BranchWood Academy - Canceled

He sat beneath the archway; a thin boy, with black hair peeking from under a brown flat cap. He had a metal pick in one gloved hand and a small wooden spike in the other. at his side an iron bowl with a tiny fire blazed away. He dipped the pick in the flames,letting the tip glow with the heat, then began to draw the end of the pick across the spike, burning a rune into its surface. As he finished the carving, he began to mutter an incantation; causing it to glow for a brief second, and a spark flew from the wood. Satisfied, he set the spike on the ground alongside three others similar to it.

With his work finished, the boy looked to his left to the stone courtyard of the school. He could see students and teachers walking across it to various classrooms. "Good times" he muttered sarcastically to himself. His mind returning to the assignment that he had been given by the headmaster.

"Find an open team James. You'll fare fare better if you get in a group here. Study with them, learn from them."

James shook his head, people weren't exactly his best skill in the world. He looked up at the sky , grey, and foreboding. It would rain soon...
"Find an open team, huh..." he thought.

Gahnbara saw a boy sitting away from others and decided to head over towards the boy watching him do whatever it was he was doing "you seem a little lonely, may I join you?" he said formally standing a few feet away from the boy looking towards him with curiosity

James looked over at the man, inspecting him mentally. In an instant he gathered more than most people would be able to gather by looking at him for the first time, but not enough to be sure of his accuracy.
"Why is it that everyone here equates sitting alone with lonliness?" he thought.
"Well you are alone aren't you?" replied his subconscious.
"Yes but that's not necessarily proof of the former." he replied tersely.
His subconscious laughed in his face. "And yet you only talk to yourself when you are particularly so."

To the man standing over him, it perhaps appears as if the boy is merely ignoring him, as most of his generation tend to do, and after another couple moments of self argument, the boy responds. shaking his head as if clearing it of something.
"Oh, hello, sorry bout that, bit deep in thought here. Happens when I'm working." he says gesturing to the small pile of wooden spikes. He then pulls himself up using the stone wall and holds out his hand to shake the man's.
"I'm James,by the way, James Carmichael."

Gahnbara nodded with acknowledgement "I can understand that" he shook James hand "my name is Gahnbara, warrior of the fringe as others from my area tend to call me" he then placed his hand back at his side "you haven't been put in a squad yet have you?" he asked before trying to observe James habits

James shook his head. "Nah, been avoidin' it really." He replies, his voice giving off slight tones of a welsh descent, though classically trained, as his enunciation is oddly flawless. "Don't usually work in crowds, see I've been on the road since I was a kid. My dad was a runes-keeper, but he didn't have any magic himself. Got himself killed actually. Up till I met His nibs the Headmaster I was on the run."
As James spoke his eyes darted across Gahnbara's face, catching the scars and noting the types of weapons that would leave such a mark. "So, Gahnbara, What is that African? Arabic? Sumatran perhaps?"

Gahnbara gave a confused glance "what would you be referring to in such a case" he said putting his sword down on the ground still in it's sheath and his bag as well all set down in front of him so James could look at them he also stepped backwards a step so he didn't have his stuff all over the ground it was just sitting there in front of him

James looks quizzically at Gahnbara. "Your name of course. I'm fascinated by their origins, meanings. Names have a lot of power where I come from and a good one can keep you alive in some situations."

Gahnbara nodded "my name actually a mix of origins if that's what you're referring to" he said laughing a bit "where I come from it take skills with a weapon to stay alive but you can live in peace if you are in a secluded area"

James bent down to pick up the spikes he had finished, placing them in a haversack along with the metal pick. the iron bowl he dumped onto the stones, the glowing coals of the burnt out fire dissipating. He then placed it in the bag with the rest of the items. "So, I take it magic is sort of secondary in terms of your weapon choice then?" he said gesturing to the weaponry Gahnbara had dropped. "I've never really resorted to physicality much myself. never been much in a fight without magic. 'Cept against normal people."

Gahnbara nodded "in terms of magic I only use enchantments, a fire enchantment on my sword and my bag has a few items in it that can be used to enchant other items as well" he said picking up his sword the placing it back on his back then took his bag gripping it firmly with his hand

Aerik walked about the crowded courtyard of the academy, trying his hardest to break free of the dense group of rushing students and teachers so that he may, for but a second, catch his breath. After he succeeded in breaching through the mob, he stop to think about his current predicament. Being enrolled here means he would need to find a squad. Never before has Aerik been part of any sort of team. He was not given such an opportunity at the monastery. However, he knew the good he accomplish through Branchwood and he was not prepared to fail now.

After a second of breathing, he noticed he was facing a young boy with a brown cap and a man carrying quite a lot of weapons talking beneath an archway. Aerik noticed in particular how far away they were from the crowd and decided that perhaps they might have wanted to get away from the crowd as well. Surely, one would not ordinarily rest beneath such a lonely looking archway.

Seeing this as an opportunity to start a conversation, Aerik made his away over to the two.

"Greetings!", Aerik said, attempting very hard to hide his nervousness. "This is my first year here at the academy and I am in need of a squad. Would you fellows perhaps know where to find one, or are you in need of a squad yourselves?"

James raises an eyebrow, The new guy's slightly archaic way of speech catching his attention immediately. He sizes him up, more quickly than with Gahnbara (mostly due to the latter's nature as a warrior and focused demeanor.) "Hey ya, uh, actually I'm not sure quite yet. I think we were discussing that, but we hadn't really made any decision yet." he says, giving Gahnbara a quick look before returning his attention to the new guy. "Name's James, never Jimmy, Jim or Joe. That's Gahnbara I guess. You got a moniker?"

Aerik's eyes livened up a bit, as the conversation seemed to be going smoother then he anticipated. "My name is Aerik. Just Aerik, I suppose. I've never been called anything else. I've met quite a few by the name of James in my travels, all nice men for the most part. However, I have never come across a "Gahnbara" before. Quite an interesting name." Aerik looked to the ground beside the young James and noticed the smoldering supplies that lay next to him. "I don't believe I've ever read about such a magic. In what field of magic do you study?"

James finishes packing his supplies as he explains. "Ah, This is Rune magic. I enchant items by carving runes into them and speaking certain incantations over them. I can make ordinary objects send out jets of water, fire, freezing blasts, you name it. my specialty is these spikes though, when they pierce an object, they immediately set it on fire, and I can also make them explode. sends flaming splinters into the target. great for defense."

It was not often that Aerik was placed in the presence of magic that was not his own. In stories and studies he had, of course, read of a hundreds of types of magics, incantations and rituals. He had imagined them all, but he now realized that the imagination held not a candle to the brilliance of the reality.

But, he collected himself, as he could not let his excitement get ahead of him. There was a more pressing matter at hand.

"So,", he continued, "While we were conversing, I was thinking over our potential compatibility as a team. Strategically speaking, we would have a variety of different skill-sets; What with your magic, Gahnbara's apparent weapon mastery, and my, well, mixture of the two, I suppose. This variety would make for a squad capable of accomplishing the myriad of challenges that will certainly await us on our missions. Therefore,... eh.."

Again, he collected himself and his thoughts. Too often has Aerik fallen victim to his habit of rambling.

He sighed. "We three should create a squad together. That is, of course, if you two are willing."

Gahnbara nodded "I was just about to mention that before you stepped into the conversation friend, I agree we could make a very reliable team" he said taking his helmet off and setting it inside his bag with his dark hair drooping down and rubbing his full beard.

James shoulders his bag, finished with his task. "Well that settles it I think. We can inform the Headmaster, get a dorm set up, and then get to our first team assignment." he then starts to walk off towards the main office of the school. "I'll meet you later tonight and we can finish the arrangements!" he calls back. waving his farewell.

Gahnbara put a fist to where his heart was and bowed then began walking off to the cafeteria

Aerik watched as the two departed. He knew he had made the right decision to come to Branchwood. Aerik's mind fluttered with imaginations of his squad's future achievements. "This will be His legacy.", thought Aerik. "He will not be displeased."

Aerik snapped back to reality. The crowd previously located in the courtyard had since began to dissipate.

"Well, time for a tour of the campus, I suppose.", Aerik said, walking off into the courtyard.

Later that day, after Aerik had finished his tour of the academy, he waited outside the squad center for James and Gahnbara to return. There was still the issue of the squad name and leader that needed to be resolved on top of registering to be said squad. Squad's walked in and out of the room periodically. They all looked so willing and determined.

Aerik was in no rush, however. There was still much time in the day and he had checked out three books about medicine, his newest fascination, from the library.