Briarthorn Academy

[echo]

Somewhere out there, somewhere far, they thrive in the sheltering shade of the forest, the flowing fields of green and glimmering lake that make up this land that humans are not allowed into. The humans don't know that this place exists, only the highest officers know that such a place exists. It was called Brairthorn Academy. The compound has no visible boundaries, but anyone intends to exit will find their directions reversed and headed straight back to the school again. They can learn all they want here, receive the best education and opportunities that in modern day society they could not.

This school was for the gifteds and "mythical" creatures. Vampires, elementals, lycanthropes, gifteds, they all lived here within the Briarthorn Houses and took classes within the Academy building itself. The Academy offered all the classic human classes as well as gift manipulation for the gifted and other ability related classes for the mythical. Each species is overlooked by a Leader, someone with who has shown responsibility and maturity to represent the species' interest. The only problem to this setup are the vampires and lycanthropes.

These beings prefer to take the blood of humans which is strictly forbidden. A forest of carnivorous animals have been provided for them, but they feel that it is not enough. Some of them are thinking to rebel, but others have built up relationships with other creatures and are unwilling to join the rebels, who are getting more restless by the minute. The other creatures are aware of this, but not many are willing to take action against two of the most common, powerful beings that populate the school. The teachers are avoiding the problem, leaving the students to take care of this as a "life skill building" exercise. Some students are starting to panic and others are hoping for the teachers to take some action, all the while, tension is building and there is nothing the species leaders can do to stop this...

It is currently evening, about eight. The sun is not visible and the last streaks of pink and orange are fading to deep purple. Class is out and the students have free time.

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[echo]

Celio;

With another quick glance up at the sky, Celio verified the time; it was safe for him to go out. He hated been disabled during the day, for fear of his physical condition. There was no doubt that the sun would do bad things to his skin and well being. Not a good thing. The lycan stepped out of the building, met by a soft breeze. He didn't feel much in respect to the chill that the breeze brought along, feeding him with the scent of the forest and the beings within. A shudder coursed through the lycan's body, making him tighten his jaws in effort not to look behind him. The forest was so tempting, he wanted the blood of the prey within, the blood that would satiate, if even only partially, the thirst that he had been unable to quench as he had come here. There were no humans here, and it was forbidden to touch any of the others, leaving him only the forest. It wasn't enough. Celio knew that he couldn't keep on like his any more.

Deciding that he did need to be within the calm, friendly trees of the forest, he turned to go there. No, there weren't any classes now and it wouldn't be until a while later. He welcomed the shade that the trees provided, making him feel more at ease, the darkness would hide him, protect him, his white pelt shimmered in the sun, drawing hunters to him like fish to bait. The darkness hid him effectively. Celio glanced around him, taking in a few late students out in the courtyard behind him. As he caught their eye, some looked away, rather intimidated. It was probably his gaze, golden amber, that put them off. He was well aware that the light caught it rather eerily, as result of being part animal. It was inevitable. He was one of those that desired the blood of humans and was therefore classified as dangerous. He didn't ignore the fact, it was rather fitting. He knew that he was dangerous and there was nothing that he could do about it. Everything about him suggested danger, the hard muscles hidden under the hooded, short-sleeved shirt and jeans, the powerful jaws with razor-sharp canines, the wild unruly look that his snow-white waves held. There was nothing about his appearance that could suggest that he was anything less dangerous than the arctic fox that he could shift into.

Once in the forest, he quickened his pace, preferring to stay in human form. His sense of smell was rather weak, but as a human, the beasts that resided in the forest would be drawn to him compared to the immortal beasts that frequently hunted their kind. Almost inevitably, his feet led him to the vast lake that dominated one of the few clearings in the forest. Its flat surface was glazed, rather like a tabletop made of mirror, reflecting the last warm shades of sky, taken over by the dusk. Celio smiled briefly; this was one of the only scenes and things that he enjoyed in this school.

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[Litharia]

Denka;



…that every Nelapsi has two hearts, and two souls. By driving a stake through the vampiric heart, you would kill the monster and the Nelapsi would become human. By driving a stake through the human heart, you would kill the human and the Nelapsi would become nothing more than a mindless beast. Because one can never be sure which heart is where a heart should be, the easiest and best way to deal with a Nelapsi is to simply burn the creature.

Denka Andres slammed her text book shut. She felt sick to her stomach. The sophomore already understood the physical attributes of her species, but reading about the best way to kill her was not on her list of enjoyable activities. She would save the studying for later. Right now she needed some air.

The Slovakian vampire rose from her red velvet bed. She exchanged fuzzy, pastel pink pajama bottoms for black leather pants. The matching pink pajama top was traded in for a green camisole and a black leather jacket. And though she normally preferred heels, Denka slipped into plain black (and helplessly damaged) converse. They were better for traipsing around the forest, after all.

The Nelapsi still had leftover makeup on from the night before. It was simple; not having a reflection made it difficult to achieve anything elaborate. Mostly, she just smudged some black eye shadow around her already dark eyes, added some eyeliner and sometimes a bronze lipstick and called it a day. No need to touch it up often and when it got messy it looked like it was supposed to be that way.

Her hair was fine. Long, red, and straight with side swept bangs. A quick run-through with a brush to make sure it was tangle free, and that was all it took. Easy peasy. The vampire ran a tongue over a fang. Did she need to bring anything? It was just a walk. What could she possibly need? Right then. She was ready.

Denka slipped out of the academy and into the forest. She had not fed in quite some time. Sucking the souls out of animals may not be as fulfilling as devouring the soul of a human, but that was how things needed to be. There were not enough insane asylums to handle all the soulless people that would be running around if she were to take her sustenance from humans. The animals in this forest existed to be hunted. Vampires, werewolves…They could feed off of the mad animals just fine.

Keeping to the shadows, the Nelapsi crept into the night. She headed right towards her favorite hunting spot; right by the lake. She loved the lake dearly and it was easier to lure her victims there. But that night, things were different. Someone was already there when she arrived. Denka froze when she caught sight of the lycan. He was one of them. One of the dangerous ones.

A shiver coursed through Denka as part of her wondered what would happen if she drank his soul. It was forbidden, of course, but he was one of the rebels. Maybe nobody would care. But no, she would not do that to him. People like him did a fine job acting soulless without her help, or so she thought. Truth was, Denka had never really spoken to one of them. She did not speak much to anyone.

[echo]

Celio;

Suddenly, a change in the wind alerted him of something approaching. He turned curiously at the intrusion, wondering who it could be. Obviously nothing too strange, or else the whole forest would be in turmoil. It wasn't an animal, nothing close to a lycan, but still enough to make the forest stir. The lycan blinked, focusing his gaze on the figure.

It was female with long, red hair swept to the side masking dark eyes brought out unnecessarily by eye shadow and eyeliner. Her gaze was trained onto him and she seem transfixed by his sight. His brain puzzled vaguely. He was none too big a sight, rather ordinary if not for his strange hair and eye color.

From here he was unable to make out her species, but he figured that no gifted in their right mind would dare to venture into the forest filled with lions and tigers and panthers and vampires and lycans and all these dangerous beings. So she must be a non-human. Even his scent of smell didn't help him, making him give up on that quickly.

Inclining his head, he gestured to show that he meant no harm to her and that she could approach. No need to scare off another hunter; she could do no harm or help to him anyways, and besides, he had nothing better to do.

[Litharia]

Denka;

A gust of wind was the only movement, the only noise. It made things feel oddly surreal. To Denka, it was as though time decided to slow down. She watched him warily, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. Then, almost imperceptibly, he tilted his head. She understood a sign of peace when she saw one. But that did not soothe her nerves. Hunting was something Denka preferred to do in private.

She withdrew into the shadows. Almost unbidden, an image began to form in her head. In her mind’s eye she saw the lake and the forest. She saw the sky and the stars. She saw him standing before her. And then he turned around and left, going far, far away. Where did not matter, though she pictured him heading towards the academy. That would be best. Denka did not want to accidentally run into him.

The Slavic vampire projected this thought into his head. There were no words, just that image. The image of him leaving so that she could hunt. She was aware that he had been there first, but she was hoping that he had already taken his share of meat that night. Or that maybe he would not care. This was her spot. Her desire to hunt there was almost a need and it trumped her instinctive fear of him.

[echo]

Celio;

Celio watched the girl, waiting to see what kind of reaction she would propose to his gesture. He blinked, somewhat confused as she stepped back, letting the shadows conceal her from his gaze rather than acknowledge his gesture and come forwards to speak. Maybe she was shy or something.

Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind, a purely abstract thought that he hadn't even considered. It pictured him leaving, no emotions, no nothing. It seemed like it was from a different perspective as well; from the other side of the lake, view changing as the building came into perspective. It was him going back to the Academy.

Celio frowned at that thought, he hadn't even started and there was no way that he was going back. He shook his head at the thought, wondering if it was the female that had showed him that thought. Maybe, who knew? Some had that gift, but there was no way that he was going back. Casting a last glance to the girl, he set off into the forest shade, hoping to find something worth his attention; a decent mountain lion or tiger that would have a decent amount of fluid to it. Breathing out, he let the phase overcome him, providing him with the sleek, taut muscles of an arctic fox, grayish-blackish with his summer pelt, but still keeping his amber eyes. Drawing in a breath, he crept off, trying to find a recent scent of one of the beasts that roamed around.

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[Litharia]

Denka;

She watched, tensed, for a sign that he would leave her be. No such luck. A low growl rumbled in Denka’s throat. She was hungry.

Watching him change was an interesting phenomenon. Just like that he went from intimidating human to prey creature. It was a temptation she forced herself to overlook. Now it was time to call her prey.

An image formed in Denka’s mind. A deer stood by the lake, out in the open, drinking water. It’s back leg looked wounded and it was all alone. A large, plump doe. She looked delicious. Once that image was vivid in her mind, she released it out into the forest. Every animal would receive that vision as if it was their own. Any hungry predator would be drawn to the lake, tricked into thinking they had somehow sensed that deer on their own.

At that point all she had to do was wait. The Slavic vampire crouched in the shadows, hiding downwind from where she projected the deer would be. Ordinarily, a predator creature would sniff around the area, intent on picking up the deer trail. That was when Denka would pounce.

She had to remain alert, however. Denka could only take on one predatory animal at a time.