A Simple Stroll

[Raiden Matsutani]

After a few minutes of sitting under the tree along with everyone, Raiden felt okay now. It was a peaceful situation. Well...for the moment at least. That kind of traquility was ruined quickly by someone's sudden out burst. Raiden was alarmed to turn and see that it was indeed the Headmaster. His face that was once calm, was now stricken with fear. To see it on such a person as the Headmaster himself made Raiden start to worry as well.

Well knowing that it had to be something big to make the Headmaster stir like that. If so...that kind of thought would scare anyone right about now. As well as everyone else Raiden had shown his worry before, but the silent demon could only show it through a completely worried face, that has yet subsided even through the Headmaster's reassurances. It was at least good to know what was causing the man such grief. It seemed the eye under his eye patch had some special properties...like Second Sight...or something like that.

Raiden was more focused on what the man had to say. He could see it plainly on the Headmaster's face that there was something more to what he saw, and Raiden was too curious to let that fly past him. So for this instance Raiden would speak up again. "U-Um...do you mind sharing..." he said leaving the setence haning at first. "U-Uh...I mean the vision you had..." he finished with a sigh.

[Tristan Knightrhode]

Tristan relaxed when Maedallus said that it was nothing, merely a vision. Wait what?...Vision? Well that was a new one on Tristan. The hunter hadn't heard about that eye yet. Merely the elementalism. After that little confusion, the following thought crossed Tristan's mind: [Young ones?....Aren't I older than him?]

That little bit of iritation aside, there was no danger...just as yet, so Tristan's hand floated back down to his side, and he turned back to the group on the bench. When Raiden spoke up...if ever so meekly, Tristan stood with earnest, not interrupting as something that would scare the shit out of a mage that strong...short of his mother in law, was something to be concerned about.

OOC: short >.>

[Syril Ænari]

Syril flopped back against the bench with a sigh, letting the mana on his fingertips flicker out. So it had merely been a vision; a sight of things to come, rather than an immediate threat. A small chuckle escaped his lips, and one hand wandered up to his face, covering his eyes and leaving only the relieved grin visible. While he was still concerned--the vision in question must have been on a grand scale indeed to make Maedellus start like that--he allowed himself a moment of relaxation. Anything that could shock the Headmaster of Arcane Academy was not something that Syril preferred to face in combat on short notice.

Nonetheless... he was curious. A crack opened between Syril's fingers and revealed one viridian eye, which flicked up to the Headmaster's forced-calm countenance. If such a vision was truly of such epic proportions, then it bore knowing about. Raiden beat him to it, however, meekly voicing Syril's exact thoughts. Letting out his breath slowly, the fingers closed up once more as Syril waited patiently for the Headmaster's reply. Curious though he was, Syril would be fine whether or not Maedellus chose to disclose the contents of his divination. They were students after all, and hardly privy to such significant information.

[The Designer]

Maedallus sat back up, his face fine and dandy, but yet he clutched his eye. Pain welled up there, as slowly more and more visions made themselves appear to the Headmaster. "This eye" The Headmaster began, his voice calm and relaxed. "I didn't want to tell you yet, but I suppose the cat's out of the bag: this eye lets me see into the future. It's a secret that only Archmages or above know, but since you caught me red handed, I suppose there isn't any point to lie to you..."

With that, the mage fell silent, his eye patch side twisting in pain while the other side remained calm. "And I suppose I shouldn't share this with you guys either... But I suppose I have no choice in the matter. I fear that soon enough, we'll all know the meaning behind the eye..."

With that, the Headmaster winced again, as pain welled up in his eye.

"I see..." He began, his voice trembling from pain, as more and more visions filled his head. " I see... The beginning.... Of the End...."

[Raiden Matsutani]

That's right for once Raiden spoke up and asked a question. Curiousity had gotten the better of him. It seemed the others may have very well been wanting to do that same thing. They would all learn the truth...well...the truth behind his vision hurts. In fact its completely and unbelievably shocking. Just out of nowhere the Headmaster says it the beginning of the end. You got to be joking right? But it isn't a joke...the Headmaster is serious about what he just said. His face said it all...

Raiden was unreasonably stricken with fear in that moment. Well, who wouldn't be? The Headmaster for one thing wouldn't lie, on top of that the guy is well experienced as well. So there was no trick...and that's what scared Raiden the most. A gloomy kind of silence settled over Raiden time. Only a face stricken with fear was shown.

[Tristan Knightrhode]

Tristan listened to the headmasters responce. The prospect of the beginning of the end crossed his mind, and the only thing he could say was: "Ahh fuck...." Simple...To the point. If there was something to be the 'begining of the end' they were screwed. I mean for Maedallus to think so...Him having seen the skills of all the teachers underhim...most likely...they were royally fucked.

Not even the so called Hero, Tristan, could out magic the teachers...All out Teolus or no...So it was easy to see the hunters conclusion. "It really that bad?" Tristan asked, the prospect shutting down his 'OMG WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!' reactions to the point where he was calm.

All that was left now was to hear the details.

Then they could dispair.

[The Designer]

Pain filled his body, causing him to tremble as his eye gave more and more visions. All around him, students who could sense the future were wallowing in the same pain, but unlike the Headmaster, they probably couldn't make head or tails of what their visions mean. Crouching down, the Headmaster let the pain fill his mind as he started to recite what he saw, wrapping his hands over his eye patch.

"Seven.... White..... Citadels shall fly across the sky" He began, his voice trembling... "And a White Fire will appear in Heaven beside the Seven Citadels, and it shall cleanse the world..... From it, an endless army will appear, seeking to burn the world along side the fire....."

With that, Maedallus stopped, his voice gasping for air as he stopped his prophecy. More visions flooded his head though, as he saw the carnage and destruction of the future....

[Syril Ænari]

Syril's hands slowly tightened on the edge of his seat, inhibiting the blood flow to his knuckles and turning them a pale, bone white. There was no expression of pseudo-bemusement any more; this time, Syril's face registered an empty, shell-shocked look, even the constant smile fallen completely flat. Suffice to say, Syril was no longer feeling any relief at this point in time. After some time, he somehow found the presance of mind to speak: simple words, which expressed the joint sentiment of those who had heard the Headmaster's forewarning of the apocalypse.

"My God..."

There was no doubt in Syril's mind that this was the truth; he had the utmost respect for magical visions and prophesies, all the more so when the were issued by such beings of great power. What had started out a normal day, a simple stroll, had become the lead in to humanity's final hour. The beginning of the end.

There was a long silence, in which a few cherry blossoms drifted down from the branches above, to settle delicately upon the scene below. The eerily blank expression remained on Syril's face, and the smile did not return; even Syril's psychological barriers were overcome by this piercing truth. Now that they had learned the circumstances and manner, only one more question remained to be asked--but Syril's mind was still too numb to form the entire sentance, and only a single word escaped his lips.

"When...?"

[Tristan Knightrhode]

A brief moment of sheer terror shot across Tristan's mind before...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nothing...Not a single thought. His vast mind simply ceased for a period of more or less five seconds. Those five seconds seemed an eternity and an instant at the same time. Time stopped, flipped around, went back to the big bang, and shot back forward to present day. The first moment passed.

The future then shot forward, the seven white citadels soared over head, casting endless blasts of holy magic while drifting down delicate feathers, as if millions of angels suddenly burst into nothingness, and all that survived were the pure, white feathers of their delicate wings. The second moment passed.

The governments of the world launched absolutely every thing they had at the citadels. To no avail as the endless army went on Kamikaze missions to intercept the missiles. A-bombs, H-bombs, Fighters, S-class superships. Nothing could stop them. The third moment passed.

Tristan's energies exploded into his Crusnik form. The man's uncle, pulled from the Tibetan mountains by the crisis, did the same. They both had blood scythes. Every teacher, master, every magical being in existance threw every thing they could at the massive white constructs. The fourth moment passed.

Silence. The sky was red. Corpses and devistation could be seen for miles. The fifth moment passed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tristan exploded into a maniacal cackle. Was his sanity gone? Perhaps...the next few seconds would tell. "Well I guess it's a good thing I'm immune to fire then huh?" He roared through his laughter. A few more seconds of laughter and the bout ceased.

All seriousness returned, the concept of utter destruction had taken its temporary toll on Tristan's mind before there was nothing left.

"What do we do...? What can we do...? How much time do we have...?" Three questions. Three answers. What they were? Only Maedallus knew.

[Raiden Matsutani]

Raiden watched as everyone else took this matter as serious as he did. This wasn't funny no matter how many times you look at it. Syril's smile is gone...Tristian's resolve is broken...the Headmaster is shaking in his boots. Things were falling apart in everyone's mind with Raiden included.

The thought of such things happening was unbearable to Raiden. He didn't know what Citadels were and it still creeping Raiden out. The hair on the back of his neck stood up the more he thought about it. Raiden would have a heart attack if he didn't calm down. What if this school goes into a war against what ever threat there may be. Raiden doesn't think he's up to it. I can't do it... The air of silence still sat around Raiden.

[The Designer]

"And finally" The Headmaster spoke, his eyes trying to glean what he could from the vast images portrayed before his mind. "The World will end. The fires of Heaven shall be washed away in the Second Great Flood, washing away the sin of man, God and everything in between into utter nothingness... And thus that is humanity's punishment.... And our judgment shall have passed..."

With that, Maedallus fell down, only to catch himself. He was struggling to breathe, and his brow was wet from sweat. The lesser mages who were caught up in the vision were knocked out, their minds blanked and only those strong enough to endure the vision, or smart enough to attempt to break off, stood standing.... albeit as though they were ready to fall....

The Headmaster got off his seat, as a coterie of Arch Mages and Security members rushed toward him. They helped the prophet up as he looked at the students. Suddenly, security was everywhere over the campus, with Azrael himself leading the watch.

"And so the Big Man decided to call me here himself to watch over these students" The Security Head said to himself...

Maedallus soon turned his head toward the students, exhausted and tired from the ordeal. From what the students could tell, it looked as though the Headmaster's patch was concealing a faint blue glow, as the air tingled with energy about him.....

"Remember what you have heard" He spoke in whispers. "For this..... this is how the world will end..."

[Tristan Knightrhode]

Tristan snapped out of his temporary insanity just as the Security showed up. He listened to the head master and nodded. "We're going to have to train...Every single one of us." He commented, "When news of this gets out, the training grounds are going to be packed." and rightly so. The idea of impending doom was enough to either get someone to kill himself...hopefully that wouldn't happen, or get them all to train so vigorously that they collapse every day.

The hunter personally voted for the latter. "Torm and Leon are gonna want to know about this." Mental note. Next note...tell Igneus, [IGNEUS!!!] What!?!? Whats going on? The dragon shot up from his sleep, shooting out a jet of fire into the fireplace set up in Tristan's dorm. The man sent images of the events he saw in his own mind, though they were only his imagination at work, and what Maedallus had seen.

Igneus' reaction was pure shock, then Word has to get out, every one has to get at least ten times stronger. Twenty even.



"Sir, do you know how much time we have?" He asked of the headmaster before he was pulled off to set up preparations of his own.

[The Designer]

"All I can say" Maedallus began, his voice weary and tired. "Is that it will begin quite soon..."

And as Maedallus walked off, the sky darkened for a moment... as shadows yet to come slowly began to cover the world.....

REWARDS:

Tristan: 3 EXP
Syril: 3 EXP
Raiden: 3 EXP