for any trace, yet there was nothing tangible to account for the mysterious voice. A ghost, perhaps? In the midst of his bewilderment, the once-lobbed ball hurtled back towards the earth. Alaric's attention had wandered, lost in the pursuit of the voice’s source.

The ball collided with the ground, a sudden expletive escaping his lips. Startled more than hurt, he rubbed his forehead, his focus snapping back to the unseen presence that had interrupted his playful act. Frustration seeped into his tone, his voice laced with a mix of annoyance and defiance. “Damn it!” Alaric’s fist clenched, his frustration mounting as he planted his foot firmly on the ground. Anger boiled within him, fueling his magic as he conjured a sigil, channeling raw energy. “If this is your game, then have it!” With a forceful stomp, a magic circle materialized at the edge of the trees, a resounding explosion following swiftly after, making it clear that he would not be easily toyed with.



WC:330
TWC: 531

The explosive burst did not surprise her. Her World eyes gleaned his magic the moment she looked him over in the time that they had met. It was a cute spark to say the least, and she was eager to see what would become of it given time. The moment the words escaped her beak, she turned to her companion and demanded him fall back a few meters. She knew when her play had a chance to get messy.

Sure enough the man turned. Agitation clear on his face. The Demoness savored of every once of it while she could as she promptly shifted back to her humanoid form. A smirk would show on her face as the point where she stood was engulfed in flames. Lumikki cackled as it threatened to touch her, but it could not cut through the magic of her own. But as the man did not know he didn’t yet claim his kill, she decided to push on her mischief.

Black mist would obscure the scene, mixing with the smoke of the damaged trees. Lumi playfully willed some like monsters what would hold their form for a moment before returning to mist. The chill of her magic was bleeding into the air, crawling for the wolf just at the fringes. Black frost flowers would grow along the flower and his feet and as he was near, he would note the slowness of his movements. There wouldn’t be a clean way to escape if danger was threatening to drag him into the void of darkness. Black tendrils would lightly lash from her fog and gently curl around his ankles for a but a moment before loosening this grasp just as quickly and fading away. She wanted to spike him but not trap him. ” You refuse us what is ourrrrs. Take head as we talk our price. For even you can’t escape our gaaaaaze….Alaric.”

Lumikki cackled as she threw her head back, a blood curdling screech left her lips as she broke into a flock ravens and darted from her mist. She circled around him as a flock, giggling as she did. All her ravens speaking in unison. “ Fun spark ye had there friend, but I’ve tasted ones much harder and bigger than that.” Considering how many times she fought her Guild Master Yuurei, this wasn’t even a lie.

The ravens would fly so fast at first they began to blur, then mashing together before Alaric as they were mixing form and gathering themselves before flying directly at him. Yet the silhouette would still not be one he would recognize. Lumi was instead taking her hybrid form as she flew right for him and her face would stop just before his. Fangs exposed, she spoke with glee,” Greetings friend. Practicing magics all alone? Figure ya could use some company in a spooky place like this.”

She pulled herself back in the air, talons touching the ground as she bent forward and leaned in a cheeky post. She willed and pulled apart the darkness of her hybrid form so that she presented something more human. Her skin was brown, hair now a shade of periwinkle, and her eyes the color of the open sky and rising sun. Gunvald would return to her company perching her outstretched arm. ” do ye think that was a bit much? I wanted to play but it’s not always clear where to end.” She would ask her bird and he would answer in a tongue only she could understand. “ Seems his heart still beats, so I think it should be fine. Don’t you want to establish a degree of fear?”


She scrunched up her face with a bit of annoyance, shaking her head to his point. “ Fear is a mixed bag and better saved for me victims. Would be a pain if a member grew to avoid me. But I figured he’d fair well in taking a joke.” She looked back to Alaric, her doe eyes sparkling with more mischief.” Ye knew it all a joke, aye? I’d never truly harm ye so careless and pointlessly~” Her smile was entirely one of innocence and charm. A genuine gesture to her plea. Yet even so she couldn’t hold back the hunger to tease him more.

With bated breath, Alaric waited to see what might come from the woods after his explosive outburst. The wildlife that had remained sought shelter. He saw some birds and squirrels burst from the smoke and flames, some with their tailfeathers singe. Part of him was sorry for the sudden burst but he had to deal with whatever felt like harassing him. The flames burned the dry fall trees, part of him worried it might get out of control but the waterfall and river nearby ensured that something of this magnitude wouldn’t get too wild. The flames crackled or was that the sound of laughter? Something eerie was in these woods today. Alaric felt its presence. I waited a moment for the fire to somewhat die down but the thick smoke continued to bellow. Alaric raised an arm slightly to cover his mouth. This wasn’t normal. Even when used for kindling, his bombs never had this destructive nature. Something told him to step the fuck back.

Alaric took his own inner advice and took a few steps back, all the while keeping one arm covering his mouth and the other held out ready to fire off a blast if needed. Coughing through the smoke, Alaric was completely caught off guard when the forest spirit stirred. Its words pierce through the smoke and right into his heart. His pupils opened and he felt a cold sweat building. Almost instinctively, Alaric summoned a circle beneath him and blasted upwards out of the smokescreen. Up in the sky, even for the briefest of moments, he still could not see what was causing that sound.

He was heading towards the earth when a familiar voice echoed throughout the whole clearing. He gritted his teeth, “Lumi”. A black wave, that could almost be mistaken as the smokescreen itself rushed from the trees and right towards the falling man. Dozens of black wings beat on his skin as he landed. The birds swarmed him, wrapping him in their black feathery cloak. He was crouched to one knee but kept a sharp eye on the world around him, even if it was only black. His eyes widened as the mess of black feathers started to take shape and a partial human face was looking at him. Its fangs showing but not in a predatory way, more of a child enjoying themselves way. His fist clenched. “Lumi is that you? What are you doing out here?”

As the flock of birds subsided, Alaric was left with his guildmate and at this point somebody he’d probably consider a friend. Odd feeling that is, having your one friend being a demon. What did that say about him? The darkness slid from her like water off a duck’s back. Soon, her fowl appearance became one more human. He could tell by her playful grin and posture that she was here only to tease and jest, she was not some dark spirit of the forest looking for a sacrifice. Alaric stood up from his kneeled position and dusted himself off. He flushed out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and snapped his finger to the tip as the butt touched his lips. “I knew you were a demon but a forest spirit as well? Save some of the paranormal for the rest of us.” He took a hit and let it out while walking over to his red ball. “How’d you know I was out here training? Suppose a little birdie told ya?”



WC: 598
TWC: 1,129

” Me a spirit? Nah, if anything I’m a malicious and mischievous ghoul.” She said as such quite cheekily as she quickly pulled the darkness just within her shadow. The normally intangible element would give in to her grasp, acting much like fabric conjured from the air. She was playing with it as she walked over, wondering how much she wanted to teach and show off. Ultimately she thought better of it, figuring she'd toyed with him enough. More tricks should be saved for later times.

” But one of me ravens used to be a spirit of the woods not too far from here.” She stopped just before him, leaning in another playful gesture. She found the way he lit his cigarette entertaining and looked on at the bit that glowed in fascination. Even the sparks of his explosions prior were quite dazzling. " Yer magic is beautiful, I wonder how prettier it'll get over time. Or how dangerously dazzling it'll be when folk are caught in the blasts -sighs- I'm not used to this kind of magic yet~"

She pulled away to look him in the eye, her human appearance barely holding back the creature he knew her to be. " Did I scare ye mate?" She voiced out playfully but soft. Her voice was on the cusp of sounding cold if it were not for her obvious glee. Her fangs showed as she smiled but she quickly spun around. Breaking line of sight and cutting into her merriment.

" I'm curious of the paranormal ye'll bring to the front Lyall." Lyall
is her playful name given to the werewolf in her company, uncreative in that it means wolf in itself. She has a tendency to nickname all whom she spends time with for better or worse. " So I'll be sure ta leave some room for ye when ya finally plan to surprise me."

She spun back around as happy as can be, sticking out her tongue before speaking. " Surprisingly me birdies had no say. Happened upon seeing ye as I was flying over. Figure ye'd like me company as ya played with yer ball but I didn't know till after the kinda fun ye planed to of had. Should I throw the ball to make it more challenging?"

"Heh, a malicious ghoul, huh? I'd believe it, especially with your little shadow trickery," Alaric quipped with a smirk, watching the way she manipulated the darkness. He appreciated her intrigue with his magic but remained a tad wary. His magic wasn’t very refined and he was self-taught for the most part. Everything he’s used is things he instinctively felt were correct. "My magic's still a work in progress, that's for sure. Lots of bumps and bruises to get to where it is now" He took a puff from the cigarette.

He glanced at her, catching the glint in her eyes that hinted at something more mischievous. "Scare me? Nah, just gives me a little entertainment. You do have a way of keeping things lively." Alaric laughed lightly, trying to match her playful energy. He shifted his posture to a more casual one. His stick half hung from his mouth as he picked up the red ball that had been resting on the ground nearby. "Lyall? That’s a term I haven’t heard used since Bosco. Not many Fiorians know that word. Guess you and your flock fly north for the summer?” He gave her a wink before tossing the ball towards her.

"As for the ball, feel free to toss it. Might make things more interesting," he teased, knowing full well that her involvement could complicate his training. "Just don't make it too wild, or we'll have a whole new set of challenges."

Alaric remained guarded but not entirely dismissive of her presence. He knew well enough that Lumi's version of fun could often lead to unexpected outcomes.


WC: 285
TWC: 1414

” What kinda learner are ye? Can’t say I know much about yer magic to tutor ye but I could at least point ya to a direction.” He took another puff as she ran through the books she had in mind. Yet she knew it was for naught, even if she had the perfect material in mind. She’s met enough fellow mages now to know that not all preferred the means of reading. So her selecting literature on it would be pointless unless she knew how he usually went about progressing. Perhaps the ball would be telling on his more hands on nature, but she wasn’t sure how to provide much assistance just yet. Things of flames were usually far removed from her but she knew the sensation of wanting her magic to surge so she’d have to give things much more thought.

But then he would surprise her when he actually knew what she’d mean. Not many people entertained anything similar to her tongue.” Oy, ye know what I mean. How rare~ I ain’t of Bosco but it seems ye use words said in Iceberg then. Maybe that means I’ll find comfort in Bosco next. What is it like there otherwise?”

Lumi thought the invitation over, eager to toss to ball but how. What would please her most she wondered as her dark magic would creep around the ball turning it black. It would have to be something akin to a more promising challenge to her friend.

Lumi held the ball out with her hands toward Alaric, a cheeky smile one her face. ” Smile bouncing is boring. Yer a smart lad, ye must be able to predict the ball to easily?” She began to step back, her hands loosening on the ball until she left without it, yet the ball still hovered in the air. She took three steps back before halting with a hand on her hip. The other was waving in the air while the ball followed suit to every one of her commands. With a flick of her hand upward, the ball followed suit, shooting into the sky maybe fifteen meters up. It hung into the air for the moment as the Demoness looked over Alaric. Eyeing to see if he was prepared for its fall.

She willed it to fly over to the already burnt forest, letting it drop down to a height he could better reach with his budding spells. ” Let’s see more of those infernal flowers of yers~”