Of Wild Natures (Talon/Invite)

It had already been a few weeks since Talon had been accepted into Eldritch Academy. The first week was more or less getting use to the grounds and how things were run within their boundaries. While he knew he would have to get use to a new way of life, he wasn't quite expecting the change to be so... extreme. Classes he could understand, and he figured they would have him do a little more training so as to better control his abilities. But then he also had to report to someone at certain times, and even had those in charge of the dorm he had decided to join. He was so use to being able to decide when to do what, this new life was one that required him to do what he was told to by certain faculty members. At least he still has his free time. And actual clothes.

He had been given some money to buy proper garments, seeing how the clothes he had arrived in were barely holding together. Where he once donned a torn, hooded sweater and pants that were held up by a simple string, Talon's style had definitely improved. A dark blue leather jerkin with detachable sleeves now took the place of his torn shirt, and a thin yet sturdy jacket with pockets on the upper arms and lower chest was worn over the shirt. The jacket also had a personally requested bandoleer-style trip that went from the right shoulder down towards the left ribs. With a total of about fifteen different slots, only three were currently filled. Small arcane crystals filled these three slots, each housing a different form of energy; electric, kinetic and one that was empty. His ragged and loose-fitting pants were replaced with black combat pants that were a tighter fit but still left enough room so as not to hinder his movement. Black gloves with fittings which could hold the arcane crystals covered his hands, with his index and middle finger left bare.


This new look was one which Talon felt fit him; simple yet ready for action at a moment's notice. Red seemed to enjoy it as well. The leather jerkin gave the bird an easier-to-grip surface for when he stood on his master's shoulder. The two of them were currently walking through the halls of the academy, headed towards the training grounds. With nothing else to do at the moment, Talon decided it was a good day to train a little more. While the few classes he had been through so far had allowed him to gain a better control of Kinetic energy, he still had yet to better manipulate the Electric energy he had brought with him. He knew he wanted to master more than just these two, but also knew that trying for more at his current level would just be pushing it.

He would push open doors to the training yard and step out into the fresh air, realizing that it was a later hour than he had initially thought. The dark skies cast eerie shadows on the ground, city lights disrupting the natural starlight and keeping them hidden from view even if the weather was nice enough to show their sparkle. The city was quiet save for the occasional burst of noise from late-nighters. Most students were in bed at this hour, which was why Talon had chosen it for his training. His abilities still had the occasional backfire, and he didn't want anyone getting hurt. 

He failed to notice the other person who had decided to take a late night trip to the training yard, and walked over to a few training dummies which he had been using for his spells. One was a dummy which spun, interactions with it causing it to spin faster and more violently. This is the one which Talon had used to help gain more control over his Kinetic manipulation. Tonight though, he would be focusing on a dummy which was made to withstand the more electrifying energy which he had been trying to master a little more. This dummy was grounded, making any electric spells travel safely into the ground.

Red would fly off of Talon's shoulder, rising up into the air to look for any stray rodent which one could usually find on the grounds. Talon would remove the Electric crystal from its bandoleer and set it into the fitting on his left glove before taking his jacket off and folding it up and placing it off to the side. Now that the crystal was set and he was more comfortable, he would turn to the dummy. His jerkin was equipped with a hood, which Talon kept up almost all times. Because of this, anyone watching would be unable to see him close his eyes in order to focus. Tonight, however, he thought he was alone, and would have the hood down.

Concentrating on the energy within the Electric Crystal, he would place his two uncovered fingers of his right hand upon the crystal, pulling them away after a second. His fingers were followed by a bright, sparking energy which caused the air around it to be filled with static electricity. Energy now in hand, he would open his eyes, showing they were now glowing a bright, electric yellow. His hand would trail through the air to hover behind him, the energy flowing behind and following its direct path. Once the energy had fully caught up, he would thrust his hand forward, attempting to force the energy forward into the dummy in the form of a bolt of lightning. His lack of mastery over this energy prevented this, however, and while most of the energy would find its mark and surge through the dummy, a moderate amount would lash back up his arm. This would cause him to jerk his arm back and hold it as the pain of the electricity flowing in reverse through his arm slowly began to ebb away.

*Damnit. Electric energy is a lot different than Kinetic. If mastering this one energy is so difficult, I can only imagine how much harder others will be. The flow of electric energy is unique in that it has conductors and insulators which effect it more than most energies would. That and its flow is a bit more unpredictable. What can I do to better my control over it?*

Talon would be a bit surprised when he heard another person nearby, having not seen them when he came outside. It was too late to cover his scars and face, this newcomer no doubt having already seen at least a little bit. He would stand straight as he turned to face this stranger, bowing his head in greeting to the man as he did so. He found himself facing a second golden-eyed being, though this one had darker skin than the first he had met. This was also had a different air about him, and the energy Talon was sensing was unlike any he had felt from his time alive. This being was unique in many ways, he could already tell. And yet, here he was in Eldritch with other students. It appeared that Eldritch took more types of creatures than he had initially guessed.

"Yes, I am fine, thank you. Just... trying to properly control my electric arcane energy. I have yet to master it, and it occasionally lashes back to me and gets me instead. Nothing I haven't been through before."


As he spoke, his eyes would slowly fade from their glowing yellow back to their original violet hues. Talon kept averting his gaze now and then, trying to hide the glow as best he could even though he felt it was already far too late. He guessed it didn't matter too much. After all, with how many people were in this Academy it was only a matter of time before such details about him were discovered. The only thing he felt less-than-comfortable about at the current moment were the scars on his arms. His hands were covered by his gloves, but his jacket was folded off to the side, leaving them uncovered and ready to be seen. Its not that he was ashamed or anything like that. He just didn't want too many people asking questions.

"Forgive me, I hadn't realized anyone else was out here. I thought everyone else was asleep. Figured I was the only one with the habits of late-night training."

With the pain in his arm now fully numbed, he would release his hold on it and let it hang down by his side once more. While he had felt the pain of a backfired spell many times, it still hurt enough to cause quite a bit of discomfort. Luckily it didn't last long. If it were lasting pain then he would be less likely to try again, but he was able to handle the pain he got from his spells currently.

"You are here for training? Or were you just taking a walk?"

He looked down at his arms and softly clenched his fists, releasing them soon afterwards as he tested to make sure they were both in working order again. It was true that his arms were scarred beyond most, and the scars were something that couldn't be matched to any kind of physical injury. Most scars were uneven and without a set shape, and just a few were from hunts. He lost track of just how much time of his life was spent with injured arms, and how many times the injuries were caused by himself.

"Yeah... this 'road map' is from my attempts to control energy, though not just electric energy. It is from... well... I lost track of how many different types I have tried to control. I just happened to come across a more reliable source of electric energy is all, that's why I am currently training with it. Once I master it I will move on to different forms. Sorry, I usually wear sleeves to cover them."

While he felt that hiding his scars was useless now, he kept the undersides of his arms turned away from the stranger before him. He still had his metallic pieces that he wanted to keep hidden until he found out what they were meant to be. If someone discovered them, he had decided he would just say they were a mark of his people. But while they were indeed unique to his people, he knew that they had their uses, each person's being unique to them. He had yet to discover what his were used for. And he wasn't even sure if he was ready for that knowledge anyways.

He realized the man before him was a well-mannered student, one who actually had concern for his fellow students. Not only taking his time to check on Talon and make sure he was alright, he even went as far as stating that he had no reason to apologize. This put him at ease, even if just a bit. He still didn't have the best social skills, though he was now at the point where he could at least talk to someone a little easier.

"Ah... no training, huh? I would be lying if I said I wished I could take it easy like that. But, this is what I came here for, so I train every day. Eldritch is my last hope to control my abilities. I don't plan on wasting that chance."

This man with no training told Talon that he wasn't a Hunter. All the Hunter's had to train to hone their skills and combat prowess. While he had spent plenty of time working on his physical skill while hunting and facing off with creatures that wanted to hunt him, Talon's magical abilities were his focus of training. Even Guardians trained a bit in combat. That left Scholars. This man didn't train, paid attention to detail and connected enough dots to conclude Talon's scars, and had a certain knowledgeable air about him, whether it be how he acted or how he seemed to know even just little things like how certain students would be wandering the grounds still. Just the lack of training was enough to tell Talon he was more than likely a Scholar-in-training. The rest was just more evidence towards that.

"Couldn't sleep, and so you came to the training grounds. Even at night that isn't the best place to find peace and quiet. But, to each their own, I guess."

Talon shrugged his shoulders at the first question this man asked, deciding to answer with complete honesty.



"Couldn't tell you. Of the few of my people who can do such, none of us have been given the chance to actually test just how many we are able to control. I imagine it comes down to how ever many we train with. If we want to manipulate it, we learn how it flows and go from there. As for why I put myself through such pain..."

He held his arm back up and looked at some of the scars. He knew the reason of why he had to go through this pain. It was the same reason he left his homeland and came here. The same reason why the rest of the five percent lived the way they did. Oh he knew the reason, he just found it hard to tell anyone. Despite this difficulty though, he knew that he would have to talk about it at some time. Why not start with just the one person before him?

"The land I come from is filled with a certain people. These people can manipulate energy, like myself. Unlike me, however, most of them can't manipulate multiple types. Only about five percent of us can do that. And we are... well... basically seen as freaks. They teach us what they have to by law; basic schooling, up to high school. After that, they leave us out. They refuse to teach us how to control what we had no choice but to have. And so we try to teach ourselves. It usually ends up the way I have ended up; scarred and desperate. Even now, being here, I have learned only how to control one, and am currently learning another. These scars are just proof that I never gave up."

He told as little as he could while still making sure this man knew his reasons. He had just taken a large step for what he was use to. He had never gone into even that little bit of detail of his past, and felt odd having done so. It was something he would have done sooner or later though. He was glad to have gotten it out of the way. He just hoped it might be easier in the future.

"Ah... you noticed that... well then. Guess that's out the window."

He held his arms out to show the metallic designs on his arms. It had been getting uncomfortable holding his arms like that, and there was no point hiding them if the man had realized something was there.

"Just some marks I was born with. Not quite sure what their purpose is yet though. Another thing to find out while I am here."

The man proves himself to be a Scholar with his deductions and by practically saying so. He knew that those within the Scholar track were smarter than average, and most had the ability to connect dots where others wouldn't. But this man seemed to also be able to do so rather quickly. It at least made life easier for Talon, since he didn't have to explain such things.

"You would be correct. I am studying to be a Hunter. I have some combat experience, as well as hunting experience from my home. Plus it suits me better than the other two. You would be the first Scholar I have directly spoken to. Though, to envy fighters is something I didn't expect to hear. Honing one's fighting abilities, sure. To envy them, to me would be odd. Sure, it fits me. But there is more risk to such roles. Much more... permanent... risks."

The sudden change in the man's attitude and tone threw Talon off, the red hint confirming something had just changed within the stranger. Something that seemed almost... sinister. Not quite hostile, but to Talon not quite welcoming either. This place had so many who were full of surprises and came equipped with darker energies than his own. Then again, he did plan to learn how to manipulate darker energies in the future. But right now he had nothing like what he has felt from some of those within the Academy. It occasionally threw him for quite the loop. 

Talon hesitated at first, deciding not to tell of the Arcane Crystals he used and instead just giving a basic explanation. To give up one's every secret when they just met someone was a rather risky and unwise move. While he felt this person was one that he could at least trust enough not to attack him, he was still uneasy with the darker energy that hung around the man.

"Any outside source of energy that I have access to. I have little of my own magic energy, like the rest of my people. We manipulate energies, but have yet to find a way to actually control them. The only magic we can do with out own energy is the kind that literally anyone can do."

He shakes his head at the Nightmare's words, not fully sure what it meant. He didn't feel comfortable enough with his abilities to use them on another for training. While his magic could whiplash and come back at him, it could also pull out of control and lash at others in the area. He didn't want to bring any harm to those who only wished to help him control his abilities, and felt that doing so might make him less sure of himself.

"No live targets. While I am sure you could easily avoid whatever I throw at you, I do not want to chance anything getting out of hand. If I lose control my abilities could go anywhere, and there is no predicting it."

He looked down at the metallic designs on his arms, those raised sections that seemed unnatural yet were fully natural to his people. The only thing he himself knew of them was that they tied to some kind of power that the person held within them. Each person's markings were different and in different spots. He had never spotted a pattern in them, just that they were all unique to their person.

"You can look. I doubt you will find much, if anything. Where I come from is rather secluded. They allow only the smallest amounts of outside influence, and let hardly anything that they consider part of their culture get out. If there is some knowledge of it outside the town, then it will be few and far between."

He lowered his arms and listened to this man's next words, shrugging a little after they were done. While he had noticed there were plenty of Hunters, that had no impact on his choice of path. He chose Hunter because he knew that was what he would be best at. A life in the forest around his town had made him accustomed to living in such a way. Constantly moving and sometimes fighting, even if it was jut to hunt for food.

"Anyone can fight, if they put their mind to it. Some think fighting is just throwing some punches and magic at your opponent and hope to overpower them. In reality, you have to be smart with what you can do. After a number of battles, your abilities get out there, and opponents might approach you with knowledge of what you can do. That is when you need to be able to adapt, use what you have in ways that you hadn't thought of before. Given the proper creativity and quick thinking, a weaker man could take out a stronger one should he use his own abilities the right way."

Talon nodded at this man’s words. He seemed to catch on to the basic pretty quick. Made it easier on Talon, less to explain. For the most part anyways. He knew there was more to his abilities than just that, but he didn’t feel like explaining it any when he barely understood himself. That could definitely complicate things in the future. Last thing he wanted was people thinking he kept secrets about himself that might harm others.


“The caution is because of the scars. I didn’t get them because I wanted them. I got them because I am still learning how to control my abilities. If I go all out, who knows what kind of damage I might do to myself? Especially when I caused these when I tried to be cautious about it. And the magic I can would be basic levels, the spells that don’t take any single form of energy to perform. Like… lighting a candle or other everyday use spells that take barely any energy.”


He wasn’t sure how well he was explaining it, but he did so as best he could. He didn’t know the technical terms yet, and just did the best with what he did know.


“If I can’t help but have others nearby then I will just train my physical combat. Hunters don’t NEED magics. Sure, makes it easier, but it's not a necessity. Besides, I can always practice outside the city if I need to. Wouldn’t be anything new. And anyways, I’m slowly getting the hang of it. Very slowly… just need to figure out a couple more things and I should have it.”


He closed his eyes and thought for a few seconds. He remembered someone who had visited his hometown quite a bit. Some kind of traveler who seemed interested in trading with the different merchants of the town. Could he have gotten something that might help this man with his research? It was a small chance, miniscule in fact. Yet it was a chance.


“I remember there was a trader who often came into the town. Maybe once every two or three months. Kind fellow. Even traded with u… others.”


He paused before continuing, taking a small breath as he did so.


“It was from him that I learned about Eldritch. He gave me a paper that had info on the Academy. He traded with everyone in town, and he talked about how he came to this city to for his main business. Who knows, maybe you can find him and see if he has a book.”


He nods to the stranger’s words, realizing the truth within them. He went through a point when he didn’t want to hurt anyone, not even animals he needed to hunt for food. The smallest of smiles crept across his face as he remembered this, disappearing almost immediately afterwards.


“I know where he comes from. It is hard to take that first step towards a life of fighting and combat. To bring harm to someone or something for the first time is what really tells one if they are meant for that life. Until then, you don’t truly know.”

"Well you see, that is what I mean. Little spells like that don't require a single form of energy. Just about any form can be used to accomplish that. Spells like that are the one's I am able to do myself without any source of outside energy. Well, so long as they also don't take a large amount of energy. What I can do myself is pretty simple, just strict is all."

As they spoke, he realized there was a way the man before him could help him train. It wasn't through using him as a dummy or anything like that, but something he had been missing and had yet to find time to get. His magic was rather strict on how it was used. He could change his energy to match the natural flow of other energies. He used this to make a desire path for the energy to flow. This was how he manipulated energies around him. Unlike most arcane energies, he couldn't make it follow a path of his own design, he had to mimic the natural flow. And that was where his problem was.

"I do have something to ask you, something you might be able to help me with. Are you able to get information, or a book maybe that can tell me what the natural flow of different energies are? If I had that then I might be able to get a better hold of my magic. Otherwise it'll just be a big game of trial and error. And I've kinda gotten tired of that."

He thought about the question for a second. It had been almost a year since he had seen the man. He remembered the traveler usually had a rather large pack, and a smaller straw hat. Besides that, there was only one thing he could think of to point him out.

"Look for a man with a bright blue fake eye. I think that was the main thing that stood out about him. Dunno how he got it, but he sure talked a lot about it."

There had indeed been a time when he didn't want to kill. He had felt it was too close to what the other Enerzians had done to the Fives. It was hard for him to take that first kill, but when he did, he knew the difference between the two.

"Simple, honestly. I realized that it was either that or something would kill me instead. I lived in the wilderness, with a small group. If I didn't learn to kill then the constant dangers around would have done so instead. And now, I'll kill to end other dangers throughout the land and to make money. When you lived a life like I did, you learn not to take certain things to heart, such as why or why not to kill something. You just learn to do so by necessity."