Hiatus!

Hello people! This is Li-Jun/Ben here. Due to school exchange program (which I didn't want to go for), I will be leaving for Chong Qing (Cheena) from today 30th Oct all the way until 10th November. Obviously, I can't bring my netbook there, and I can't use my friend's phone to update. Hence, don't expect an update until about 11th, I need time to rest, ya'know?

So, I will also NOT be making a Halloween story. I don't know how to write horror. At all. Have fun with life, all of you. Don't emo or whatsoever. Life goes on. @Jas and Rox, I look forward to an update on my return :D @HK and KL, I hope you'll write on this blag too :P But no pressure. @Jas, so, how's the drawing of Kara coming on? Maybe you could scan and send it to me and I'll post it on the blag *evil grin* Just kidding.

Goodbye for the last time~

Eirini,
Li-Jun/Ben

Forward To The Past

The figure slowly crept forward, aware of her device which displayed the active detectors. She didn't bother searching for the magical alarms, confident that her unseen partner would alert her as to their presence.
Closing the distance between two walls, she halted abruptly as the laser net suddenly changed positions. She held her breath as she realised that she was extremely close to breaking the beam of light, and slowly inched back as she berated herself for being careless. The laser net was invisible to the naked eye. However, she wore a set of homemade spectrometer goggles. To configure the spectrometers, she had to know the exact frequencies of the crystals used in the system. It was simplicity for someone in her position to obtain the frequencies and she deftly slipped past the laser net. She knew the thermal sensors would not detect her presence, thanks to the skin-tight suit she wore, fashioned from the interior of a hostile-environment suit used by divers and miners everywhere.
Careful. An alarm's in the next room. You normally bypass it with that necklace of yours, but its night-time and you shouldn't be here, so the alarm's tight. As far as I can tell, the alarm covers the entire room except for the ceiling. Slip in through that window over there. Rather convenient, isn't it? I suspect that it's intentionally there to let people like us through.
The figure heeded it's advice and utilised her own magic to hover along the ceiling, just barely avoiding the edges of the magical alarm.
The stairwell was wide and spacious and familiar to the figure. The steps were well-worn and smooth, not giving a hint of the owner's true nature. She quickly moved up the stairs. The corridor that faced the figure was long, far too long to fit inside the mansion. Carefully, but with barely restrained eagerness, the figure slinked forward, heading to the door at the end, marked with an ornate fiery letter 'K' on it. Impatiently checking the door for any signs of traps, magical or otherwise, she opened the door with scarcely a sound. As she stepped in and closed the door behind her, the lights turned on. She froze. A chair in the center of the room swiveled around to reveal a stern woman covered randomly with azure blue scales and fire-red feathers with a large pair of leathery wings, ablaze at the edges.
"I suppose you thought you were very clever."

The figure took off its mask, revealing the hawk-nosed visage of a youthful eighteen year-old, having a scalp of long, silky onyx hair, half of which was dyed to a deep violet. Her skin had a slight sheen to it, as if she were covered in a thin layer of oil. She turned her gray eyes, seeming to change colour as the light reflected off it, on the woman.
"As a matter of fact, I did think that was very clever of me." Raewyn Aesiflay said.

-

"You appear to be testing my patience. That would not be very smart of you, would it?" Karasondrias said with a wide, toothy grin that seemed out of place on her humanoid form. There were far too many teeth to seem proper and the mouth had stretched further, much further than the normal width of any humanoid's mouth.
"No," Raewyn agreed. "No, it wouldn't. I would like to point out that I was merely testing out your security and I-"
"Oh, we both know what you were trying to do. You were playing a prank. Pure and simple. Please. Do not doubt my intellect. I'm much older than you. However, I am but a youngling in terms of my people." She paused. "Both, of my peoples. I do enjoy fun. But do not take it too far. I assume that Libys urged you to do it?"
"Not really urge, he just provided the instruction."
"Be careful of your actions. It would be well for you to remember your place." Karasondrias looked at her with those piercing azure eyes, no longer grinning but solemn and still. "As my apprentice, appearances can be everything. I don't just mean illusions." She sighed. "Politics, dear child, politics." Karasondrias said the word with such disdain as if her mouth needed to be thoroughly disinfected before she could speak again. She started walking down the corridor slowly, Raewyn following her pace. "I wish I'd never accepted my mentor's invitation to that hunt. Then, I wouldn't have been one of the first to make contact. Choices and consquences. Everything you do has an impact, typically far-reaching and frightening. Weigh your actions carefully, don't just give in to your pet demon's so-called 'advice'. Do remember that he is a demon."
"Yes, ma'am." Raewyn said, rolling her eyes. "I won't forget it ma'am."
The grin returned to Karasondrias' face. "Ah, the insolence and temper of youth. How you remind me of myself. And do try not to break into my house again. Ah, I have a better idea. You, shall stay with me. Problem solved. This mansion is more than large enough. Hah. It can be as large as I want it to be on the interior at any rate." Karasondrias roared loudly, frost covering the walls she faced. "Morinth! Prepare the guest room beside mine!"
"Of course, mistress. Your will be done." A zombie appeared, seemingly from nowhere, but Raewyn knew better. Morinth was the singular caretaker of the house and was adept at being hidden so as not to disturb any conversations taking place. He walked quickly, somewhat of a rarity amongst the dead as they mostly just shuffled along.
"Your lessons, such as they were, shall be continued tomorrow. You will need all the rest you can get, considering how much energy you have surely wasted in attempting to infiltrate my house. If I know Morinth at all, the guest room should already be ready for you."
Raewyn blinked. "But, he just walked past us..." She trailed off uncertainly.
Kara's grin grew even wider, if such a thing was possible. "He is much more than he seems."

Maybe A Wizard Did It

For certain points to be clarified, the night prior to the rude awakening of the male dormitory, a few events occurred. For starters, the whole group had teased Acherus over and over when he had finally returned ("Oh look, the engaged guy is back, did you two have fun doing what you should not have been doing?"). They had gone to bed in relatively good moods, save Lethe, who still could not get over Lacier.
Cocytus dreamed. What he had dreamt about, he could not remember. However, it made him sweat and it freaked him out to think about it. The whole group felt emanations of fear from him throughout the night in his sleep. Then he started feeling pain.

When the scream in the morning came, it was quite obvious that Cocytus was not feeling very well. One could look at him and tell. You could see from his eyes closed tightly shut as if in pain, which he probably was. Or the way his muscles were tensed so hard as if he was carrying something several times his own weight. Or the blood-stained, actually blood-soaked bedding. Yes, the blood was a definite giveaway. But most people who witnessed it agreed that it was his hands that were the biggest sign that something was wrong. Well, not exactly his hands, his hands were just clenched as tightly as his muscles, it was his wrists. His blood vessels, to be precise. Where the blood vessels should have been under the skin, they had somehow contrived to rip out of his flesh and dangle out in long, bloody threads and tendrils which went further and longer than his hands by at least six inches. The poor person who slept under him was the one who had shrieked when he was awakened by drops of blood falling onto his forehead from an overhanging artery. That person had rushed out from his bed and stood there staring at the gruesome sight. The lines of skin which had been torn out with the emergence of his blood vessels still remained as a ragged wound, seeming like a grosteque tattoo of crimson. In some places, you could just make out a little bit of bone through the cover of red.

Cocytus himself was simply lying on the bed, saying, "Is my bed soaked with blood? I can feel how wet it is. Please do me a favour and don't ask whether it hurts. Ow. Ow. Ow." He paused, and started repeating. "Ow. Ow. Ow ow ow ow. Please help me get a teacher. Ow."
The once white bedding had turned completely crimson. Not an inch of it was the same chaste white that it was just a few minutes ago. It was so saturated with blood that it was dripping.
A large group which had been watching quickly grew into a group comprising everyone in the dormitory. Even Gerdion Eryfi was there, watching with horrified envy.
Phlegyas ran out as soon as he saw what had happened and tried to look for a teacher to help while Acherus attempted to heal Cocytus, but the wounds were large and the immense waves of pain emanating from Cocytus to the whole group did not exactly help his concentration. He was surprised that Cocytus had the willpower to not scream. If the scale of pain were mountains, his would have rated at least two and three-quarters of an Olympus, though he didn't believe in that pantheon.

A couple of teachers soon arrived, the draenix Kara and Mr. Ary. Karasondrias quickly cordoned off the area while Mr. Ary, surprisingly, healed Cocytus much the same way Acherus had, but with a much stronger force. No one ever thought that Mr. Ary knew healing magic. Acherus' wounds sealed up quickly and the muscles inside that were torn quickly reknit themselves. By this point, Cocytus had lost so much blood it was a wonder he still had some more to bleed out and looked extremely pale. Mr. Ary swiftly carried him to the medical bay as Kara barked out, "Well, what are you all staring at? Do you want me to punish all of you?" With which words, she strode out swiftly, the only evidence of anything mysterious happening being the bloody bedsheet. The girls were quickly updated on the situation by Acheros.
"Oh Archon, of all the so-called abilities he could have! I wonder how he's coping with the pain." Kestrel worried endlessly about her significant half, a trait extremely unlike her efficient self. In actual fact, Cocytus was doing fine. He was just lying in one of the bay's beds on a drip. Which is a great deal harder than one would believe, considering that IVs are meant to be sent directly into your bloodstream, and all his veins and arteries were just hanging around. Out of his skin. From slightly above the wrists, all the way down. The healing was not foolproof, and he would bear scars trailing down. He was, quite simply, thinking, "Huh. That wasn't so bad. Painful, yes, but damn if this isn't cool.". He fiddled around with his arteries. "How the heck is my hand getting blood anyway?" He felt his hands. He could definitely feel the pumping of the blood through his hands. The arteries and veins themselves appeared to throb with each heartbeat, but blood was not flowing. Well, it was, but somehow, in response to his desire to not bleed all over the bed again and to preserve his blood, it simply did not flow out of the end of the blood vessels. And the thought that perhaps, he could control blood? Could he? His first response was, don't be such an idiot. His second response was, nobody's around, if it doesn't work, no one will know. If it does...
He visualised blood dripping out of his dangling blood vessels and closed his eyes. Seconds passed. Nothing. Huh. So it didn't wor-
He felt a wetness suffuse his blanket. He opened his eyes and true enough, blood dripping slowly from his veins was wetting the bed.
He whispered very quietly to himself and projected to the rest of the group. "Ho...Ly...Shit."

No Plot Enhancement

Kestrel whistled. "Second day transferred over, and he's already flirting. Not just with any girl, but with Lunare Cynthia Terra." She shook her head. "He sure knows how to pick. And he's already got her following him around everywhere. Archon alone knows what they've been doing together in those quiet places."
The five of them were not listening to the Physics lesson. It put many people to sleep. Lethe thought with a pang in her heart that Lacier was the only one of the group who actually bothered to listen, stay awake and take down notes. Why did the damned bird thing have to take him? Of all the cursed people in the world... She tried not to think of him.
They were looking, subtly to be sure, at Acheron sitting beside Lunare, having switched seats around. They were talking rather animatedly. He seemed to be demonstrating something to her.
"He sure does take the initiative. He'd better.. Is that hand going where I think it is? He is fast! Hand to hand contact already. Man, I really feel like thinking out to him to stop treating the classroom like a hotel." Styx said, amused.
"His hands keep going around her neck as if he was going to hug her. I didn't think he was that sort of touchy-feely person. I didn't even think he would like anyone here. He seemed kind of aloof at first, didn't he? Tsk tsk tsk, the indifferent facade hides a twisted, sick mind." Cocytus said with a grin on his face, however still unable to wipe the melancholic look which seemed to be built in and permanent. "He reminds me much of you and I, doesn't it Lady Kestrel?" He directed to Kestrel.
"Hah. Funny. I don't remember you looking so enthusiastic, Master Greywing. I believe you were as quick to take the initiative as he did though." She replied without batting an eyelid. "I bet you anything Acheros is feeling really awkward or left out."
Not really. My brother told her about our condition. Acheros thought out, surprising them.
I don't suppose your brother is listening to this? Lethe asked.
Ah no, he lets me do that. I'm not telling him anything, no worries. Although, I really never knew that he was so... open. Acheros projected a mental chuckle. My dear brother is finally growing up.
The group laughed to themselves.

-

"So, its not just about the stealth, but misdirection also plays an important role."
"Would you care to give an example?"
"There was one memorable incident when Acheros used his hawk body to try to make it seem as if a bird went crazy and just randomly attacked someone. While the person was attempting to protect himself from Acheros, I stole his watch and wallet. It was rather amusing."
"I can just imagine." Lunare looked around. She took out something from her pocket and handed it to Acherus. "It's a Ring of Sending." The ring was plain gunmetal grey, simple and unadorned save for runic inscriptions carved into its inner side. "I have two sets. One is between me and my brother. I kept the other set, didn't really know who to give it to. Through it, I can send to you objects not heavier than 50 kg, I can also send words, and I'll know which general direction to walk to get to you. The connection is two-way, so you can do likewise." She smiled. "I'm trusting you. Don't abuse it."
Acherus blinked, practically the only facial expression he could do, considering his lack of features. "I, uh, you would give me such a, hmm, powerful thing? Wow."
"Sure, why not?"
"Isn't it obvious? With such, how do I phrase this, tendencies that would be seen by others as, hmm, criminal, why would anyone trust me?"
"It's the person, not the actions that decide my allocation of trust. I just feel like I can trust you. Oh, and don't mention any of this to my brother. Just tell him that I was getting to know you. He's a real stick in the mud." She confided. "No imagination, and a real stickler for rules too."
"Don't you think its a bit odd that you would give me such a gift only 4 hours after we've met? I mean, we're barely acquainted, chronologically speaking." Acherus pointed out with a long, quadruple-jointed finger.
"Well, you know what they say, time is not just curved, its bent. So, in all likelihood, I'd probably be great friends with you, so I might as well save time and trust you first." She grinned and stretched back like a cat.
"If you're going to trust me like that, I sure am not going to contest it."

-

"Did you see that? She gave him a ring! Wow, events sure move apace." Lethe said with amazement in her eyes which, slowly and unbeknownst to her, were getting red around the whites as if her eyes were inflamed.
"Already going to get engaged." Cocytus shook his head. "I am really astounded by their speed. So, I shall remember that on the eve of my 17th birthday, a Grey Cain and a noble elf got engaged."
"It's your birthday tomorrow? That reminds me of the.... abilities, let's call it. I am curious." Styx said.
"I don't really get it, but whatever will happen will happen right? No point worrying here." Phlegyas said, having kept quiet for a long while. He was actually attempting to make sense of what the lesson was all about, but had finally given up.

And so the day went on, with other mundane occurences. Acherus continued chatting with Lunare while the group made even more snide and gradually increasingly sexual remarks ("Just look at that shameless pair, putting hands in each others' pockets, why's her head down there, I wonder?") and with a distinct lack of concentration in the class, save for Mr. Ary's class where the promised test came up.
The next morning, the entire male dormitory was woken up by an extremely loud yell of pain coupled with an extremely high shriek of horror caused by blood dripping onto someone's forehead.

Thieve'd

Gerdion Eryfi was not the only noble-born in the class. There was also the twins, Lunare Cynthia Terra and Solciro Eleodor Terra. They were elves. They were the most friendly and sociable people in the class.
"Acheros... Where did you get that?" Cocytus indicated the butterfly knife Acheros was spinning.
"It's mine. Why?"
"How did you get smuggle it past? I've never managed to get anything sharp across the Gates before." Cocytus asked.
"Easy. When the Gates declared it, I gave it to the guard, and I told him I didn't know about such a rule. The moment he let me go past, my brother took over and pickpocketed it from him. You'd be surprised at how deft my brother can be."
"And where did that necklace come from? I think I've seen it before..." Acheros was fingering an ornate gold choker in the other hand while spinning the knife.
"I-" He was instantly cut off by Acherus. "Hmm, yes, well, I uh, that is to say, I temporarily lightened the weight of someone. Force of habit you see. I believe distinctly in helping others by, hmmm, easing their burden, yes." He said, smoothly.
Cocytus just stared.
"Isn't that... Oh shit. You'd better return it. Now. Rule number one, you do not, I repeat, do not, offend nobles. If you do, you're screwed. Lunare will kill you. That necklace is one of her most precious items. How in the Archon's name did you get it off anyway?" Cocytus said, suspicious. "Wait no, I don't want to know. You better return it once break is over. And keep that damn knife, you fool! You're gonna get caught!" Cocytus quickly grabbed the butterfly knife and hid it behind him just as a teacher turned around. "Break's over anyways, we'd better get into class. It's Delirious's lesson now, eh? Magic. My favourite."
The two of them strode in quickly and placed their bags by the side of the classroom, Cocytus slipping the butterfly knife back into Acheron's bag.

The teacher's name was Delirus del Irus, nicknamed Delirious by his students. He was slightly mad, but well-versed in magic. Specifically, and unsurprisingly, mind-affecting magic. But he taught all sorts of magic anyway.
"Good day students. I assume none of you did the homework I asked you to do? Good! I knew you wouldn't let me down! I'm curious, which of you students know how to knit? No? None of you? Such a pity. Tomorrow's yesterday, we shall talk about the various and diverse uses of the polymorphic necromantic spells. In essence, you drain their essence by turning them into a rabbit. No, I'm just kidding. Although, that reminds me of the time I turned my friend Keith into a chicken and ate him alive."
The students stared at him.
He burst out laughing. "The look on all of your faces! No, just a joke, he was already dead when I ate him. Back to the topic. We are actually going to discuss the pros and the cons of sonic spells."

The classroom was rather deceiving. From the outside, it looked like the size of the interiors of three or four cars clumped together, an extremely tight fit. However, the inside was rather larger, say, the size of one and a half average classrooms. Physics, it seemed, just hanged around out of habit. Not that it really mattered. Once in a while, you could see someone's items start to float off the table and into the air. The blackboard wasn't actually a blackboard, and neither was it a whiteboard. It rotated through the entire light spectrum of colours regularly and tended to bulge and distend in certain places. Also, Delirus would use the board to open windows into other dimensions to prove that coffee did, in fact, bleed. Or that shoes were numb. But mostly that you could make windows out of bricks. No one really wanted to contest it.
Delirus wore a pair of spectacles. These spectacles were thin-rimmed, and was a sentient entity in its own right. Once in a while, the spectacles would yawn, and two mouth would open up in the lenses, causing Lethe to shudder in remembrance of her nightmare. It haunted her. Though she did not tell the rest, she was getting that dream every single night. And each time, the mouths got ever closer. She herself was starting to feel pain around her eyes during the day, much like a chronic headache.

Acherus walked up to her, Acheros perched on his shoulder.
"Greetings. Would you be Lunare Cynthia Terra?"
"Indeed, and you must be Acheron. Call me Lune, would you?" She said with a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this acquaintance?"
"I, er, I don't suppose this necklace is yours?" He said in a rather flustered tone, quickly handing her the choker.
Lunare took the choker and stared at it. "Where did you find it? I have been looking all over the place for it! Thank you so much!"
"Don't thank me. I have a confession. I, uh, you see, I am a kleptomaniac. I can't stop stealing." Acherus hung his head like a guilty child caught in the act, which was rather amusing, considering his non-human appearance. "So, uh, I decided to return it."
Lunare looked at him wide-eyed. "You stole it? From around my neck? And I didn't even notice? Amazing! You have got to teach me that! I've always wanted to learn how to steal, but my accursed, trice-damned parents won't let me go within ten miles of a Thieves' Guild. Can you please, please, please teach me how?"
Rather taken aback by her enthusiastic response, (He was expecting discrimination, insults and threats. Poor thing, really.) he replied, "Uh sure, okay, if you want to. Thank you for not blaming me."
"No, no, no, thank you! That's a lovely hawk you have there. Does it have a name?" She indicated Acheros, who squawked at her indignantly for calling him it.
"Um, actually, that's my brother. It's a long story, really."
They kept talking.