First Meeting, First Words (Closed)

[Alastin]

Thalomin stood in the training grounds his eyes on the ground for a moment and he almost gave a smile. This place was much better then he anticipated and he was looking forward to meeting the 'people' that stayed in this place. Supposedly the Arcane Academy was one of the best places in the world for a mage to grow and learn their true potential so that they may better be prepared for the world beyond it. This place was so life-like and active the people so unsuspecting and unaware of the corruption of the world that was around them every day. It was an amusement to Thalomin as he stood in the grounds and gazed at the surroundings around him. Impressive magic had simulated this very terrain to remind of the harsh conditions of Siberia. Yes he’d have to thank whoever made this training area because the harsher the conditions the more fulfilling the workout. People who trained in those ‘average’ conditions were weak-minded fools.

Ah well there is only so much that can be done. One step at a time for guiding this twits into some semblance of preparation and readiness.

Thalomin turned his attention to the ground in front of him and closed his eyes whispering words that were said in a forgotten tongue as he formed a pentagram in his mind’s eye for a moment. Spitting out a last word of power a hellish gate opened and a large salamander the size of an alligator emerged and hissed its tail thrashing around the snow under it melting because of its intense body heat. Thalomin almost gave a smile at the creature as he let it gaze at the surroundings for a moment and just turned his attention to a construct that was advancing towards him. Slow-moving but, heavily armored a good training for him.

“Attack,” Thalomin commanded of the small beast in front of him which unleashed a hellish jet of flames that impacted the construct slowly melting the armor off it piece by piece. It was poorly made as Thalomin motioned for it to cease for a moment. A seal was formed by him and a bolt of black electricity slammed into the construct a small thunderclap sounding where the bolt impacted. The construct fell into ruins after the salamander in its violent nature unleashed another jet of flames at it leaving it in molten ruins.

“As expected from poor craftsmanship…” Thalomin murmured unaware that another was nearby at the moment.

[Ziare]

Ziare leaned against the railing of this particular training ground. Rumors of a male dark summoner had reached her ears. And of course Ziare was curious. Curiosity had indeed gotten her in trouble numerous times or gotten people annoyed with the small town girl from England. But that was who she was and she wasn't going to change.

She wasn't dressed in her robes today as she didn't intend to fight. Besides she could fight in or out of her robes it really mattered not. So she watched her face didn't show anything but her mind was in overload. A real summoner. But he was different than she. Though it seemed to her that his element was mainly fire as was hers. He called beasts out of the earth which in most cases meant hell. However she called hers from the air. They were near exact opposites but she didn't mind at all. The fact was that all this intrigued her even more. She could only grin as she salamander began attacking an armor that he apparently thought poorly made.

"It is just an armor you are aware, I'm sure. Without someone behind it, it has no defenses to dodge or defend. So of course it would not stand up to a barage of fire such as you send." she said pushing herself off the railing she entered the grounds with a smile on her face.

"Welcome to the Academy, I'm Ziare." she said with a bright smile as she held out her hand for him to shake if he would like. "It's nice to see another summoner."

[Alastin]

So this is Ziare? The rumored summoner who was supposedly the most powerful that the academy had seen in many years? Well now this was very interesting indeed as he merely glanced at the beast, which was cowed by the aura of its master and settled down flicking its tail worriedly. It was never wise to interrupt its master as demons learned after he bound them to his will alone. Thalomin gave a smile at the creature’s obedience to think that it had been so stubborn and insistent that it could take him on at first. It was almost amusing as he turned his attention to Ziare. She appeared to be in clothes that were not suited for combat but, any summoner could always be prepared even if they were weaponless Thalomin also heard rumors that she had a dragon under her control. That was something that interested him greatly since he had not yet learned to control the Hell Drake that he had so yearned for because of its awesome power. No matter.

“This is true however, I expected based upon the boasts of the designer for the thing to survive more then a few seconds of attacks from myself and a Hellfire Salamander,” Thalomin replied as he studied her. Yes this was someone who he needed to get close to because of her summoning strength. If she could control a dragon it was not a bad idea to learn how to get on her good side. After all power meshes with power it all depended on how it was done.

The broadsword at his side was forgotten as he removed a metal gauntlet and shook her bare hand with his own the strength in his grip shown but, it was relaxed for her as was common courtesy. He studied her for several moments and actually gave a small smile at her.

This is going to turn into a very good day.

“And I am Thalomin,” he replied as he gazed at her.

“The rumors that follow you fail to match you in person I see.”

[Ziare]

Ziare looked over the man that stood in front of her shaking her hand. He eased his grip for her which was kind seeing as she wasn't a very strong physical girl. She stook it but her blonde eye brows rose at the word 'rumor'. She smiled and took her hand back gently.

In jeans and a rather tight light pink tank top with spaghetti straps she looked over at the salamander. It was indeed a cute one she had to admit.

"Rumors? And just what rumors are those?" she asked curiously as she moved to the salamander and pet it gently. Most would be afraid of him as he was a fire demon. But fire didn't harm her at all. She was bonded with fire, it was her main element and that protected her.

Kaladra flew into the room and alighted on her shoulder. Ziare chuckled as the phoenix seemed to study both the arrivals that her bond was with. She smiled and reached up petting her phoenix who then took off and perched on one of the railings.

[Alastin]

“The rumors that portray you differently then from the person I meet, some say that you ride atop a mighty dragon and smite those who are unworthy,” Thalomin said with a small smile as he watched her pet a Hellfire Salamander without any trouble at all now this was even better that she had fire in her elements making her immune to the demon’s intense heat. Very interesting indeed there was no doubt about that; as he turned his attention to her and watched her stroke the demon without any worry. “Of course rumors are just rumors something that I find are fluffed by pointless egoism and don’t really show the true nature or potentials of the person that they are based on. After all when a rumor is made it is typically a sign of jealousy or the sign of a weaker mind of the person that started it in the first place,” Thalomin murmured as he studied her again now that she was closer and crouching down to pet the demon like it was a house cat.

I find that amusing that she can so casually do that. This day is defiantly going to get interesting and promises to be much better then I had originally anticipated.

“Still rumors typically only have the truthful aspect of getting a name correct and that is the only purpose they have,” Thalomin finished as he walked near her even as her phoenix came into view and landed near her. He studied the fire bird for a moment and there was no doubt in his mind now that fire was one of her heavier elements.

“So tell me Ziare what brings you out to these dreary training grounds at this hour? Did you perhaps follow a rumor to find out about me? Or is this a mere coincidental moment that I should be thankful for?”

[Ziare]

Still crouching by the salamander her hair fell across her shoulder exposing part of a full back tatoo that was hidden by her shirt. It was celtic and fire runes. Beautiful in it's red ink. When she stood and turned. On her chest was a red feather tatooed there but it was the symbol of her bond with the phoenix once the bird had pierced her heart.

"You're right. Usually a rumor is sparked with truth but ignited by false insecurities." she said with a smile.

She walked over to the railing and leaned against it as Kaladra preened her feathers gently. Ziare was used the the birds presence anymore. In her mind and with her most of the time Kal usually was not willing to leave Ziare alone. It had been a trying expedition to get the bird and be chosen by them. Something she and Jyo had done together right before he was put in a coma. But that was in the past now. She hadn't seen Jyo in some amount of days.

"I heard a rumor of a dark summoner. So following the trail that seems to expand in your wake, I came here. I am very happy I did too. Because it's lovely to meet another summoner. They seem to be rather rare where once there were so many." she admitted and pulled her small body up on the top railing sitting there as the breeze flitted through her exceedingly long hair.

"And so I would like to get to know you if you don't mind. Where are you from and things like that." she said with a bright smile. She patted the railing next to her. "Come join me if you like."

[Alastin]

Thalomin almost chortled when she mentioned the rumors that were already flitting about him and almost gave a smile over it all. Summoning was just something that he could do quite well he was by no means specialized in it yet. Though he certainly had a heavy potential in that field given the way he could easily summon lesser demons and not just one at a time either. Thalomin often summoned trios of Hellfire Salamanders to do his dirty work in a ranged fight where he sat behind them and enjoyed the damage that he could cause. A pair of razor demons was often fairly capable at ruining things in melee given their rather violent natures plus their deaths took things with them. Again he wanted to just give a small smile as she spoke words that while true no doubt highly amused him. People were already speaking rumors of him and he had only just arrived that was quite amusing to say the least.

She is happy to meet me? Well, well, this does get more and more interesting the fact that she actually wanted to meet me not just being curious of my abilities.

“There is plenty to say but, let me give a shorter version, my name is Thalomin as I have already said and I was raised in the Siberian region of Russia nearly all my life. My master taught me not only summoning but, also a variety of other abilities which you saw one of them being able to use bolts of lightning. I took on physical abilities so that I would not be such an easy picking to those casters that are more physical in a fight. Hence why I wear armor and wield a broadsword to better improve my strength and endurance.”

Thalomin replied as he walked over to her side and unbuckled the sword setting it on the edge where she sat and then pulled himself up to where he was beside her. He glanced at the Hellfire Salamander and with a word of power the creature was gone in a flash of flame and smoke.

“I am hoping to become a more dedicated summoner in my time here.”

[Ziare]

He came and sat next to her. She figured it was a good sign. A sign meaning that despite the other rumors flitting about. He actually might want to make a friend or two. She smiled when he said he might want to pursue summoning as his main form of magic and she nodded.

"Well, I'm sure the academy would be more than happy to help you switch your focus to one of the summoning arts. That really is the only magic I can do aside from one fire spell. I am a summoner plain and simple." she said with another smile directed at him.

"I see you use the words of the ancient language to summon and dismiss your beings. That is a very common way to summon. As you grow in your power you may not need the words at all it just depends on how you develop. I would be willing over time, if you liked to help you practice or study in anyway I can."

She looked up and his eyes caught her interest. Where hers were that crystaline ice blue, the very eyes that could instil fear in the hearts of the weak when worn by evil, were placed in this charming rather sweet girl. They held kindness and understanding.

"You're eyes are beautiful, if you don't mind my saying so." she said with a blush. "Are they white for a reason?" she asked.

[Alastin]

“That is very good for to be specialized in a particular magical art if better then to be spread about numerous categories. I have heard that there are several rather skilled teachers here and even selected students are able to become teachers given time,” Thalomin murmured as he tossed back his silver and gray hair to where it fell behind him and allowed his face to be better exposed in the pale light of the area that they were currently in. This was defiantly becoming more and more interesting.

“I assume that fire is your heaviest element given the fact that you touched a Hellfire Salamander when its normal body heat is enough to catch things on fire.” He replied as he studied her more with his interest hidden he merely followed the gesture that it was pilot to keep one’s eyes on the person that you were speaking to. He heard her comment on him using his words and he was slightly surprised and at the same time pleased by her understanding what he was doing.

“Perhaps I will not need words down the road but, I have no problem using them if it works, while I used the longer method to lower the energy used in the summoning I have no qualms with spitting out only a few words to make it combat efficient. Your offer however, is something that I would gladly accept given that you obviously have more strength in this magic then I do,” Thalomin found his pale white gaze meeting her crystalline ice blue ones and they were quite fascinating. The eyes that could make men and women cower were on this girl making them appear more cute and charming revealing that she was far from being corrupted in fact one might even hazard that she is completely uncorrupted something that Thalomin wanted to smile about. He paused for a moment in thought.

I’ve heard my eyes called many things but, beautiful was defiantly a word that has not been used before when associating the word with them.

“You are most kind but, my eyes do not compare to the gem-like quality of yours. However, to answer your question they are white for no specific reason from what I know. I was simply born with my eyes like that some idiot doctor saying that I nearly became blind but, as demonstrated over the years I have excellent vision."

[Ziare]

Ziare studied his eyes. His compliment on her own eyes had caught her a bit off guard. This man really didn't seem the kind that would compliment. He was definatly surprising her every moment. At first glance he looked like the kind of man that would tear you up and feed you to his flaming salamander alive, but he seemed to be an acutal nice person. She liked that.

"You are right. Fire is my main element. My main summon is a fire summon but we are also bonded. My phoenix I suppose is further proof. But fire has never burned nor scarred me in any way." she said as she looked up into his nonexistant eyes.

She looked away again because his eyes had some sort of draw for her and she couldnt help but stare. She looking away would make it easier on her.

"I've never been to Russia. Maybe I'll have to take a trip there one day. I've visited my home again, but I think it might be fun to explore a different country. What is Siberia like?" she asked turning her attention back to him and his eyes.

[Alastin]

He watched her break eye contact and almost gave a smile he knew that his eyes had a sort of compelling notion to them making it hard for people not to want to stare into them because they were so unique and different. He heard her speaking of the fact that fire was indeed her main element making his guess a correct one and how she was bonded with the Phoenix as well yet another personal surprise. This was defiantly someone that he would have to get to know as she seemed well a bit naïve very comfortable with her advanced summoning abilities which he found interesting. She was correct in the fact that summoners were getting rarer and rarer due to the fact that summoning did not appeal to people as it once did in the day that re now long forgotten. Yet here they were two summoners speaking so casually and calmly like it was not a monumental moment but, rather instead a casual one.

Well this is a new record I have talked with someone for more then ten minutes an actual person who is catching my interest bit by bit.

He heard her question about Siberia and gave a nod at it as he leaned back in a more relaxed pose turning his attention to the snow.

“To say it is cold is a gross understatement Siberia is covered in snow roughly eight months of the entire here only late spring and summer do we really see any thaw. At least that’s what it was like in Northern Siberia I am rather unaware of what it is like in the other regions. For a person looking for the right places then it can be rather homely rather then hostile. If you wish to explore the area I would be glad to guide you, however, I do believe that we’ve been talking nearly all about me and little of you. Something we should correct. Tell me about yourself Ziare, of your own summoning, where you were born and raised, and even other little tidbits that you think I should know about. As an additional question how did you come across your first summon?”

[Ziare]

Ziare was intrigued by the man that sat next to her. It was definatly a meeting she was glad to have had. He seemed nice and his accent didn't bother her in the least. She leaned back slightly on the railing using her arms to keep her balance as she did so. Her long flowing platinum blonde hair blew in the wind.

"Siberia still sounds interesting, and I promise that should I go you will be the very first person I look up to come with me." she said with a smile.

He began to ask her questions and she took them all in. For several moments she didn't answer as she kind of thought about what to say. It wasn't that she was going to hide anything but she had to decide what to edit out as unimportant.

"Lets see. I was born in Rosewood, England. A very very small grove town just outside London. One of those towns that have no automobiles and we only recently got our own train station. My family is a very large one. I have three brothers and two sisters. I'm in the middle there somewhere." she chuckled and tucked her long hair behind her singly pierced ears.

"I was adopted as I recently found out but I was loved none the less by my family and raised as their own. My powers awoke when I was young about nine I think it was. My older sister and I were out in the woods as we tended to be during the summers. It was much cooler in there and we had a lot of places we liked to visit. Anyway, on this particular day we were out in the woods gathering herbs for my mothers kitchen. But we came across a bear cave. They had recently given birth and the young cub was around the opening. We of course didn't realize it until we had two very angry bears growling at us and cornering us. My sister started to cry but I was too scared for even that. When the larger bear, I assume the father, lunged at us I stuck my hand out instinctively to protect myself. Suddenly, the attack never came but instead a roar I had never heard before." she explained as she looked over at the man next to her.

"I opened my eyes to see the bears running but a large red dragon protecting my sister and I. She of course fainted but I new that somehow he wasn't going to hurt us and he wasn't going to do anything really. He was there to protect us. That was the first time he spoke into my mind before he disappeared and that was my first summon. But after that he was only palm sized I learned later from him that his size not only depends on how powerful I am but my emotions. So right now Armenius is huge but say if I was really scared or really mad, he would be even bigger."

She took a deep breath and chuckled. It was a long story and that was even severely edited.

"As for my summoning. When I first started I had to use mana and their names to call them. But now they come to my will when I'm ready. Armenius talks to me mentally when ever I need him and usually interjects his opinions even when I don't. He's like a familiar. I found out that he is a bond summon passed down through the generations of my family. But only to those he deams worthy. Oft times he skips a generation if no worth candidates are available lying dormant. It's very interesting and confusing all at the same time." she chuckled.

"So now that I've officially bored you with my shorted, greatly edited, but still long winded history. What shall we discuss next?" she asked with a smile.

[Alastin]

Her platinum blonde hair was long and flowing and his fingers itched slightly to run through her hair to see if it was natural and real rather then the ethereal-like state that seemed to shimmer each lock with the light flooding through her hair. To his credit he paid attention to each of her words and gave the reactions needed for each part of her tale and he wasn’t bored at all in fact he was very interested in her story especially when she first called upon her dragon. So her emotions were what flooded the power of her summons meaning if she was focused and angry then they could get rather large however, if she had little emotion then they would perhaps be smaller and weaker. Something that he had to make careful note of if he wanted to get close to her that pissing her off was not going to be a bright idea he would have to play this game very smartly and carefully when he was around her.

Which is going to be worthwhile given the fact she doesn’t have just one summon but, she has multiple summons from the way she speaks and quite a few of them the way she speaks so casually about it. More importantly this dragon whom she seems so casually seems like a very powerful ally to have…

He gave a smile at her when she finished what many would consider a long-winded and dull tale where they would want to fall asleep or do, something else that was often a waste of time then give rapt attention. Thalomin was interested in all of this however, not only in her history but, how she acquired her magic so gave her the attention that would show that he was interested and listening.

“You certainly have quite a story behind that has no doubt grown in your time here at the Academy from the way you speak. No doubt you have achieved much more strength then you previously thought possible because of your dedication and bond that you share with your familiars. With demons to show that kind of a weakness is a folly in itself however, I am hoping to go above just the simple-minded demons and work on something greater like my own dragon and stallion. After all a summoner is no greater then the creatures that he or she can call forth to defend themselves.”

Which is why you should bind the damn things to your will so they don’t get the bright idea to turn on you…

“Still let us switch to something else that we have not yet covered. The academy itself for instance. Rather then discussing in this cold part of the training grounds how about we go somewhere that is more convenient for us to sit down and talk. Perhaps the cafeteria so we can get something hot to drink after being in this cool spot for awhile now. You can even tell me of your favorite spots."