Spiritual Elements [Pilot]

[Agro]

Yeah, so this fic doesn't have a name yet, I'd be glad if you all would help in trying to think of one. Enjoy.

[spoiler='Chapter 1 - Pilot']The grass over the plains whipped and waved along with the breeze. The mountains, hanging violet and misty in the background, both enlightened the foregrounds and cast a foreboding look in the distance.

Pollen and petals of blooming spring flowers, broken off their stem by the growing winds, flew and twirled over the waves of grass blades, bringing with them a message of events upwind.

Another messenger stood atop a hill overlooking these plains. Wiping a speck of pollen that had landed on his nose, he kicked up the dirt from the path below him that stretched from the mountains in the north to the forests in the south.

He was the only figure in the expanses of green grasses, a lone spire in the wilderness, save for his one stop on his journey.

The messenger post looked quite like an outhouse, an unusually placed structure standing at the first intersection in miles, as if a tornado out of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ had lifted it from someone’s property and dropped it in the middle of nowhere.

The messenger lifted up his maroon hat and ran his gloved hand through his ragged blue hair. He had to look his best for this meeting, or at least as best as he thought looking best looked.

Once he felt that his hair looked good under his hat, his matching jacket was straightened, and his shoes cleared of the dust from the road, he stepped forward into the wooden station.

“Hellooooooo… oh, no one’s here.” Messengelato frowned. “Does this mean I’m early for once?”

The messenger sighed before sitting himself down on the only seat in the wooden outpost, barely fitting into the telephone booth-sized building. Rocking back and forth to bring his green bag in front of him, he shifted so that he was facing the window opposite the door.

He took out two letters from the bag and set them on the windowsill, placing a small rock on top to make sure the wind didn’t blow them away.

“Hmm…” Messengelato, using his bag as an armrest now, layed his head down in his hand and closed his eyes. “This is so boring. No wonder they’re always angry that I’m late.”

A graceful chirping soon brought his attention up to a rather large blue bird that had rested itself on top of his letter.

“Oh? Hi there birdie… um…” Messengelato tried reaching his hand for the letters at its feet, only to have the abnormally large beak of the feathered creature try to bite it off. Messengelato folded his arms, not sure what to do about this new, obviously sentient and very devious foe. And after thinking didn’t work, he picked up a stick off the shack’s floor and tried poking it.

“You shouldn’t do that, you know.” A shrill voice, like an old woman, came from above the bird. “He doesn’t really like people that he doesn’t talk to often.”

Messengelato puffed up his cheeks. “Well you should tell me first if you’re bringing a friend, then there wouldn’t be any problems.”

The elderly voice that he had heard before belonged to a little white cat that sat on the back of the bird, it’s two eyes, one colored blue, the other, red, watching the messenger entertainingly.

“Well that’s your problem, or weren’t you smart enough to notice a type of bird that you never see around these parts.”

“I’m plenty smart.” Messengelato scratched his chin. “I just, um… was tired and all… after the miles I had to travel to get here.”

“You were given a ride by the Madolche maid to the edge of the forest.” The cat’s mouth curved upward. “I’m sure it was the walk that made you tired.”

Messengelato sat back in his chair, his face turning redder by the second. “How, how did you know about that?!”

“You were late, so we got bored of waiting for you and had a look around.” A new voice spoke up this time, still as feminine as the cat’s, but much younger than her.

To Messengelato’s surprise, the bird started to rise as the white haired head it was perched upon came up over the window sill, the girl’s face held a smile that almost mirrored the cat atop their little tower.

“Wait, Droll! When did you get here?” It was the cat that spoke first, and apparently as surprised as Messengelato. “I told you to stay back at the school with everyone else!”

“Hey, if you’re going to take my bird for a joyride, you have to ask me first! I was so worried about my little Locky that I ran all the way here.”

“That was almost twenty miles, are you insane?!”

“Nothing is insane for my little Locky, Oh!” As if she hadn’t noticed him before, Droll looked curiously at Messengelato. “Who’s he? He’s cute.”

Magicat, vexed, rested her head against her little golden scepter. “This is Gel, he’s the messenger for Puddingcess.”

“Oh, nice to meetcha, Gelato sir!”

Gel tried to mimic a wave at the girl as he edged back away in his seat. “Um… hi.”

“Ugh, the things I have to deal with.” Magicat had almost implanted the scepter into her forehead. “Anyway, Gel, do you have the letters?”

“The wha?”

“The letters. The ones you came here to deliver.”

“Oh! Right.” Gelato took a few seconds to look through his bag before remembering where he’d set them: right under the bird’s feet…

“Locky! Set those down!” Droll yelled at her bird that had both letters placed firmly within its beak; crumpled, and a bit wet.

“Ugh… why do I even bother going on these sort of errands…” Magicat moaned before tapping the bird on the top of the beak. “Let them go now, little birdie.”

At the request, the bird did as told, leaving its real owner looking on in wonder.

“How did you...?”

“You need to learn how to control your bird, Droll.” Magicat scolded the girl, whose two rather large ears drooped in acknowledgment, before picking up the two letters to inspect them. “Well this should be all and good, Gel. I suppose we’ll be on our way. So you can get back to your… lady.”

Gel face turned bright red again as she referred to Marmamaid. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.” Magicat winked as she led Locky off in flight away from the outpost.

“Hey wait for me!” Droll yelled as she watched the cat fly off with her bird. Winking, she addressed Messengelato one last time, “Um, bye mister Gelato.”

Gel waved back as the girl ran off after her bird. Perplexed as to most of what had just happened. “What just happened?”

After a few seconds of trying to decide how to move next, Gelato simply turned himself around and exited the outpost, heading off towards the other edge of the stretch of plains where Marmamaid waited in her car to take him back to the Chateau.


[hr]

“Wake up, Dharc!” The call for him to stir himself was quickly followed by a pillow to the face. “If you don’t get up, I’ll make you.”

“I’m up! I’m up!” Dharc cried out as he rolled out of bed and straight down onto the hard, stone floors. “Ow, did you really need to be so violent?”

Dharc rubbed his head with both hands, checking to make sure the fall hadn’t caused blood to get mixed in with his black hair.

“I have to with you.” Lyna held her hands to her side in annoyance. “This is the fourth time I’ve tried to wake you up today, anything short of that won’t work.”

Dharc frowned as he finally got himself on his feet, yawning as he did so.

“Still asleep?” Lyna raised her staff above her head, motioning that she’d hit him if he responded affirmatively.

“Mayb- OW! I’m awake!” Dharc stumbled as his sister’s staff whacked him on the shoulder several times.

“Good.” Lyna smiled coyly. “See you in the dining hall in ten.”

Dharc sighed as his sister skipped off, giving a dangerously cheery smile as she closed the door behind herself.

In his career thus far at the academy, he’d never figured out how she could get into his room whenever she wanted to. All doors in the building were locked tight by the Headmistress’s magical items, of which she kept hidden away; out of reach of any curious students. The only person who could open a door would be the student residing in the room or the Headmistress herself.

Dharc stood still for a moment, taking in the morning breeze that crawled in through the open window overlooking the school grounds. The Spellcaster Academy was an unusual sight for those who first gaze upon it. Based within the walls of a massive castle- a citadel, more like- the school itself only comprised itself of the western-most part, a beautiful location along the western walls that gave a clear look at the mountains and forests to the north and the ocean to the southwest.

Dharc, unfortunately, never looked upon that beautiful sight. He was sure lucky, his sister would always tell him, being able to look out over the city, and see La Maison towering on the other side of the citadel, view the intricate buildings, walkways, hanging gardens, and anything else the magical city could showcase.

Of course Dharc would always respond that the smoke and stench from the city always made his eyes water, so what was the point in looking out over it if he could never really keep his eyes open long enough to see it?

Though they’d grown up together in the city, Dharc had always had a different temperament to himself than Lyna did. After all, for three years, as children, back when Lyna could hardly remember, they’d lived as street urchins. Lyna was too young to fend for herself, so Dharc had spent the majority of his time trying to find food to feed the both of them. Sometimes he’d even steal a toy or something else to keep her entertained.

He’d slowly grown sick of the city as time progressed, but his sister never did. She’d always managed to see the brighter side of things, maybe that was why when they were brought into the academy, she’d been almost immediately placed as a spellcaster of light. Maybe it was all the work Dharc had to do to keep her happy that allowed for that.

“Dharc!”

The boy snapped to attention, and looked down out of the window to find the voice that had called. Somehow, without him noticing, he must have been slowly edging towards the window, and one observant priest had noticed him from the ramparts below.

“Father Kycoo, good morning!”

“I see you’re up late once again, Dharc.” Kycoo tried his best to look cheerful, which was always a challenge with the right side of his face brutally scarred from a battle with an evil spirit that had attempted to posses him many years before. “Did your sister get you moving or did you finally figure out how to do it yourself?”

Dharc didn’t have much of an answer, only letting out a small chuckle.

“Ah, well. You’d better get down to the dining hall. I hear that the cooking staff made some excellent scones this morning.”

“Only heard?”

“While I trust the cooking staff to make the best with what they have… I suppose I don’t really trust what they have.”

“Even ‘excellent’ is a relative term, I guess.”

“Well when the consensus ‘best tasting dish’ almost kills you of food poisoning, you tend to become a little bit skeptical.”

“So is that where you got that scar?”

Kycoo chuckled, with anyone else, that may have been taken offensively. “It wouldn’t surprise me. Though I’m not sure if anyone’s had memory damage from food poisoning alone. Speaking of which, though, have I ever told you the story of how I got this scar?”

“Not from you, no.”

“Heh, well, I guess rumors would pop up, well it all started whe-“

“Dhaaaaarc!”

“Another time then.” Kycoo finished, cutting himself off as Lyna’s voice rose up from the lower wall that ran below and perpendicular to the one Kycoo stood upon.

“Dharc! What are you doing? You should be getting ready!” Lyna looked infuriated, which was normal this time of day, Dharc was never on time. “And who is that you’re talking to?”

“Good morning, Lyna.” Kycoo called down as he leaned forward over the parapet.

“Father Kycoo? You should know better than to keep Dharc occupied, we’re going to be late for class.”

“Oh, I’m sure that won’t be a problem. The masters here are very understanding if student’s do not arrive on time. It’s in the school’s teachings to show patience.”

“Yeah, Lyna, listen to the man.”

“Shut it, Dharc. And Father, making sure that students stay responsible is also an important teaching of the school, one that includes showing up to obligations on time.”

“Hm... I suppose you have a point.” Without even changing tone, Kycoo looked back up. “Dharc, if you do not show up to class on time today, I will make sure that you are not allowed meals for a week and will be given extra home work.”

“What the hell?”

“You have five minutes remaining.”

“Oh, come on!” That was enough to get him moving, as both Kycoo and Lyna could tell from the racket that was Dharc tripping over himself to get dressed.

“Thanks, father.” Lyna called up from below before sprinting off towards the dining hall to grab something on her way to class.

Kycoo nodded in response.

“Well, looks like you’re as collected as ever.” A shrill voice, like an old woman’s, called to the ghost destroyer from behind him.

“Maggie, back already?” Kycoo welcomingly walked over to the cat who had silently snuck up, along with a rather odd looking bird that perched itself atop the palisade.

“Not soon enough, I think. I mean, really, you couldn’t begin to imagine the things I do for the Headmistress.”

“I’m sure you’ll find time to tell me about it.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Maggie hopped up next to the bird and pulled the letters from its beak. “Would you mind carrying these?”

“It’d be my pleasure.”

As Kycoo took the envelopes, oversized as compared to the feline, Maggie unhooked the makeshift reigns she had placed over the bird and shooed it away. “Now then. Would you walk with me? I have to deliver these letters to the Headmistress and I’m not too sure I can carry them by myself.”

“Certainly, but… could you have not simply flown up there with that bird of yours?”

“Well first off, it’s not mine.”

“Droll’s then?”

“Hah! Good guess. Secondly, that thing was giving so little energy by the end of that flight, I’m pretty sure it would have hit the castle walls while trying to make her window.”

“Sounds like some journey.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” The cat moaned as she stretched her limbs and the two started walking off along the ramparts towards the central towers.


[hr]

“Please give me some food?”

“No.”

“Please? I didn’t have breakfast.”

“You should be thankful you’ll be getting any food for the next week.” Lyna took a bite out of a muffin she’d nabbed from the dining hall on the way to class, to Dharc’s dismay. “You walked in here only seconds before class started, and honestly, if I were the only with authority, I’d take away your meals anyway.”

Dharc slumped forward over his desk in gloom until another voice chimed in to raise him out… partially.

“Don’t be so hard on him, Lyna. He’s just not a morning person.”

Lyna turned around to stare down the calm looking blue-haired girl behind her. “But he’s always late, Eria, if I don’t get him up every morning, he’d probably miss class completely!”

“Is that necessarily a problem?” The green haired girl sitting beside Eria entered into the conversation. “I mean, this IS an elemental studies class. He’s a Charmer, doesn’t that mean he can ace this class in his sleep?”

“Wynn, does have a point, Lyna.” Dharc attempted re-entering the fray, even if Lyna basically boxed him out

“It’s not just about that though! He needs to be more responsible about these things. It’s an important life lesson to get places early and on time.”

“Early AND on ti-.” Dharc was met with a hand to the back of his head.

“You know what I mean!”

“Could you keep it down?!” The whole conversation came to a screeching halt as the agitated voice came up from beside Lyna. “Some of us are trying to read.”

A red-headed girl glowered menacingly at the others, her teeth partially showing to let them know that she meant business.

“But, Hiita… you’re not reading…” Dharc pointed past Hiita, directing everyone’s attention to the brunette sitting on the far side of her. “Aussa is.”

“Thank you for quieting them, Hiita.” Aussa murmured.

“Yeah, don’t mention it.” Hiita snapped back to Dharc, giving him the evil eye. “But I better not catch you doing it again.”

“I wasn’t even the one yelling!” Dharc whined.

Hiita paused for a second, maybe as a precautionary measure make sure that Dharc realized that he was yelling. “Could have fooled me.”

“We’re sorry, Hiita, we’ll keep it down for Aussa from now on,” Eria apologized.

“I’ll hold you to that.” Hiita leaned back in her chair, a toothpick waving around in her mouth as she closed her eyes.

An awkward silence followed, lasting for a few seconds until Wynn chimed in. “So did you all hear the one about the tadpole and the pink sheep?”

At the pure randomness of the comment, every one of them burst out laughing.

“Hey, I thought I told you to keep quie-!”

“The teacher is here.” Aussa pulled on Hiita’s cloak, motioning for her- who’d jumped out of her seat to confront the others- to sit down.

The whole classroom silenced themselves, not out of respect, but out of curiosity. This was not their normal teacher.

“I’m sorry, but Mistress Doriado is currently in a meeting with the Headmistress, so I’ll be teaching this class today. My name is Madame Loviatar, I’m the Exemplar at this school.”

“A substitute?” Eria quietly whispered.

“Must be important for Doriado to be pulled out of class for.”

“Droll isn’t here either.” Aussa mumbled to Hiita.

“I wonder what it’s about?”


[hr]

The Headmistress’s office had some of the best natural lighting in the school. With windows all over, there was hardly a time of day where the room looked anywhere near bleak.

There wasn’t too much adornment either, the Headmistress kept that sort of thing for more important rooms in the building. Her focus was always simply to make her guests feel comfortable, not overwhelmed, in a good state of mind to do business or get things done.

“So is this all of them, Maggie?”

“Yes, Madame, it was just those two.” The cat sat on the edge of the Headmistress’s desk.

“If you wouldn’t mind me asking, Madame.” Kycoo stood in the middle of the room, alongside Mistress Doriado. “What was in the letters that was so important as to call us here?”

“Well, one was just the Puddingcess speaking as she usually does, but the other,” The Headmistress picked up the letter, her black gloved hand moving over the page as she read it again, “Is a bit more serious.”

“How serious is it?” Doriado wrung her hand nerviously.

“There’s something that she’d like us to take care of.”

“A request for aid?” Kycoo folded his arms, surprised. “We haven’t had one of those in a while. What level of skill does the task require?”

Mistress Doriado wrung her hands as the Headmistress took her time to respond. “Lady Northwemko?”

The headmistress smiled. “Doriado, get your apprentices together, I think it’s about time for their first field experience.”[/spoiler]
[spoiler='Cards in Chapter 1']By Order of Appearance:
Madolche Messengelato
Droll and Lock Bird
Magicat
Madolche Marmamaid
Dharc the Dark Charmer
Lyna the Light Charmer
Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
Eria the Water Charmer
Wynn the Wind Charmer
Hiita the Fire Charmer
Aussa the Earth Charmer
Magical Exemplar
Elemental Mistress Doriado
Divine Grace - Northwemko

Mentioned:
Madolche Puddingcess[/spoiler]

[Ｄｈａｒｃ]

I enjoyed it very much. You focused less on the descriptions of the world as you did on the characterization of the protagonists, which I think is a fairly good way to start off a fic.

Also, I enjoyed it simply because it involved my precious Charmers.

Well, long story short, keep at it. If you don't make any more of this, I'll ensure that your familiar possesses you.

[Agro]

[quote name='-Dharc-' timestamp='1343405500' post='5990220']
I enjoyed it very much. You focused less on the descriptions of the world as you did on the characterization of the protagonists, which I think is a fairly good way to start off a fic.

[b]MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.[/b]

Also, I enjoyed it simply because it involved my precious Charmers.

[b]I had to keep stopping and ask myself why I was writing about you.[/b]

Well, long story short, keep at it. If you don't make any more of this, I'll ensure that your familiar possesses you.
[/quote]D8

Well, I HAVE planned future endeavors. Do you have any ideas for a name?

[Ｄｈａｒｃ]

Hmmm...That is tough. Oftentimes, the title is the hardest thing to decide upon. I'm sorry, but I'm drawing a blank on this one. I wish I could help more.

[Agro]

That's alright. At least I know I'll have a devoted reader.

I'm going to have so much fun tormenting you. >:3

[Ｄｈａｒｃ]

D=

At least make Wynn or Hiita fall in love with me, then.

[Agro]

[quote name='-Dharc-' timestamp='1343406526' post='5990227']
D=

At least make Wynn or Hiita fall in love with me, then.
[/quote]You'll get Wynn and Eria and you'll like it.

[Ｄｈａｒｃ]

Yay. Wynn is my favorite. But you're not gonna make Hiita a total tsundere?

[Agro]

[quote name='-Dharc-' timestamp='1343406620' post='5990229']
Yay. Wynn is my favorite. But you're not gonna make Hiita a total tsundere?
[/quote]Even better. I'll make her a lesbo >8D

No, actually, I'm not even sure, but the most basic idea was to make the love interests be Wynn and Eria.

[Ｄｈａｒｃ]

Looks like Aussa gets Hiita all...

*sunglasses*

Hot and bothered.

[Agro]

Oh god. What have I done?

[~British Soul~]

i read thought the entire first chapter and i liked the idea of a school for the Charmers, although i have one question: did you intentionally make Hiita a girl? because from what i read, Hiita was penciled down as a girl.

[Agro]

[quote name='~Dark Soul~' timestamp='1343407623' post='5990243']
i read thought the entire first chapter and i liked the idea of a school for the Charmers, although i have one question: did you intentionally make Hiita a girl?
[/quote]Yes. Because Hiita IS a girl.

Also, school isn't necessarily for charmers. They're just a few of many types of Spellcasters that attend.

[~British Soul~]

[quote name='Agro' timestamp='1343407723' post='5990244']
Yes. Because Hiita is a girl.

Also, school isn't necessarily for charmers. They're just a few of many types of Spellcasters that attend.
[/quote]
fair enough, although for some strange compelling reason, i always thought that Hiita was a boy

[Agro]

[quote name='~Dark Soul~' timestamp='1343407878' post='5990246']
fair enough, although for some strange compelling reason, i always thought that Hiita was a boy
[/quote][size=6][b]Look! Boobies![/b][/size]
[img]http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120514171646/yugioh/images/5/55/FamiliarPossessedHiita-TF04-JP-VG.jpg[/img]

[~British Soul~]

[quote name='Agro' timestamp='1343407976' post='5990248']
[size=6][b]Look! Boobies![/b][/size]
[/quote]
*realises Hiita is a girl BEFORE reading above post* i was actually looking at the Hiita cards to find the boobs, then i read that Dharc was the only male of the series which confirmed i was wrong about not only Hiita but Aussa too, i originally thought Aussa was a boy as well, unti i took a closer look at the Charmer and Familiar possessed Aussa to find the boobs

[Agro]

[quote name='~Dark Soul~' timestamp='1343408512' post='5990257']
*realises Hiita is a girl BEFORE reading above post* i was actually looking at the Hiita cards to find the boobs, then i read that Dharc was the only male of the series which confirmed i was wrong about not only Hiita but Aussa too, i originally thought Aussa was a boy too, unti i took a close look at the Charmer and Familiar possessed Aussa to find the boobs
[/quote]lulzy. Yeah, the main thing about them all was that they were all girls. Then Dharc came along and changed that, though you'll still find arguments as to whether he's actually a boy.

Might as well ask you if you have name ideas while I'm here, too.

[~British Soul~]

[quote name='Agro' timestamp='1343408577' post='5990259']
lulzy. Yeah, the main thing about them all was that they were all girls. Then Dharc came along and changed that, though you'll still find arguments as to whether he's actually a boy.

Might as well ask you if you have name ideas while I'm here, too.
[/quote]
yea, i agree with there still being debates about Dharc's gender.

as for a name....hm... Spritual Elements? Yugioh: Spiritual Elements - A Charmer's tale? that's all i can think of atm

[Agro]

[quote name='~Dark Soul~' timestamp='1343409120' post='5990269']
yea, i agree with there still being debates about Dharc's gender.

as for a name....hm... Spritual Elements? Yugioh: Spiritual Elements - A Charmer's tale?
[/quote]I actually don't want to use Yugioh in the title at all. And the last part seems a bit cheesy.

But Spiritual Elements could work. I'll have to think it over.

[~British Soul~]

[quote name='Agro' timestamp='1343409192' post='5990270']
I actually don't want to use Yugioh in the title at all. [b]fair enough, though i can understand that[/b]
And the last part seems a bit cheesy. [b]i was planning on not using that line at all[/b]

But Spiritual Elements could work. I'll have to think it over.
[/quote]
yea, i got the idea of that name from the Spiritual Art cards and the fact that the Charmers take up all of the attributes

[Agro]

[quote name='~Dark Soul~' timestamp='1343410033' post='5990293']
yea, i got the idea of that name from the Spiritual Art cards and the fact that the Charmers take up all of the attributes
[/quote]Yeah, so I'm going to actually use that. Thanks.

[Ｄｈａｒｃ]

Say, will the Familiar-Possessed forms get anything in this fic, Agro?

[Agro]

[quote name='-Dharc-' timestamp='1343412287' post='5990318']
Say, will the Familiar-Possessed forms get anything in this fic, Agro?
[/quote]Probably. I do plan on following a few storylines here or there. I'm sure we'll get to Familiar-Possessed stages at some point.

[Agro]

Bumpity

[Agro]

Bump for posters.