<strong>Yuri<br/>Time: Evening, Day 1<br/>Location: The Southern Trek<br/>Tagged: None</strong><br/><br/>A cloaked man walked through the dark path leading from the sweltering desert. The back of his cloak was shredded, four parallel gashes going across his back. The blood had stopped dripping a long time ago, he had seared it shut shortly after the fight. He held an ashen staff in one hand, a ruby pulsing with an inner glow. Behind him, he was dragging a desert drake, which had been terrorizing a village a few hours travel from the academy. The beast had long since died, and Yuri had placed a seal on it to keep the body from decaying. No sense letting such a good corpse go to waste, and people might be interested in using parts for magical components. At the very least, he could fry the thing up and have some drake steaks.<br/><br/>He stopped at the gate to the Academy, letting out a sigh. Of course there were no guards posted. He brought out the staff, the gem at the tip glowing brightly. Leveling it in the air, he formed a glowing circle, runes ringing the edge. With a single swift, simple surge of arcane power, the gates creaked open.<br/><br/>"At least I didn't destroy anything this time..." He said, turning and continuing into the Academy. Yuri seemed to have spoken too soon, as not long after the gates shattered into bits of broken metal. "Crap."