TheKingsInYellow"Not an im..." Joao stopped speaking as he realized that Cole was moving. Joao hurried his footsteps to get to be alongside Cole, closing the door behind him before he managed to do so. "We do have time, Cole, and I expect," Joao said with a slight tone of shame, "that it will take a while for Raina to get Gillian back to wellness after my clumsiness. To say nothing of Rusalka trying to get Cynwyd free of Professor Kel." Joao poked at his stomach with his thumb. "And I am well inclined to eat. You've had my hospitality and taste in food at my House," Joao said, "so in turn, I am happy to let you lead in this case." Cole glanced over his shoulder. "Well, yeah, but it's not like we have time for me to take you home to meet Mom. And people would talk. But there's a food stand I like in the quad outside the Athletics Building, with a cute little burgundy dragon, and we'll have time to get something there and come back as long as Kel doesn't see me." He stopped and looked around, confused. "Provided we can find our way out of these labs." "Perhaps I should lead us out of the of this corridors, Da? The walls may not be made of aragonite, but they are a maze nevertheless," Joao said. He stopped, looked around and nodded to himself. "We've gotten off track a little. I believe this is the way to the nearest exit." Joao promptly took the initative to lead himself and Cole toward the nearest staircase to the ground level, and out of the building. "The Athletics building is not as complex," Joao said, looking back at the building uncertainly, as if it were a lobster trap that he and Cole had escaped...for now. "Which is strange," Cole mused, "because they call it the Atheletics Complex." As Cole and Joao emerged from the College of Magic, they could see that the quad was abuzz with activity. Most of the students were involved in the various Opening Day ceremonies and celebrations. A trio of rather stern male students had gathered a small crowd. Cole immediately recognized the leader – Anthony in all his bruised glory – preaching the assembly in a spiteful tone. At this distance, most of what he was saying was lost, but the words Kashfa, Rinaldo, and Katayan could be made out. The latter – in particular – was spoken with unmistakable vehemence. Even as they watched, a couple left the crowd in disgust. Joao noticed a familiar spot of brilliant pink hair near one of the food vendors – like a delicate anemone in a sea of grey. Temnal and Cynwyd stood close by as she talked to the cook. Food forgotten, Cole strode through the crowd toward Anthony. He did his best to move people aside gently, but he was trembling with barely-controlled rage. Joao's eyes flickered between the glimpse of Rusalka's unmistakable hair, and the target that seemed to have absorbed Cole's thoughts. It took Joao a moment, and then he decided to follow Cole. Instead of moving people aside, as Cole did, Joao relied on his dexterity to flow around people, to catch up to Cole and get alongside him. Once he managed to do so, as they approached Anthony, he spoke low and urgently. "Someone who disturbs your reef, friend Cole?" Joao asked. "My reef," Cole snarled, "is going to rip out his scurvy-spouting Kashfan hull." Anthony continued unabated in his rant until one of his ‘associates’ noticed Cole approaching through the crowd. The boy nudged Anthony’s leg and gestured in the pair’s direction. The blonde firebrand smiled darkly and continued with renewed venom. “Harlots, all the katayans. They send their women amongst us to seek new mates. Amongst you here in this very bastion of knowledge and civility. And why? To breed with those of noble blood. And through blood, bond royal families to their deceitful causes and muddy the purity of Amber and the Golden Circle." Joao's eyes narrowed as the import of Anthony's words impressed upon him. Nyeh Kulturni he thought, fiercely. He continued to follow Cole. There was blood in this water. “You know this to be true. You – ladies of noble birth – have likely seen these chimeras sniffing around your men. Flashing their tails like some field cat in heat. True, their exotic beauty cannot be denied, but it is tempered with false pretense.” He pointed in Cole’s direction, “They poison the hearts of all whom they claim as their own.” Finally free of the crowd, Cole charged. "Chyort voz'mi!" Joao said, in language that Mother Would Not Approve. And then he followed Cole, looking to head off or deflect anyone coming out to trip up Cole on his charge. Anthony did… nothing. Although he obviously saw Cole charging, the Kashfan did not defend himself as Cole leapt at him. Not outwardly, anyhow. And the smug triumph in his eyes could not go unnoticed. Cole – a trained fighter – recognized the subtle defensive stance Anthony assumed just before they collided. Not enough to deflect the attack, but certainly enough to avoid any serious damage. Meanwhile, his friends turned their attentions on Joao, blocking his path. The larger of the two tried to grab Joao’s uniform, his meaty fist cocking back. Cole knew better than to plow directly into Anthony. He personally knew too many tricks for dealing with such an obvious, reckless, and overpowered attack. But he still had Tyra's liquor flowing in his veins, and he was very, very angry, and it would feel so good to piledrive into the bigot's smug face. So he lowered his head, put on an extra burst of speed, and spread his arms wide as if to embrace an old friend. Anthony had braced himself and took the full brunt of Cole’s attack. He drove his fist into Cole’s side with surprising force. If things had gone differently, he would likely have broken something. However, he’d greatly underestimated Cole’s stalwartness – and he may as well have been punching an oak tree. His foot slipped on the grass and both students went toppling to the ground in a tangle of punching limbs. Meanwhile, Joao had shown that Rebmans were perhaps even more dangerous out of the water. Unrestrained by the bitter cold and inhibiting effects of underwater movement, he danced away from his assailants like some clever fish dodged a predator. The first attacker – a large, brutish fellow – lost his grip on Joao’s collar and went spiraling to the ground in a heap; much to the amusement of the crowd. The second – more lithe and quick – nearly landed a few blows, but they were either blocked or avoided entirely. “Stay still, damn you!” he cursed. The cheer of “Fight, fight, fight!” now echoed across the entire quad. Cole's limbs were too long for punching and kicking at close range, so he used his elbows and knees; and when Anthony's face presented itself – his forehead. Heedless of his own safety, he set about doing as much damage as possible. And he did some, in fact – rewarded with a meaty thud here and there. Unfortunately, Anthony recovered quickly and launched a withering counter-attack. Cole’s head rung as fist after fist caught him on the temple and ear – each blow designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain. The trained boxer knew exactly how to get in under Cole’s guard and punish him brutally. Only Cole’s Oak Blood prevented him from being felled. But he still suffered a bloodied lip and blackened eye. Nearby, Joao continued to occupy Anthony's companions admirably, continuing to use his avoiding tactics. Not only did it keep them from doing harm, but once the fight broke up, he’d be able to say - under a truth spell, if need be - that he hadn't thrown any punches or attack anyone. The stalemate allowed him to notice the new comers to the fray – a shock of pink hair approaching from behind Cole’s struggle. And to his left, something far worse. Professor Advocat. From the azure glow around his staff, it was apparent that he was summoning a spell. The appearance of Professor Advocat on the scene was enough to chill Joao's blood, and it was a mild distraction at best in his attempts to keep his attackers occupied, and keep himself from getting pummeled. The fact that the Professor was casting a spell was enough to *freeze* Joao's blood. His tactics changed subtly. He continued his policy of non violent confrontation with Anthony's friends, it was true. But he was also trying to increase the distance between himself and the companions, giving them as much space as he could, and still keep them from going and helping Anthony pummel Cole. Joao’s timing and wisdom to disengage could not have come at a better time. Advocat ignored him, focused on the main combatants instead. He banged his oaken staff on the ground with a resounding crack like a lightning strike. The crowd gasped and froze in fear. Joao’s assailants turned around, blinking in shock – their target forgotten. The effect on Cole and Anthony, however, was far more profound. Not in the most creative frame of mind, Cole continued to doggedly batter his opponent, determined to keep hitting until Anthony stopped moving. And maybe a little after that. With a sudden surge of adrenaline, Cole battered Anthony’s defense and swung at the opening. A satisfying crush erupted beneath his fist. Indeed, the sound resonated through his entire body like thunder. However, despite this, he suddenly realized that his arm remained stuck in that position. His skin now possessed a grayish hue, as if chiseled from stone. His body rioted against his mind, refusing to move. Anthony had also undergone a similar transformation – his stony face frozen in agony. All color drained from his skin and his eyes until it had been replaced by dull marble. “Student Joao!” Professor Advocat snarled, emerging from the crowd. “Do not think you have gone unnoticed. Explain this now or I’ll make certain you and your rambunctious companions spend the remainder of your school year as statuary.” Students began slinking off like beaten dogs. Joao stopped his retreat and instead turned toward Professor Advocat. He took three steps toward the fearsome Professor. Fear quaking in his stomach like a tangle of slimy eels, Joao somehow managed a sketchy bow as he sweated. "Da, Professor" he said, trying to gain time to compose an explanation that would satisfy the Professor. "Student Cole and I took a break from a study session to find some food. Upon seeing him, this student..." he gestured toward Anthony "entered into an altercation with Cole. I know not why. The student's friends..." he gestured toward Anthony's two companions "similarly attempted to enter into an altercation with me, possibly because I was accompanying StudentCole. Brawling on campus is frowned upon, Professor, and so I was attempting to get away from them and summon authority to end the altercation when you arrived. Sir." With his body refusing to cooperate in further attempts to inflict damage on his adversary, Cole began to calm down. In fact, after the initial shock of petrifaction wore off, he began to feel rather grateful for the opportunity to savor the expression on Anthony's face. He would have laughed, if he could. Cole could almost sense Anthony’s outrage and indignation. It was glorious. Anthony’s friends rediscovered their manhood and began to protest. “But he started it!” “Weren’t our fault!” “Weren’t doin’ nothing, Profressor!” “Just attacked us!” Joao remained placid and silent at their protestations. Advocat coughed politely, but he may as well have bared his teeth and growled like a night wolf for the wave of dread he invoked. “Gentleman, if you /must/ intrude upon my consciousness, do at least have a modicum of intelligibility. Might I suggest you close your mouth and cease your selfish consumption of our shared air? No? Yes? Good.” His jack-o’-lantern eyes turned back to Joao. Because you utilized more than one multi-syllabic word during your fumbling explanation, I am more inclined to believe you, Student Joao.” Joao gave a nod of acknowledgement and response to the fearsome professor, but was still too frightened to try and speak. He snapped his fingers and Cole suddenly found himself falling forward, striking his elbow against Anthony’s rocky exterior. The pain paled in comparison to the cutting words to follow. “Student Perondor. I am a close, personal friend of Princess Fiona. And she – in turn – adores her niece, the Princess Rhea – whom you undoubtedly have heard of, yes?” Joao blinked. He turned his head to listen as Professor Advocat continued to address Cole. [Advocat] stepped forward, narrowing his unnatural eyes. Cole could feel his throat constrict, as if iron fingers were pressing into its soft tissue, threatening to break something important. The professor’s voice remained low, reserved only for him. “Should my dear friend hear that her fair niece is involved with a drunken brawler from some trashy mosquito, it would vex her most severely. I assure you - where that to happen – that the hells I shall provide you will feel like heaven. “And whatever gibbering piece of wet meat that remains will still have to answer to her.” A charming smile bloomed on his lips. He dusted some pebbles from Cole’s shoulder. “We have an understanding, you and I, yes?” Cole thought about explaining that he hadn't started the fight, he'd merely continued it after a short interlude. He thought about explaining why beating Anthony to a pulp was a moral imperative. Maybe it was a rare visitation of good sense that stopped him from speaking. Or maybe it was just Professor Advocat's smile. Regardless, he merely nodded, once. But he couldn't suppress the barest of smiles in return. Joao took a single pace toward Cole, turned so as to continue to face the Professor and waited patiently. Temnal moved up to Rusalka and murmured, "When do you think we'd better go collect him?" "When the Professor leaves. I know it's cowardly, but I'd rather not seem involved with the incident - things have a way of getting back to my parents and I really don't want people checking on my curfew." She didn't add that Professor Advocat was scary. She figured it spoke for itself. She glanced at Cynwyd, then back to Temnal, then focused forward again. Temnal reflected on his own family's possible reactions to the news that he'd locked horns with the University authorities, and decided that Sekhmet would probably cheer him on. But he respected Professor Advocat and didn't see any good reason to interfere with him ... yet. Advocat had finished his discussion with Cole and Joao and headed off to torment other students. The firebrand’s companions went to assist him. The boy did not appear to be moving, his skin still slate-grey. Advocat walked by Anthony and his friends. The boys began to complain about their petrified companion, only to be cut off by a withering glance. “Patience is as much a virtue as silence,” he said in a low voice. And with that he walked off, leaving the crowd to disperse in an uncomfortable silence. Anthony's friends stared at Joao and Cole hatefully and for a moment appeared ready to resume the conflict. They decided otherwise and, instead, struggled to drag their friend away. With a little assistance from Joao, Cole got to his feet. He brushed himself down a bit, wincing when he went over his pummeled ribs. His face was covered with bruises, cuts, and an enormous grin. "Right," he said, looking around the square. "That's better. Now, about that food!" Taking that as his cue, Cynwyd walked over towards Cole and Joao instead of answering. Joao started to speak, but turned at the approach of Cynwyd. His eyes focused on him, and then beyond him toward Temnal and Rusalka. He raised a hand toward them in greeting. Temnal returned the salute. "You know, that was pretty sloppy. Even for a first year. And especially for a captain," Cynwyd said with mock criticism. "Kel would be quite disappointed," he tched. Then after a pause to take a bite of his lunch he continued. "Me, I call it good lunchtime entertainment. Though it's a shame they can still walk away," he said, looking towards the retreating students. "Well... mostly," he finished with a grin as he shrugged. "Kel would be disappointed they continued breathing," Cole replied. "She's not Lady Beat-them-senseless. I just wanted Anthony to stop flapping his jaw. Mission accomplished, I guess." Joao bowed his head toward Cynwyd. "You must be Cynwyd, Cole's sparring partner, and mixed up in the same nighttime business as the rest of us. I'm Joao of House Galitzin." Joao looked at Cynwyd's lunch. "Cole and I were about to discuss food. In point of fact, that is why we were out here, encounters with old enemies and their cronies notwithstanding." "Ah, yes," Cole said. "Joao, Cynwyd. Cynwyd, Joao--I see you've already met Temnal and Rusalka. And now I'll be meeting dinner. Excuse me." And with that, he headed toward the vendor that the trio had just left. Cole paused and called over his shoulder. "Oh, and Joao? Thanks." "You're welcome, Cole. "Joao said. He paused a moment and then turned expectantly to Cynwyd, Rusalka and Temnal. Rusalka shook her head at them, trying to be stern. She followed along behind Cole so he had to hear this whether or not he wanted to. "You two are so lucky - lucky those men weren't as good fighters as you, lucky it was early enough in the day, lucky it was Advocat and not someone more inclined to hour-long explanations, and mostly lucky that that gentleman does really excellent things with curry. On the other hand," she rolled her eyes, "I don't habitually make excuses to get people out of trouble, and seeing as you wanted so badly to be in trouble, I don't think I'll be risking it again." Cole turned slowly to face her. His grin was gone, replaced by a puzzled and hurt expression. He pointed at his black eye, his split lip. "Does this look lucky to you? Lucky I still have all my teeth, maybe." Turning to arrive at the vendor, he added, "Maybe you'd feel differently if instead of stirring up people against Katayans he'd been talking about people with pink hair or black skin." To the vendor, he said, pointing at Cynwyd, "I'll have what he's having. Three of them. Please." The vendor nodded happily and went to work. His dragonette fluttered to the top of the booth and flexed its delicate wings. "Do you think he wouldn't, given the chance or the breath of an excuse?" Temnal said somberly. "That wouldn't be my way of attacking the problem ... but then, I said earlier that I'm not a big-sword type of person." Rusalka stopped short, her face draining of color. "No, I... that's not what I meant." She reached out to touch Cole's shoulder and then stopped herself. "I'm sorry. I don't have any right to lecture and it does make me sick too, I just... didn't want you to get hurt or in trouble, and playing around with being near a lot of people near the Hour, for whatever reason, is very dangerous." Joao had remained silent through the exchange, especially given that it was Rusalka who had spoken first. He bowed his head in her direction. "Indeed, Miss Cardova," Joao replied. "That is why, although I knew little of the particulars of the reasons for the altercation, I moved to aid Cole in an unobtrusive manner as possible. Engaging his foe's allies seemed the best way to keep Cole from being overwhelmed by numbers and injured far worse than he has been. Especially, as you say, given the Hour." Joao looked at Cole's order, looked at Cynwyd's lunch, nodded, and fished out a coin and walked toward the vendor. "I'll have one, please," he said, giving a glance at the Dragonette before looking at the vendor again. Cole reached up and scratched the dragonette under the chin. "It was a stupid thing for me to do. For all I know, it was exactly what Anthony wanted. But at the time it was what I needed to do, and this time it seems to have worked out okay. So yeah, I guess I was lucky." The dragonette considered the youth’s fingers for a moment – as if considering their flavor. Instead, it arched back its head and allowed him to scratch its scaly hide; circles of blue smoke puffing out of its nostrils. Cole reached for his purse to pay the vendor, then looked embarrassed. "Cynwyd, would you pay the man for me? I'll pay you back in a few days." Cynwyd looked at Cole askance for a minute before turning to the vendor and wordlessly paying for the extra meal. "So with that ugly circumstance over, should we not get somewhere... less central?" "After all," he continued, turning back to the others, "the Hour grows late." The vendor glanced suspiciously between Cole and Cynwyd. At the appearance of money, he breathed a sigh of relief and began preparing the requested meal. As odd as the conversation might have been, 'paying' customers could dress in doll's clothing and dance to The Lonely Death of Ms. Clemp for all he cared. "Yes, I think we'd best convene back at the lab once you've finished your meal," said Temnal. "Da" Joao said to Temnal, turning his head to regard him as he patiently waited for the vendor to finish with Cole and Cynwyd. "You and Cynwyd have an excellent point. We should not tarry overlong." The vendor finished with the meals and set them on the wood sill for the students to collect. He glanced at them curiously and then resumed his duties – glad to be done with this odd group. Joao looked at his meal, and then at the assembled group, primarily at Rusalka. However, his gaze and attention drifted between her, Temnal, Cwnwyd and Cole in turn. A mild impatience to move filled Joao up. [continued in A Night to Remember] |
