Unoriented

[Minoas Stratis]

Cold rain was pelting the tall windows of the student lounge with a hypnotising beat. Minoas was sitting on the window's seat, reading his newspaper until lightning flashed outside. It spookily illuminated the chandeliers and the floor candlesticks, imprinting for a brief moment grim shadows on the walls. He set the paper on his laps and he looked outside. Stark, leafless trees were swaying wildly in the wind. The day only sunny and bright some minutes ago, was now dark and shadowed. The storm outside was raging and the icy wind stole through the cracks in the window. It snaked delicately around his skin, raising goosebumps. He picked the newspaper and stood up, deciding to search for a more cozy place to finish the article he was reading. He didn't have to go far. Just at the armchair facing the empty fireplace. He pointed an open palm at the dry wood piled neatly inside the fireplace and orange flames spread a golden, flickering gleam in the dark and moody room. Sweet warmth engulfed his body and after staring at the cracking fire for a while with glazed eyes, he resumed reading.

The European Oracle he had in his hands was mainly focusing on news about the wider wizardry community of Europe. The headlines were referring mostly to the European Quidditch Championship, the new school of magic opening in Montenegro and the scandal regarding the extramarital adventures of the Italian Minister of Magic. He read mostly the articles about the new school of magic and the upcoming Championship and just browsed through the eventful life of the Italian minister. His eyes caught a glimpse of the words 'New Zealand' and he skipped to the global news. It was a shock to find out that New Zealanders were going to vote for a new Minister of Magic. He just then realized for how long he was confined in his ivory tower. He had actually alienated himself from far more than just the current political situation of the country he had spend most part of his life. He had dismissed from his mind the main reason that had him enroll at Zardosh Academy.

Not exactly completely forgotten but more like disregarded. A feeling of uneasiness overwhelmed him as reminders resurfaced inside him. For almost a year now he was studying at the academy, earning knowledge which was once intended for a specific goal. The main reason he was studying Elemental Magic, as well as other advanced branches of magic, was in order to confront the Scitorari one day and get answers about his father's six years disappearance. This was his agenda at the beginning but as he was making new friends and started enjoying the after Hogwarts student life, he started postponing the research that would help him collect information about the Scitorari and more specifically, the sect call themselves the Elementalists. He tried to defend himself in his head. How he could possibly do that on his own? One against a whole organization that Merlin knew of how many members it consisted of. Minoas lowered his gaze on the floor, utterly ashamed for giving up his cause. He had broke his promise to himself and he had gave up on his own father.

His jaw clenched as he found his long, lost reason to be. He had to restart from somewhere. A clue, a rumor, just anything. He was about to turn the page when his grey eyes fell on something extremely peculiar but interesting. A thunder boomed outside the windows as he focused on a small article, not really promoted with the huge headlines like those of the minister's scandal. According to the less important article, an old alchemist named Ignacio Vovk was claiming that the recent, extreme meteorogical phenomenons around the world weren't exactly the natural disasters they looked like but calamities caused by malicious wizards and witches. The alchemist was openly accusing the Elementalists for the recent tsunamis in Indonesia, the earthquakes in Japan, the typhoons in the United States, even for the explosion of Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland. All part of a power display from the notorious organization. The ninety three years old alchemists didn't stop there. He suggested that the other sects of the Scitorari subgroups were also working on undercover projects, naming the creation of a big army of undeads, mind manipulation experiments and the invention of new, powerful potions. The article was concluding against the alchemist's allegations, directly doubting the elder's sources and even implying that the once standout alchemist had lost touch with reality.

Minoas lowered slightly the newspaper and his gaze lingered on the fireplace's flickering flames. He couldn't help but wonder what were up to those people. If the alchemist's claims were valid, why they were triggering natural disasters, creating armies of Inferius or searching for ways to manipulate the masses? It was so loud inside his head with so many questions that he hardly perceived the presence of someone else in the lounge. Sunday morning were really quiet around the academy's premises. Only a few students were staying there when most of them preferred to visit their families overseas. He glanced over his shoulder to see who had just entered the empty room.

 

[Melody Wilde]

Melody woke up early this Sunday morning. The mountaintop castle that was her school had an unusual feel to it. It wasn't that it was deathly quiet exactly. On the weekend people often went home to see their family or friends it was more that there was an energy to the atmosphere even though looks through the window it looked like it would be a perfect sunny winters day she could feel that there was a change coming. She quickly dressed in a slightly proxy looks skirt and top, charictoristics her style and grabbed her violin and headed up to the top of the tower. After the first few notes came quivering off the bow she started to enter the zone that many musicians reach where the rest of the world doesn't matter it is just them and he music. After a few minutes where she played some stuff she had been working on for class she decided to press forward to the next level, where instead of her and the music it was the music and the air. She was just the way of channeling the power. She had been able to do this since she was really young and had just started playing the violin. However it was only recently that she had started to be able to really control what she was doing through her training at the school in both elemental and music magic. It was then that she realised what the energy she had felt this morning was for. on the horizon and getting bigger every second was a storm drawing closer and closer. As it drew nearer her sences were even more heightened, she was deeply connected to the storm but also immune to its effects. She felt the wind whip her hair around her face into what she knew would be so nitty she would have a pain brushing it, she felt the rain like minni electric shocks on her skin but she didn't felt the cold, as lond as she was playing she had too much energy to feel the cold. She kept playing. Master of the winds. Or that what it felt like to her, to anyone who was watching she would probably look like an idiot being half blown away as she played. Each roll of thunder was like a clap of applause, each lightening flas was an aditional boost to play harder. Eventually she felt the weary arms slowing down, her notes slower and heavier. And she knew she had plaid enough. She had gotten too carried away given more energy than she had taken something she was still finding it hard to control and eventually she couldn't keep going, she instead sat in the floor heart beetling and breatng heavily the rain now feeling like wet spots pounding on her already water logs body. She stood up, her breathing coming a little lighter than the deep panting breaths as she made her way down From the tower the inside if the school feeling distant to her still high of the music. As she descended the stairs she started to feel more grounded and along with that came the cold, penitrating her to the bones. How long had she been out there?
She stopped in the first commonroom she passed and was pleased to see that there was a fire roaring in the hearth, she stepped accross the threshold and was halfway accross the room when she saw that there was already someone in the room. And a second longer to see who it was. Minoas, the boy who she had met on the boat and who was. Her elemental classes. g-goodmorning, I th-thought ev-veryone who was left would still be at breakfast she said not realising that it was nearer to lunch time. Shivers being clear in her voice. She must look like a right state there soaking in freezing water in shorts in the middle of winter. ho-w-'s your weekend g-owing? she asked. More to make conversation than everything though she didn't really truly trust the boy the school was too quiet without conversation. Possably one of the problems growing up in a group of Irish gypsys you were used to loud.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas watched the virtuoso fiddler coming his way. He was having Elemental Magic with the girl but they hadn't really talked ever since they first met. Minoas had formed the opinion of Melody being a somewhat secretive person, not trusting easily others and this had him on guard. He was wary himself of who his was talking to and what he was sharing so he knew from experience that there was something she could be hiding. He had dismissed the idea of her being associated with the Scitorari. Probably she was the most benevolent person in the academy. Nevertheless, although they were both members of the Delta faction, they hadn't tried to get to know each other. Perhaps now they had the chance. With the Elementalia just a few weeks away, he had to socialize with as many people from his faction, who were also attending Elemental Magic classes. Elementalia were survival games and the participants were divided into teams left in the wilderness to survive the elements, permitted only to cast Elemental based magic and nothing more. The members of the same team have to cooperate in order to survive the tasks and the obstacles they were going to face. The last one standing team was going to get the trophy. It was a mandatory part of their class but even if it wasn't, Minoas would have participated. It was a test for what he had learned so far.

He glanced at her as she came closer and couldn't help but notice her wet clothes and disheveled hair. "Good morning Melody." he greeted politely. "Everyone but me and you." he added and looked around at the empty room. The wind howled outside like a ravenous wolf and for a moment his attention was drawn out of the window. The bough of a naked tree was bending under the force of the vicious gust. "Did you just started this storm?" he asked her. Minoas knew that Melody was talented in changing weather conditions. Not to such a great scale to trigger such a storm. At least what she had demonstrated to their classes were short downpours that lasted a couple of minutes but it was still remarkable. The weather's drastic change could have been the work of magic. Not that it couldn't be just mother nature demonstrating her immense power. "It could have been better." he admitted as he had done nothing special the previous day. "Studying for alchemy actually. It is one tough subject." he said about the most time consuming class he had picked. It could literally drain a whole day to revise just the material taught during a week's time. "How about you? Did you visited your family?" he asked in return and folded the newspaper.

 

[Melody Wilde]

Melody was starting to feel the warmth of the fire warming her. She liked open fires. Bonfires were some of her best memories in her childhood. Unfortunately she wasn't particually skilled with fire, but she used to have fin when she was about twelve playing with the smoke and making it into pictures. That was until Rosie told her off for it. Though she still had a sneaky play every now and hen sometimes earning her the stirn glare of the older lady. maybe I should go and get something. I am ravenous she said the mornings playing really had drained her a lot. She felt exhausted, and ravenous, ghrough the energy she had been playing with had been so worth it. When asked if she had started the storm she almost laughed. She did like storms. And could if she wanted to play a fairly decent one but nothing like this "nice that someone thinks so high of my talents but no. That storm has far to much energy for me to keep up with
When he said that he had been studying for alchemy she nodded. [bThat sounds like a cough class from the start[/b] she said knowing that although they were both studying elemental magic that was where thir common classes ended. Whilst she was studying what many of the students dismissed as the arts classes, Minoas was far more into his academia. Though sometimes she thought some of them were a little jealousy, not necesserily Minoas but some of the girls who were studying something hard like ancient history before going to do some kind of exercise or always dieting when for her an afternoon in the dance room was study, and it burnt off more than enough to feed her love of hot chips.
The thought of her going back to her family was not someting she did often. oh no! I only go back to my family. E holidays, though some weekends I will go and play in fairs and festavles she said. She always loved the atmosphere in fairs both muggle and wizard were fun. Though at the muggle ones she did have to keep reminding herself not to use magic. do you ever go back to visit your family?" she asked she knew he was often around the school at the weekend but that didn't mean he didn't visit his family or friends.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

From what she just said, Minoas thought that Melody must have missed breakfast to instead practice her music. He had came across her several times around the academy's corridors. Always with her precious violin in her hands. People exhibiting zeal about what they liked always earned his respect. He was once a zealous spell-crafter but his love about this art was pushed off the headlines long ago. The amount of work he used to had at Hogwarts was nothing compared to the workload of the five subjects he was studying. Alchemy was the most complicated one. He let a weak smile when she defined it as a tough one. "Better not start listing the reasons why so few students are studying it." he commented, deciding it was better not to analyze it. Alchemy was one of the few classes necessitating the Unbreakable Vow taken by every student choosing to study the subject. They were prohibited to disclose anything discussed during classes with the exception of other alchemists. Regardless, Minoas was quite sure that Melody Wilde would hardly ever be interested in this ancient science.

It looked like they had something in common. Like her, he wasn't visiting his family that often. Not until holidays anyway. He didn't want to get too distracted from his studies and he was pretty sure that the trip back to the academy was going to be a heavy one. "That sounds great. Perhaps next time I could come with you at a festival." he suggested. The events held around the academy were good ones but a short escape from the academy was always welcomed. "I don't visit my family that often but they visited me last weekend." he said and smiled at the thought of this nice surprise. His mother and his younger brothers had travelled all the way to Austria. He was so happy to see their faces again. He toured them around Vienna and they had the chance to dine together like they used to. It was certainly a refreshing reunion.

It was a custom for his family to have big dinners. The hostess was sometimes his mother, his grandmother or his aunts but the point was that closest family members had the time to socialize and strengthen their bonds. While this wasn't possible with the breakfast long gone and the lunch a few hours away, they still had the cafeteria. The academy's cafeteria was a combination of Leaky Cauldron and Honeydukes. At least that was how it was considered by Minoas. It was themed after both muggle and wizardry fairy tales with large mushrooms for tables and toadstools for seats. Melody had mentioned that she was hungry and while she could get something to eat there, he could also get a coffee. "Let's pay a visit at the Land of Fairy tales." he referred to the cafeteria with its official name. "I would really like a coffee but this would be just a cheap excuse to get some of those delicious caramel muffins." he admitted with a guilty grin. Although he was on a healthy diet as demanded by his Elemental Magic training, he was sometimes indulging in less healthy eating habits.

 

[Melody Wilde]

Melody nodded when minoas said best not discuss the reasons so few students were taking alchemy. It was possibly one of the courses the school offered that was least appealing to her. from what she knew about it it was just far to technical, there was no disguising the fact that she was more of the creative sort. The fact that he didn't see his family often intrigued her. "is their any reason that you don't see them, or just like it here" she asked hoping that he wouldn't ask her back. she had sort of gotten her cover story good, but there were some holes in it, like the fact she apparently lived in a small town in australia with her family, but didn't know any more about it than its name. and her family had been gone for so long, it was sad but she couldn't remember much about them. like the sound of her dad when he got home in the evening, or the smell of her mam.
when Minoas said that he would lke to come to the next market, or some market she nodded. "The next one i am going to is in Orléans." she said. "an annual joan of arc festival" she added. she was looking forward to it, as she was an official employee of the event she was to dress up. and she had her costume ready.
At the news that his mam and brothers had come and visited him a couple of weekends ago she smiled. those were YOUR brothers who were running down the corridors?"[/b] she asked joking. she had seen a couple of younger people in the common room and cafeteria last week but hadn't really payed attention to them.
se was starting to feel more grounded again. her stomach continued to rumble, getting louder if anything. though she was still up in the air enough to not feel too much but she was fairly sure that as soon as she started to eat she would become ravenous due to the energy she had used. "good plan." she said "they should have hot chips" she said. they were her favourite. "Or maybe something more earthy like a strong coffee and some hot banana bread, but ooh those muffins are good" she said. now not sure what she wanted. she got up slowly her body aching slightly. the kind of ache if she had been dancing all day and really pushing herself. "do you want to go down now or are you finishing things off." she said playing a few notes on the violin sending a half hearted breeze through the room opening the room door slightly. though it was not particularly strong as she was still practically drained. she probably wouldn't be able to use strong magic for a good few hours.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Her question echoed strangely inside his head and as he sought for an answer he realized he didn't really had one. Unconsciously, he had chosen to stay away from. He feared that his future actions could hurt them so he had decided on keeping a distance. In the end, he managed to force a smile which turned into a genuine one. "Let's say I like the quietness of this place at weekends. Plus, I don't want to fail alchemy. If I was visiting my family every weekend, I wouldn't have time to study." he referred to the subject's difficulty, discussed a minute earlier.

Minoas had never been to the United States and he had heard/read the best about New Orleans. He could recall a family permanently residing there, from his family's coven. "Sounds great. Let me know when the festival is close. I would like to come." he stated, once more hoping he wasn't invading her life. It was a long time ago since he had tried to properly socialize. He was afraid he was doing it the wrong way but Melody was easygoing, and even found great his idea of going to Tales. "Let's go now." he suggested and stood up, dropping the folded newspaper on his seat. The fire in the fireplace cracked in a last attempt to tempt the young adults to stay. The pleasant warmth was endearing but the prospect of a cup of coffee with a sugary treat had won him.

Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridors. The Academy was once the chateau of a nobleman who had donated it to become an institute for wizarding higher education after his death. Everything looked opulent. From the gleaming wood floors covered in loving throw rugs to the sheer curtains like mist on the wall of floor to ceiling windows, that faced the chateau's grounds which extended to a river. The furnishings were old but had a story to tell, so they had to be antiques with what looked like hand-carved workmanship. The spiral, grand staircase of green marble was matched with a grand chandelier, of thousands of small crystals like tears. They descended to reach the lower levels, where the café was located. It was the only place in the whole chateau that stood out of the rest luxurious decoration.

The café was an artificial woodland of snaking branches, trickling waterfalls, will-o-the-wisp lights, weird demons lurking in mirrors, various illusions and, of course, real fairies flattering around. Minoas was one of the lot of students who enjoyed the novelty of it and there were a lot of times he was studying there. "I was thinking of opening a similar shop back at home but of course I'll need first the appropriate capital." he stated as they stepped inside the woods. A few people were enjoying themselves with the company of friends or of a good book but there were plenty of empty tables under the trees. They made a beeline for the display where all sorts of cupcakes, muffins, pies, sandwiches, pizzas and other baked products were in display for students to choose. Minoas ordered a coffee as well as a variety of sweet rolls such as cinnamon, almond and hazelnut chocolate rolls, all included in a woven basket for him to share with Melody. He waited for her to make her order as well at the beaming, young metamorphmagus behind the counter, who had turned her hair green and her ears pointy to look like an elf. When they paid and received their goods, Minoas led the way to the closest table, under the branch of an alder tree. "It is a temptation, isn't it?" he smiled and placed his coffee and the woven basket of sweets on the round table, resembling a large toadstool. It was hard to make a decision while facing so many good stuff and with the scent of freshly baked pastry wafting in the air. "You got any plans after graduating?" he asked as soon as they were both seated. He had mentioned he would like to open a place like this café once he had the money and thought he should continue their conversation from there. Convinced that the coffee was still too hot to try, he picked up an almond roll from the basket and took a bite.

 

[Melody Wilde]

Melody chuckled when he said the place was quiet on the weekends, "you fail alchemy? If you are even half as good at it as you seem you will have no problems she said, as for the school being quiet on the weekends, he obviously wan't hanging in the same parts of the school she was, she had a reputation of being noisy, not in a particularly proud or obnoxious way, but after all studying music, song and dance magic were not usually the quiet kinds of subjects. thankfully the practice rooms were soundproofed, (and a lot of other things proofed) meaning she could practice for ages without disturbing anyone. she liked the second last room on the left as it had a window out over the grounds and was one of the few who's window could be opened, if she wanted some fresh air to play with, though she had to be careful not to set a storm loose. though she had often set one loose inside the room. thinking back she was sure the next occupant would be wondering what had gone on in there even though she had tried to clean up, she didn't do anywhere near as well with water on the ground than water in the air.
when minoas said that he would like to go to the orleans festival she smiled, it had been ages since she had traveled with anyone, and had a festival with a friend. "sure i will let you know? how is your french? not that it is key, it is a rather tourist area, but a little helps" she said wondering if he spoke any of the language? she did a bit, but hardly enough to be proficient, but she did find even please, thank you, hello and possibly counting helped, and people seemed to be nicer if you made an effort.
as the newspaper made the flames burn brighter, she plucked a few stings, once again letting out a few notes. this time the light breeze made its way through the flames sculpting them into the shape of a person on a horse before turning back to a normal flame again. so got back onto her feet, her legs still a little wobbly but a lot better than they were before. before they got up and started making their way out of the room. they walked down the corridors their footsteps echoing off the high ceilings and fine old paintings. eventually they reached the cafe. and minoas's comment opening a cafe like this made her chuckle. "you can't spend years studying alchemy then open a cafe. it would be such a waste, you besides i have heard they are a lot harder to run than they look. but if you decide on that, well your next alchemy exam or whatever you were studying isn't really a problem" she said. remembering one of rosies friends who owned a cafe near to where she had grown up, and how she always said how log the days were. she looked at the food in front of them. she laughed as minoas ordered before placing her own deciding that se wanted something savoury to ground her she ordered a vegetarian pizza for them to share. making sure it had plenty of mushrooms. somehow she had decided that mushrooms were one of the most earthy food and the best at grounding her after a lot of playing and she also ordered a long black coffee. "it is always too tempting, that is why i usually go to the main canteen" she said. food from the main canteen was all included in the schooling where as the fairy tale was extra, and she didn't exactly have that much spare cash.
the question of what to do after graduating, she thought for a few moments not sure what to say. She hadn't really decided. "maybe i will travel a bit, keep paying a fairs and festivals, whichever way the wind takes me" she said. a vague enough answer to match her vague thoughts, but also not giving anything away about her family, as although minoas SEEMED nice enough she was still guarded, she had to be, especially when it came to her past and her family.