Thread: Seals, Souls, and Secrets (Matsekkusu & Erit of Eastcris)

Izikiel was much cooler-headed about the whole ordeal, making himself decent again and leaning towards the window to watch scenery fly by. They pulled into another station not long after Deanna returned to her seat, and more students climbed aboard in the uniform of Grand Damocles' first-year students. Plenty of people looked into the compartment which summoner and summoned occupied, but none disturbed them binding a sprite or fairy as a familiar was one thing, but to bind a demon quite another. Having Deanna with him, no matter how impertinent she might have been, was a mark of status and immense power for the young mage who would be the next head of the Radia household. The prospective students boarded, and the train doors slid closed as it continued on its merry way. The ride was a long one, with many more stops past were Zeke had been waiting that morning a day and a half from his home to the university, and that day and a half their compartment was left all to Zeke and Deanna, the mage's frosty demeanor and the presence of a succubus warding away even the most staunchly curious of potential colleagues. It was approaching noon when the now nearly-full locomotive finally pulled into the last station, the conductor speaking over the loudspeaker to announce their arrival at GDU as it was more commonly addressed. Zeke stood, clicking his fingers and gesturing for Deanna to follow him as the mage picked up his backs and disembarked along with the others. Grand Damocles certainly deserved the first part of its name it was less a modern college institute and more an entire town unto itself, complete with a monorail system along the outside and tram lines leading from the monorail to the center of the giant, perfectly circular arrangement at which sat the staff building and assembly hall. It was a magic academy, after all it came as no surprise to Zeke or any of the others that it was designed like a gigantic ritual circle. Many things could be done with a ritual of that size, but the only person to whom it would respond was the dean. The new arrivals all walked together towards the assembly hall, the tram lines being disabled until the start of the school year proper, and almost immediately cliques and groups became apparent users of similar magic congregated together, alchemists with their tremendous bundles that nearly dwarfed those carrying them, elementalists with their technicolored eyes and myriad dispositions, even summoners with their fae and gremlins, friends and those who had shared compartments. Izikiel walked alone, a leash extending from his hand keeping Deanna at his heels as he pulled her along by her collar. The city was a sight to see, all kinds of shops both mundane and mystical lining the streets trinkets and tomes, cafes and grocers, a juxtaposition between modern amenities and the old ways. The dormitories were on the opposite side of town from them, of course no need to disturb the senior students who were already present. It was after the half-hour walk in the much more moderate climates of the university that the first-years found themselves in the assembly hall, where they would wait the induction speech by the dean before they could claim their badges and be assigned dorms. They didn't need to wait long. In fact, it was the dean who had been waiting for them , and once all were seated with their things the wizened old archmage cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone in front of him, greeting the students and giving a long pre-written speech about their futures both during and after their studies, careers in the fields of magic, the usual long-winded shpeal one could find at any prestigious academy. An hour ticked by before the old man bid them farewell for the time being and all assembled woke up and left to claim their badges and dorms before unpacking. Izikiel was no different in that regard, though he was assigned a dorm effectively all to himself since Deanna was considered his roommate by default familiars were forbidden from being without their bonded masters on academy grounds, and the dorm rooms were sealed to prevent their leaving without a mage chaperoning them. So it was that, as the sun began to descend from its zenith in the mild-weathered lands far to the north and east of Zeke's home, the heir to the Radia dynasty found himself unpacked and sitting on one of the two narrow beds in the modest dorm room he shared only with his Familiar, looking out the window at the clear blue sky and musing to himself as to whether he wanted to tour the town or simply relax for the remainder of the day.