[i:b1343a9255]"Put something together, a presentation, to show off your mastery of magic. You may consult with each other, or the student sections of the library, but not with the staff. I look forward to exploring your talents with you." [/i:b1343a9255]

Marley had retreated outside after the lecture had ended.

Julius made it apparent that he expected great things from his students. He was a fair teacher, but a firm one. Marley didn’t want to let him down, but yet he felt his powers were insignificant compared to the heavy hitters the others seemed to be. Two of the young vampires in particular seemed to possess more “offensive” magic. This alarmed him somewhat. They already had the distinct advantage over the human students. They didn’t need to breathe, that was a biggie. But still, he was able to do things they had forsaken. Like walk in the sun. Which he did.

Outside the school was a curious melange of gothic, renaissance and modern architecture. Some sections seemed to have been completely replaced, perhaps due to fire damage or something more prosaic. He didn’t intend to ask.

He sat on a stone bench, closed his eyes and listened to the picking fingers of a gentle but insistent wind blowing through the gas-lamps, and hissing through tree branches. Each movement held its own voice. He opened his eyes, seeing the “singers” in all their glory. Considering the motion of the air, the resonance of sounds at once alien and familiar, and trying not to think about the fact that he badly needed to pee.

He sat there for a while, watching trees sway in the wind. Birds settling on the higher branches, squirrels scour the leaf-bed for buried pantries. It calmed him being this close to nature. He toyed with a dried oak leaf he found, lifting it in the air and making it dance slowly in the wind. He rested on his laurels, trying to think.

[i:b1343a9255]What [b:b1343a9255]can[/b:b1343a9255] I do?[/i:b1343a9255]

He stayed outside, even when the wind brought a torrent of rain to bear upon him, the Umbrella spell he’d created keeping him dry as the rain bounced up from the paving. He watched the rivulets of water run down the side of his spell’s boundary, immersed in the chaos of it.....

The answer had been simple. He wanted to delve into the fractals of the Ars Magica. But he lacked the insight....yet.

He sat in his room. Playing with words, juggling his fingers, concocting gestures to fit the actions he wanted to convey. He collected dozens of glass containers from around the school. Beakers and test tubes from the laboratories, jugs and glasses from the kitchens. He would then fill them with various volumes of water, before testing the notes they contained by blowing through pursed lips over the rim.

It took him days to not only find the right notes, but also to memorise the volume of water that generated it.

That sorted that. But he needed a dramatic enough finale. Something that would catch the class and his Parens off guard.

He made his preparations well in advance. Placing his little orchestra of glass in the classroom the night before he had intended to “conduct”. He made sure the other students all sat on wooden chairs, before he retired to his room again. He would need all his energy if he were to pull this one off. A lot depended on him succeeding, least not of which, his own pride.

In an address to the school...

[i:c25f12509e]"So what is magic? Is it a simple manipulation of forces present in the world? If so, then how do we quantify it? If it is nothing more than the application of basic principles, then how is it that what a Mortal can do, a Kindred can not? If I build an automaton to recite the words and perform the gestures why is no spell released? If there is an underlying science to magic, then why so many traditions? How can it be that the use of pure will, or a few choice words of latin achieve the same results, in fact how is it that mere words and gestures can create these effects at all?"

"If we assume then, that it cannot be something simply expressed, definable both quantitatively and qualitatively, then what is it? Is it a natural power, or supernatural. Indeed, if we are to discuss this, then we must understand our terms, for what is the supernatural but part of the world around us. If Vampires exist and we here know that they do, then isn't it natural? We are all affected in one way or another by what we call the "Divine". Areas or people of strong faith who interfere with our magic. Does that mean that the divine, or the infernal are supernatural? Perhaps when we speak of the Supernatural, we should be thinking of those things which cannot be easily explained in terms of equations and science. This does not mean that we should treat them as unnatural. That which we call supernatural, is a natural part of our cosmos. It is not abnormal, nor freakish. It is simply part of existence."

"Magic then, would appear to be related to belief. Much has been written on the power of the human mind, coupled perhaps with it's underlying soul. In areas where a strong belief in reason is paramount (and this is most of the world) then the use of magic is inhibited for all but the Kindred, who need to fuel their magic with blood. Hermetic magi find they cannot cast at all, whilst mages of more modern traditions must prepare for the backlash of paradox. Most of the world population don't believe in magic and don't want it interfering with their mundane lives. Thus, we can conclude that whilst the physical appears immutable, the metaphysical can be bent to to the power of will and this is where the true power of the magician lies."

"The powers we all exhibit, that gift we share, whether through some arbitrary blessing of mortals, perhaps in their genes, or in the blood passed from our Kindred Sires are as nothing without the will to use them. The choice to bend the world to the shapes our imaginations can create. This is where the true magic lies. Not in the incantations, not in the channeling of power from spirits or umbral realms. The true magic lies our ability to imagine the world changed to our desires, the belief that we can make those changes and the will to follow it through. There are no limits to the power of magic, only unexplored frontiers, waiting for someone with the drive to pass them."[/i:c25f12509e]

The class sat. Whether they sat patiently, or not, was irrelevant. Marley had it all planned out. It was an inspired choice of actions, and he hoped if nothing else, they would amuse his audience.

The Glass Orchestra sat in quiet, hollow trepidation. Marley had spent some time with the vessels, and in a strange sense he had left a mark on them that went farther than simple fingerprints. He had studied the shapes they followed, had practiced filling and un-filling them with created water until he was aware of every contour of every beaker, tumbler and test tube. Intimately.

He positioned himself at their fore, a conductor’s baton held gingerly in his right hand as he awaited Julius’ prompt.

[i:bdb696716c]“Go ahead, Mr Brennan. The room is yours.”[/i:bdb696716c]

His Parens saluted him with a brisk nod, taking his seat behind the desk of fancy Marley wished he could investigate.

Marley cleared his throat. Wiped clammy, nervous hands on his trousers before he felt ready to begin. The beginning was subtle. So much so that the classmates almost didn’t notice. Marley’s baton whirled in a gentle spiral, its tip pointing at each and every container in turn. Concentration furrowing his brow.

[i:bdb696716c]“Creo Accuro Aquam!”[/i:bdb696716c]

Obeying his short and simple command, the containers began to fill with water. It glittered in the light from the ceiling before he moved on. The baton tapping the air as if drawing something from it.

[i:bdb696716c]“Creo Delenio Auram!”[/i:bdb696716c] He waved the would-be-wand over the table where the containers of water waited.

Arthur was the first to note it. A curious, but soothing breeze across the bridge of his nose. He grumbled something in latin, something offensive judging by the glare he drew from Julius.

Marley ignored the slight, his hands weaving alongside the baton as he focused his mind on the task at hand. His forehead dampening with sweat.

[i:bdb696716c]“Rego Auram Cantus!”[/i:bdb696716c]

He seemed to kiss the words as they left his lips. What they lacked in vocal impact, they made up for in passion and direction.

The breeze stiffened. Became something rigid. Controlled. Before he directed it as a conductor would his musicians, playing the air over the lips of each container, a leisured breath that gave the orchestra it’s voice.

Cassie’s eyes lit up. So did Nyoko’s, as the lilting melody rose. Marley directing it with his eyes tightly shut in concentration and his baton weaving and reinforcing the spell.

Julius listened intently. The lyrical quality reminded him somewhat of the Lyre’s played in the lands of the Fae. He hid a gentle smile as the music poured out and over the class. Rolling as the air was gestured and herded in tune with the symphony in Marley’s mind.

Dartmoor groaned, he fidgeted as the effects of his last hit continued to wear off. The display was all very pleasant he presumed, but it was hardly worth his concentration.

Marley was sweating profusely. Had his eyes been open, the stinging salt from his brow would have closed them painfully. He was breathing heavily now too. A fact that Julius became aware of.

[i:bdb696716c]What was the boy trying?[/i:bdb696716c] He wondered.

The music began to quicken, sharpening and rising in pitch. It kept building upon itself, the containers starting to tremble as they readied their fragile bodies for the crescendo.

Marley’s eyes snapped open, sending sweat flying from matted hairs around his temples. He began to mouth something unintelligible at first, but soon understood by Julius who grinned before covering his ears.

[i:bdb696716c]“Creo Auram Tonitum!”[/i:bdb696716c]

The ceiling shook as the thunderclap struck. The glass containers were either shattered by the sudden explosion of sound or the impact with the tiled floor as they were buffeted from the table by the expulsion of energy.

The thunderclap drew sharp cries from the classroom who were further driven from their seats by a sharp pain in their bottoms. They stood up confused and somewhat deaf as they turned to Julius, then their suddenly thorny seats.

Marley, swayed a little as he took notice of the room. As the thunder echoed out of existence he muttered something weakly.

[i:bdb696716c]“Rego Corporeum Fluito Parens...”[/i:bdb696716c]

As Julius’ feet left the floor, Marley’s nose began to bleed suddenly and quite violently. He looked pleadingly at Julius who gestured the hovering spell away with a mere flick of his finger. Catching the young student as he passed out.

Haven was impressed, to say the least. He had, observing the other boy, been expecting something dramatic, however, even he was unprepared for what had happened, and that was saying something; it was decidedly seldom that the fourteen year old, in spite of youth, was caught off guard.

Not knowing whether he could top it, he sighed, and stood, [i:8852d46bd6]"A hard act to follow, I must say,"[/i:8852d46bd6] he whispered, and waited for Julius, attending to Marley, to give the go ahead. He nodded, and his lips began to move, as he made subtle pointing motions at the lights. [i:8852d46bd6]"Rego Ignem," [/i:8852d46bd6]came out softly, though his soft wasn't terribly detrimental to the first task. Immediately, the lights began to flicker, and then, he whispered, [i:8852d46bd6]"Creo Auram," [/i:8852d46bd6]A breeze suddenly whipping about him, though it stirred nothing away from his immediate vicinity.

Still, Haven's performance was not yet done. [i:8852d46bd6]"Perdo Ignem," [/i:8852d46bd6]he said softly, and the lights went black; now came for the fun part. [i:8852d46bd6]"Creo Ignem,"[/i:8852d46bd6] he said, and a dim glow began to grow, outlining him in the pitch darkness, [i:8852d46bd6]"Muto Ignem," [/i:8852d46bd6]He said, and the light, seeming as flames turned a bright, blazing blue and silver as it danced along his form, in the darkness; it wasn't easy maintaining all of these spells at once, and now Haven began to sweat, though it wasn't visible beneath the fiery halo that he had wreathed himself in.

Julius, just outside his range of vision in the dim light frowned deeply, that bit of spontaneous magic, had it gone wrong, could kill the young man, it was blatantly reckless, and from what he had observed the night Wren had brought him to the school, Haven should know better.

Haven however, breathed the words of his next spell, to further control the light that lined him, [i:8852d46bd6]"Rego Ignem," [/i:8852d46bd6] he said, to establish a more complete mental control over the "flames" that outlined him, and went on, knowing that he had to finish this, or be laughed out of class at his blatant attempt. Finally he began to work the formulaic spell chosen for this project, this time using a firmer, more normal tone of voice than he had for the spontaneous magic, making sure to draw out each syllable to match the grace with which he performed the magical gestures of the formulaic spell to be used, the entire thing seeming a dance wreathed in a fiery halo.

[i:8852d46bd6]"Creo Validus Ignem," [/i:8852d46bd6]He said softly. The resultant effect was dramatic, his mental command forcing the flames that had lined his form to creep along his body, seemingly to concentrate in his hand, there he released concentration on the lights so they would wink out at precisely the same moment the true flame sprang into existence. Then, his flame guided by his steady hand, it flew into the stone basin, the metal rod there glowing white hot in the darkness, the sticks he had arranged around it lit shortly after the heated metal's image melted away, the flames of the wood jumping up, and causing Cassie and Dartmoor to start instinctively in their seats.

The lights returned as he released his concentration the remaining spells, and simply swayed there for a moment, putting his hand on a desk for support... Somehow, he didn't think he had matched Marley's performance with his little lightshow; that had been truly impressive, but he hoped he had at least entertained.

[i:dd6b210ebb]"You both have to learn when to stop."[/i:dd6b210ebb] Said Julius, though not unkindly, to his two [i:dd6b210ebb]filii[/i:dd6b210ebb]. Following their performances he had invited them into his study for a chat.

[i:dd6b210ebb]"Marley, your performance was wonderful. As ever you showed that bright spark of imagination which leads me to believe that you have the capacity to be a truly awesome mage. You just pushed too hard. You need to work within your limits and keep something in reserve. This isn't a life and death situation, it's just a demonstration. A silly school project. I admire your zeal, but it's just not important enough."[/i:dd6b210ebb]

[i:dd6b210ebb]"And Haven, a marvellous show of raw power. Your skill with Ignem is impressive, yet again, this isn't life or death. If you had misspun that enchantment in even the slightest regard, it could easily be that we would not be having this conversation."[/i:dd6b210ebb]

[i:dd6b210ebb]"You're still learning. Great power I sense in both of you, but you must not be blinded by ambition. You have nothing to prove here. Marley, your road will lead to your own destruction and Haven..."[/i:dd6b210ebb] A black shadow passed across Julius' brow. [i:dd6b210ebb]"...displays of raw power can lead to an ocean of death. Believe me both of you, control and knowing your limits is the most important part of being a great magus. I hope that in a couple of centuries from now, we three will be able to laugh about this."[/i:dd6b210ebb]

Marley and Haven looked at each other. A couple of centuries? It was Marley who spoke up. [i:dd6b210ebb]"I don't think either of us want... your kind... of immortality."[/i:dd6b210ebb]

Julius smiled. [i:dd6b210ebb]"This is why you are apprentices and why you should stick within your limits. If, in the future, you do wish for... my kind... of immortality, there will likely be someone who would oblige. That wasn't what I meant at all, however. You will learn, for I will teach, about longevity potions. Through their use, you could expect to extend your mortal years to perhaps as much as three hundred years of life."[/i:dd6b210ebb]

Julius paused for effect. [i:dd6b210ebb]"But NOT if you continue to push. We haven't even discussed Wizard's Twilight. Either of you could have had a twilight incident, wholly unprepared for the experience. These are your formative years, apprentices and dangerous ones. Stick to what you know and can do safely. I can't be there to watch you all the time. A magical gift, for that is what you have, a gift, can easily be broken and become flawed by overdoing it at an early stage."[/i:dd6b210ebb]

Julius grinned. [i:dd6b210ebb]"Lecture over."[/i:dd6b210ebb]

A presentation, something to show her skill, that was what Master Julius wanted. Nyoko sat in the arboretium and comtemplated what she would do for her project. With the displays already given, it would have to be something special. Not that she needed to do better than the rest, but Master Iku would be disappointed if she didn't show her talents to her fullest potential.

[i:e441560750]"Sssissster,"[/i:e441560750] said Tameko in a tone full of anticipation and mischief, [i:e441560750]"can I go play with the fisssh?"[/i:e441560750]

[i:e441560750]"No,"[/i:e441560750] she answered him, [i:e441560750]"the fish haven't yet recovered from the last time you "entertained" them and the gardeners chastised you."[/i:e441560750] She looked down at the serpentine like body wrapped around her arm. [i:e441560750]"But, the koi look so golden,"[/i:e441560750] the young dragon whined. [i:e441560750]"They are still fish, not treasure."[/i:e441560750] Nyoko sighed. [i:e441560750]"You may, however, go chase the birds,"[/i:e441560750] she smiled. [i:e441560750]"They at least are being a nuisance, trying to eat the cherries in our neighbor's orchard."[/i:e441560750]

With that Tameko flowed to the ground and set off towards the fruit laden branches where the pests were gathered, munching on the red orbs. She watched as he swept up into the branches and disappeared. Suddenly, there was a flurry of sqawks and the tree exploded outward with a shower of feathers as the witless fowl took flight. He returned with a smug grin spread across his fact and settled onto a rock by the pond, preparing to soak up the sun.

Nyoko took this opportunity to look around. The shrubs and bushes were both beautiful and varied, but there was something missing.....something that nagged at the edges of her mind. It was as if the vast expanse of greenery was talking to her. It dawned on her then. The lawns were too bland, too sterile, as if someone had just thrown it together without taking into account the natural order of the world. With that thought, came the idea for her project. She called to Tameko, who rose reluctantly from his warm spot and swept back to her, disappearing under her shirt. With an eager step, they both went to find the head gardener.


*******************************************

The class gathered around the area Nyoko had roped off. A little scouting ahead of time, left her knowing where the placement of her "demonstration" would be best displayed. The sun had just set, so she had a floodlamp brought in to help light up the area. The air was still and warm. Julius waited in the background, standing underneath a willow, avoiding the fading rays, watching another of his pupils begin their demonstration.

The oddly different young student stood in the last purple and peach tones of the dying daylight, wrapped in a velvet cloak of green. She began speaking. [i:e441560750]"My craft is not like others,"[/i:e441560750] she said. [i:e441560750]"I have no need for incantations, components or gestures. I have been taught other ways to deal with the world's forces. Allow me to show you how it's done."[/i:e441560750]

With that, Nyoko untied her cape, letting it slide to the ground. Clad only in a light linen chemise, her feet bare, she knelt to place her palms against the ground. Tameko was peeking out of the neckline and, at a whispered word in his ear, he slid completely into sight. She leaned forward a bit and he scampered down her arm and away, to wait by a series of pots just inside the closed area.

[i:e441560750]"I will create a lasting monument,"[/i:e441560750] Nyoko's face took on a glazed look as she turned inward, [i:e441560750]"one that will bring harmony to these walkways."[/i:e441560750] With that she sent herself into the ground, located the watertable and began convincing the stone to build a stone pipe from there upward. The other students shifted slightly on their shaky legs as small tremors shook the ground..

With a low growl, the earth opened and the natural piping broke the surface, dirt flowing upward, solidify around it. The natural conduit began as a two inch opening which narrowed to about a quarter of an inch, ending almost five feet in the air. The rumbling increased as rocks broke through the grass forming a basin and enclosing the upright shaft which was now begining to bubble over with artesian water. The bottom part was about 2 feet in diameter and included a drain which had small holes to prevent debris from clogging it. The second pool was a foot in width and rocks continued to turn up piling themselves casually into the form that Nyoko envisioned. The last tier was only six inches around. By now, the first basin was overflowing and starting to fill the second.

Now, the young mage spoke again, [i:e441560750]"Tameko, please bring the plants."[/i:e441560750] The little dragonet grabbed the first pot by it's plastic handle, with his mouth, and hurried to her side. She up ended the pot and once more reached within for the power to complete this presentation, but found that her efforts had drained her personal reserves long before she was finished.

Julius tensed as he watched Nyoko loose concentration, momentarily, and break into a tiny sweat. Two students had already used more power than was healthy and he had hoped that their example would be a warning to others. He was about to step into the coming breach when he felt the small tremor in the vim that centered beneath the grounds. Followed by a poised hush in the surrounding air, as everything had held it's collective breathe.

Filling herself with the power of the smallest stream that ran from under the school, Nyoko took a deep breath. It wouldn't be enough to re-start this assignment again, if anything went wrong, but it was enough to finish what she'd started. [b:e441560750]THAT[/b:e441560750] was more power then she could deal with without some serious training first.

Placing the climbing ivy's root balls on the ground around the base of the fountain, she sent her request outwards to them. She didn't make them grow, so much as coaxed them to wind about the bubbling fixture as it began to take on the aspect of having been in the gardens for years, instead of minutes. When the last of the vines twined around the top of the rocks, she let the power drain back into the ley line and stood trembling with fatigue. She turned and gave the attentive magus a very short, but respectful, bow. [i:e441560750]"Thus I finish my first assignment, Master Julius."[/i:e441560750]

The words of Headmaster Julius poured over Cassie like water over a dry piece of land. And soaked in just as greedily. To an entity that had spent much of her mortal life as a closet-dreamer and her subsequent unlife as a pawn of forces beyond her imagination and control, they were a revelation. Not that it was apparent right away.

Cassandra Wade was not a name she'd been born with. Instead she'd chosen it mostly as protective shielding for those she'd left behind on that black and terrifying night when God and all of humanity had deserted her. A night that lay black and impenetrable in the deepest recesses of her now dead heart and awakened mind. Something, she deliberately chose to forget.

Still, pieces of it came and went when she least wanted it to and so, she retreated even further from the truth and denied as much as she could comfortably get away with. To her, existence, such as it was, began the day Lucien dragged her back from the hell-pit she'd fallen into and she'd tried hard to please her eidolon and to be a credit to him. She wasn't always successful.

Her inclusion into Lucien's chantry had been minimal and begrudged at the best. Fraught with fear and reprimands at the worst. She [b:e82b6ec3e5]knew[/b:e82b6ec3e5] she was behind in her studies but with each of the other student's successful completion of their project, Cassie's own had begun to loom as nothing more than a flash in the pan and she spent more and more time in her room as the weight of her ignorance descended on her.

It didn't help that she'd been unable to consult with her mentor on her project, nor that she'd not seen Lucien in days. Emerging only for classes and feeding wasn't exactly a healthy mental regimen but she also exercised the lessons that Julius's childe had impressed on her. Namely, those that kept her sane from day to day; her studies. After all, she never knew when Lucien would come around and drill her on what she'd learned. That alone provided her with the hope she couldn't drum up for herself.

Nyoko's demonstration had been, to say the least, an underscore to Julius's previous lecture regarding will, whereas both Haven and Marley had shown that words could define the magic. Cassie had to wonder at the limits to her own powers. Was it the power of the words used or was it the will of the mage that defined it's limits? Cassie sat on her raised pallet-bed and let her mind play with the frightening idea she'd been contemplating for some time.

With a final swipe at her unruly hair, she stood up and brought her gaze to the overhead light. She was going to do it, regardless of the consequences!! Cassandra's knees felt like water. She gulped air deliberately and went over her suppositions once more. Auram was the spell word all Tremere's were traditionally taught to use when it came to the natural force of electricity. But what if she were to try a word she'd found in a modern latin dictionary?

"Creo Electricus"

The whispered words died away in the blackened room and she felt a quiver of frustration. Once more she considered the Master's words and then tried it from another angle. Maybe she hadn't been forceful enough. She'd seen how some spells needed more strength and volume in the delivery, so she made a declaration out of it.

[i:e82b6ec3e5]"Creo Electricus!"[/i:e82b6ec3e5]

The bulb glowed with a tiny, sickly yellow cast, which lasted for 4 secs., then winked out. Cassie quivered with suppressed terror at her success for about as long as her spell had lasted and then repeated it again. Again, that instant of glowing achievement for both fixture and female. Her thoughts took wing and soared as she considered what else it was that the discourse had imparted. [b:e82b6ec3e5]AH![/b:e82b6ec3e5] Will. [b:e82b6ec3e5]That[/b:e82b6ec3e5] was the missing ingredient!!

The fledgling Tremere planted her feet and stretched out her hand toward the filiments above her head, then as loudly as she'd ever uttered anything in her life she declared....

[b:e82b6ec3e5][i:e82b6ec3e5]"CREO ELECTRICUS!!"[/i:e82b6ec3e5][/b:e82b6ec3e5]

...and imagined the sparks she shed as traveling in a warm tide up the length of her arm, just underneath the skin and then crossing the gulf to the bulb in the ceiling. And [b:e82b6ec3e5]PUSHED[/b:e82b6ec3e5]!

A tide of heat and warmth crashed over her as the lamp above suddenly burst into full and glorious brilliance. Cassie snapped her eyes shut as she was blinded and suddenly she felt as if she was basking, once more, in the rays of the forbidden sun. At about the same time as her mind shouted the dangers of doing so. Cassie sucked air again, preparatory to a scream and, as she did, the tide reversed itself. With all the energy crashing back into her.

The thin glass of the globe shattered with a popping sound and a sudden gloom descended. Silence greeted her ears as she shivered in mounting dread at another experiment gone awry. She didn't need to check outside into the hallway to see if the damage had extended to the rest of the building. Something told her that the entire block the school occupied had just experienced a blackout of major proportions.

Cassandra sat on the floor in her unlit bedroom, blood tears running silently down her face, waitiing for the coming judgement ........

Haven blinked as the lights went out all around him, and then sighed. He supposed he'd best go and find out what had happened to cause the blackout. Stepping into the eerily silent and dark hallway, he decided to call forth his own illumination.

There was the twirl of fingers as he uttered the words, [i:1163e6d332]"Creo Illumina Ignem,"[/i:1163e6d332] And the bright blue wisp sprang into existence above his shoulder as he began looking for someone to query about this situation.

He'd passed by several closed doors when he heard a muffled sob. Halting in his tracks he backstepped, listening, and noticed that he was just outside of Cassandra's door. Putting his ear close to the panel, he heard soft weeping from inside.

It was no surprise then, when he quietly opened the door, that he found her sitting in the middle of a carpet with blood tears streaming down her cheeks. Granted he'd known vampires most of his mortal life, but the sight of blood tears themselves was decidedly disconcerting.

As he walked in, he felt a hot breeze blow past him, and his wisp suddenly shone bright... very bright, causing Haven to have to cover his eyes momentarily as he winced. Then the wisp winked out, though he was sure he had retained concentration on the spell.

Huffing in exasperation, he twirled his fingers again, muttering [i:1163e6d332]"Creo Illumina Ignem."[/i:1163e6d332] Once more the wisp flared into existence, bathing both himself and Cassandra in a gentle blue light. Her face was swollen in distress and her eyes, when they looked up at him, were widened.

The young mage made a quantum leap in the intuition department as he came to the conclusion that with Cassie's natural talent there was only one thing that could have brought her to this point. [i:1163e6d332]"Neat trick, this blackout."[/i:1163e6d332] He chuckled, then glanced out into the hallway, only to see Julius and Lucien approaching. Giving a quick wink to the young woman, he stepped out to speak with both men.

[i:1163e6d332]"Headmaster Darrant, Professor Lucien, this blackout is my fault," [/i:1163e6d332]He said, making up a quick lie in his head,[i:1163e6d332] "Cassandra was trying to help me study Auram, and I tried a quick spell with a lamp that was turned off, but it got away from me,"[/i:1163e6d332] He said then bowed his head apologetically, [i:1163e6d332]"I misread the possible focus for the spell, and you can see the results... You have my sincerest apologies, I will double check next time,"[/i:1163e6d332] He said quietly.

Julius looked from Haven to Cassie, eyes tinged with just a hint of disappointment seeming to bore into their souls, then he simply nodded and walked on.

Lucien shook his head at the pair. "You really are a pair of sad and clueless individuals. You think Julius will be upset because a piece of magic went overboard? He'd probably want to know what caused it and what can be learned from it. He would probably add to take care and not push your fledgling talents, but nonetheless this is a place of learning. Things don't always go right. He is upset though, upset and disappointed, as am I. You don't lie about these things. If you conjure a monster that is tearing down the school, you don't say 'Oh, it came out of the ground.' Because we then waste time looking for the hole when we should be casting a simple dispelling."

"I don't know how you did it and I don't care. It's no big issue, just a few blown fuses. Easily fixed. What I care about is truth and that man you just lied to. You think a dream of bringing magic back into a mundane world is an easy task? The best and the brightest only, will find their way here. You all have grand destinies. Don't make his job any more difficult. Don't disappoint him again."

"Oh, and for reference, I'm no professor. I'm just a student same as the rest of you. More advanced, but I'm studying too. Call me Lucien. Now, I have work to do."

Lucien turned his back on the stunned pair and stalked towards his lab.
_________________

From an address to the school.

[i:e765ffbc41]"Dante's Inferno. A vision induced by drugs or psychoses? A sending from some higher power? Or literally, as the text provides, a journey through the realms of hell?"[/i:e765ffbc41]

[i:e765ffbc41]"It could be any of them and we have no way to know which. Yes, literally any of them, for there are realms beyond this physical one upon which we stand. Places beyond the material, in which strange beings live. Heaven and Hell exist. There is a God. There is a Satan. With the right knowledge, you, like Dante, can visit these places and look upon Angels or Demons."[/i:e765ffbc41]

[i:e765ffbc41]"And all of this requires little effort. The Near Umbra encompasses many realms, many Heavens, many Hells. Realms of Magic and Technology, of Spirit and Nature. The essence of what can be imagined and what can be believed exists out there, waiting for the brave explorers."[/i:e765ffbc41]

[i:e765ffbc41]"It's not for the faint of heart though. Should you travel out there, you will not be the first to see it. Mages and Garou already travel through these worlds and the realms themselves have their own denizens. Should you travel to the Umbra, be prepared for the unexpected."[/i:e765ffbc41]

[i:e765ffbc41]"And beyond. The Near Umbra is easily accessible, but there is more. The realms are so infinite that it makes the idea of an infinite material universe laughable. Through the Deep Umbra, realms of time and chaos, connections to other stellar bodies."[/i:e765ffbc41]

[i:e765ffbc41]"So much of what we think of, conventionally, as myth, or legend, truly exists. The Dreaming of the Aboriginals, The Hollow Earth, Olympus. These are not ideas created by the imagination of an ancient culture, rather they are the remnants of knowledge from when the realms were closer and more easily accessed by the common man."[/i:e765ffbc41]

[i:e765ffbc41]"And what does this teach us? Firstly, that behind every story is at least a grain of truth. Secondly, our place in the universe. As magi, we hold in our hands powers beyond the ken of most of the population. We are godlike in our abilities and knowledge. However, when we discover that God himself lives just a few doors down the road, perhaps we need to realise that we aren't so clever after all!"[/i:e765ffbc41]

Marley didn’t notice the power going out in the school. He just took it as a curious effect the essences surrounding the grounds had on the ether. He was rather enjoying the sudden drop in light pollution to be quite frank.

He sat watching a troupe of fireflies dancing between the branches of an old french oak. They spun and dove with an agility no man-made aircraft could ever achieve. The effect of the tiny aviators was quite mesmerising. Marley imagined them as little pilots, complete with goggles and flight jackets.

He was, after all, eighteen.

The sounds of someone tripping in the courtyard made him look round, but in the gloom he could see no-one. Someone up to some mischief he assumed.

He slid from his crouching position and made his way to the fish pond. The Koi carp were nibbling at the surface tension in the water as though trying to tease some morsel from its grip.

He muttered under his breath as the sounds of someone coming, invisibly, towards him, drew his attention again.

Rubbing his eyes he whispered....

[i:95c38bfaec]“Muto Corporeum Feles!”[/i:95c38bfaec]

The darkness suddenly flared with light. Scintillating darts of starlight filled the scene, giving him clearer vision than some had in daylight.

The girl was sitting on the low lip of rock that circled the fish pond. Her feet played lazily with a melange of water weeds that the carp used as sunshades. The stars seemed drawn to the reflection on the water as Marley’s cat-like eyes blinked and swivelled.

[i:95c38bfaec]“Evening.

Don’t the fish bite you?”[/i:95c38bfaec] He asked, before kicking himself mentally for not thinking of something better to say.

The girl, clearly oriental tilted her elfin nose up and smiled.

At once, Marley recognised her.

[i:95c38bfaec]“Nyoko? The dragon-girl? That’s you?”[/i:95c38bfaec]

Julius got a postcard in the mail which had a pretty collection of scenes from around Berlin. It had only four words written on it.

[i:bbad5e86e9]"Wish you were here" [/i:bbad5e86e9]

Nyoko looked at the figure beside her. He was young, no more than 19, a shock of red brown hair sticking in all directions, tossed about by the light breeze.

[i:872181cb48]"Dragon-lady?"[/i:872181cb48] she repeated. [i:872181cb48]"I am not dragon, I simply have a friend that is one."[/i:872181cb48]

[i:872181cb48]"Where is he? I would love to meet him."[/i:872181cb48] the boy asked.

[i:872181cb48]"He sleeps,"[/i:872181cb48] she said. [i:872181cb48]"He practiced his lessons,"[/i:872181cb48] and then giving a grin, [i:872181cb48]"and got into michief, which wore him out. He is still young and takes more naps than a cat."[/i:872181cb48]

The man sat down next to her. [i:872181cb48]"I'm Marley."[/i:872181cb48]

[i:872181cb48]"I know,"[/i:872181cb48] said Nyoko, [i:872181cb48]"but it is good to meet you properly. As for the fish, they do not nibble on my toes, because they are not hungry. They, too, sleep."[/i:872181cb48]

[i:872181cb48]"So, how old is he, your friend?"[/i:872181cb48]

Nyoko smiled, [i:872181cb48]"Tameko is only 50 years old. He was a great playmate when I was younger. He could barely crawl around the cave without bumping into things, and he wasn't longer than my arm at that time."[/i:872181cb48]

Marley's eyes widened. [i:872181cb48]"At that time? What do you mean? You don't look over 25, let alone over 50 years old."[/i:872181cb48]

A smug look passed through her eyes. [i:872181cb48]"Thank you for the compliment. I am actually 60 years old, give or take a year."[/i:872181cb48]

[i:872181cb48]"How is that possible?"[/i:872181cb48], was the incredulous response.

[i:872181cb48]"My master knew that he would have to send Tameko out into the world to learn and knew that he need someone to temper Tameko's impulsiveness. So, he insured that I wouldn't age normally."[/i:872181cb48]

[i:872181cb48]"Wow. So you have learned more than most of us, right?"[/i:872181cb48] he said.

Nyoko looked pensive for a moment. [i:872181cb48]"Actually, I don't know much more than any of the other students. Master Iku wasn't able to teach me much because his magic was different than mine. I studied the basics as well as subjects that other children do in school. Oh, and 4 languages."[/i:872181cb48] Nyoko stood up, saying, [i:872181cb48]"I need to return to the dorms."[/i:872181cb48]

[i:872181cb48]"One of these days I'm going to have to sit down and hear your life's story,"[/i:872181cb48] Marley mused, rising with her. [i:872181cb48]"But not tonight, I want to see Tameko up close. Could I peek in on him?"[/i:872181cb48]

[i:872181cb48]"Certainly."[/i:872181cb48] came the amused reply as she turned her back to Marley. He stepped forward as if to follow, when the dark purple kimono style robe floated to the ground. He stared at what seemed to be a tattoo, which spread from her left shoulder, where the head rested on the curve of her neck with closed eyes, snaking down to pass over the right buttock to end curled around her knee.

Nyoko observed him over her right shoulder and chuckled. His jaw had dropped almost to the ground and his eyes were as wide as a dinner plate, shown by the young mage's light spell. She crouched down to grab her robe and slipped it back on, then continued on to the dorms, leaving behind one stunned male. Perhaps, it wouldn't be too bad here, after all. Matter of fact, her impulsive side nudged, it was just beginning to get fun!

Cassandra sat in puzzled and confused silence, staring up at Haven. Didn't the fool know better than to walk into a Tremere vampire's lair, unannounced and uninvited? It wasn't that she had lost [b:64bdbe7684]all[/b:64bdbe7684] of her humanity, as yet, but merely that she'd been taught quite strongly about tradition and respect. No matter that this boy was Hermetic, but he was a mage, and a mortal one at that! His actions bordered on either the truly naive or the utterly insane!

What was his purpose? Was he culling favortism or status by being nice to her? He wasn't ghouled, so it wasn't the drive to please a domitor. He certainly wasn't Kindred for he hadn't run screaming at the sight of her crimson tears. Obviously, he knew [b:64bdbe7684]of[/b:64bdbe7684] the childer of Caine well enough but [b:64bdbe7684]why[/b:64bdbe7684] be kind to [b:64bdbe7684]her[/b:64bdbe7684]? Maybe he was ignorant of her lowly place in her former chantry's pecking order and sought to curry favor in this school, with Lucien, through her and, ultimately, Julius?

Then he blew all of her speculations out of the water when he stepped into the hall to babble out that bald-faced lie! Surely he knew it would be seen for the falsehood that is was! Didn't he even have a [i:64bdbe7684]"hint"[/i:64bdbe7684] of the Master's powers? As he ground to a halt, Cassandra had to conclude that he didn't. Her tears, that had begun to dry up with his silly comment about the power failure, had ceased althogether and she was starting to experience a comradship she'd almost forgotten. Her lips trembled into a small smile of gratitude at Haven's back.

But the silence from the hallway made it slowly fade away and, as her mentor's Sire had stalked past her door, shaking his head, dread returned three-fold. It's was Lucien's cold, pointed words that lacerated the budding hope she had harbored and turned it into a frozen lump of ice. The tears returned, in ever larger quantities, that soaked into everything they fell upon. The last straw was Lucien's receding back.

Haven turned back to Cass, completely chastised and wanting to apologize for having made such a muddle of it all. Her renewed sobs tore at him and he felt like a clod. Mystified, he watched as she shook with added weeping for a few minutes and then stopped abruptly. She stayed crumpled on the floor for a few beats of his own pulse, then she rose slowly, her shoulders slumping and rounded in abject defeat. Her normally alabaster skin, gone waxen in her distress earlier, had turned to that of bone. Neither color suited the attractiveness of her silvery hair and the red rims around her eyes made a nightmare of her face.

[b:64bdbe7684]Oh, Lord![/b:64bdbe7684] Haven had only been looking out for Cassie, and now, he had gotten her into worse trouble because of his stupid little impulse. In retrospect, his fabrication had been easily seen through, when it came to ages-old vampires, but he couldn't seem to make heads or tails of her continued pain. He sighed and watched as she dragged out her battered duffel bag and began to pack what little she owned.

It quickly dawned on him that she was going away. Going to leave the school. No! That wasn [b:64bdbe7684]so[/b:64bdbe7684] not going to happen!! He crossed his arms and and deliberately backed himself up until he filled the doorway. Whatever it took to prevent her from leaving. [i:64bdbe7684]"Cassie, don't! Please don't, this wasn't your fault. I was the one that told the lie, you had no part in it."[/i:64bdbe7684]

She stopped shoving things into the carrysack and stared down at the dwindled pile beside it. [i:64bdbe7684]"I only meant to protect you! I've heard the gossip, the rumors about [b:64bdbe7684]HIS[/b:64bdbe7684] temper, I just couldn't stand the idea that you would suffer from it."[/i:64bdbe7684] Haven spread his hand out toward her silent back, pleading, trying to get her to reconsider. [i:64bdbe7684]"I can go to Prof....I mean Lucien and Headmaster Julius and explain ................"[/i:64bdbe7684] Her gasp as she spun toward him stopped any further words. There was terror in her face.

[i:64bdbe7684][b:64bdbe7684]"NO!"[/b:64bdbe7684] Please!"[/i:64bdbe7684] This time she was the one to reach out. [i:64bdbe7684]"It would only make the lie worse. Make us both sound weak and pathetic. Besides, you don't understand....."[/i:64bdbe7684] She trailed of with a softening of her features as she turned inward, seeing someone Haven couldn't. The silence stretched, then she abruptly came back to herself. [i:64bdbe7684]"I have to leave. I couldn't face him again, not after what he thinks I've done. He'll never forgive me, this time."[/i:64bdbe7684]

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who the "him" was, the person she so obviously yearned for. Lucien. At least, that's who he surmised it was. The gods help them all if it turned out to be Julius!! He shook his head. Not likely, she was obviously scared to death of the dean. That only left one other choice. Cass had turned back to her chore again, not aware of how much of her secret she'd just given away.

Haven leaned against the door jamb, his arms now folded across his chest, and drawled with a kind of nonchalance, [i:64bdbe7684]"So you're going to prove that their disappointment in you is justified?"[/i:64bdbe7684] The young woman straightened in rigid shook, then swung on him with a *HISS* of stung pride, fangs evident. So, she had backbone after all, the young man mused. [i:64bdbe7684]"Well, isn't that what you're doing? Isn't that how they'd both see it?[/i:64bdbe7684]

Emotions and thoughts flitted across that snarling countenance as the young mage's words sank in. Then it all washed away as she ruefully shook her head. [i:64bdbe7684]"I hate it when others are right. I'm letting things get to me and it's clouding my judgement. I need to remember the lessons my mentor has taught me"[/i:64bdbe7684] She sagged onto the side of the bed and wrapped her arms around her middle, then swayed in place. [i:64bdbe7684]"What am I going to do, Haven?"[/i:64bdbe7684] The whispered plea was soft and hopeless.

He felt safe in leaving the doorway, now that the crisis had past, so he crossed to the bed and sat down next to her on the mattress. He put a hand up to stroke her hair but a *SNAP-CRACKLE* warned him to think twice so he just snugged her into the crook of his shoulder and she surprised him by turning her head into his neck like a child seeking comfort. He suddenly broke out in goose bumps as it dawned on him that she was still a vampire and that her mouth was awfully damned close to a vulnerable area of his body!!

She gave a sigh of dispair, then turn her head to stare into the still darkened room and he could almost feel waves of unhappiness rolling off of her. At which, Haven started to rock them both, much like his mother had done when he'd gotten a cut or had a cold. Cass didn't object and in a few minutes, it became evident that she found it soothing because she relaxed more against him.

That was about the [b:64bdbe7684]only[/b:64bdbe7684] way he could tell because he found it disconcerting that she had no telltale heart beat or pulse rate, let alone any breathing! The young man felt oddly disturbed by it but not put off. They both remained in each other's embrace for another, longer period of time before the young woman finally shifted away, putting a hand span of space between them. The young mage could tell she was looking at him because he could see a reddish glow from her eyes every now and then.

[i:64bdbe7684]"Haven..."[/i:64bdbe7684], she paused, then plunged on, as if afraid she might never again have the courage to ask, [i:64bdbe7684]"....why did you try to stick up for me like that?"[/i:64bdbe7684] She seemed to grow still, like a statue, as if waiting for a blow. Haven's reply was solemn and weighty with his truth. [i:64bdbe7684]"Because, Cassie, I wanted to be your friend. And friends stick up for each other."[/i:64bdbe7684] He patted the hand that rested between them.

Cassie slowly shook her head, as if denying his words. [i:64bdbe7684]"Vampires don't have friends, Haven. They have allies, sometimes, and childer but mostly rivals and enemies. Besides, no one's ever befriended a mortal, that I know of. At least not without feeding in mind."[/i:64bdbe7684] Her pronouncement sounded as if she expected this to put an end to the support he was offering her. Then he [b:64bdbe7684]really[/b:64bdbe7684] amazed her!

[i:64bdbe7684]"Maybe it's time they did, Cassandra Wade, maybe it's time they did!"[/i:64bdbe7684]. He hugged her hard, then grinned cockily at her. [i:64bdbe7684]"Let's go for a walk! For a change, [b:64bdbe7684]you[/b:64bdbe7684] can protect [b:64bdbe7684]me[/b:64bdbe7684]!!"[/i:64bdbe7684] This caused her to snort through her nose which startled them both, then had them falling backwards onto the bedspread in proxysms of laughter.

Haven was doing some deliberate walking, he was geussing Cassie needed a meal, and he had a pretty good geuss as to where to get it. Namely, the local bloodbank, but not being Giovanni, he didn't have easy access to one type of bloodbank, fortunately, Wren had made frequent visits to a different bloodbank that was far more Ashley friendly.

Haven made a stop by his room just before they left, and then they went on their way, though Cassie had no idea where they were going, at least not until they came up close to the place, a small building, that most notably, wasn't red cross.

Everyone who knew vampires knew the Giovanni owned red cross, but this one was owned by the Ashleys... it made Haven rather curious as to just how much influence his ancestor had exerted on his family's business practice throughout the centuries, certainly, Haven knew of no time that his family and those surrounding it hadn't thrived, even in the worst economic times, the Ashley family had always remained ridiculously affluent.

When they went up to the counter, Haven showed his proof of identity, and when the clerk seemed a bit apprehensive, Haven discreetly slid a small packet over to the man, who opened it, and looked inside.

It was amazing how wide a human's eyes could get, especially when faced with something they wanted, placed just within their grasp. The man immediately nodded, [i:f322a4ea42]"Right this way Couriers, the cases you'll be needing will be inside the refrigeration."[/i:f322a4ea42] So saying, the man led them down several corridors, and through a locked door, before opening one of the refrigerators for them.

[i:f322a4ea42]"Take however much your order needs, sir,"[/i:f322a4ea42] He said, then politely left them alone, surrounded by refrigeration units full of blood packets.

"[i:f322a4ea42]Amazing how much the rough equal to five hundred pounds can do for a man's disposition, and how much they want to help you when you change their disposition,"[/i:f322a4ea42] He said then gestured, [i:f322a4ea42]"Go for it Cassie."[/i:f322a4ea42]