Dimicatio Academy

Dimicatio Academy
Dimicatio Academy is tucked next a deep forest, with verdant plains spreading to the south, and swamplands viewable to the east on the clearest days. The academy itself is impressive to look upon, a massive fortress only the tallest of trees could hope to hide. Were any allowed to grow around the stone buildings, that is. Instead, surrounding the academy is a veritable gymnasium. From archery ranges to fencing arenas to obstacle courses, the place almost looks more like a military academy than a magical one. Upon closer inspection, however, one notes that at night the lights glow with a steady, constant glow no natural flame could produce, and here and there the walls are marked with symbols, presumably magical in nature. Nor is it uncommon to see such notices as, “No magic-use in the hallways,” or “The use of incendiary spells in the library will not be tolerated.” Weather allowing, students are often found outside training at the various weapons stations, or engaging in magical mock-duels under the vigilant eye of a teacher. Their distinctive black and red uniforms make a vivid contrast against the normally lush landscape, and leave no doubt as to the militant purpose of their upbringing. Still, after the day is done, the lights that appear behind the slightly murky glass of the main building’s windows gives it a more comfortable feeling, and the sound of juvenile voices chattering through the halls before lights-out is a reminder that this is also a home to these young mages.

”All right, all right. Quiet, all of you!” The teacher’s strident voice cut through the air and the excited murmuring of the students around him. Dressed in the red and black of the Academy’s colors, he could have been mistaken for a student, save for the fact that his clothing wasn’t the same student uniform, and for the fox familiar twining around his feet. He stared sternly at the crowd of enthusiastic Apprentices clustered around Dimicatio’s main gate. “You’re all nearly graduated, so I won’t baby you by making you walk single-file, but keep together. I won’t be repeating myself.” With that, he strode away in the direction of the woods.

There was a buzz of excitement in the group of Apprentices as they followed their teacher. Some clumped in groups, talking together as was normal for students. A few stood apart on their own. All the students knew this forest through and through- had they not trained here a dozen times? Their destination, well, most everyone had their own ideas on that matter, though no one knew for sure. Not that it mattered, really. What mattered was that years of schooling had paid off. They were about to bond their familiars, to become Journeymen.

This had been the day that they all had trained for, the day that would seperate them from the mass of other students that crowded the halls and seemed to get younger every year. Timera, walking along the outskirts of the groups, followed along quietly though her mind was racing with questions, comments, and the occassional shout of glee at finally arriving at this moment in her training. Today. Today. Today! Ah but today they'd be able to choose their familiars then tomorrow she'd know what it was like to be a true mage. Of course she'd have to actually bond a familiar first then get through the -*test*-('")ing to actually obtain that title but she was a girl with a boundless hopes and dreams; she figured she could inuldge in the thoughts of her future. Besides, she had little doubt that she'd be able to pass this little -*test*-('"). She'd studied her ass off throughout her years here, nothing had ever came easy, but this was the one thing that she knew she didn't need to worry about. Confident and more than able, she was going to come back today with a familiar that set her apart from the rest. Alright, so she was stretching things a bit. She was nervous and it helped her cope, but she was determined to do her parents and the Academy proud. She had to bond a familiar and had to graduate. This was basically it and if she failed here then everything would have been a waste. And no Estlocke had ever failed; or so her father liked to boast. So his baby girl was not going to be the first. Timera soon detatched from the main throng and followed more sedately behind their teacher. Hopefully they'd be allowed to wander off soon. She didn't really like being in a crowd for longer than absolutely necessary. Well not this particular crowd at any rate.

What if I can't find a familiar to bond, what if I mess it up... What if I do find a familiar but get lost?! Teriph let free a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan. She had gotten almost no sleep the night previous, or rather, the early morning previous. Although the lack of sleep hadn't had much of an effect on Teriph, in her opinion, she wouldn't mind taking a nap as soon as the whole Familiar Bonding ordeal was over with. She had spent most of her night 'What if'-ing and after she had stopped herself from that she realized she was 'What would happen if'-ing. Not much better, although a bit more sophisticated. Now the anxiety and excitement were climaxing, although anxiety had a long head start on excitement. "Teriph! I didn't get any sleep last night! I'm so ... I-don't-know!" Cera, one of Teriph's band of friends had found the nervous fire mage near the edge of the crowd, looking at the ground to keep from tripping while she was contemplating the worst case scenario she'd have to live through, but keeping the boots of another in her vision so she didn't actually end up lost. Having heard her blonde Weather Mage friend's voice Teriph immediately perked up. "Oh really, no sleep? Did you eat enough jam to make up for it this morning?" "Maybe," Cera replied to the sarcastic jab. "You fail, Cera, and don't ask me at what. I'm not quite sure." "Hmph, well, do you have anything in mind? For a familiar?" "Err... not particularly, you?" "Well... Yeah, Teriph, but I don't wanna jinx it." "Hmmm... You want to find that Heron-or-Crane-or-Stork Bird you saw a few days ago." "Uh-Maybe! Oh hey, look, people who won't jinx my luck," Teriph called her retreating friend a spaz, and Cera replied over her shoulder something akin to 'I know, isn't it awesome' before finding somebody else to chat with. Teriph made another strangled sighing groan before continuing running through her internal worries. She didn't like doing new things she didn't feel that she had been talked and walked through enough. And this was far to imporataint of a thing to be fuzzy about, but she felt she was.

About fifty yards into the dense woods, Durus, the teacher leading them, pivoted to face the following students and barked, “Listen up. Once I’ve finished speaking, you’re all to spread out –while staying within earshot of this spot– to summon your familiars.” He crossed his arms and regarded them severely. “Bear in mind that you don’t choose your familiar, your familiar chooses you. However,” he paused, and glowered even more fiercely, “The nature of your call will directly effect the type of animal that responds to it. So if any of you come back to the Academy with a chipmunk, you will not be welcome. We clear? Good.” He didn’t wait for a reply before marching over to a tree, sitting down and crossing his arms determinedly. His fox curled up in his lap to watch the anxious students with sharp, black eyes.

Sighs, steping through the forest. thinking "I wonder what my familiar will be? Hopefully a chipmunk, just to tick off the teach, heh". sits crosslegged under a tree close by the teacher, saying to himself that he could probably catch some Z's if everyone wasn't whining about every small thing that could go wrong. Sighs again, thinking about what he is going to do after he gets his sash. Probably get stuck in some unit that no one sends out because of his blindness, which would be fine with him. "Man, these idiots are loud." he mumbles under his breath. Smiling, he says "Can we get this over with already? I'm bored and hungry." But only loud enough so the teacher hears what he says.

Durus turned his head just enough to look at the student beside him and scowled. “Then do so. No one’s stopping you, boy.” He raised his voice enough to be heard by the lingering crowd. “This isn’t Optimates, people! You won’t be getting a written invitation anytime this life, so get going.” Seeing the continuing blank or anxious looks, he snorted irritably and rose to his feet again; his familiar jumped down lithely and stood at his feet, nose twitching in annoyance. “Must I spell it out for you?” He sneered, but he continued anyway. “Find someplace quiet, sit down, and close your eyes. Center yourself. It’s no different than in battle practice. When your mind is focused, direct your thoughts into a mental call, extending beyond yourself. If it feels like nothing’s happening, you’re probably just being impatient, so don’t come crying to me about not being able to do it. Just wait. Eventually, your destined familiar will hear you, and it will come to you.” He paused a moment, his eyes flicked down to the grey fox at his feet, and his expression softened momentarily in affection. Then he seemed to catch himself and he looked up again, the glower back on his face. “We all reviewed the Bonding Spell this morning, so I won’t be repeating it again. If you’re too dimwitted to remember it, then you’ll just have to do without a familiar.” And with that, he sat down again, this time determinedly closing his eyes.

'Finally' Her mind shouted in relief, 'I'll be able to get away from these twits. I swear they all think that this is a special treat, a reward, or something. It's sickening. Don't they realize what this really means?! Timera wasted no time in breaking from the group, turning herself towards the west, and marched away from everyone at a quick clip. There was no sense in dallying; the sooner she found her familiar the sooner she could get on with completing her training. And just maybe, maybe she'd be able to skirts the miles ahead with light feet and return home. It would be brief, of course, because she wouldn't be able to pick her asignment out of Academy and she really doubted that they would be kind enough to give her a placement near her true home. She would be a soldier, a fighting mage, from a lower classed Academy that prided itself on producing the best warriors and fiercest mages of them all. Of course she knew the truth of the matter; it was all they could pride themselves on. They were not nobles, they were not quite as talented, and by far they had the dimmest of futures of any other graduating class. All because they had the misfortune of being born common. But, in Timera's opinion, that made them the best. They had more to fight for when there was a war on, or any type of conflict really. Tooth and nail and be damned getting their hands dirty, they were up for it. Or at least that is what the instructors and adepts hammered into them from day one: pride, victory, and honor. They'd all make their Academy proud or better damn well die trying. When the young Earth mage felt she was far enough into the wood, away from the bickering, moaning, and general twitish muttering, Timera sighed in relief and stopped beneath an ancient oak. 'Perfect.' Calling to her element, after being taught of course, was as easy as breathing. Earth had the good fortune of being everywhere afterall so someone of her ilk always had an advantage. The trees around her sang to the soil in which their roots firmly grasped, the grass rose towards the sun in praise, the worms even had a kind word for Mother Tera. But it was the stones themselves that called out to her. She primed her call and soothed her anxious nerves. This was a good calling point. A small dagger was drawn from her waist; she'd mark the tree and move a bit further in. If she found nothing before her return trek then this would be her sounding point.

Huh, this guy need's to relax a bit. He's too stiff and uptight if you ask me. Dante thought as he distanced himself from the others. Finally, he arrived at a place where he could no longer hear the others. Ahh, that's better... might as well get this over with. He sat down crosslegged and started doing what they told them to do. He could feel the air move around him, he finally caught a gust and followed it. He could not see, but he felt and heard everything around him. The soft steps of the animals, the sound of things eating, everything. Bliss, pure bliss Dante thought while smilling.

Teriph listened to her teacher, adding another worry to her list of woes. But that was no way to call her familiar. Earshot. That was a fair distance. She squeezed her hands together, hard, before wandering off a bit, behind a few trees, and through a few bushes and ferns, brushing away a branch that snagged her cape. Teriph's anxiety seemed to be slamming into her insides with every beat of her heart. She was going to find her familiar! She felt that there would never be a day to equal this one for the rest of her life. With a gentle thought she pushed her eagerness down, bringing forth a calm- mostly faked- and took a deep breath, allowing a much more friendly feeling to swell up within her and overtake everything else. She shivered with the tingling excitement within her belly. What would come and be part of her? Worries still nagged at the back of her mind, but that was a much smaller area, and much easier to ignore, although their worried chittering caused a hot flash of impending failure through Teriph's chest before being dismissed again. Why couldn’t she be more inwardly composed for this? Teriph stopped in a somewhat open spot, or rather someplace where there wasn’t something abrasive to sit upon. She swiveled about, searching. She stopped. What was she looking for? Clutching her elbows in the hand opposite, she squeezed the joints, something she’d always done to clear the clutter of her mind down. It worked. Freeing the breath she had forgotten she had taken Teriph squatted to fall back on her hands. Crossing her legs the fire mage took a deep breath, to quell further unwanted sensations. She was to focus. Not difficult. Teriph kept her eyes on the decomposing leaves she was using for a seat. Projecting a signal of herself. Not quite so easy. The mage’s eyelids descended, and she became further aware of the forest having lost her sight. The sounds of other students, the music of the plants as they danced with the air. The dappled, shifting, droplets of day shine, never staying still long enough to create noticeable warmth, unless one tried to feel the change, as Teriph was. An energy seemed to build up within her, wanting to break out, yet wary of what it would be like away from home. It suddenly diffused and dispersed. What would consider her worthy of becoming part of it?

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