"So how long do you plan to run? If there's one thing that I've heard the Lycanthropes are known for, it's their endurance. I have fairly good endurance, coming from my training. I've become almost super elven by my races standards."

Hirokuun drew in measured breaths, and once again permitted his hair to dance around him.

"For a little bit more." Lakota was surprised at his posturing and bragging. He reminded her of a wolf in the strangest way. She never thought that an elf would ever remind her of her own kind but here he was. She was wondering how long before he would challenge her to a race too. The endorphins running through her veins were easing the tension from the fight out of her body. She knew if she shifted now she wouldn't come out fighting. She wanted to. Wolf was nudging her on. Please let me stretch too.
"I need to adjust, stretch out. It wont take long." And she sprinted ahead. As she put some space between herself and Hirokuun she let the change begin to take her. As her claws began she pulled off her top and loosed the belt at her waist as quickly as she could. The change came fast and furiously. Her clothes peeled away as she dove forward to the ground and tumbled head over heals. As the last of the transformation took hold she popped up on all fours and shook out her fur then took off running. The wind on her face was exhilarating. She let her toungue wag a little as she took in all the smells around her. Wolf found this new person interesting and dangerous. She liked the way he smelled even though she didn't trust him. As she ran she noticed that his scent was fading and that she had put some distance between them. She smiled to herself and turned to run back towards him and her things that she had left haphazardly strewn on the trail.

Carrying her belongings in her mouth she made her way back to her room to change and shower then headed to the dinning hall for meal time.

So she really is a Lycan. I thought she was bluffing. Hirokuun's brow furrowed as she transformed. He kept pace, but fell back a bit. He wasn't the most comfortable around Lycans. Better than other elves, but still. Well, he would tame her... but he couldn't be bothered right now. He had to find that shift. But perhaps she was some part of it...

As the wolf came back with the womanly possessions in her mouth, Hirokuun could only shake his head. "You Lycans are strange. But if you're done running, and we're heading back, then I'm game. Hopefully there will be food. I could probably find some herbs that I could survive on, but cooked food is better."

Whe4n the other moved off without a work Isilifeleen headed off for breakfast. She had classes after that and then took sword practice with on of the masters in the afternoon with the higher level students of the sword. Her skills with the long sword were baic and she really wished to practice more with skilled teachers to improves her own skills.

However IT was her bow that she practiced with the most. Morning and evening every day without fail.

Kannizan chuckled slightly as Calvin went past him. The boy was excited, so of course he wouldn't be paying attention. "Alright laddies, time fer breakfest. Get cleaned up and head to the dining hall." He then headed down himself. As he arrived, some students were already filing in, and also some instructers had taken their seats. He sat down, feeling very awkward. He was the only dwarf teaching this year. Most instructers didn't like him. They felt he was too personal with his students. He was repeatedly being told "you teach them, not adopt them." He just couldn't help it. He spent a few years in the tlyvarian military, so he looked at all the men and women training with pride.

After a quick shower and change into her training clothes Lakota headed down to the mess hall. She was late and half the hall had already come and gone. She would have to grab a small bite on the run before her afternoon classes. She quickly scanned the hall. Noticing Kannizan eating in quiet solitude she veered over to that side of the room.

"Thank you for taking my group for me. I fear I didn't do the best that I could have with giving them an introduction today. Please let me know what I can do to make it up to you."

Lakota was still holding on to the embarrassment of the mornings events. She would also have to find the other student that had wanted to join her on her run. She had not meant to be so rude in running off but the wild had taken hold and she wanted desperately to run it out.

She scanned the hall again looking for the young female elf. She had recognized her as an archer. They had never had any classes together but she knew most everyone by sight and sent here at the school even if there hadn't been any formal introductions. Lakota was never really good at making friends in the school with her less then sunny disposition, but hadn't really made enemies either so far as she could tell.

Isilifeleen had already selected from the choice of food offered for breakfast. It was nothing more than simple simple, sustaining fare. Isil chose the grain porridge, added a dollop of honey and a splash of cream and had cut up apple bits into the bowl as well. She also took a hunk of bread and cheese and filled a tankard with cider.

She was not really paying attention to much going on about her but her sensitive ears caught a change in the tone of on going conversations, there was a momentary lull and then gradually picking up again.

Isilifeleen looked up to see what had cause that lull. The young Lycan from this morning had just entered the mess hall. For a moment she wonder what it was lice to be the odd one out. Empathizing with the girl she stood up and if the Lycan sees her she will motion for the girl to join her.

Kannizan nodded to Lakota. "Not a problem there, miss. Glad to do it." He took a large spoonful on his gruel and sat back into his chair. "I want ye and a few other senior students te snag a few of the recruits. I want te start teachin 'em of battle repairs a wee bit early. Ye understand, right? Heh, first days are always so boring." He finished off his gruel and motioned towards Isil. "Seems ye have a fan. Go, make her feel welcome 'ere at the Academy."

He left the dining hall and again made his way towards the forge. He looked at his chainmail gloves with meticulous scrutiny. Not a link broken. He did see a few weak spots though. He'd bang that into shape as a demonstration. He also brought along the standard issue longsword, bastard sword, dagger, shield, and helmet. They would get an extensive introduction to his art.

Deep down, he also felt an urge to prepare some of the students. Bad omens have occurred before this year, and while he knew not what lay ahead, he wanted to make sure they were prepared.

And so he waited.

"Yes sir." Lakota addressed the master as she spotted the young elf motioning to her, then made off across the room.

Lakota approached the elf carefully, trying to gauge weather or not she seemed offended by her earlier actions. "I am sorry for running off on you this morning. It was necessary that I get that run. I can be very cranky with out proper exorcise." I brief awkward pause then, "My name is Lakota." She held out her hand as a greeting but she did not smile.

"Hirokuun is a very interesting male, I am sure that the debate that he triggered earlier is long from over. I should like to continue it some time." Lakota made one last sweep of the mess hall looking for some newbies remembering her orders and spotted a few from earlier.

Isilifeleen waits until the Lycan draw closer. She listens to the young female's apology,

"No offense was meant, therefore none was taken. I felt strongly about what he had just said. War does not solve the problems that start them and thus I spook out. It is something I have a tendency to do. I did not mean to interrupt, but after I realized it did disturb your exchange. Forgive me, for that."

I am Isilifeleen, I hope you will share you name with me."

(Repsonse)

"Please join me. I find it much nicer to share an convivial conversation at breakfast or actually any meal since the fare offered is less that stellar." Isilifeleen says with a wry grin at Lakota. Almost makes me want to go out on a field exercise and eat some of my own cooking."

He tossed the old mahogany case onto the bed next to him. He wasn't hungry, and classes didn't start for some time. The bed was rather uncomfortable, but it was better than what his father could afford at home. He looked down at the old beaten case and frowned. What old hand-me-down war relic had Brenen given him this time?

He decided it was time to find out, and if it was not satisfactory, he was sure Kannizan would do some wowrk on it for him. He slid the trinket Kannizan had gicen him off of his neck and patted it down into the mattress.

The old brass latches on the case were warm, almost burning. But for some reason it did not bother him. He could just barely make out his own distorted reflection in the chipped and tarnished metal of the latches. His thumb wrapped under the left latch, and he pressed it up. It squeeked in protest and old age.

He frowned. This was going to be a travesty to the name a weaponry, but it was the best Brenen could offer. He appreciated the thought. Lazily, he flicked the right latch up and wrapped his fingers around the botom of the lid.

It was almost with fear that he lifted the old wowoden cover from its base. When he'd finally slid it off, a plume of dust and grime shot out of the case. He coughed furiously and spat the old filth out from his mouth. How long had it been since this had been used?

He looked down expecting less than what he orginally did, but could see nothing. Only red velvet. He realized it was the lining from the lid of the case. It had become so old that it had peeled away from it's original surface and fallen to cover the weapon beneath it.

Before he slid back the velvet, he looked at the case. It was an awkward size. Not a longsword, but not quite a two handed sword. Nor was it a hand-and-a-half sowrd. It seemed to rest somewhere in the middle. He knew of no blade such as that. Perhaps this design was a testament to its age?

His heart began to sink as he pulled back the velvet, for all he saw was what appeared to be tarnished silver or steel. When the red covering was finally drawn away, his heart fell into the pit of his innards. The blade was covered in so much grie and filth that it was impossible to make out the engravings on the pommel and the blades flat.

Reluctantly extending a hand, Calvin touched the grip with his forefinger, and the grey sheet of grime fell away like ash at his touch. When he moved his finger back, he saw the faint shimmer of gold beneath a thin later of grime. Interesting...

He grabbed the grip of the sword in his right hand and hoisted it into the air. As if it were water spilling onto rocks, the years of dust and tarnish fell away. He almost dropped the sword. He'd never in his life seen something more beautiful.

He set it down on the bed, almost afraid to touch it. Thats when he really looked at it. The grip was of solid gold, encrusted in countless gems and streaks of platinum and ruby and pearl. Another fact about the pommel soon grabbed his atention. It was twisting. He looked at it and found it to be in the shape of two golden, gem encrusted dragons twining about one another. Their tails touched and formed a sharp pommel. In the open space between the tails was something so delicate, Calvin was forced to lean in to see it.

It was a tiny kite shaped ruby. Even more fascinating was what was inside the ruby. He had to squint to see it. It was a miniscule Tlyvarian Crest. Two dragons wrapped around a ruby on a sheild being held by twin phoenix's. It was formed of gold. Whoever had smithed this blade or cut this gem had actually put gold into a stone. He was awestruck.

His gaze was drawn up the grip and he took in the rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, pearls, topaz's, opals and lines of blazing platinum that studded the bodies of the dragons. Four radiant diamonds formed the eyes of the dragons. Their necks bent outward from the grip and formed the base for the most incredible armguard he'd ever seen.

Dragon Fangs. He knew what they were the instant he saw them. Massive white curved incisors formed the most indestructable armguard he'd ever seen. Dragons were extinct...and yet he was touching part of what used to be one. The fangs with criss-crossed with veins of gold and silver.

Almost reluctantly, he drew his eyes over the armguard and the grip entirely, but his eyes were rewarded with yet another spectacular sight.

The blade was forged of what seemed to the the finest steel, but it was not steel. It had a slight tinge of red to it. A line of silver ran up the center ofthe blades flat until it tapered to a curved point about midway up the blade.

However, it was not the silver line that awed him.

Where the tip of the sword should have been, the fine stabbing point, was instead a massive ruby. It formed the entire point of the blade. He touched its edge, and it sliced his finger open with the greatest of ease. He had applied no pressure, nor had he moved his hand. He had only barely tapped it. It was sharpened, invincible like the rest of the sword.

He smiled, and rushed to Kannizan with the sword still gripped in his hand.

Kannizan heard someone running down the steps.

The lycan lass is quick, he thought. As he turned to greet her and the students she'd assembled, he was surprised to see Calvin sprinting towards him holding something he couldn't quite make out. He could tell it was a blade, but it looked too long for a standard longsword, yet too short to be a bastard. What the hell...

Calvin came up towards him, breathing hard and speaking quick as he related the story of Brenen giving the case to him, and him just now opening it. Kannizan looked at the blade and that's when he saw the glamour that accompanied it. He looked it over in his hands with wide eyes and an open mouth. Never in his life had he heard of such a blade. He'd only heard of similar weapons wielded by the spirits when they'd once walked the land. He reached out and touched it, but immediately jumped back in pain. It had felt as if he had stuck his entire hand in the forge behind him. He was glistening with visible sweat, and he looked Calvin right in the eye.

"Now I wonder where Brenen found that one."

"What can you tell me about it?"

Kannizan shook his head.

"You must have information on it. Look at the library the school has, it must be in there!"

Kannizan frowned. "Lad, I've read every book in that library. Never once have I found anything such as this."

Calvin cursed to himself. How could his father come across such an item. It was not possible a poor old retired soldier could have found something such as this. And even if it was rightfully his, what had possesed him to give something many would kill for to his forgetful misfit of a son?

"Can you at least tell me what it is made of?"

Kannizan focused on the sword. "Ah, you've a solid gold grip. Many gems. Finest cuts I've ever seen. What the dwarven cutters would give to have stones such as this. There is platinum, gold, silver. Every last metal I can think of. The blade is obviously..."

He stopped.

"That is no steel nor iron I know of..."

Calvin frowned. This made no sense. An unidentifiable blade that was clearly magical and was forged of some mysterious metal the best smith in the country could not recognize had shown up in a beaten and worn mahogany case in the possesion of one of the islands poorest families. In fact, had Brenen not served in the military and recieved the free schooling for Calvin because of it, they would not have been able to pay for his classes.

"Well, don't stand their gawking, lets see you use it lad!" Kannizan said heartily.

Roy picked it up, and noticed something the adrenilane had foged out before. The blade was weightless. It was as iff he held a feather.

"It weighs nothing..." He was awed. He tried to swing, but his arm would not move.
"I cannot swing! My arm is frozen in place!"

He strained his muscle to move the sword, but it would not allow him to swing quickly, only move about harmlessly. He was growing frustrated, and he visualized himself finally being able to swing the sword in his mind.

His arm lurched forward as the sword cut the air in front of him.

"What..." was all he could manage.

Isilifeleen let the girl eat in the relative peace of the mess hall. Relative only in that no one was commanding them to to something tight at this minute. That was one of the things that made her think twice before accepting the teaching position at the Academy for such it was in fact. That and she had access to many other well trained staff that she could learn from.

"Where are you from, here about or further afield." Isilifeleen asks conversationally.

"I am from the Jade Coast, its a ways from here."

As she finishes her last few bits Lakota scans the room for any students that could be rounded up for Kannizan.

"If you have some time now please join me to visit master Kannizan. He requested that I bring some students down for some kind of armor and weapon care training. I have not had much time for in depth training in this area, only just the basics. He was hoping to get a head start with the students on that this year."

Lakota stands and takes a moment to approach the few students lingering without direction that where in the dinning hall and directs them to Kannizan's forge.