Well now our group has experienced the more enjoyable side of the kingdom of Recocto. It seems the tensions and stress of the upcoming festivities are about to begin and strangle the life out of those who are taking part...Oh how I do pity these fools having to do this...Well adventurers are not always just skilled with a blade but also with their tongue and with their pen, now we have seen that the prince himself would be but that is to be expected after his upbringing but the others are more interesting her if I do say so but of course I know you will disagree with that statement it is what I believe and i do think my opinion is more weighted in this world than yours so be quiet and let me finish...Now where was I? Ah well the story will be told from the last place I remember...Ah yes the princess meeting the demon and the others beginning their studies...Wonder how it will go.
The classroom was silent except for the noise of students taking their seats as Orelia noticed two open ones next to Wilt and grabbed Mathis who was still frozen before sitting him down and herself in the middle. Not a second went by that the skeletal teacher began to speak in their direction,
''Well Seirei? I believe you will be a perfect assistant here...Please step forward.''
Mathis spoke but much more broken than normal,
''W-With all due re-respect Uncle Dracul my friend Wilt is the one with the interest in Alchemy..H-he would be m-much better.''
As the skeleton moved like a body moving through water, slowly drifting and oriented himself around, observing his temporary students before summoning a booklet with runes and gems scrolling through to a page and reading allowed.
''Ice is the state of nothing but also the breeding ground for life now revert to what you are.'' creating a vortex if winds that ripped and gilded though the gapes in his bones and games whistling as it rushed passed, Condensing into ball before extending out vertically, Coming to a stop and both edges then rapping round in a interlaced ribbon like pattern before crystalizing, steaming from the cold vapor around it looking somewhat like a double sided halberd formed spinning it around his bony hands before dispersing it in a ring of mist the room easily dropping it's temperature many times colder than it was even a moment before casting the spell.
"Oh youngling now you try it. Form a weapon from the moisture around you it should be a pretty easy task."
Dracul said, looking towards his students with curiosity but starting with the prince,
''Well Seirei? A demonstration of someone a lot less skilled should help so you will go first.''
He leaned into Mathis's ear,
''I taught you this at the age of five...Do NOT make me look a fool for training you understood?''
''Y-YES MASTER!''
''Ice is formed from the aspects of nothingness becoming whole. I will follow the twisted nature down it's every changing road and bend my shape to it's will also.''
The elf spun his hands in a circle in the same manner in which the dark skeleton did moments prior but this time the shadows from around the room all slowly seeped to the centre of Mathis's palm and forming a small yet sharp blade,
Mathis closed his hand around the darkness, the colour shattered and glided on the wind until becoming nothing once more and revealed a perfect blue dagger of ice, veins of cloudy ash grey ran through the centre and the outside making it look like a diamond that had been cursed with the magic of a blood god, blade about five inches tall and with a amount of density to it was taken by the teacher who looked it over and observed it,
''Well this is very beautiful...I will allow this to pass.''
Before he could continue the goblin spoke,
''M-May I use that for a second master?''
Even know the skeleton did not have muscles to make a face his fiery eyes made a shape of confusion,
''Sure..Mr. Grove is it? Please be careful with it.''
The goblin took the dagger and placed a hand on either side,
''As gleaming quality this is I ask that it shows it's true potential.''
In a flash of emerald green the goblin now had two daggers in either hand but they looked bigger, more ornate and much sharper with the veins that adorned the original now only a clump on the blades tip but now instead of a cloudy ash grey it was the colour of searing hot embers that have been freshly stoked coals, making the ice underneath crack and hiss before Dracul spoke,
''Well..Advancement Magic eh? Been a long time since I have seen that, I swear your father had a person with him that used it...Didn't last long with Bocaj though...Hope you can serve Seirei better Mr. Grove.''
The goblin nodded and sat back down with the look of a smug child before the skeleton moved his flaming eyes to the girl,
''Well you must be Mrs. Orelia...Or soon to be Princess Prince I presume?''
Orelia looked up at the imposing figure,
''Uhm...Yes but Seirei is not Seirei anymore.''
The Lytches eyes began flaring over his skull as he turned to the prince,
''WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! I HEARD ABOUT ZANDAR BUT NO ONE THOUGHT TO WAKE ME?!''
The prince looked down before he looked up with cold conviction,
''I am now Mathis Tysol...She will become Orelia Tysol."
Dracul's skeletal form extended over the group, bones removing for there slots and spreading outwards as a dark smoke with dark crimson red sparks of lightning coiling between his spiralling body before lining themselves back in with a clink of bone hitting metal gears
"Oh and you think that's a good enough reason for making me look a fool? Corrects are to be made as soon as one hears about them. Remember if there is an accident I'm at fault. So please inform me from the start Mr. Tysol."
The other two companions were shocked, their tongues unable to form any kind of words almost as if someone had poured salt into their mouths before Wilt managed to stand tall as the lytches burning eyes passed over him forcing his knees to buckle, Sending him back into the chair, the teacher realising he may have gone to fair with his freshmen students he pulled back waving his hands muttering a small incantation.
"Relax Mr. Grove and Orelia...No...Princess Tysol, My anger was meant for young Mathis over there."
Dracul said, pointing one of his bony docents towards the Prince, before he stepped back huffing outwards while grabbing his rune covered book turning to a page again reading allowed.
"Cryomancy, The school of cold and ice...A reliable school for those who are patient or willing to stick out the cold night. It's a school that is in between the elements of chaos, The emptiness of darkness and the laws of stasis magic, the magic school that allows one to tap into the timeline itself. Meaning cryomancy is an easy school to access but one that is hard to master."
Wilt's pencil was moving frantically as he write every word with Orelia trying to also keep up while Mathis seemed to be completely still but with the little shadow imp writing his notes for him making the elder turn.
''Oh One it is good to see you but please do not let the prince influence you like this.''
One nodded in multiple directions as he went back to sitting on Mathis's head to the princes sadness,
''Anyway...Even the oldest of Elves could spend their lives trying to uncover every school of magic and their subsets but it would be a fruitless task. Magic is broken into every aspect of existence from an Onomancer like our new princess to an Alchemist like the goblin but there are millions of variables just between these two different schools and thousands of combinations one could make with the use of only those schools. On the other hand a monk or anyone with Ki is a strange subject as the schools seem much broader and open to the individual's interpretation...Mathis could you explain for us?
The prince stood,
''Well my Ki is based around my muscles...I use Ki primarily to increase my speed, strength and durability…''
''Indeed but our prince is an oddity in the sense of his reserves and Ki both growing with him and one not dying out...Tell me prince have you tried to use them both together in a while?''
The prince looked down at the desk while One made a sad face and tried to rub the princes hair to cheer him,
''No...I will not be trying anytime soon either.''
The teacher realised he had hit a old nerve,
''Very well let us move onto the alchemy then shall we?''
The lesson went on with Wilt looking crazed with every new ingredient put in front of him while the other two seemingly sat back and let the goblin have his fun until finally Dracul spoke,
''Well that will be all the time we have for today...By the way Mathis your demonic friend is apparently fighting outside...I trust you will stop this before I have to?''
''Daedalus sake...O-OF COURSE MASTER!''
The three all disappeared at the snap of the precious black bones, turning to ash as they dissipated away as the stack of bones moved back to his desk and sat now bringing out a picture of Dracul with what looks like a scared and young Mathis, at best five years old and sobbing with bruises all over before a laugh came out,
''Well...At least you did not make me look a fool...I wonder what you and Bocaj spoke about?''
He looked out the window and reminisced about the past and kept laughing.
The three all appeared in the courtyard to the sounds of singing weapons meeting and cheers of rambunctious applause, Mathis looked to see Bee with his weapon locked with a giant ornate axe that made his eyes widened before Wilt walked forward and spoke when he saw the fear in the princes face,
''Who the hell is he fighting?''
''Gura...DRAX!''
Mathis ran to the draconic humanoid standing on the edge,
''What are you doing just watching?! End this immediately before Dracul comes down here and does it himself!''
Drax sighed before rubbing the bridge of his eyes,
''Gura challenged him...This is a royal showdown so even if Dracul wanted to stop it he cannot.''
Mathis sighed before watching over,
''So what are the stakes?''
''If Gura wins he will marry her...If he wins she will marry him...I swear I do not know why I still stay with this family.''
Mathis started laughing hard making Drax seem confused before the prince walked forward,
''Simple then...Only royalty can enter so I will just end this.''
He outstretched his hand before Drax spoke,
''She had a feeling you would try...Do it and she will be training you in boot camp for a whole month.''
His hand went limp before falling back down to his side as the other two came up
''Well...All we can do is watch I suppose...OI BUMBLE BEE! YOU REPRESENT THE FOURTH CROWNED PRINCE SO IF YOU LOSE I SWEAR YOU WILL NEVER HEAR THE END OFF IT!''
Orelia and Wilt joined in,
''COME ON I TRAVELED WITH YA FOR TEN YEARS! I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE TO LOSE BUMBLE BEE!''
''YOUR A SHORTER FUCKER THAN ME AND MAKE MORE NOISE YA STUPID BUMBLE BE-''
The onslaught of abuse was stopped by the sound of metal flying towards them only to be grabbed by Drax with one hand and Bee looking over at them, his eyes now flaring out of his eye sockets with Gura disarmed and shocked before the demon screamed,
''I SWEAR THE NEXT ONE TO CALL ME BUMBLE BEE IS GOING TO DIE!
The silence in the crowd was broken by Mathis's voice,
''OH YEAH?! WELL WIN ALREADY AND I'LL BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU AGAIN BUMBLE BEE!''
He let out a scream of rage before turning with his two handed hammer and did not even look where it swung, bringing it down up past hip and over his right shoulder, the searing white head shining more than usual making the onlookers squit to actually see the strike before a shield was raised and on collision, sending a shockwave that sent the front row all flying back ten feet except the crew, Bee looked down to notice the shield shining as the girl smiled underneath,
''Nice try but this shield will take it all and send it right back at you so just acc-''
''BULLSHIT!''
Gura did not have time to think as the hammer came threw the shield, sending shining splinters into the air that lost their lustre before hitting the ground, she looked up at the incoming heat as she felt a pain in her stomach, looking down to see the demonic foot placed there and pushing her flying into the wall of a establishment behind the onlookers, Bee started screaming in victory before dropping to his knees, hearing Mathis's voice again,
''IF YOU THINK THAT WAS ENOUGH YOUR IN TROUBLE!''
The demon turned to look at the prince confused but saw a sliver of a shadow moving towards him from the direction he sent the woman flying, turning and bringing up his hammer to meet with two hand axes with the woman's violet and green eyes now shining and making the dwarves arms fold ever so slightly as they both smiled but Gura spoke first,
''Only the strongest get to guard a Price.''
''That may be true...But only a crazed beast can guard a Tysol.''
The two jumped back and took form as the battle seemed to begin once again.
Bee thrusted his hammer as hard as a mad horse into between the two axes putting Gura on the back foot as she stumbles backwards, bringing her axes closer, Tighter just below the head of the hammer then still descending, bringing her foot into his gut while pulling her weapons, Wrenching the Warhammer out of his demonic grip sending the hammer into the air, Gura rolled onto her back then instantly bounces towards the now unarmed dwarf, bringing her axes towards his head only for him to duck down bellow her weapons as he dived into her chest, Punching with his left fist into her chin while with his left hand went to grab one his spare hammers bringing it up to strike Gura in her ribs only for her to bring her elbow down between his cracked horns making bee miss his mark, Gura recovered from that blunt force strike, sending him a couple feet to the side of her as she got back into stance, looking a mix of Mathis and Zandars stances but far more primal.
Bee was getting pissed off at this battle, Standing getting both hammers out before slamming them together, igniting around their heads sending sparks of brimstone into the courtyard to the ground before sizzling away and threw one at full speed making Gura pull her axes up and block, sending it high into the air but did not move fast enough as the embers that hitting it produced landed on the skin of her forearm making her twitch before feeling a searing heat slam into her shoulder and push her spinning while her shoulder wailed with the sounds of cracking, at the end of the full spin her blurred vision saw the demon now hand back ready to finish the battle but as she closed her eyes and drop to the armoured knees but stopped before, feeling her hand being grabbed and opening her eyes to see the demon pulling her back to her feel and picking her up like a newlywed walking through the arch making the dazed and damaged girl blush and smile and grab onto him and speak one last time before sleeping,
''Three weddings in a day then…''
Bee smiled before putting her on a bench close,
''Aye told ya I'd win.''
To the fake jubilation of Mathis who managed to place a bet down with Draxs for twenty Dragons.
"Well...That Bumble Bee joins my family. Got some gold out of it though, Thanks for your old ancestors uncle Drax's."
The half dragon huffed in response.
"Should have known not to make bets with you, unlikely you'd pay me back anyways. Speaking of which when ya skipping town again . You've never been one to just give up after one failed attempt and now your not the speaker so ya free as winds now"
Mathis looked over at his uncle Drax, rolling his eyes before raising his hands and saying,
"One I've always been one to pay back debt. Secondly your right I don't quit without good reason...and I have a good reason to go back into the world.''
''Being?''
''The steps of Purgatory.''
The half dragon's lizard like eyes slammed open as he tried to avert his gaze from the newly made Wood Elf,
Uncle...You are very obvious when you lie.''
''That is only to you...Fine we can speak but you will not like what you hear.''
''Then let us go to the palace...Now.''
The prince looked back at his party and signalled them over, Bee holding Gura in his arms still before Mathis sarcastically speaks,
''Ah, another brother! At least you are no where my level but don't argue you that with me now...We must go to the palace as it turns out their might be some information on the steps...on Shitto.''
Bee's eyes widened before Gura grabbed his horn and spoke softly, still dazed from he fight,
''Don't you...Do anything stupid without me giving you the go got it?''
''Can't promise you that love...But I promise I will come back with your brother every time.''
The Orc smiled and blushed before being left to the care of her men, the crew all circled around Drax as a inferno of light appeared and disappeared in seconds now leaving them in the barren throne room once more as Drax went to speak Mathis put out his arm and scanned the room.
''Yyvone...It's Willabaar...Come on out.''
From the shadows a small blur of silver appeared but was caught by Drax before moving to far revealing it to be a small half-mix with the same combination as Willabaar with the only Orcish feature again being her lower jaw and even sporting the same Gi her brother had worn this adventure so far before smiling and crying,
''Brother!! I missed you so much!! You have so many stories to tell me an...Whos is that.''
The girl looked over to Orelia as the bickering between them all began as Yyvone tried to grab Orelia with Wilt and Bee trying to stop the fast little silver shadow, Drax while all this was happening started to rub the scales between his eyes making a sickly scratch that sounds like the impact of wood on steel started to let out a small chuckle while he thought to himself,
''Ah yes...Have fun explaining this to the chosen one Mathis.''
Well it seems that the turmoil of this family has not even started their second act let alone making its way to the finale...Alas it does make me think what went wrong with this family? Bocaj was a master with his mind when it came to creating living creatures...How did his actual children turn out to be so horrid? Well, except for that young one, she does not know the sins her father committed and only knows him as the righteous king who founded the kingdom she loves and calls home...Hm?
Ah yes of course you do not care about the rest of the family now do you and just wish for me to go into the man with a million names? I swear to myself I will smite you further into the pits we reside in...Now where was I? Ah yes now as for the stress of planning something that just seems to get more grandiose by the minute is that they can burn far to quickly just like cheap candles....Such disgusting things not like are fine class of False Heroes whom seem to burn very bright for such young flames lets see how long it lasts shall we? The archives will continue to turn as this interesting fable starts showing it's true content.