(( Del ?))

((sorry guys, theweekend for me is very very busy usally. I work 14 hour days. Onto the ceremony!!

oh, and also, it was Anion holding Thogo.))

"That sounds like fun, Lilly. If it weren't for some snobby, diplomat, or whatever he was. I probably would have done that same." Anion laughed, and nudged her slightly. Nemo, whom he never had strong bonds with before, requestedto hold the red creature.

Anion obliged, graciously and looked back to the main hall. Several dozen, maybe evena hundred students had gathered. A group of teachers were at the main altar speaking in whispers, they seemed quite upset about something. Among them was a representative from Bandle City. If he remembered correctly.

They seemed very upset. Then after a few moments he heard the explanation. The professor that was attacked by the quill bear died of infection just a few minutes ago. Apparently, a quill sunk into his neck and broke off. His strined breathing forced the quill to shift and spread a rapidly growing infection.

It was sad to hear. Anion had noreal affiliation with the man, even through classes, but nonetheless he seemed nice. If not eccentric at times.

"Oh, I'm sure. When you weren't practicing your swords you were sleeping. That can turn into a bad habit, you might want to change it." She said in a playful voice, shock on her face after she was nudged. After Anion passed off the strange insect to Nemo. Andor's wolf, Snarl, was growling at the insect and the insect was biting, trying to look menacing to everyone. Lilly just sighed and gave Anion a playful push, although it was harder than nescissary.

Upon hearing that the Professor died of an infection she gave another shiver, thinking back on her last thoughts a minute ago. Something about today was giving her a bad feeling, and it was starting to affect the way she was standing. She gripped her bow in a white knuckle grip as she constantly looked around the room, eyes slightly narrowed.

"There is something about today... I don't like it. No infection I know of should kill that fast." She whispered, the thought slipped out her mouth though she meant to keep it to herself. Thoughts like that only served to make people uncomfortable.

Nemo carefully accepted the insect creature. It was still pissed as ever, but hopefully he could get it to calm down a bit.

"Alright, I've gotcha..." Using his hand, he snatches bits of food from here and there, stuffing small bits of the feast into his pockets. Next, he aproaches the cake again, scooping up a sizeable amount with his open hand. It seemed to have been enjoying it before, so perhaps it would eat more now. Nemo loosens his grip considerably, letting the creature move freely, and places the cake in front of the insect. One of the quickest ways to creatures heart, was to feed it.

His gaze turns to the hall, where the instructors seemed to be incredibly anxious. Nemo gazed the crowd. Some students sat in their chairs with mute expressions of shock, while others whisper in muted voices. It did'nt take a genius to figure out what happened. Instructor Malveroy was dead. Regret filled him quickly, realising that he had just been laughing at the man's predicament. He never took a class with the man, but he had been well liked by his pupils. It was such a horrifying death as well, by quills to the neck and face. Nemo shook his head sorrowfully. He would need to be seated soon.

Thogo was just about to bite the human after letting him loose when a piece of cake was dropped off in front of him. Thogo immediately forgot about retaliation and went to munching on the piece of cake, quickly devouring it. Once it was gone he took an aggressive stance again towards the human holding him, but he did not bite.

The young rogue looked down into his hand. The little lion-insect was still there, but the cake had been consumed entirely. In addition, the creature neglected to take out one of his fingers when it had the chance. Nemo smiled as a response. "There's a good little creepy thing. Just eat my food, not my thumb."

He reached into one of his pockets, retrieving a bit of strawberry pastry, placing it up to the creature. As long as it neglected to bite his hand, it seems they would have a mutual relationship. Stealthily, he slips his hand back into his jacket, pulling the insect into it's shadowy folds. The ceremony was going to start any minute now, and he could'nt be spotted holding such an odd creature during the celebrations. Nemo stepped back out into the bright hall, finding his seat next to the entrance of the feast room.

"All to your seats, please. Yes, this way, in order. The festivites will commence after you have been successfully graduated." A guard, in white and green enamel armor said. Pointing to several seats with his pike, smiling to students as they came in.

Master Xandos, head of Dovus Academy, stood in luxurious robes of purple, yellow and green velvet, with long chains of diamonds, amethyst, ruby, and other brillant gems dangling from his neck and arms. Rings adorned his thinning figures, matching the rest of his body in his old age/ His long white beard was almost reaching to his knees, and his receeding hair line made him look slightly better as he tucked strands behind his ears and made a pony tail of it.

To his right was the assigned lieutenant and guardian of Master Xandos; Reagis. As always, the man wore a sour face. It was well suited to his dark black hair that draped his broad shoulders and wicked garb. The darkness of his hair, grey eyes, and pale skin complimented the spike necklace around his neck which led to a breast plate that had rising shoulders made of obsidian and steel with a ruby in the center. He wore no gauntlets, casual riding pants, and dark boots.

Behind Reagis were three others. Two were Knights of Dovus. The Knights wore golden masks with two small studs in the head resembling horns, and only showed openings for the eyes. The rest of their attire was completed by gold robes over gold scale mail with chains of linked gold and pearl, like the rest of the armor set. The third person was much older; close to Xandos' age. He too wore extravvagatn robes and a small crown with emeralds and diamonds on the tips.

Master Xandos raised his hand and called for all to be seated. A portion of the room filled with singers and musicians began to hum, then sing strange musics and play a low but somewhat sad song. This went on for minutes, with Anion and Nios seated with Nemo, Lilly, the druid, and the Ascended Minion.

"Silence, now. Let us commence, brothers and sisters of Dovus." Xandos' voice was old and failing, barely carrying across the chamber. Reagis and the others stared straight forward, unflinching and calm. They had all seen this at least twenty times. "Thank you, all of you for honoring this establishment with your years of service, respect and mastery of skills. Most of all. Thank you for joining the family of Dovus."

The singers stopped but the music continued on. Slowly becoming more lively as the flames danced across the metals and stones of the Academy ceremony hall. He waved his hand toward a room hidden behind a curtain.

From behind them came to guards like the others who lined the halls, carrying a large chest with gold fastens. The third man brought a large roll, whom he offered to Master Xandos. He accepted then offered it to Reagis, who rolled his eyes, stepped forward and unrolled the thing.

"We will take up no more of your time sons and daughters of Valoran." Reagis, unlike Xandos, did not carry a voice that was soft and empathetic. His was coarse, angry even. The words seemed to rip at his throat with each passing syllable. "It is your time to leave us. Or it is time for you to better the world in which you were raised. Life as you know it, will never again be the same and we can no longer guide your path. That path.. is yours, now."

"Stand when I call your name!" He shouted. "Nios Lengril.Tristan Meltefeur. Solya Crestwood. Lilly. Andor. Nemo. Vulril Mulda." The list went on and on and on for nearly ten minutes. And still, the guardian didn't call Anion. Everyone expected him to be among the first to be called. And finally, just as he was finishing, he was called. Last.

"All to your seats, please. Yes, this way, in order. The festivites will commence after you have been successfully graduated." One of the guards said and pointed, with his pike, at the rows of seats. Slowly everyone made their way over to their seats and stood there, waiting to sit. When the call to sit came, the singers and musicians started to play a sad song. The song sent a shiver down her spine and she looked around the room. Something about today was making her feel more and more anxious.

"Silence, now. Let us commence, brothers and sisters of Dovus. Thank you, all of you for honoring this establishment with your years of service, respect and mastery of skills. Most of all. Thank you for joining the family of Dovus." Master Xandos' said in his quiet voice. The singers stopped and Lilly gave a slight jump. She reached behind her back to her quiver and pulled a latch, quickly withdrawing one of her two daggers. She proceeded to use the tip of it to clean under her fingernails, trying to appear that she didn't care.

"We will take up no more of your time sons and daughters of Valoran. It is your time to leave us. Or it is time for you to better the world in which you were raised. Life as you know it, will never again be the same and we can no longer guide your path. That path.. is yours, now." Reagis said, his voice easily carrying over the whole room. She noticed that they never opened the chest, that they just set it down and only opened the scroll.

"Stand when I call your name! Nios Lengril.Tristan Meltefeur. Solya Crestwood. Lilaine Ines. Andor. Nemo. Vulril Mulda." She flinched when he said her full name, but stood up none the less. Her mood darkened considerably but she took her place and did as was expected of her. Anion's name was called last, an unexpected turn of events as everyone expected him to be called first. She kept her dagger in her left hand, blade up pressed against her wrist so no one could see it. Something was going on here.

((@Del: Was my guy's name called? names Urrik.
@all: u guys dont have to call him acsended minion. He actually dislikes the name. i put it on his profile so people would get the idea of what he's like.))

Andor stood as his name was called, telling Snarl to stay put. Something was amiss in the hall. Perhaps it was the untimely death of one if the professors, perhaps students were just nervous. Andor didn't know what was wrong, but something clearly was. Glancing down the line of graduates, Andor noticed that Lilly was also feeling particulary uneasy. Lilly had mentioned earlier that there wasn't any type of poison that coul kill the professor that fast, and while that wasn't entirely true, there certainly weren't any naturally forming chemicals in this area that could do it. Andor resumed focus on the ceremony, and noticed that Anion was the only student left who hadn't been called. Everything was wrong. Nothing was going how it should, and Andor didn't like it. Even Snarl was growing restless in his spot back at the table. He seemed particularly upset when Anion was called up.

Snarl
Snarl was unhappy. His master, as well as all the other humans left him alone. Snarl could smell something wrong in the air. He nervously moved closer to the last human left near him and whimpered. Then that human left too. Snarl couldn't stand it any longer. As the humans were talking noisily in the front of the room, he began howling as loud as his powerful wolf lungs could muster. His master yelled for him to stop, but he didn't. Something was just terrible in the room. Hopefully Snarl could scare the badness away with his howling.