FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

James' first impression of Dorian-5 was that it was very hot and muggy. This wasn't really a surprise, as it WAS a jungle world after all, but it still began to bother him from the moment he walked off the ship. Luckily, his Arcian robes adjusted almost instantly, growing much lighter and colder very rapidly, but it wasn't much of an improvement overall. Algon was also very annoyed by the humidity; the wet air didn't suit him in the slightest. In fact, Delta was probably the only one that didn't mind it, most likely because his home planet was a very wet place.

Rioyda itself was very small, about the same size as the section of the Quintessium located near Synthesis. Most of the buildings were partially augmented with spacial magic, but that didn't stop them from feeling very clumped together when compared to the vast, open grounds that he was used to.

Like Sherru had said, Master Geo, the assistance to Master Graten, was waiting for them when they landed. They followed him down to the dormitories, where they were assigned a single room due to the lack of space. Afterward, they were left to unpack and prepare for the school-wide announcement later that day.

"So, what sort of school is Rioyda?" James asked as he unfolded his robes and hung them in the closet, shoving aside Delta's suits to make room.

"What do you mean exactly? It's a school."

"I mean, what do the students here study? I get it's not the Arcane Quintessium, but you'd think it would need to be a bit bigger in order to accommodate everyone."

"I'm not sure," Algon admitted. "I understand your point, though. Maybe this is a specialized school of sorts. It could teach only one specific affinity, which would explain why it's so small."

Lydia shook her head. "I don't think that's it. They wouldn't make a school for a single affinity. There are simply too many for an idea like that to work. I'll bet that this is a research school. Students probably come here from places like the Arcane Quintessium in order to conduct studies."

"What would they be researching?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Probably something on Dorian-5 is interesting enough to invest time into studying. Still not sure why the tournament was held here, though. It would have made much more sense to have it at a massive place like the Quintessium."

Everyone else shook their heads, also confused, but not really in the mood to care. Even inside the building, the humidity and heat were sapping their energy.

After they were finished unpacking, Master Geo led them to Rioyda's stadium, which was smaller than the Arcane Quintessium's, but still impressive.

"Hey, why does it just say announcements?" Delta asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Here look." Delta showed James the schedule that was floating above his amulet. The first event, which was about to start at any moment, simply just read 'Announcements'.

"I'm not sure. Maybe they aren't doing a huge ceremony like at the Quintessium."

Delta sat back, pouting just a little. "If that's true, it sucks. I was hoping to see Dragon-General Strike again."

"You do realize he or a different general will probably show up for the later rounds of the tournament, right? This isn't a small event, even if the location is teeny."

"Ok, fine. But then answer me this. If there are no opening ceremonies, and the Dragon-Generals won't be showing up yet, then who's doing the opening?"

"Like I said before, I don't know. Just wait and see."

The stadium filled up slowly as students from the other schools continued to arrive. The Quintessium was the only school that had brought two teams; James could see the other group sitting on the far side, and they were 4th-year students. Besides them, he didn't recognize anyone else.

Music began to play and mages walked out onto the field, lining up around a small podium.

"Who are those guys?" Delta whispered.

"Ooh, I think I know. They're like the Quintessium Defense Corps back at our school. You know, the guys that keep everything in order and running smoothly."

"So, they're like policemen," James thought. "There certainly are a lot of them, though. I wonder why?"

The crowd was quiet, with a couple of whispers floating through the air occasionally. This tournament seemed much more formal than the Quintessium's. Delta didn't like it; the lack of energy and excitement bothered his Aetherling senses and practically bored him to death.

"Hey, look!" said Algon, pointing down to one side of the stadium. "Someone's coming out."

A tall snake slithered out onto the stadium floor, tongue flicking every couple of seconds. It was very similar to something that might come out of a fantasy story, James thought. Of course, this snake didn't come out of one of those tales, instead originating in a hot desert world found near the center of the Celtrial Galaxy. He was a Hulian, a proud, snake-like species that had eventually developed a powerful affinity towards Space magic.

The snake made its way towards the podium, stopping for a brief moment to exchange some words with a guard. Hissing and rattling its tail, it created a sigil of white energy that floated to hover in front of its mouth.

"Hello, ssstudents," it said, voice echoing around the stadium. "My name issss Headmassster Nu. I run thissss essstablishment, the famed research ssschool of Rioyda, and I welcome all of you to the Inter-Sssschool tournament for thisss year."

Every team clapped and there were a couple of cheers. Nu smiled, which looked quite chilling on a snake, as he looked at them with cold eyes as his tongue flicked in and out.

"I am pleasssed that you were all able to accept my requessst to have the event held here thissss year. It isss an honor for this ssschool and I sincssserely hope that you all will have a wonderful time. Now, pleassse direct your attention to the Captain of my guard, Mr. Teilion."

He slithered back off the podium and out of the stadium, tongue still flicking in and out as he went.

"I don't like him," said Lydia decisively. "He gives me the chills."

"He's a snake," Delta joked. "He's always cold-blooded."

"You know what I mean. He just gives me the creeps."

"Quiet you two. You can talk about the weird Headmaster later, for now, we should listen to Mr. Teilion. He'll probably have something important to say."

"Holy cow! That guy's huge!"

Mr. Teilion was indeed massive, hulking above the rest of the guards. When he walked out, he had to duck beneath the doorframe in order to enter the stadium and when he took a step, the ground shook a bit.

"That's a master Earth Elementalist for you. He probably packs a nasty punch as well."

Although Earth Elementalists usually controlled the ground to attack, there were a couple of specialties that they could choose instead. One used the power of the ground to increase strength and size, a diluted form of the same magic that Globe, the Dragon-General of Earth, used. Mr. Teilion had obviously chosen that same path, easily discernable from his huge size and might.

When he reached the center of the stadium, he wisely chose not to step onto the small podium and instead just addressed the crowd, his voice booming out over the audience.

"Hello. I am Mr. Teilion, the Captain of Rioyda's guard. The tournament will be starting soon, but before that, I have a few important things to tell you about safety. First, the only inhabited place on Dorian-5 is Rioyda. Do not leave this complex, there is nothing out there that you need. Second, the native species of this planet are called the Ikirian. They will not reveal themselves to you. Do not attempt to interact with them. Do not leave the complex looking for them. They wish to remain in isolation. Third, there are only a few training spaces inside the complex. As such, the Ikirian have allowed us to use the area directly surrounding the complex for training. This area will be clearly marked and will count as part of the complex for the duration of the event. There are no creatures on this planet that can hurt you; the Ikirian have assured us of this. Do not go into the jungle and do not leave the training area. Thank you."

Clapping followed him as he made his way out of the stadium, followed by the guards. As this concluded the opening announcements, they all headed back to the dorms, talking as they walked.

"Well, that was frank."

"He is the Captain of the guard. It wouldn't make sense for him to beat around the bush on issues like security."

"I agree with you, although what was that about the native species? What were they called, the Ikirian?"

"I think so. I guess they're isolationists, but I've got no clue about what that entails. It does seem like they own this planet though; the way he talked made it sound like they were allowing us to use Dorian-5."

"Weird. I wonder what they look like?"

"Well, if the Captain's words have any merit then we won't be able to find out. He was pretty clear on that matter."

They entered back into the dorms and sat down in their room. The day was now much colder because it was growing late, but their arrival on the planet had them still filled with excitement.

"Hey James, by the way, are you going to get a weapon for the tournament?"

James looked over at Algon, a bit surprised. "Why would I do that? It would take too long to learn; there's no time."

"This tournament is just like your match with Ren, but on a much bigger scale. Without a weapon, you'll have a hard time beating the other schools. And besides, you showed quite an aptitude with that blade you made. Why don't you see if you can find a sword to train with? You should be able to at least grasp the basics."

James shook his head. "Like I said before, there's not enough time; I'd just make a fool of myself. I'll stick to my Pure Elementalism. It's what I know best and even if I don't have a weapon, I still should be ok."

"Alright, alright. I get it. Speaking of training, the tournament doesn't technically start until tomorrow. Do you guys want to go and check out the rest of Rioyda?"

Lydia shrugged. "I don't see why not. It'd be a good way to pass the time too."

"It's decided then!" Delta jumped up from his bed. "Let's go!"

He led the way out of the dorms and onto the main avenue of the school. Rioyda was divided into two halves. One side consisted of the few recreation and training buildings on the complex, with the dorms, a cafeteria, and a training gym, and they went there first. The cafeteria was nothing special, although it was much nicer than back at James' old school.

"Man, I'm already missing Salthor's," Delta complained.

"You visit there every day. I think you can take a break for a couple of months. Besides, there are still multiple options for food, just like back in Synthesis."

"I know, but it's just not the same!"

Algon and Lydia laughed at his antics before running over to snag a quick snack before they left. James took the time to actually check out all of the foods, and he wasn't disappointed with the selections. There was everything from something that was like fried squid to that Ussoca steak he had eaten on his first day.

He smiled. "Man, I didn't think that I would go from eating cheeseburgers and pizza to alien food in just under half a year. What a change."

"Hey, are you just going to stand there? We've still got more to look at!"

James turned to see Delta, Algon, and Lydia all looking at him expectantly. He smiled.

"Nah, I'm good. Let's go!"

The next spot they stopped at was the training room, mainly so James could compare it with the Darkessia. In line with his expectations, it didn't match up in the slightest. However, it did shock him how small it really was.

"Well, I guess we know now why the Ikirian gave permission to use the outskirts of the jungle to train."

No kidding!" Lydia said. "I think this entire room is only about 100 ft across. You guys could probably practice a couple of things on here, but Delta would be completely out of luck."

"Yeah," he said, taking a short jog from one side to the other. "I can cross this room in only a couple of seconds normally; if I was to actually use my speed I'd go straight through the wall!"

"We should go check out the jungle to see what kind of training environment it is."

"Wait, James. Before we do that, can we first head across to the classrooms and laboratories? I want to see if there are any places I can use to make some new Imagers for you."

"Of course. There's got to be something here you can use."

The other part of Rioyda, located on the far side of the central avenue, were primarily research laboratories and classrooms. Unfortunately, they all appeared to be locked with magical seals. Lydia was very unhappy, as she hadn't brought any Imagers with her for James to train with, but he promised that he would ask Master Geo or another mage if they could open a lab for a short time.

The final stop on their journey around Rioyda was on the outskirts of the complex. The school itself was in a clearing, so there was no lack of jungle to look at, but James' group went over to the section nearest the main entrance of the school.

"I guess this is the place Mr. Teilion was talking about," Algon said as they all peered into the thick undergrowth. The trees were close together, not letting in that much light, and vines and plants were everywhere. "I don't see how we can train in this place, though."

James checked his amulet. "We've got some extra time. Want to take a deeper look?"

"I don't know. It looks dangerous."

Delta sighed. "Come on, Lydia. Don't you remember what they said? There is nothing that can hurt you in the here. We should take a look; it'll at least give us a bit of a head start on the rest of the teams for our training."

Delta led the way, crossing over the boundary of the school and stepping onto one of the barely visible paths that wound away through the brush. "See, there's not even a wall or spell protecting the school. It's fine."

Lydia was still unsure, although she and the rest of them followed, heading deeper into the jungle. The trees blocked most of the sunlight, casting shadows across everything, and they could all hear the faint sounds of a bird's chirp as they ventured deeper. Nothing sounded though, no growls or anything else that would indicate the presence of a dangerous predator. James and Delta largely relaxed, although Algon remained on guard, just to reassure his friend.

Eventually, the path opened up to reveal a huge clearing, ringed with trees.

"This must be one of the training spaces," Delta said. He stretches his arms out and sighed. "Man, even though the air's still muggy, the sun feels really nice after all that shade."

"The grass is also really soft," Algon said as he plopped down. Lydia fell down next to him.

"Hey, Delta, want to take this place for a spin?"

Delta raised his eyebrows at James's comment.

"What are you saying?"

James grinned. "Don't you remember my match? There's quite a lot of energy for me to draw on here."

"Are you saying you want a race? Well, bring it on! You seem to forget, I'm a master of speed. There's no way you can win!"

They both shot off around the clearing, leaving Lydia and Algon to watch. James, drawing heavily on the surrounding Kuitheium, was able to barely match Delta's speed, although he kept pulling ahead. Deciding to play around, he suddenly turned right, dashing into the thick jungle.

"Hey!" yelled Delta, following closely behind.

They wove their way in between huge trunks and under vines. In here, James had the advantage, because Delta was forced to slow down due to all the turns. He could run incredibly fast in a straight line, but when it came to tight corners, James could outrun him, at least until he got over that small hurdle.

"How long do you think they'll be gone?" laughed Lydia.

"Eh, I think they're already coming back."

The two friends blasted back into the clearing, although this time Delta was chasing a laughing James while covered in ice crystals.

"That's illegal, you idiot! You can't just try to freeze my legs halfway through! This is a race!"

"You know, technically, you never said that it was expressly forbidden..."

"ARG!!" Delta finally caught up and tackled James to the ground. "Well, now I've won, so it doesn't matter."

"Are you sure about that?"

'James' exploded in Delta's face, drenching him with water from head to toe.

"Ok, that's it. Water, fine, but losing is not in my book. Come here!!"

Delta chased James, who had given away his position by laughing too hard, around the clearing, eventually catching him for the second time in a row.

"Now, is this the real one?"

"Yeah, Yeah. You got me."

Delta stood up and struck a pose. "Worship me as the fastest man alive!"

"Fastest fish-boy alive, you mean."

"Hey!" Delta tackled James again, but they stopped when Lydia cried out.

"Did you guys hear that?"

They both looked at each other.

"No, what are you talking about?"

"It's gone now... no, wait! There it is again!"

They both listened closely and could make out the rustle of a thing making its way towards them.

"Stop worrying, it doesn't sound too large."

A tree suddenly crashed down a short ways away as something plowed straight through it.

"Ok, on second thought, prepare for a battle."

Lydia hung back as the other 3 stepped forward, charging up their magic as they did so. The sounds got louder, and the thing got closer and closer until the friends could see the trees part around its huge form.

"Alright, get ready..."

Out of the jungle came a massive shape. The three assumed fighting stances and turned to face...the...giant....fluffy... creature that came bounding out of the trees, tongue lolling aimlessly.

"What...the heck is that?"

"I'm not exactly sure, to be honest."

The thing looked like a cross between an elephant and deer from James' perspective, complete with a trunk, hooves, horns, and a dappled coat. It walked over to Delta and licked him with its tongue, sending him flying covered in slobber.

"Ugh!"

"Don't worry Lydia, it doesn't appear dangerous. In fact, I think it found a new friend!"

Delta looked distressed for some reason.

"Ah, don't worry. It looks really cute!"

"I know that, but...." Delta shuddered. "Slobber."

James raised an eyebrow. "You live in the water?"

Delta rounded on him. "Don't question it..."

He was interrupted by another lick that sent him tumbling to the ground.

The creature was very playful, acting mostly like a dog. The group decided to name it Ran, because after Delta shook himself off and started running again, it kept up with him quite easily, even while he was using his magic. This turned out to be an excellent training method, as Delta had no intention of getting slobbered on again and so would run faster, with Ran looping behind thinking the whole thing was one giant game.

Eventually, they had to say goodbye to Ran, but it perked up after they mentioned they would come back. Leaving the jungle, the whole thing appeared much brighter than before, especially now that they knew that there truly wasn't anything dangerous in it.

"What do you guys want to do when you get back?" Algon asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm really tired all of a sudden," Delta said, walking a bit slower than normal.

"Me too," added James. "I think this heat's getting to us. We'll probably just call it a night; it is getting late after all."

"Well then, we'll come too. There's not much to do tomorrow; might as well get a good night's sleep before our schedules are handed out."

As they left the clearing and began their walk back, a pair of eyes watched from the shadows, before disappearing into the jungle with a soft buzz.