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.

Half by Half, Karasondrias

Deaths are hard. But life continues on for the living whether they wish it or no. And so the group had to proceed to History class, taught by the inhuman, literally, teacher Karasondrias. Her classroom was large and spacious and looked as if it could probably have fitted a torture chamber inside and still have space for lunch. The decorations were all fake, all illusions. The only real ornament, was a rather ominous looking stone statue of a male adult human staring ahead into space with a look of abject fear on its face. Rumour had it that the statue was actually one of the school's alumni who had forgotten that Karasondrias was sensitive on the topic of her heritage and made a joke about lizards and fire. It was also said that before turning him into a statue, she had also turned him into a lizard and set him on fire. At any rate, anyone with an ounce of sense ought to know better. She herself had said it when the class was first introduced.

"My full name is Karasondrias which you may not address me by. You may call me Kara or Teacher or any other suitable honorific. If you are wondering why I leave out my surname, the answer is that I have no surname. I am a half-dragon. Make no mistake," At this point she glared at the class. "Make no mistake, my other half is not human. Nor is it Cain. Or any other humanoid. My other half is of the phoenix, and if any of you make a joke involving my lineage, please do remember the rumours concerning that statue to your left."
Her appearance was odd. All dragons had the innate ability of polymorphing into a humanoid form. Half dragons retained that ability. However, there were always some telltale signs with half dragons. Karasondrias's chosen form was that of an elf. In her case, the signs were rather obvious: random blotches of her skin were either covered with scales or fire red feathers. She also had a pair of wings, leathery wings ablaze at the edges.
Strange as she was, her lessons were generally regarded to be the most interesting among all the teachers. Where other teachers would either drone on and on or give them problems to solve. The more enterprising teachers would give the students group work or debates. However, none of them could beat Karasondrias. She was a skilled illusionist. And old. She could use her illusions to imprison someone in a cage which seemed so real that if you hit it with another metal bar, you could actually hear the clang sound. Which she did to misbehavers. Of course, nobody was actually sure when she was using her illusions or not. She did not just read out what had happened during a certain time. She would start by saying why she was there at that time in the first place, and used the large space in the room to recreate the entire scene. It was as if the class had traveled back in time, so true her illusions seemed, with the exception that the people took no heed of them. She was there in virtually all the major historic events and then some. Those where she wasn't, she would find someone who was and request in a vaguely threatening way for his memories regarding it. She brought a new meaning to "Bringing History Alive". She also tended not to stick to the syllabus.
"Greetings, students. I wish to speak not of The Murder. I know that some of you are affected by its Choosing. Emotionally." Lethe fidgeted at this point, having enough control not to weep openly. "Today, I shall show you the first encounter between the dragons and humans. Around the year 4048. In case any of you failed maths, that is approximately 5000 years ago. Ancient history." Karasondrias summoned up her memory.

The class was standing in a field of ash. A number of humans were armed with archaic looking guns, while some were holding scanners. There were several humans and elves who bore themselves with the aloofness which only aristocracy had. The whole group moved slowly.
"Those elves are diplomats. To my memory, they were looking for a race which had caused this incineration. This was the Ashlands. In modern day, this would be Fecundus Ultima, the most verdant, fruitful and fertile farmland in the entire Fecundus region." Karasondrias always gave a running commentary when showing them the past. "I was with one of the first dragons who came into contact with the humans, Nielagoras. We were out hunting, I believe." As she spoke, one of the humans with the scanners shouted out, "I've got movement! Above us and getting close!"
A dark shape burst through the cloud, the afore-mentioned Nielagoras. He was a large blue dragon and radiated an aura of age. A second shape burst through the clouds, but it was rendered invisible in the illusion. Karasondrias never let any of her students see what she really looked like. Only her outline was visible.
"There's two of them!" One of the armed humans cried out.
"Do not fire at them. Only attack if they attack first." An elf replied calmly. "Our shields ought to hold if they attack us."
Nielagoras and the past Karasondrias landed slowly in front of the expedition.
"Greetings, humans," He rumbled deeply. "Me and my protege mean you no harm. We are, I am at least, a dragon. My name is Nielagoras and she is Karasondrias. I believe that you humans," he indicated the aristocrats "are the leaders?"
The class could hear whispers of amazement among the humans. These large beasts could talk! They were intelligent!
Stepping forward, an elf boldly declared, "Salutations, great ones. My name is Iston of the House of Archiran. I am-"
"Ah yes, Iston Archiran, diplomat betwixt the elves and the humans. Yes, we know. Our race has been aware of your coalition's actions. We have observed both of your races for a long time. Your politics have intrigued us for a long time. This expedition is here to find whichever race did this." Nielagoras stated and waved a talon, indicating the Ashlands. "Your expedition is complete. You have found us."
The scene grew blurry and murky, and disintegrated.
"You do not want to see the next part. Just endless talking of politics. I remember in my impetuous youth that I almost fell asleep. The fact that anyone with phoenix blood do not have to sleep ought to convey the boredom of it." Karasondrias said. "Nielagoras explained the Ashlands. The dragons and the phoenixes had a long great war long before. The Ashlands were the result."
As always, the class was enthralled. Even Lethe forgot her troubles for the time. Also, they had realised long ago that Kara did not answer personal questions.

You're not alone.

Coldness is all that is left,
the emptiness itself is so bare,
there is a thin line between life and death,
when will this silence cease to fare?

Words hold no two souls in line,
the silence binds us all as one,
forever alone in our deepest minds,
this thought holds us as one.

The invisible lines of connection cross,
when, oh, when will you begin to see,
this world is not all bitter and frost.

A difference can be made,
when, oh, when will you understand,
your existence is not just meant to fade.

Live well and love much,
potential lies in every action,
hug well and smile much,
dream with much determination.

A pebble in the water creates a ripple effect,
the never-wavering winds of tomorrow hold us together,
the bit of warmth your existence creates will affect,
the impact of your life will stay with us forever.


--Anonymous