"Are we being attacked by outsiders?!" Dean Alcione asked as he stared at the eyes that stared back. "Someone call for back-up! Send a message to the Morels for assistance!"
"At once, Dean Alcione!" replied one of his companions who took out his phone and hurriedly made a phone call.
"Now, can anyone tell me what's going on?"
"We're having a drill, Sir!"
A brave student finally decided to step up and tell the Dean what was happening.
"So, you're telling me that 'that' is just a medic and a thirteen year old mage having a 'drill'?"
No one else dared to say a word.
"Just what is that medic thinking? Why would he use a catastrophic spell against a younger student?!"
"Actually sir..." another student piped in. "We think it's Dorin who used that spell."
"This is level 10 alchemy..." Mordecai said with awe as he stared at the black hole in the sky. "Never mind not being an elementer... the ability to call such a spell... the ability to open a portal to another world is..."
'Are you ready to admit defeat?' Mordecai's thoughts were interrupted. He looked at Dorin. The mad grin was back in the young mage's face.
'So young and so powerful... such a pity you were never taught properly!'
'I don't need to be thought anything more,' replied the youth. 'I can just discover things by myself and live without restrictions!' The grin in Dorin's face got wider.
'See? I can now talk to you telepathically! And now, I shall shatter all your defenses!'
Mordecai's thoughts kept running in his head as Dorin raised both hands in an attempt to pull the tear the sky apart and let what ever was lurking beyond the darkness in.
'Should I put him to sleep?' he thought. 'But the portal is already partly open. If I render him unconscious, the tear in the filament might open completely,' he frowned. 'Should I tell him it's my loss, then?'
That was the best idea he could think of. He was about to raise his hands in defeat, when he noticed a flitting image appear behind Dorin.
'Times, up, Mordecai!'
Dorin was about to pull his hands apart, when two pale hands touched his and clasped them shut.
Dorin looked surprised.
"Didn't I tell you not to play with the big spells?" said a person behind him.
"Ei – "
"Close it this instant."
"But..."
"Dorin."
"Haa... you never let me have any fun!"
Dorin put his arms down and rubbed his hands together, whispering more words of power. Slowly, the crack in the filament closed, causing the hundred-eyed beings beyond to screech in frustration once more.
Mordecai watched as Dorin faced the person behind him.
It was... a girl in a short black ruffled dress with white ribbon trimmings. She wore a small veiled cap which covered half of her face, showing only blood red lips that pouted at the young mage before her.
"Eirian!" Dorin called to her. The girl raised a fist and sent it railing down on the shorter boy's head. "Ow!"
"You naughty little kid! Don't you know the difference between a real fight and a fight between comrades?!"
"But we're not comrades at all!" said Dorin, causing Mordecai to feel a slight discomfort.
Dorin looked at him. His big brown eyes were clear again. A look of innocence so convincing that you would never believe that he was just about to unleash demons from another dimension upon the University grounds a moment ago.
"I guess we'll have to continue some other time," he said to Mordecai with a pout. "And just when I was about to win!"
"Who said you were winning?" Eirian gave Dorin another conk on the head. "You lost long before you even got to use your lightning element!"
"Ow!" Dorin rubbed his head. "What do you..."
"Mordecai had been playing with your head the whole time," Eirian explained. "Aren't you even wondering why you couldn't land a hit on him?"
"Oh!" Dorin's face lit up. "I guess it was my loss, then!"
He ran up to the older medic and gave a curt bow.
"You were really good, I didn't even notice when you got inside my mind! Was it at that time when you started talking to me telepathically?" he asked with a bright smile.
"Y-yes... about that time..." Mordecai replied. Truth is, he still can't move from the shock of all that has happened.
"Ah, no wonder, I usually have a clear mind when I am fighting with someone, I've never felt that frustrated before! I guess you really are a good mental magus like Eirian here!"
Mordecai faced the girl beside Dorin once more. At a closer look, he noticed that she was much older that Dorin, perhaps in her early twenties. He can't tell properly, though, because of the veil covering half her face. It was as if a spell was cast on the veil itself to make sure no one could see her face properly. This made him want to know about Eirian even more.
"I am also impressed by your power, Dorin," he said instead. "Such a young mage with such unlimited power, one would think you are the Golden Prince reborn!" he said with a small laugh, gauging the reaction of the two before him.
Sure enough, he noticed Dorin's grin waver. Eirian, however, kept the smile on her luscious red lips. He was about to ask more of Dorin, when they heard a bark from the distance.
"Oh! Is that Dog?!" Dorin asked Eirian, his eyes wide with delight.
"I guess he finally caught up to me," she turned to face Dorin and took his hands, long black ponytails bouncing around as she did. "He missed you so much he ran away from home! It's a good thing I found him and brought him here to you!"
"Oh, I missed him, too!" Dorin ran to the field to meet his dog. It was a skinny black dog with a wrinkly face, a white streak of thin fur ran from the base between its pointed ears, down along its spine. It reached pass Dorin's shoulders as it jumped to greet him, and soon, the two were rolling on the grass, the dog licking the boy's face enthusiastically.
"So, you are Mordecai."
The medic looked at the girl before him. He still could not see her face and could only look at her red, red lips.
"Yes, I am a student in this university as well," he nodded as he held out a hand. "I am Mordecai Almacion, a medical magus from the capital."
"Hmm, an Almecion from the capital. So, you're from the prince's retinue?"
Mordecai pulled his hand back. Not because Eirian didn't take it, nor for the words she just said, but because of the grin that broke on her flawless face.
"Who ar – "
"Shut up."
Morecai's mouth were sealed shot. His eyes went wide as Eirian slowly raised a hand to lift the lace that covered half of her face, revealing two round purple eyes set upon long luscious lashes. Those deep eyes seem to swallow him and plunge him into a trench so dark and deep that he could hardly breathe.
"You dare enter my Dorin's mind, and have the gall to invade mine as well?" Eirian chuckled. "How could a small gnat possibly conquer a leviathan?"
She reached out a pale hand towards Mordecai. Slender hands of ivory, soft, yet cold. Deathly cold. It touched Mordecai's cheek ever so gently, yet the pain he felt in his head made him wish that she simply killed him instead. He tried to scream, but not one muscle in his body can seem to move.
"Eirian, why don't we go back to the dorms, I want to introduce you to my new friends!"
Eirian quickly let Mordecai go. The tall magus fell on the ground, unconscious.
"Is something wrong with Mordecai?" Dorin asked. He knelt beside the medic and checked his vitals.
"I thought you said you were not comrades?" Eirian said flatly.
"Yes, but wouldn't you worry if someone just drops right in front of you?"
"Why should I? I don't know him. He just used trickery and bested you in a fight."
"Well, if I just let him die, then how can I beat him in the future?" Dorin looked at Eirian with his head tilted to a side.
Eirian sighed, knelt beside, him, and suddenly gave him a big hug.
"Ahh! I could never win against you! You little brat, I missed you so much! You should have at least told me you wanted to go to University, then we could have ran away together!"
"Eirian... can't breath..." Dorin protested as Dog jumped on them and tried to lick two faces at once.
"Who's there?" called a voice from behind them. "Dorin Silvius, is that you?!"
Eirian finally loosened her hold on Dorin who looked at the people running towards them. Johan and Xander were among them, as well as the Dean of the Magic Division, Leopold Louise Alcione with the rest of the class trailing behind them.
"Oh, good, my friends are here!" Dorin said as he smiled at Eirian.
"Good. I didn't need to round them up." Eirian smiled back.