Fiction:Doctrina Venefica/School Break

7/12/34: Pyrath's House
First Week of the Winter Break, Late Morning: Upper Northeast Olnah

The days following the massacre at the Grand State-College's Hall of Ceremonies and the subsequent deaths of roughly fourty to fifty casualties had been slow and placid, with a somber, melancholy atmosphere having spread over the entirety of Purity's Apogee once news of the situation reached the ears of the population beyond the Olnah District; many families had been deprived of time to spend with their children or their parents for the coming festivities of the New Year, while there were a number of those that survived who felt great sorrow and guilt for their lost colleagues - students, adjutors, and tutors were all subject to the brutal attack. While the decision of whether the Collegium would find it appropriate to remain open or close its gates for the time being once the New Year had passed remained in midair, set to be determined by Osvernal, acting in the position of Archtutor, and a council consisting of various other tutors and officials from both the Esoteric Order and the government of the Sovereignty, Clothovera and the other students who had survived the terrorist assault could do naught but mourn and carry on with their lives now that the academic winter break had set in, allowing them a number of weeks of leisure and necessary time away from arcane study and assignments.

In spite of the events that had occured just some days prior, the young witch remained in contact with most of the friends she had made during her first term, as Teael would seemingly rather bring whoever she could to keep her company while in town than spend her time at home among her family and relatives - company was what Clothovera, and the rest of her friend circle, required in order to bring her mind away from the horrific tragedy that they all found themselves at the centre of. It was unfortunate that Kyrieleth would find herself incapable of spending time with Clothovera throughout the break, for the increased security across the city from state guardsmen and Fangbane operatives made it dangerous for vampires such as herself and her brother to remain within the Sovereignty's walls as of present, although it was a somewhat comforting thought that she would be spending her time among her family just as Clothovera would; arrangements had been made with eager insistence on Ennea and Damon's part for the half-elven girl to stay at their residence in east-central sub-region of Olnah rather than having to rent a cold, lonely space of a room in either a tavern or a hotel. It would be the first time in some months that Clothovera would at last have a room for herself, converted from a storage room for Ennea's supplies and equipment into an actual living and sleeping space. While she had adjusted to sleeping in the company of others, having stayed in the same bed as her beastfolk partner during their time together and residing in a room occupied by another student following her enrolment at the Collegium, and found it slightly troublesome to adapt to resting at night by her lonesome, at least she would not have to deal with the loud, discomforting snoring that came with sharing a bedroom with Teael.

Ennea could note how Damon's expression had changed from what she was used to; the adjutor was much more open for conversation and his mannerisms were more optimistic ever since his sister begun sharing her residence with him. Clothovera herself spent a majority of her time with her brother, telling him of all the adventures she went through during her time serving in Dar-Nahalant, backed by Alhazred who was given the chance of spending the New Year with the two of them. The giant undead wolf Shambles, as promised, now resided at Ennea's backyard, spending his time asleep or scaring off birds, his body having been heavily scarred from the fight with the shark familiar days prior. Meanwhile Nyakik and Felvinus spent all of their time with each other, generally sitting in front of Ennea's residence while sneering at passing pedestrians. Much had been lost throughout their lives and the undine's attack did little to encourage the shared vision of the Collegium being a safe and well-defended product of the combined work of the elven states, it was the small, more intimate things that allowed them to continue feeling happiness and comfort in the wake of death and destruction, as Ennea, while wracked with great remorse and shame for allowing what happened to come to pass, could not help but smile whenever she saw Clothovera and Damon bond and rekindle their familial relationship that had been absent in both of their lives for so long.

The lands of the Western Forests was graced with light snowfall as the group, barring one, strolled the streets and pathways of the upper end of the district, with Teael, dressed in attire otherwise typical of her aside from a mid-sleeved coat fitted with a hood, guiding them to the outskirts of the city following her catching wind that Pyrath was not present at the room his late brother Ferathis had rented in the inner parts of Olnah, but rather, that he relocated his possessions and a portion of that which belonged to his sibling to a tavern on the outer edge of the district. Their bellies filled with hot oat porridge, Clothovera and Damon followed right behind, wearing appropriate heavier clothing in order to deal with the cold. Szalvetha, used to the cold, merely wore the same dress she always did, though this time around she did not wear her pointed hat, while Heilen kept using the same shirt and shorts, much to their confusion as he was seemingly unbothered by the cold. Their trek through the district was a somewhat jarring experience for those that were native to or familiar with Purity's Apogee, as while their usually would have been festive decorations placed around the town and street performers singing and dancing, there was only an eerie, jarring quiet stirred only by the chirping of birds and the sounds of the group's footsteps crunching through the layer of snow that encompassed the roads and walkways while armed warriors patrolled the streets. It was soon clear that many who had been attending or teaching at the Collegium who survived the onslaught had swiftly taken their leave and departed from the city for elsewhere, leaving parts of Purity's Apogee quiet and undisturbed by the presence of large numbers of people. As they made their way through the streets, snow falling gently upon them, Teael broke the silence between them in an attempt to steer the atmosphere to become more talkative and less awkward.


 * Teael - ... So. What's it like being with your families after so long, eh? I... kinda forgot to ask when we met up earlier.
 * Clothovera - Well... it's been great! I can spend my time with my brother as family again!
 * Damon - Heh. Yeah.
 * Szalvetha - It has been normal.
 * Teael - Try not to sound too happy, Szal. ... You not like being at home or something?
 * Szalvetha - I am not unhappy. I just do not feel like you do. My family received me back with open arms as usual.
 * Teael - Yeah, well, that's good to hear. ... How did they respond to, you know...?
 * Szalvetha - The incident?
 * Teael - I'm sorry for bringing it up, but I can't get it off my mind...
 * Szalvetha - My mom complained the Collegium does not have enough security. She called the guards "weak-spined" and went on about how it was like that when she was a student. My dad was too distracted getting back from a trip to comment on it. He brought with him a large chunk of adamantine from the Umbral Refuge, and he says he is going to order it carved in the image of my mother.
 * Teael - Whoa... Your dad must love your mom a lot if he wants to make a statue of her out of something that rare.
 * Szalvetha - No, not that big. By a chunk, I meant... about the size of Heilen's head.
 * Heilen - It's gonna be fairly big then!
 * Teael - See, if I was your dad, I'd make it into a cool curved dagger so I could defend myself with it whenever some magic-spewing shithead tries to pick a fight with me. ... A statuette of your mom is pretty sweet too, though.
 * Szalvetha - My parents are not warriors. My dad says he wants to make a statuette of me and my sisters next, but getting adamantine is difficult. The Umbral Refuge Derevar do not like us very much.
 * Teael - Oh? Why's that?
 * Szalvetha - They do not like Derevar who live in Purity's Apogee.
 * Teael - ... Ah, right, because of the whole... Aithrena enslavement... thing. Isn't your clan supposed to be one of the less-compliant families living here, though? That you're far less imposed by Sovereignty tradition and culture than, like, the old Bertonius clan.
 * Szalvetha - We are. My family has a history of stubborness. We stood our ground and used our wealth to impose our place. My dad is a very wealthy man.
 * Heilen - Funny. When I see ourselves, you're the least likely person I'd consider a rich kid.
 * Szalvetha - Such is life... Speaking of daggers, however. I mentioned my attempt at Vhalra's life to my mother.
 * Clothovera - ... Why would you tell your parents that?
 * Teael - Man, that's a bold move. I wouldn't even tell my folks about the time I switched salt with sugar in one of Damon's meals at the college.
 * Damon - You did what?
 * Szalvetha - We see things from a different perspective. My mother reacted with indifference, before saying she would have probably done the same. Then she mentioned a time she tried to cut the tail off of a Khalmartia boy who was harrassing her, before she was stopped by Tutor Crowfeather.
 * Teael - Well, it looks like brutal, psychotic, and violent tendencies run in the blood, it seems.
 * Szalvetha - She did ask me to not do it again. I intend to follow her advice. Looking back, I do not feel good about what I did.
 * Teael - ... Really? I thought you had some kinda murder-boner for wanting to slice Vhalra's chest open and using her heart as an alchemy ingredient or something. Why's the sudden turn?
 * Szalvetha - I do not know. I am simply uncomfortable with the idea of killing another elf now... This dates from even before the incident, too.
 * Damon - It's a good thing. It's time to forget petty grudges, considering the gal risked her life to save Pyrath's.
 * Teael - ... Oh yeah, I just remembered. Damon, I caught you hanging out with Vhalra a couple of times last month. Has she become another of your gal pals, hm? That why you're sticking up for her?
 * Damon - We've met because she wants my help. She wants to apologize for her attitude, but is too afraid to do it on her own... And well, she's also too afraid of Szal to approach you.
 * Szalvetha - I mind her less than I mind that terrible night creature you all befriended.
 * Teael - Eh, Kyrie's not that bad. Sure, her brother tried to either kill us or drink our blood, but she's the one that saved our skin that night. ... Honestly, I'm more surprised Vhalra was willing to put herself in between Pyrath and that undine bitch than I am that Kyrie stepped between us and another vampire.
 * Szalvetha - Vampires thrive in manipulation. You have been swayed under her grasp.
 * Damon - Nah, you're being paranoid. Kyrie's a nice gal.
 * Heilen - Nice in all the appropriate places.

Suddenly, Teael came to a stop, her hands in her pockets as she glanced over her surroundings to analyze the area that they had come to; the outskirts of the Olnah District were less financially prosperous than the inner segment, although it was still maintained by combined efforts from the locals and the workforce employed by the town mayor, as shown by the clear difference between what inner-district and outer-district taverns and public establishments looked like. The Jagged Toad was what was written on the sign that was suspended above the door, accompanied by a picture that displayed a white outline of a spiny toad on black, and the sword-mage let out a disappointed exhale as she approached the entrance. It seemed to be a well-kept tavern, although it was small and evidently lacked the care and resources put into far wealthier establishments that would keep the wooden frames and planks fresh and the interior warm and resistant to the cold of winter.


 * Teael - This should be where Pyrath's staying. Ferathis' friends said that this was where he was supposed to be going when they checked up on him, anyway.
 * Heilen - The place looks like a dump. Why did he even move to it?
 * Teael - They weren't sure, though they did say that he wants to get a bit of space away from everything. That aside, the place Ferathis had rented was fit for two or more people at a time. ... Now it's just Pyrath on his own.
 * Clothovera - We shouldn't keep him waiting any longer.

Gently pushing the door forward and taking a step inside, Teael laid her eyes upon the interior of an almost empty, two-floored building with a flight of wooden stairs leading up to the second level. There was not much light flowing into the interior, for what glass windows were present seemed to be stained and dirty and candles had not been lit due to time still passing through daylight hours, meaning that the inside was somewhat dark and cast with shadow. There was almost no interior decoration aside from a boar's skull adorning the wall left of the entrance, leaving only the current inhabitants of the tavern to grasp the attention of the students, among them being a rather elderly, bald dwarf whose head rested upon the surface of a table, yet to awaken from his drink-induced slumber from the night before, and a human man in his middle years, graced with unkempt black hair on his head and uneven stubbled across his chin while his skin and nails looked somewhat unwashed.

He wore a hide vest over a dirty linen shirt, stained with alcohol and what was assumed to be a trickle of dried blood, and his tired, baggy eyes glanced over to the visitors that had walked through into his tavern, furrowing his brow as he analyzed each of them. An odd stench wafted throughout the building, the scent of drink, piss, and body odor, although none could be sure as to whether this was radiating from the man at the tavern's counter, the sleeping dwarf, or the establishment itself. Clothovera appeared apprehensive over entering the tavern due to being not used to places of this nature - her experience with taverns was restricted to short visits to taverns during her travels, while Damon's face contorted from the smell, obviously displeased. Teael hesitated for a moment to approach the counter, although she inevitably had to force herself to do so and not turn around to leave after exchanging a brief glance with Szalvetha to grant herself some comfort and reassurance, even if she was only met with a look of neutral indifference upon the girl's face. Once she came close to the man, she felt further discomfort as her nostrils were met with the scent of booze and leftover meat on the man's breath and had to force herself to look away from his yellow, rotten teeth.


 * Attendant - ... Single rooms are fifteen silver pieces each. Twenty-five for a double. We've got only three vacancies left, mind.
 * Teael - W-We're not here for rooms. We wanted to know if our friend, an Erylian elf with a funny hairstyle, is staying here right now. Name's Pyrath Cindraech?
 * Attendant - ... I'm afraid I can't disclose that information to just anybody. It's not my business to tell people who aren't members of staff who's checked in or not. ... Confidentiality. If you're not here to buy a room or order something off our menu, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
 * Heilen - Can I ask you to take a bath? When was the last time water came in contact with you? Do you even know what soap is?
 * Attendant - Hmph. Not all of us are fortunate enough to be able to afford water or soap to bathe with. I can barely keep food and ale on my table as is. ... Word of advice; if you like living cosy, don't take it for granted, else you'll end up working in a shithole like this. You gonna buy a drink?
 * Heilen - Talking from experience, eh? Okay, stinker. What do you got there?
 * Attendant - Rum, beer, mead... Some cheap wines, a couple of ciders. I've got a bit of whiskey and absinthe leftover if any of that tickles your fancy. ... Of course, if you ain't into that kind of thing, I've drinking water and a bit of juice.
 * Heilen - If I order a drink, will you tell us where our friend is?
 * Attendant - Depends how much of a tip you leave me.
 * Heilen - Playing difficult, eh? Okay. How much for a bottle of mead?
 * Attendant - ... Three silver pieces.
 * Damon - This isn't time to get drunk, Heilen. What are you even doing?
 * Heilen - I'm negotiating with the nice skunk man, so shush.

The Hikamera put a hand on his pocket and took out three coins; they were made of gold rather than silver. The keeper's eyes widened as he laid them upon the glimmer of the golden pieces, his heart almost skipping a beat as such an opportunity practically fell into his lap.


 * Heilen - This enough tip for you?
 * Attendant - ... Look, kid, I know I asked for a tip but you ain't gotta do this for me. I'm just a bum who wasted his life before, I... I-I don't deserve this. I'm willing to tell you where your friend is for less.
 * Heilen - Hey. It's my money so I can kinda do what I please with it. You tell us where our friend is, don't stop us again when we come back, and I'll let you have these coins.
 * Attendant - R-Room six, up the stairs and on the right. T-There'll be a little wooden sign on the door. Checked in last night and he didn't give his name, but he did have a weirdo haircut, so I'm gonna assume that Erylian guy was your friend. I-I didn't see him leave this morning, so he could still be there.

With his usual goofy grin, Heilen placed the gold coins on the counter for the attendant to take.


 * Heilen - Get your clothes washed, and I think if you ask nicely, the clerics can do a neat little magic which can turn your teeth white again. Don't make me regret this, friendo.
 * Attendant - T-Thanks, you're a good kid.

With that, the attendant swiftly took the golden pieces in hand and placed them in a small, dirty coin purse to accompany bronze and silver pieces, before closing it and placing it back upon his belt from which he had drawn it from.


 * Clothovera - I didn't know you carried gold with you.
 * Heilen - Oh? Wasn't mine. I took it from Osvernal's wallet. Nah, just kidding... or am I? He he he.
 * Szalvetha - ... There is something very wrong about you. And I will find out eventually.
 * Heilen - Yeah sure, do that.

Teael bolted up the stairs, each of the steps creaking as she did so, and glanced to the right side of the hallway on the second floor to gaze upon a wooden sign marked with the elven numeral for the number six hanging on the outside of one of the seven doors that lined the walls in the elf's sight. She made haste in approaching the room that they had been looking for and placed a firm fist against its wooden surface as she knocked repeatedly and loudly in quick successions of three, leaving only a second between each set of knocks, and was soon met with the sound of tired, exhausted groaning and a familiar, raised voice sounding through the door to grace the group's ears.


 * Pyrath - Urgh... Who goes there?
 * Clothovera - It's us, Pyrath. We came to visit you!
 * Pyrath - Clotho...? W-What ya doing in this part of town? It's dangerous for a lil' lady like ya to be hanging out round here. Ya brought anyone with ya?
 * Heilen - We're all here. Open up so I can properly make fun of your hair. It's been a while.
 * Pyrath - How about ya come in here so I can tell ya to go eat a dick, eh? ... Gimme a moment, I just woke up.

It was roughly two minutes until the elves' ears perked upon hearing the doorknob twist and turn, with the door following shortly afterwards to reveal Pyrath, black, tired bags beneath his eyes, standing in the doorway with an almost hunched over stance; he looked a little pale, as if he was becoming ill, and his pointed ears only drooped downwards while his hair was unkempt and frizzy, with only his voice and the series of scars that were left upon the upper right side of his face and over his right eye and brow letting the group know that they were talking to their friend at all. Although he wore his usual trousers, they had not been cleaned since the day the incident occured as shown by some food and drink stains on the legs, and it seemed that he had foregone the decision to wear shoes or a shirt as he greeted his companions. Damon and Clothovera were visibly taken back by Pyrath's state, and even the usually emotionless Szalvetha faintly raised her eyebrows at the sight of the unkempt Erylian.


 * Damon - Yickes.
 * Pyrath - Ya don't have to be here... I'm fine. Just... been having some trouble sleeping is all.
 * Clothovera - We came here to check on you. It's what friends do.
 * Heilen - Wow. You look like you got ran over by a herd of water buffalos.
 * Pyrath - Yeah, well, it felt like that at the time. ... How are all of ya, anyway? It's been a few days since I've seen any of ya.
 * Damon - We're fine. Just a bit worried over you. Can we come in?
 * Pyrath - Feel free. It ain't much to look at, though.

Pyrath stepped aside, allowing the crew of students to walk through and take a seat wherever they pleased within the rather small, cramped quarters that Pyrath had decided to call home for the coming nights. The walls were thin and seemed in need of some minor repair, the sole glass window was dirty and obscured some of the light that was allowed to come in, and there was not much furniture for the group to sit on, merely a single bed, two wooden chairs, a small table, and a side cabinet with an extinguished candle resting upon its surface; various wooden cases stacked upon one another, alongside a moderately-sized drawstring bag, sat across the room, unopened and their contents left within as it seemed Pyrath had been too exhausted, or too distracted, to bother making himself too at home with his new living quarters.

The Erylian closed the door after his friends and moved to sit on the bed, reaching for a vest he had left discarded on the floor so as to dress himself now that he was in the company of other people, while Teael took a seat and rested her legs upon the table. Clothovera could see clearly a line of scar tissue reaching across Pyrath's neck from where he had been shot at by the undine assassin during their battle in addition to that which lined his face, although the wound itself was not as deep as the latter and was certaintly not as painful or afflictive to the Erylian's health as the loss of his brother seemed to be.


 * Clothovera - ... How are you holding up?
 * Pyrath - Well... I'm alive. Suppose that's a start, eh?
 * Heilen - Why'd you come to this dump?
 * Pyrath - Was cheap, was outta the way. Not like I'll be needing a place with double bedrooms anyway... Besides. Don't feel like I really deserve to go anywhere nicer. ... Just kinda how I'm feeling right now.
 * Szalvetha - Surely you do not blame yourself for what happened.
 * Pyrath - No. Bro decided what he wanted to do and there was nothing I could've done to stop him. ... I blame myself for not being able to save anyone and almost making... almost making b-bro's fight in vain... I-I couldn't even a-avenge him and fucking Vhalra of all people h-had to save my ass...
 * Damon - That's wrong. You saved Ennea's life. I'm grateful for that.
 * Heilen - Also Osvernal's but come on, who the hell cares for Osvernal?
 * Pyrath - ... Ya wrong. I caught that bitch as she was about to leave... She didn't have to kill either of them, just the Archtutor. Whether I was there or not... T-They'd have been fine. If she w-wanted to kill them, she'd have done it before I got there. ... I should've just helped bro out, maybe he'd still be here if I did. A-Archtutor would be dead either way.
 * Heilen - Isiris's sake, you're difficult to cheer up. We're trying to express our affection for you and the fact you're not shredded into little Pyrath pieces.
 * Pyrath - Would ya wanna cheer up if ya found out Lyra died and ya couldn't do anything to help her?
 * Heilen - Course I would. You think my sister would want me sad forever? You think Ferathis would want you sad forever?
 * Pyrath - I... I can't go back home. I d-don't wanna have to face my folks with them knowing that Ferathis is gone and they're just left with me... I'm not the man my bro was and I never will be... I wasn't strong enough to help him out, I ain't strong enough to take a mage adept on by myself...
 * Heilen - Not with that attitude, you ain't.
 * Szalvetha - Complaining you are not as powerful as a much more advanced mage than you is not a good argument. This skill comes with time and training. Surely Ferathis also achieved his power through the same means.
 * Damon - Just remember, we're here for you, and you're not the only one who's suffered loss. Me and Clotho watched our parents and uncles get decimated by Inquisitors and cultists, but we both moved on.
 * Heilen - And I watched a good friend of mine literally explode. But that might not be too relevant in this case. No blood relation and all.
 * Pyrath - ... M-My bro w-wanted me to be strong. I looked up to him because, to me, h-he was the strongest person I knew and I modelled myself off him; h-he was my idol, my role model, my motivation to g-get strong. S-So I could impress him and... and show him that I could w-work with him... I-I'm not strong, though. I had to c-copy him to make myself look strong, and even then, when it counted, I w-wasn't strong enough to make a difference. ... I bet he's disappointed. D-Disappointed that I c-can't be my own man, t-that I had to resort to acting like him t-to cover up the fact that I'm just... n-not as strong as he thought I was...
 * Szalvetha - Then get strong. Become your own man. What is the hold-up?
 * Pyrath - ... B-Bro was everything to me. Mom and dad worked hard, so he raised me instead and, when she came, my lil sister too... A-And now he's gone. The sole r-reason I am where I am is gone, the one person I a-aimed to impress because I thought he was the strongest, the g-guy who made sure to be there f-for me whenever I was in trouble or n-needed help... I couldn't repay him for any of it. I-It's too late.
 * Heilen - So you're willing to leave your little sister alone because of all this?
 * Pyrath - If I go back home, she's gonna wonder why I didn't help bro... Why I couldn't help bro. And all I can r-really say to her is that I wasn't strong enough to h-help or save him... It'll be m-my fault.
 * Damon - No. You'll say you stood back when Ferathis told you to, because if you intervened, you'd share his grave. He wanted you to survive. Besides, if you don't tell your family of his death, the Collegium eventually will. They'll learn of it one way or another.
 * Pyrath - I-I can't help but feel that I should've been the one who got taken away and not bro... B-Bro was stronger and didn't deserve to get taken away. He was a f-far better guy than I'll ever be. W-What have I got to contribute when bro did a-all the hard work? When you guys do all the hard work? ... E-Everything's falling apart and I wasn't g-good enough to stop it, let alone f-fix it now.
 * Heilen - You couldn't fix anything. Fate works as it does and can't be altered. Death comes to people whenever it's their time to go. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't. That's just how the world works... Also, the guy who does nothing is me, not you.
 * Clothovera - Yeah. Never in any quest did you not help us do whatever it is we needed. I explicitally remember you wrestling down a kirin, for one.
 * Damon - Had you not done that, Teael would probably have a big gaping hole on her stomach right now.
 * Pyrath - Ya... were also s-strong enough to save Clotho from the undine when we first met her. If it were me, I couldn't have done that...
 * Damon - Except you did. You were there when we confronted the undine. And we scared her off together. Because we're a team.
 * Pyrath - That ain't how I remember it. I remember getting bit by that damned shark and having my leg n-nearly torn off while I rolled around and cried on the ground.
 * Heilen - Leading her to get cocky and distracted enough for yours truly to hit her across the noggin. Gal went flying that time, you probably couldn't see it.
 * Damon - Speaking of the assassin, I did receive news regarding her. Good and bad news.

Pyrath looked up from the bed as Damon spoke, eyeing the half-elf as word of the assassin reached his slowly perking ears while a curious expression made its way onto his sad, tired face. Teael turned her head and looked up from her seat, leaning back slightly further as Damon's words had captured her attention amidst the Erylian's rather depressing claims of his own weakness, regret, and shame.


 * Teael - ... Go on, D. We're listening.
 * Damon - Well. Good news is... she's dead.
 * Pyrath - What'd Fangbane do to her?
 * Damon - That's the bad news. Fangbane didn't kill her. She was, uh, assassinated before she was taken to Fangbane.
 * Szalvetha - ... So they never got to question her.
 * Damon - Correct.
 * Pyrath - Fuck! That's... That's bullshit! N-No way that this shit keeps getting worse!
 * Damon - From what Ennea told me, Fangbane found her corpse with her throat ripped out by what they deduced to be claw marks. They also found the shark, its eyes gone and its head filled with holes, like it was... pecked to death. They think either some sort of bird monster did it, or a vampire.... or both.
 * Teael - Kyrie mentioned that she knew there was a vampire hiding in the Collegium somewhere among the Archtutor's council. So they must have had ties with the undine if they were so concerned with killing them off before Fangbane could interrogate them. The disappearances and the assassinations were linked.
 * Szalvetha - It is all part of the conspiracy. The employer killed the undine so she would not expose them. But I am curious over Fangbane's analysis. There are no bird beastmen working in the Collegium.
 * Pyrath - If the undine bitch could summon a g-giant shark as her familiar... then there's no reason a vampire or any skilled mage couldn't use a giant bird as one, either.
 * Szalvetha - That is true.
 * Teael - I don't remember ever seeing any of our tutors using a giant bird as a familiar. I know that Ennea can turn into a bird at will, but it's nowhere near big enough to do something like kill that shark familiar.
 * Heilen - Heh. Damon, remember that girl we met once, and she had a parrot familiar? And Felvinus ate it?
 * Damon - Oh god, don't. Getting it out was a nightmare.

A chuckle slipped out from Pyrath's mouth, a contrast to his dramatic, upset state just some minutes prior while talk about his brother and the incident was occuring. After clearing his throat, Pyrath stood up and rubbed his eyes, groaning once again before looking towards each of his friends, a faint smile upon his almost sickly face.


 * Pyrath - Any guesses as to who it could be?
 * Damon - Not really. We'll have to wait and see how this is all gonna unfold.
 * Heilen - Maybe Prisieth killed the undine by crushing her between her massive legs.
 * Pyrath - ... One thing is bothering me. It's... about when I fought with the undine. She used her finger jet blasts to attack me and Vhalra and to kill the Archtutor, but... I couldn't see a hole on either Ennea or Osvernal. Just... slashes. And now ya say that the undine was clawed to death?
 * Clothovera - ... The undine's master was there! He attacked Osvernal and Ennea!
 * Szalvetha - Conspiracy. Conspiracy!
 * Pyrath - Gonna be honest, I'm glad I didn't run into them when they were dishing out their stuff on Osvernal and Ennea. ... And it's a bit weird that Ennea said that Prisieth was helping the Archtutor with their speech, yet she was nowhere to be found when I got there.
 * Szalvetha - I warned you all, that woman is evil. I can feel it.
 * Damon - I doubt Prisieth is the vampire. She could've ran away before the attack took place.
 * Szalvetha - Or she could be behind it all. Conspiracy!
 * Teael - ... Wait a moment. Clotho, do you have Alhazred with you?
 * Alhazred - Hmmm... did someone call for me?

On Clothovera's belt, Alhazred was strapped to the witch, and the book appeared to have been asleep the entire time until the half-elf girl took him out. Teael ceased leaning back on her seat as she moved forward to get a closer look at Alhazred, moving up into his face and invading his privacy somewhat as she eagerly saw her plan through.


 * Teael - You're supposed to know everything, right? And you can sense vampires?
 * Alhazred - Almost everything. And I trained many centuries to combat the creations of Zran Kar, including vampires, so yes, I can tell one from a distance... Can you back off a bit? You're huffing into me.
 * Teael - C-Can you tell us who the vampire in our school is?!
 * Heilen - That's too easy to work.
 * Alhazred - I... I knew who the vampire was but... I can't seem to recall. I am getting that infernal mental block again.
 * Clothovera - ... Zran Kar! Stop messing with my book!
 * Heilen - Told you. Too easy to work.
 * Teael - Man, Zran Kar must hold a hell of a petty grudge against you. A Simulacrum who watches over the world and oversees innumerous cults and worshippers and he decides to take the time out of his day to fuck us around about one vampire.
 * Alhazred - Zran Kar is always doing everything in his power to complicate our lives. He finds amusement in making us suffer and waste our time. I will say it, though; there is something wrong with the man named Osvernal. I do not know if he is the vampire, but he oozes an aura of distrust. Hence why I refuse to let him touch me.
 * Clothovera - Osvernal couldn't be the vampire since he was also attacked during the incident.
 * Szalvetha - What if he attacked himself as a disguise? Conspiracy!
 * Heilen - Please stop that.
 * Pyrath - What makes ya think he'd do that?
 * Szalvetha - A few weeks ago, I was being harassed by a bald Aithrena thug. He tried to get me in trouble with the tutors by stabbing himself with a knife, claiming I was the one who did it. But Ferathis showed up and beat him up until he cried.
 * Teael - I hate that guy. Baldy always freaks me out with how much of a creep he can be. But you really think that Osvernal would go to such lengths to hide the fact he's a vampire, or that he's involved in this whole conspiracy at all?
 * Szalvetha - You need to remember something. With Selsor dead, who is the Archtutor?
 * Teael - Osvernal is only the Vice-Archtutor, who acts as Archtutor in times like these. He won't actually get ascended until a council is formed to make a decision in a couple months from now. ... But the principal is still the same and who knows how many supporters he has if he's in on this conspiracy?
 * Szalvetha - This is a power grab. Osvernal killed Selsor to take over the Collegium. He is having non-Aithrena students disappear because he hates them.
 * Pyrath - ... I dunno. This is all a massive stretch and we could be looking in the wrong places. Ennea said that Osvernal's a prodigy of dark magic like Aesleith was, so maybe what Al detected was just his massive potential for umbramancy? And besides, throwing himself under a bookshelf as well as covering himself in wounds? Seems a bit excessive to do it to himself.
 * Alhazred - I fought side by side with one of the greatest human witches in history. I know dark magic when I witness it, and his is not of the good-intentioned sort. Do not trust that man.
 * Heilen - Man, Aesleith isn't gonna be happy about all this.
 * Teael - D, wouldn't Ennea know if she got attacked by Osvernal or not? She was also covered in claw marks when we all found her, after all.
 * Damon - I did ask her what happened, and she told me she couldn't remember anything before the assassin had already killed the Archtutor. She says there's like a gap in her memory.
 * Pyrath - Maybe we should get Kyrie and her bro on the case to try and get this sorted over the break. I don't think I can go through another term of all this crap.
 * Clothovera - Can't do that. Kyrie left back to the Polar Lands to spend the break with her family. And I don't think her brother lives in the city anymore.
 * Teael - Fangbane has its operatives all over the place, so whoever this vampire is, they must be pretty confident in their disguise. ... Kyrie said these disappearances have been happening for a long time. I'm wondering just how long... Very likely long before any of us came to the school, I think.
 * Heilen - We didn't have this crap back when I joined. Gotta ask Miss Succubutt to tell us more about it.
 * Szalvetha - Hmpf. You would ask a vampire to help find another vampire? For all we know, she is collaborating with the mastermind to get her own share of blood to feed on.

As Teael was about to open her mouth to respond to Szalvetha's suspicions of their vampiric ally - or rather, supposed ally -, Pyrath interrupted with a feeble, ailing splutter of coughs while collapsing back onto the bed on his rear, holding his hand over his mouth out of courtesy so as to not spread whatever illness he was becoming afflicted with from afflicting any of his friends and companions - although it was clear to them all that rather than any disease, much of the Erylian's state was contributed to malnourishment and an absence of significant amounts of deep sleep, which would in turn eventually come to result in being more susceptible to flu and other ill conditions that became prominent in the colder seasons. Teael closed her mouth, looking over Pyrath with a saddened expression as she then stood up, placing her hands back in her pockets while gazing down at him.


 * Teael - ... Right now, I don't think there's much any of us can do to solve all this. Not while we're on break, when we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves now that we don't have any studying to do. I say we just... forget about all this conspiracy crap for now.
 * Clothovera - Yeah. We should let Pyrath rest.
 * Heilen - Stop being sad and go sleep and eat. You look like trash, nevermind the fact you're living in trash.
 * Pyrath - Go fuck yaself, fatty. Oh wait, I forget that ya got standards. ... Heh, but, thanks for all of ya being here for me. It... means a lot to me. Especially after how stupid I was by fighting that bitch when I should've just ran...
 * Szalvetha - I would rather not have to drug you again.
 * Teael - Don't worry, Szal, you can always drug me in your free time. I make an amazing guinea pig, don't you think?
 * Heilen - ... Wow. You realize how creepy that sounded? Get a room.
 * Teael - S-Shut up, not like that, you creep! L-Like, alchemy and stuff! Gah, you wouldn't understand, you pervert!
 * Heilen - I'm the creepy one? Come on.
 * Szalvetha - ... I do not get it.
 * Pyrath - I'll... I'll try and get better for ya guys. I don't wanna bring ya down with me, after all, especially if we're all gonna go to each other's places to eat and meet family and stuff. ... I don't wanna spend this New Year completely alone, after all...
 * Damon - Good, because New Year's at my house this year. I want you there.
 * Pyrath - Ya mom wants me there too.
 * Damon - You wanna join your brother?
 * Pyrath - Ouch, man... That was a low blow. Not cool.
 * Damon - ... Okay, sorry about that.
 * Szalvetha - That sounds like something my mom would say. Good job, Damon.