A Lesson of Chaos (INVITE ONLY)

Asric stood in the forest clearing waiting for his apprentice to appear. He'd sent the boy an owl yesterday alerting him to the fact their first lesson began today. He turned slowly on the spot, taking in the scenery an idea forming in his head.

Damian made his way to the indicated meeting place eagerly. The time had passed with excruciating lethargy since he'd received Headmaster Chaos' owl. The boy couldn't wait to find out what sort of marvelous, useful things the man would teach him. It would be challenging, Damian was certain of this, but he would work hard. He would prove himself, giving his new mentor no reason to be disappointed in him.

Damian stepped into the clearing, blue eyes bright with determination.

He glanced down at his watch and smiled. "Just on time. That's a good start." He said spinning around to face his apprentice. "Right what do you know about hunting and tracking?" He asked smelling the air for any sign of another presence as well as keeping his other senses open. This forest wasn't the safest place to be.

Damian's brow puckered slightly, in thought. He didn't really know that much about the subject, but it wouldn't stop him from guessing.

"It helps if you know what you're going after," he guessed. "Like, what kinda trail it might leave or where it might go. And you gotta make sure you pay attention to everything."

He nodded. "Exactly. If you go into a hunt blind chances are you'll end up dead. Humans are disposable creatures." He explained rubbing his hands together. "If you didn't pay attention you would find yourself dead in a matter of seconds."

"But first we must wait for one other person to arrive. You have a hunting partner. It's always better to work with someone in this professor so i've chosen you a partner. He should..." He glanced down at his watch. "... be here any second." He said scanning the forest for the sign of the other boy.

Damian smiled when the headmaster told him he'd answered correctly.

His eyes widened in slight surprise. He'd have a partner? Damian looked around at their surroundings, wondering who it would be.

Seth wondered what the Headmaster would have in store for him. He only knew that the professor told him to meet him at the forest clearing.

As he arrived he notice Asric and another boy. The same boy he had talked to in the Clock Tower. He could tell that this would be interesting as they had both been through similar expereinces.

Interesting Seth thought, very interesting.

Seth came up to Asric and said "Hello Professor" before turning to the boy and saying "Hello Damian, imagining seeing you here."

He smiled, "Thanks for joining us Seth. It's good to know you know each other already that means we can skip over all the boring introductions." He smiled rubbing his hands together.

"Right lets walk shall we?" He said leading the way. "Right boys you two will be spending a lot of time together, you will be looking for each others strengths and covering for each others weaknesses. If one of you is in trouble you are both in trouble. Understand?" He asked.

"From now on you will be considered as one. During these lessons i will be teaching you how to hunt and track down animals or people, fight and you will both be getting more in touch with your bodies and senses." He said glancing behind him at the sound of a breaking twig. "Woah stop." He whispered. "Once i've taught you all i know you will become hunting and tracking masters with the senses to match the best predators out there." He said turning his wand into a bow whilst conjuring up some arrows. He turned on the spot still talking as he sensed out the animal. Quicker than a flash the arrow flew through the air to hit a stag straight through the eye.

"Another thing. If you aren't willing to kill leave now." He said turning to look at them both. "Do you have any questions before we move on?"

Damian followed along behind the headmaster, Seth at his side. He didn't really like the thought that if Seth got into trouble, so did he, but if the other made a habit of it, Dame would punch him, himself. Besides, if someone else started trouble with him, it was nice to know there'd be someone on his side. At least, that's what he assumed the headmaster meant by the two of them being one.

He held very still when Chaos motioned them to do so. A grin spread across his face as the man turned his wand into a bow - that was sooo cool. Damian flinched only slightly when the arrow struck the deer, but mostly because it had happened so quickly. Though, Damian was an animal lover, he wasn't so naive as to think that death was something that didn't happen - that didn't need to happen. Everything died. It was sad, sometimes, but so was living.

The past year had aged the boy greatly. He looked to the man calmly, awaiting his next instructions.

Seth thought it was great that Damian was to be his partner in this thing. He liked him even during their brief meeting at the clock tower.

They hadn't gone very far before Asric stiffened and whispered "Stop". He watched Asric take his wand turn it into a bow and kill the stag with one shot. "Wow, I want to be able to do that," Seth said.

"Killing is not a problem with me Professor and I only have one question Sir; when do we get started?" Seth asked with excitement.

He smiled turning to look back at them as he moved over to the stag. "All in good time Seth. It takes years of practice and dedication to get to where i am now. Not to mention a lot of team work so if you want to work alone. Change career paths because this isn't the job for you. Two pairs of eyes are definitely better than one. Even experts like myself make mistakes." He said pulling the arrow out of the stags eye.

"Right come here boys." He said spinning his wand around in his hands so that it came back into position as a knife. With the knife he sliced open the stags chest and snapped off two of its ribs. "Now these will be my claims. Once you put these on..." He said tapping each bone with his wand making them turn into a silver circular pendant with the Chaos crest on. "... you are promising to keep whatever i teach you a secret. You can only ever tell your own apprentice what i'm going to be teaching you over the next few years. It also claims you as mine." He said giving them each a pendant which now hung on a black string.

"Once you put them on there is no turning back." He said waiting to see if any of them was going to back out. "Death could be a regular thing for us so your gonna have to get used to it." He said before turning to look at Seth. "We begin lesson one as soon as you are wearing my claim."

Damian looked up at the headmaster - his savior, now mentor. Blue eyes gleamed with determination. He had no desire to turn back. This man would teach him what he needed to know to be strong, to get his revenge. No matter what was demanded of him, Damian would succeed, no matter what.

He was chosen.

Without a moment's hesitation, Damian put the pendent around his neck.

Seth watched what Asric did with wonder.

Claiming us as his, now that is something cool, he thought ,and having an apprentice of my own one day? Ha that seems so far away but hey I think it'd be neat.

Seth took the necklace and put it on and thought, I am now truly Asrics apprentice. I will not let him down

"I won't let you down Professor and since we are now partners" he said turning to Damian "I now claim you as brother. I will try my hardest and more to be the best for you and if the need arises I will die for you as well."

"Don't worry about my brother Professor," he said turning back to the professor, "We have not had a good relationship and he loves muggles" Seth said with anger and a tinge of sadness, "I will not tell him anything nor anyone else either."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Damian's mouth. Seth's declaration was a bit... melodramatic, but he appreciated the sentiment. Besides, he'd always wanted a brother.

For a moment, Damian was confused, until he realized that Seth must have meant his real brother. Damian thought he could recall seeing the older boy; he was in Hufflepuff, too. But a muggle lover? Ulgh. Damian's nose wrinkled in distaste.

"I already told you I would make you proud... Chaos, sir," Damian declared, hesitating briefly. The man had told him he could call him Chaos when he met him over the summer, so it should still be alright, shouldn't it? "I'm gonna keep that promise. And I'll look after Seth, too."

He nodded as the boys put on the necklaces. "Now you belong to me, you will do as i say and you'll like it or face the consequences. If i tell you to fight i expect you to fight. If i tell you to run, you run. If i tell you to kill me you'll kill me right?." He said shaking his head. "No! If you ever try and kill me ill rip out your throats. Never will that order slip past my lips. If it does run because it shall not be me." He said glancing down at his watch. "I'm now your master and you will address me as such unless i say otherwise."

A flash of hurt crossed his eyes. "DON'T ever talk about dying in battle. Your job is to survive, if one of you dies it will be both of your fault. No sacrificing yourselves for each other. You save each other by getting away not jumping in the way do i make myself clear?" He said pulling out two identical bottles of potions.

"Now drink these we have a long lesson and journey a head of us." He said passing both of them a vial each.

Damian listened intently. He nodded his understanding. He didn't fail to notice the look that flickered in the man's eyes.

"Yes, sir," he responded. Much as he liked Seth, he had no intention of dying for the other boy, anyway. After all, what good would he be able to do anyone if he were dead?

The boy took the potion and drank it without question, though, he did grimace slightly at the taste.

"Yes Master I am here to do only what you want," Seth said subserviently.

"I won't bring that up again Master in fact it it like I never even said it."

Seth saw Damian take the vial and drink it wincing as he drank it.

I wonder what the hell is in the vial, he thought, but I have to trust Asric enough to just drink it and not question him.

Seth took the vial and drank it and noticed that it did indeed have a odd taste.

He smiled as both boys drank the potion. "Right now you have an hour to find the antidote before you die." He smiled glancing down at his watch.

"Here is an empty bottle of the vial it might help you out. There are signs out there to show you where it is but you'll have to find them. Now get looking you now have 55 minutes." He said moving to sit at the roots of a tree. "I'll be right here if you need me." He said leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed.

Damian shot the headmaster a look that was a mixture of glare and smirk. He did not like the thought that the man had just poisoned them both, but he didn't believe his mentor would really let them die, either. It was a test. And Damian would pass.

He took the bottle that was to be their hint. "I'll succeed, y'know," he told the man seriously, adding a bit belatedly. "Master."

Then, Damian grabbed his housemate by the arm. "Let's go." And he started off on the search for the antidote.

He smiled. "We'll see kiddo but if you don't succeed i'll always be able to replace you." He smirked.

"Remember to use your senses they will help you along." He said before returning to his sleep.

(OOC the vial contains a leafy plant but it's dead and curled into it's self so it has no real shape or colour.)

Seth was just standing there trying to think what in the world he had gotten himself into. He knew he had to trust Asric even if he HAD just poisoned them.

The next thing he knew Damian was yanking him by the arm so they could look for these clues that Asric had placed for them.

Damian smirked back at the man.

He let go of Seth's arm after a moment, studying the empty vial. Well, empty, save what looked like it had once been a leaf. The boy frowned, sniffing at the vial, but he couldn't tell just what said leaf had been from the smell. His first thought was Asphodel, but the asphodel plant wasn't really leafy. His mind went through the various plants he had learned about.

"Look for Aconite," he said. Aconite was poisonous, mostly, but Damian also knew that it was used in some medicines. Besides, it would give them something to look for while he thought of another idea... perhaps one less dubious sounding.

He sucked in his breath. "Ooo i wouldn't look for that if i was you... very deadly." He smirked shaking his head whilst his eyes were still closed. "Unless you want to die quicker of course... your choice." He shrugged.

Damian squinted. Well, what stupid plant was it? he thought. Clues. They had to look for clues. Seth seemed to be doing so already. Plants that can be used as antidotes, Damian chanted silently. Plants that can be used as antidotes....

He continued along, frowning thoughtfully to himself.




((OOC: It is NOT on the A list of plants in the books, I tell you. At least, not any bloody damn list I can find, dammit! *grumbles discontentedly*))

Seth's mind was frantically sifting through his mental list of different plants and he couldn't think of any. Time was running out and he mind was going blank!

"It's not Asphodel is it" he said with anxious breath.

What does he think we are?, he thought, We are only first years not first rate wizards. I guess if we want to do things the way we want then you have to learn fast though.