First arrivals suck.

[Xannon]

Early morning. Frost covered the grass like a coating of sugar.

A black girl who looked to be about twelve walked atop it, crushing the tiny frozen spindles under her feet. She supposed this place was Avaren. What else could it be, right? Where were all the people? She supposed they were either all dead, or mornings simply weren't their thing.

She frowned, straightening the satchel that engulfed her shoulder.

If she was wrong, however, and had to walk another godforsaken mile, then--

Well, it would be bad.

She was dirty and she was tired and she wanted to take a nice, hot bath with scents and oils and everything. Damn, she'd even take a guy on the side--if he weren't a pedophile, anyway. Fat chance of that happening.

Deserts, mountain ranges, forests, and now where the hell was she? She didn't travel so many weeks to find the prestigious Academy of Magic for nothing, and she was tired as heck. Her feet had some sturdy callouses, and she'd become a little too used to the cold. Meaning she was damn cold and stuck out in it. Meaning she was sick and tired of it and wanted to be pampered. She wanted to be one of those privileged folks, the ones with no sign of effort marring their fat and pompous bodies.

Xannon folded her arms, pale draping sleeves layering over one another like icing on a cake.

Her dark eyes glanced around skeptically as she paused. Why was there a grassy field here? They focused on some rough shadows a few meters away. And stands for... uh, sitting?

Oh, she thought, her expression lifting. A battle-to-the-death field, a jousting arena, a dueling ground. A bad place for children to run and play, but she wouldn't be surprised if she found a couple by the stands--well, in the afternoon or something, not in the morning like this. She wasn't stupid. She knew kids slept in.

Excellent, continued Xannon, stepping forward some more. Her eyes drooped, annoyed. I'm in a godforsaken jousting field. Her small feet thudded quietly on the ground. Christ.

Oh, and it was foggy to boot. How the in the blazes would she find her way out like this? Wasn't she supposed to get some kind of directional fairy or something?

[Amil von Eisen]

Amil had also been traveling along this path recently. He, however, had a spell. A single red string was leading him to his destination. Unfortunately, from what his senses could discern, this path was very direct, and was leading him straight through the jousting field. Well, it could be worse. He could be lost. As long as it was evident that he was headed in the right direction, he wouldn't complain.

He was about 5'10", and wearing a light leather armor. He had black hair, and one green eye complemented by a blue one. His skin was, to be frank, pale. All of this would be unremarkable, except that in his right arm he carried what seemed to be a life-sized doll. This doll was the quintessential doll, blond hair, wearing a red dress covered in white frills and a bonnet of the same color. From Amil's right hand, a single red string, tied to his little finger, went in two directions. One end was very obviously pointed in the direction he was headed, and the other was tied to his strange doll.

It was then that he noticed a girl, wandering, seeming lost. His spell wasn't really useful for city navigation, but he could probably help her get there.

"Are you lost, miss?"

He ran over to meet the girl, and added, "I'm a puppeteer from Varna. I have a spell that can guide me to a destination. Only thing is, I'm kind of a beginner, so I can only really get straight lines..."

[Xannon]

A voice came from behind.

Xannon smirked. Cue directional fairy! Yes! She refrained from pumping her fists in a sign of victory.

She turned around at him and looked... up and up and up. She took a step back. He was definitely a good foot or so taller than her, which really wasn't all that surprising. Hell, even his goddamn life-size doll was bigger than she was. Could she trust this guy? He looked a tad incompetent, but she was, after all, the one lost in the fog.

"Yeah, I am!" she replied with a grin. "I was trying to find the Academy of Magic when everything got all foggy! Where are you headed, Mr. Puppeteer?"

[Amil von Eisen]

"Mr. Puppeteer?" Amil asked, as though confused for a moment. "Oh! Right. I'm headed to the city, here. This is my first time traveling so far, but I've always been okay at directional spells."

The string in Amil's hand went limp instantaneously, and then he whispered, "To the Academy of Magic in Avaren City."

The string once more straightened itself out in front of Amil, pointing in a slightly different direction, though not far enough a difference to cause any real deviation in his path. He began walking in the direction his string pointed, and added, "Follow me. It should be this way."

[Xannon]

He didn't seem confident. But whatever. He didn't seem like a murderer trying to lure her off the beaten path.

So Xannon followed him.

"So anyways, Mister," she said as they traversed the foggy field, "what's yer name?"