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Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (149/?)
First | Previous | Next Patreon | Official Subreddit | Series Wiki | Royal Road The Nexus. Just outside of the South-Eastern edge of the North Rythian Forests. Local Time: 1700 Hours. Emma [‘QUEST’ Time Elapsed: 76 Hours. Time Remaining: 92 Hours] [SURVEY PROGRESS… 12.5%. Estimated Time to Completion… 21 Hours. Data Fidelity: Nominal. Network Integrity: Stable. Primary Objective… Pending.] [Crystal Shards… Not found.] [AMETHYST DRAGON… Not found.] “Welp. Progress is progress. But as long as we keep up this pace, we should be on schedule.” I let out a tired sigh, gesturing to a screen that had once again caught Thalmin off guard. Though it wasn’t as if he was still in awe of either the screen itself or battlenet, nor was he surprised by the disappointing lack of progress, no. In fact, this squint… was a reaction I was used to seeing from both friends and family back home. It was a squint of judgement — whether by intention or biological reflexes — at the horrors of my personal preferences. Or to put it more accurately, at a certain screen setting that seemed to be the source of so many grievances — light mode. I’d practically flashbanged Thalmin, because unlike the brightness of the day, the growing evening had since sensitized his eyes to the dark. “I much prefer it when the ink itself is what glows against the natural tones of the parchment.” He mumbled out, my eyes narrowing at the allusions to the existence of a magical dark mode. “I don’t know how you humans do it, though I do know of more than a handful of species who have quite a natural inclination towards the light…” He muttered that latter line out in much the same way he did with the rest of his inside jokes; a trend that I was slowly learning to brush off. “In any case, we should be done with a full sweep of the forest by 1400 hours tomorrow. After which, we’ll have enough intel to dictate our next course of action. Hopefully we’ll find a stray shard by then, but if not… just under two days should be enough to snipe the dragon, no?” “We’d have to track it first, Emma.” Thalmin responded with a sigh. “Yeah, yeah. But that’s what battlenet is for! We have eyes in the sky looking not just at the ground, but the airspace above—” [PRIORITY ALERT! MULTIPLE AERIAL CONTACTS ENTERING THE AO. APPROACH VECTOR CONFIRMED: GRID SECTOR A-1-4-D; NORTHWEST QUADRANT!] My eyes lit up, as did Thalmin’s. All prior thoughts took a backseat to protocol, as operational algorithms drilled into me during drone operator training were immediately brought to the forefront. “Active camo and evasive flight paths, now.” [Acknowledged.] “Defer active ops and initiate threat-range scans.” [Acknowledged. Instructions relayed. Network Integrity: Stable. Redirecting assets. Standby…] The map shifted as the game changed in a matter of seconds. The familiar top-down perspective of the forest was promptly replaced by a panoramic view of the skies immediately in front of the drones, as individual status readouts, flight paths, and flight instrument indicators came to join the collage of tactical displays that had Thalmin’s eyes darting left and right. I couldn’t blame him, though. I had the same reaction despite the false confidence mil-sim titles had instilled in me. That’s why drone operator training took a sizable chunk of basic. The role of Swarm Queen wasn’t inherited but earned. Owing in no small part to the tried and true grind of experience, forged through the accumulation of FPV and C&C hours. The rest was good, old-fashioned neural plasticity, allowing one to get used to perceiving the world beyond the restriction of one’s own two eyes. [Fleet Redirection… complete. New flight paths… mapped. Network Integrity: Stable. Awaiting Orders.] “QSR: Identify contacts.” [Collating… Processing… Confirming… 3 Large Contacts… 12 Light Contacts accompanying in formation.] [TRACK ID: Winged Heavy 1-1, 1-2, 1-3] [TRACK ID: Winged Light 2-1 through 2-12.] “QSR: Signature profile.” [Visual: Winged Heavy 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, inconsistent with AMETHYST DRAGON and other recorded flight-capable species in the WORKING SPECIES REGISTRY. Winged Light 2-1 through 2-12 consistent with Local Aerial Asset: ‘DRAKE RIDER’.] [Thermal: Elevated, inconsistent with known aircraft. Consistent with local mounted air asset analogues.] [Mass/Volume: Large Contacts approx. 5 - 10 metric tons. Smaller Contacts approx. 400 - 700 kilograms.] [Payload: Underbelly Stowage Compartments Noted on Large Contacts. Repositioning for better analysis. Standby… Parsing… Updating visual feed… Analyzing… Design and configuration congruent with cargo/passenger cabins. Summary: Potential personnel and/or equipment transport.] “QSR: Tactical Profile.” [Unable to parse… Insufficient contextual data. Profile is beneath acceptable inference limits.] “QSR: Visual Tactical Readout.” [Winged Light 2-1 through 2-12. Ranged Air-to-Air Assets: > 24 Spears; Ammo Count: 24. > 12 Bows; Ammo Count: Variable, approx. 30. > Melee Arms: 12 Swords. > Armor: Plate Steel. ADDENDUM: Possibly augmented with exotic mana-materials and radiation. Capabilities unknown.] “Maintain current instructions. Continue monitoring.” [Acknowledged.] “Live feed readout. I want to see where this goes.” [Acknowledged.] Our eyes remained glued to the screen as the situation developed surprisingly quickly. The three large contacts simply dropped off their wood-and-steel-reinforced ‘cabins,’ unlatching leather and steel straps before departing without much fanfare. Meanwhile, 8 of the 12 drake riders departed soon after, acting as escorts for their large but lumbering cousins. The initial shock and preliminary concern that hit us eventually died down, especially as the remaining drake riders landed on the forest floor, taking up ‘resting’ positions with their wings flared and their heads tucked. Their two legs eventually folded in on themselves as well, giving them a sort of ‘loaf-like’ shape once their wings too were nestled beneath them. “Must be another group of adventurers.” I offered. “Sym did mention how he encountered a few dead parties in the forest.” “No. These must be men-at-arms, or a proper mercenary company at the very least. No adventurer, no matter how ostentatious, would ever in their right mind charter a greater drake.” Thalmin countered. “Right. Well… that might complicate things then.” I acknowledged with a sigh. “I don’t see anyone resembling a proper noble in the camp, though.” Thalmin offered, as he gestured for me to zoom in on several people down beneath the canopy. “There may be one from the looks of it. But I highly doubt that. No Nexian noble would oversee an operation of a diminutive scale. I’d wager this quest is being led by a few chosen ones, if not more.” The prince shrugged. “Either way, what this means for us is simple — expect slow progress on behalf of these interlopers. But given their numbers and outfitting, we shouldn’t leave anything to chance. You said we had 21 more hours until the forest is fully surveyed, correct?” “Yeah.” I nodded. “Then this changes nothing. Just make haste if you can, Emma. If we are to initiate ‘Plan B,’ as you call it, then we must act swiftly. We cannot allow these interlopers to take the dragon before we can extract what we need from it.” “Right. Okay. I’ll get the drones back in their original flight paths. Though if those drakes ever take flight again, I will have to reconfigure them to more evasive flight patterns, if only to avoid detection.” “Understandable.” Thalmin nodded. However, before he could move on, a question suddenly spawned. “Before—” “I’d like to—” Or more accurately, two questions simultaneously, as the both of us spoke at more or less exactly the same time. Thalmin “You go first.” Emma urged. “This may be a bit of a tangent, so I’d suggest you go first, Emma.” I countered politely. “Trust me, mine’s a tangent as well, so—” “To avoid an endless loop, I will take that offer.” I interjected with a harsh breath, before gesturing to the tablet in front of us. “That entire… exchange. Between your commands and the messages on your artifices, is this how you typically communicate between you and your swarm?” “Yeah.” Emma nodded. “Remember how I changed the scenery in the ZNK-19? This is more or less the same concept, just scaled up.” I narrowed my eyes, pondering a response as I once more leaned into the manaless window. A window… into the eyes and ears of what was frankly a swarm. Thoughts upon thoughts abounded one atop the other, with practical concerns clashing against the shore of intrigue, eroding what was already firm suspicion into outright conspiracy about the nature of Earthrealm. Or more accurately, the nature of their military capabilities. However, in spite of everything, all I allowed out of my mouth was a simple acknowledgement. “I see.” Instead, I took a moment to pause, to ponder, as I watched through the looking glass at the world through the eyes of a swarm queen. Each ‘perspective’ was composited — a mosaic of sights that resembled the world as seen through the eyes of bees, wasps, and any number of oddly eyed insects, their vision as alien as the manaless artifice through which it was relayed. I let out another breath before shifting my perspective back to Emma. “I simply feel the need to ask, as the abilities displayed here seem… seamless, practiced, rehearsed, and dare I say it, second nature. This wasn’t a simple command relayed to a static sightseer. This was the direct control of multiple manaless golems, as seamlessly as if they were an extension of yourself.” “Yeah, well, that’s because it kind of is! As in, mental adaptability is something that’s useful for us. You put someone in charge of a bunch of far-seers in a building, and they eventually come to ‘feel’ as if the building itself is an extension of them, you know? Same goes for helmsmen and ships, pilots and aircraft, and so on and so forth. Drone operators — i.e. most frontline personnel — are trained similarly. We have to integrate seamlessly into battlenet, because a second’s hesitation or delay might be what makes or breaks an engagement.” I took a moment to ponder that, to truly examine the seemingly spiritual connection between the human and their constructs. In a sense, it wasn’t unlike the bond between myself and Emberstride, or the soulstitched or soulbound bonds in many other battlemages, warriors, and knights. Yet as similar as it was, there was still… an unnerving alienness to it. Whatever the case was, I simply acknowledged the swarm queen’s sentiments with a nod before throwing the proverbial talking stick back to her court. “Your turn.” Emma “So, you mentioned chosen ones. I’ve heard this term thrown around a lot, especially at the adventuring guild. But no one’s really… explained it to me. So I've just kinda been going off of context clues and what we’ve learned about gifted commoners so far. Are chosen ones just another, more ‘fancier’ way of saying ‘gifted commoners’ or…?” “Correct, Emma.” Thalmin nodded. “Although, the term ‘chosen one’ is more often synonymous with gifted commoners who enter more martial paths. As opposed to, say, our elf server in the grand dining hall who’s only committed to using his magic for parlor tricks.” “How big of a threat are we talking about here? Because up to this point, I’ve only gone up against mages in challenges and whatnot. A proper fight is something I’ve only encountered once with Mal’tory and that was—” Thalmin snickered, stopping me in my tracks. “What’s so funny?” “If you survived an encounter with a Black-Robed Professor, I doubt you’ll have any issues against a mere Chosen One, Emma.” Thalmin bellowed out confidently, patting me on the shoulder. “Though, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be on our toes, of course. I’ve met many a chosen one who punched well above their weight class — using enchanted weapons and tools as crutch for their magical limitations, seamlessly integrating with them. To the point where the typical commoner might even mistake them for a mage at first glance. Though, typically, once you see a chosen one in action, you’ll know exactly what to expect. Since in the same vein that gifted commoners are ‘gifted’ with a single narrow sliver of magical acumen, so too are chosen ones confined to a very small sliver of magical potential.” “Right.” I nodded, my mind racing through the implications of this newfound intel. “Just so we’re on the same page, supposing there’s a guy who’s able to do fire magic, he’d more or less be locked to just fire magic, right?” “That’s simplifying the matter, but for our purposes, you’ve struck the kobold on the head there, Emma. There are, however, always exceptions to the rule. Such is the case with the jack-of-all-trades. But those are exceptionally rare, and usually only seen in illegitimate offspring between nobles and commoners.” The prince explained bluntly. “Even then, these individuals are still very much orders of magnitude weaker than true mages, but I digress. Suffice it to say, Emma, we’ll be fine.” Thalmin beamed, thumping his chest. “Look who you’ve partnered with, after all.” “Yeah, fair enough, my mercenary prince.” I chuckled. The next few moments were finally punctuated by silence as we watched the camp grow tent by tent. The drones counted at least a hundred or so contacts, and as dusk fully settled, quite a few peculiarities popped up. Most notable among these was the erection of some sort of altar at least half a click from the camp, with offerings wrapped in parchment carefully placed on each pedestal. “Erm… care to fill me in on that, Thalmin?” I pointed. “Oh, that’s just an offering, Emma.” The prince explained casually. To which I could only respond with an accentuated cock of my head. “Elaborate.” “An offering to placate the forest itself, Emma. To ward off potential… negative reactions to what could otherwise be perceived as an incursion of its territory.” I blinked rapidly, cocking my head. “Is that an actual thing, or a superstition?” “You’ve interacted with the forest face-to-face with one of its avatars, have you not, Emma?” The prince countered, as it took a second for my mind to finally register what the prince was getting at. “OH RIGHT! THE WEREBEAST!” I attempted to snap my fingers, only to elicit an unsatisfying motion that puzzled the lupinor. “Right, yeah, I remember now. So that actually was the forest talking through it, then? It never occurred to me to follow up on that, thinking it was just like, the werebeast being all high and mighty about himself.” “The werebeast might’ve merely been the most convenient enforcer at the time, I suppose. Though I can’t say for certain. Frankly, a forest is often an enigmatic force of nature unto itself. With some primitive cultures even going so far as to consider them gods of sorts.” Thalmin shrugged. “Though, given His Eternal Majesty refused to consume them — instead forging some sort of an alliance or some such — I doubt they’re anywhere near the level of deities.” “So what can we expect from the forest?” I immediately shot back, my mind still very much stuck in rapid response and assessment mode. “Are we looking at, like… an immune reaction or something? Vines and tendrils shooting up, moss to consume us whole, sinkholes forming, and slime creatures attacking?” “We’re not facing a druid, Emma.” Thalmin responded with a hefty chuckle. “If anything, we have no need to worry given the makeup of our current party. Forests typically do not target small groups, so long as they do not actively seek out their destruction. Moreover, with you being effectively lifeless in its eyes, there’s even less chance of it targeting us. Indeed, the presence of a far larger, more unsightly group in its Northwest region, will take up much of its attention.” I narrowed my eyes at Thalmin, crossing my arms to make up for the lack of facial expression to convey a certain level of doubt in the prince’s claims. “So… burning a good few acres of forest doesn’t count as actively seeking out its destruction, huh?” I chuckled darkly, alluding to a certain fight against a vorpal chimera. The prince surprisingly didn’t immediately counter this with an excuse or a loophole. Instead, he let out a nervous chuckle, a sly grin forming on his face in short order. “Heh, well… you could say I overlooked the potential consequences of my actions in the heat of the moment.” I placed a hand on the prince’s shoulder, gripping it tightly. “Spoken like a true orbital ordnance officer.” The prince’s brows quirked at this, possibly at the EVI’s attempts to translate the joke, but I counted it as fair game given the inside jokes he’d been leveling at me for the past week. Things wound down after a few more back-and-forths, our eyes still very much monitoring the situation over in the camp from above, until we finally noticed something else that caught our attention. “Huh. That’s a heck of a lot of cheese.” I noted. “I guess they had a run-in with our new friend.” Thalmin smiled brightly. “He’s quite a salesman, so it stands to reason that he must’ve made quite an impression on our interlopers here. Probably sold most of his stock from the looks of it.” “Yeah! Honestly, good for him.” I beamed as I quickly patted the pouch that held the little notebook the kobold had gifted me. I can’t wait to see the upgrades to your cart and wares once we meet again. I thought brightly to myself. Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 29. Ilphius and Kamil’s Room. Local Time: 1730 Hours Ilphius “Kamil.” I announced firmly, making my presence known with a SLAM of the doors. “It’s time you came out of hiding.” … Yet no answer came. I let out a frustrated sigh, clenching my fists, before unleashing fury in the form of disruption, disorientation, and dispelling magics which would’ve caused even the most stoic of mages to lose their footing. The result was immediate. Though not in the way I’d expected. Yaaaawwwwwnnnnnnnn! A voice strained from within one of the corners of the room as the lazy layabout finally uncloaked, focusing his two beady eyes on me. “I’m guessing your second and final proposal with Lady Airit did not go as planned?” The coward spoke with a lizard-like lisp, as a smug, self-satisfied giggle colored his voice. “At least I had the courage and mental fortitude to take chances.” I rebutted. “At least I exist in the material world.” I continued as I leveled both ire and frustration firmly against the wayward noble. “Yes, yes. Exist you do. Perhaps you should allow me to return to my immaterial world then—” “Stop.” I urged, my voice colored not by desperation, but authority. This did the trick, as the barely present lizard reacted without a second’s hesitation. His instinctive response to authority, true authority, was laid bare to me. “Whilst Lady Airit may lack vision, playing things safe as her master tends to do, I am unwilling to let this opportunity slip us by. This is why I am reassessing the situation, and requesting your cooperation in enacting my plans.” I stated firmly, eliciting a disgusting and debased roll of the lizard’s tongue as he seemed to mock my occasional tongue-flared hiss. “I sssseeeee.” He responded jeeringly before stretching his arms and legs lazily in all directions. “Convince me.” “Excuse me?!” “You heard what I said: convince me. I have no horse in this race, Lady Ilphius. The worst you can do is to interrupt my sleep and scatter my belongings… but it isn’t as if you aren’t already doing that now, are you?” He chuckled derisively, causing my whole body to tense and burn from the inside out. “When my plan succeeds—” “If.” “No, when it does.” I seethed. “When it does succeed… I will be in a better position to retake the peer group’s throne from that wretched merchant. And when that time comes, I will make sure to elevate our group, to push us forward, and to place us in a position where we can challenge the earthrealmer’s group for a position in the house we were robbed of.” … “Sounds quite ambitious…” “Indeed it is.” I acknowledged. “And by ambitious I mean tiresome, Lady Ilphius.” The man yawned. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to do this on your own.” “I’ll unmask Teleos Lophime’s secret. I will uncover what it is he’s hiding in the healing wing.” I offered. “Hmm… now you’re speaking my language. Though you’ll have to give me more than just juicy drama to eat up.” Kamil chuckled darkly. “Coin.” I spat out. “Coin, you lazy, whiny, layabout—” “Carte blanche.” He countered. “Whatever spoils we may potentially earn from this escapade, yes.” I pushed forth a secondary counteroffer. To which the man finally relented with a long, drawn-out nod. “What’s your plan?” “I know there must be something that might incriminate the pair. That wretched and tainted avinor is most obviously a beacon of darkness. And the Vunerian? I’ve heard whispers of him slithering off to the libraries for some enigmatic purposes. Our task is to follow these two blighted beasts, and to determine once and for all what devious rule-breaking, or perhaps even law-breaking schemes they may be up to.” “Huh.” Kamil responded simply. “That’s easy enough.” “Indeed, and with your masterful camouflage skills, this will be even more—” “We’ll start tomorrow then. I’m tired from today’s classes.” He yawned once more. “No.” I seethed, grabbing him by the half-transparent arm. “We’re starting today.” The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. The Grand Dining Hall. Local Time: 2000 Hours Ilphius “Ahem.” Kamil interrupted, tugging at my uniform as he did so. “Are you certain the pair are up to anything—” “It’s just dinner, Kamil. Maybe if we trail them after this, we will see just what illicit activities they’re up to.” I intercepted the man’s concerns before he had a chance to fully voice them, as I continued eating, bite by agonizing bite, while maintaining a careful sentry on the pair. “You know you’re only resorting to such passive actions because without Lady Airit or Lady Ladona, you simply don’t have the power to go toe-to-toe against—” “Keep quiet!” Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Hallway. Local Time: 2200 Hours Ilphius “It’s curfew now. We have to go back.” “I was certain they’d have gone anywhere but back to their room! Are you sure we did not follow phantoms? Or maybe we might have missed their subtle exit through some other—” “Yes, I’m certain, Lady Ilphius. You’re talking to the master of camouflage here.” Kamil responded lazily. “Alright. We’ll just resume our sentry tomorrow.” “And if nothing comes of tomorrow?” He countered. “I have other avenues…” The Next Day The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. The Grand Dining Hall en Route to ???. Local Time: 0900 Hours Ilphius “Still nothing, Lady Ilphius.” “Patience, Kamil! Look! They’re leaving!” “And what makes you think they’re not just heading back to their dormitory?” “Because look—” I pointed urgently at their path. “—they’re taking the main stairwell this time around.” “Which means what exactly?” “They’re headed to the student lounge.” “Oh joy.” Kamil sighed quietly. The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Student Lounge. Local Time: 1200 Hours Ilphius “And I said, ‘Panned cakes! It should be called panned cakes! For the cakes were made in a pan.’ But my private chef, in their infinite stupidity, refuses to acknowledge this, pushing forth a narrative of pan-cakes instead! Tell me, my dear fellows, are the cakes not panned? For a cake to be a pan-cake, it should somehow resemble a pan or in some way—” “He’s been at this, on the speaker’s chair, for hours now, Lady Ilphius.” Kamil bemoaned. “Are you certain this is what you seek?” “No… but what of the avinor—” “She’s been silently reading a book, sipping tea and eating nuts, occasionally being interrupted by the freaks from the fourth nook only to be rebuked. I’ve kept my other eye on her this entire time.” “Patience. Patience, Kamil. We will have our evidence.” The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. En Route to the Library. Local Time: 1400 Hours. Ilphius “There it is, there it is! We must follow him!” I urged, as we both silently scouted our way forwards, ducking in illusory magics until the Vunerian had entered that most unholy of places. We waited for several minutes more until we made our move, walking across the bridge and then entering the den of unspeakable evils to continue our investigation. Yet upon entry, we were met not by the scurrying of the increasingly pale-blue Vunerian, or any sign of him whatsoever. Instead, what awaited us was a small fox that looked up at both of us expectantly. “State your business! Do you wish to browse or to trade?” The fox questioned before moving up to sniff at the both of us, as if our illusory magics weren’t even there. “Hmm… neither of you seem to have anything to trade. Rather stale, honestly.” “How dare you—” “I’ve heard it much before, yes yes. Grumble and grumble, moan and whine. Let’s skip to the end now, shall we? Are you here to browse or to trade?” We both looked at each other before nodding. “Kamil, you—” “I’ll browse, please.” The man sighed, eliciting a nod from the fox, who simply… vanished the moment I turned to look back. “I’ll keep an eye on the avinor. We’ll meet for dinner.” “Right.” The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. The Grand Dining Hall. Local Time: 1900 Hours Ilphius “Well look who finally decided to show up…” I hissed softly at an exhausted-looking Kamil. “Found anything?” “No. I barely got out of that impossible labyrinth!” He seethed. “The deal’s off, by the way. There’s nothing in it for me. The fun’s over.” He crossed his arms. “And I doubt you found anything interesting about the avinor either.” I moved to speak… but found that I had nothing at all to say. “No, I have not.” I stated plainly. “But I have one final plan to enact…” I offered, garnering the man’s attention. “...what is it this time?” “The pair, they are both here, are they not?” “Yes, they are. What of it?” “This makes for the perfect opportunity to… investigate their den of sin.” “You can’t be serious. You can’t just break into another dorm.” He countered. “Au contraire. I can… and I will. And whatever is in there… I shall have my spoils.” The Nexus. Southeastern Quadrant of the North Rythian Forests. Local Time: 1900 Hours. Emma The relative ‘downtime’ that was the past 26 hours felt a heck of a lot like the fulfillment of one of Aunty Ran’s sayings. A lot of war is a whole load of sitting around doing nothing. Except for the one percent of times where all hell breaks loose and you’re fighting within an inch of your life. You use that 99% to prepare for the 1%. Or at least that’s what they say. I just prayed that we wouldn’t experience the latter half of that anecdote. [‘QUEST’ Time Elapsed: 102 Hours. Time Remaining: 66 Hours] [SURVEY PROGRESS… 100%. Estimated time to Completion… 0 Hours. Data Fidelity: N/A. Network Integrity: N/A. Charging. Primary Objective… Pending.] [Fleet Status: Charging.] [Crystal Shards… Not found.] [AMETHYST DRAGON… Not found.] “Right, do you want the good news or the bad news, Thalmin?” “We’ve been sitting around waiting for your drones to do most of the work. Let’s at least get some good news, Emma.” The prince grumbled. “Right, well, good news! Our interloper friends have not detected our presence, nor our drones. That’s even with their Shatorealmer flying around. Also, the drakes seem to be in hibernate mode or something. They’ve only flown them once, though granted it knocked a good few hours off of our survey time.” “Okay… I’m assuming the bad news is that there’s no stray crystal shard.” Thalmin sighed out. “Correct.” I nodded. “Damnit.” Thalmin cursed. “Well then, it seems like we’ll just have to go dragon hunting now, won’t we?” He managed bravely under a nervous grin. “Once the drones are charged up, I’ll be redirecting survey efforts towards tracking down the amethyst dragon’s lair. Given we have the whole forest mapped out now, it shouldn’t be too long before we narrow down a list of POI’s—” [PRIORITY ALERT! MULTIPLE AERIAL CONTACTS ENTERING THE AO! RANGE… 1400 METERS!] My blood ran cold as I tapped Thalmin on the shoulder, shooting him a look which he could not interpret. Though I wouldn’t need to, because what happened next brought the man up to his feet. “AGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” As a bloodcurdling scream, followed by the unmistakable FWOOOOSH! of fire erupted about a click north of our position. We had only one drone in the air, but that’d have to do. “QSR: Identify contacts.” [Estimated Count: 1 Large Contact] [TRACK ID: AMETHYST DRAGON] I felt my stomach clench as my arm moved to activate the railgun. Though I only did so out of precaution— [Estimated Count: 2 Small Contacts] [TRACK ID: Winged Light 2-1, 2-2.] —because we weren’t alone in this engagement. We didn’t need to watch what was transpiring on the tablet, as the action was close enough that the light foliage of the canopy allowed for a near-unimpeded view of the skies. Two drake riders were attempting desperate sorties against the dragon, as they moved to corral, slash, and even ensnare the dragon with rope, netting, and just about everything but the kitchen sink. This was all in a desperate attempt to save their ground forces from the brunt of the dragon’s fury, as we saw a small group of elves, dwarves, satyrs, kobolds, and even baxi desperately attempting to flee from the dragon’s ire — away from the wall of flames that halted their advance. However, with every advance towards a potential exfil route, the dragon shot out another line of fire, corralling them towards a path of its own design. It was as if the dragon was doing this on purpose, as if it was actively playing with its prey, giving them a false sense of hope of escape… only to snip that thin thread of reprieve away with the unbridled fury of dragonflame. We both watched in silence as this group of mercenaries was eventually boxed in, their last exfil route completely bathed in flames, leaving them in a literal box of fire that only grew closer and closer, with no potential of being put out. Though it wasn’t as if they didn’t try. As one of them — a blue-robed satyr — attempted to spray down the flames with some healthy jets of water, all to the tune of some weak bursts of mana radiation. The dragon, noticing this, flew low and slow, almost hovering in front of the satyr. The bassy BOOMS of its wingbeats shook the air, accelerating the ferocity of the raging inferno, sending even Thalmin’s fur into a shiver and my gut into a knot. Their eyes met, and in what I could only describe as a snort of amethyst embers and soot, it roared. SKREEAAAUUUUUCHHHHHHH!!!! A crackling noise soon followed, sparks haphazardly illuminating the dark of its throat. Then, a subtle ping of a mana radiation spike. Finally, a sudden FWOOOOSH enveloped all auditory channels. … Bright blue dragonflame, orders of magnitude larger than the satyr’s jet of water, vaporized everything it came into contact with… The water— Skkksshhhhhhhh —the foliage— Crackle! Hiss! —and finally, the satyr and his forward scouting party. Their screams were short-lived. But even so, the chorus of guttural bellows and bloodcurdling shrieks echoed into the night, each note and octave searing deep into my core. “Emma—” I heard a distant voice calling. But my body was frozen, my eyes staring blankly at the impressions of boots and hooves rendered into baked clay on the forest floor. “EMMA! We have to move!” Thalmin shouted, breaking through the haze of shock, as he attempted to shake me out of it. I blinked rapidly, staring at his finger as he gestured to the dragon moving to gain altitude, with the two drake riders in hot pursuit. This was our chance to tag and follow it. So without a second thought, I acknowledged Thalmin’s urgings. “Right.” Before quickly turning to the EVI. “EVI. Send the survey drone after it. Observe maximum threat range and stay clear of its sightline." “Query: Specify survey drone.” “The one we currently have in the air! SUR-DRONE03B—” I paused, my heart skipping a beat as I noticed something pop up on my HUD. [SUR-DRONE03… STATUS… CRITICAL DAMAGE… REQUESTING RETRIEVAL AND EXFIL] I craned my head up, following the ping of the lost survey drone, until I was met with the dragon roaring overhead. ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR! And while its roar tore across the silence of the night, a familiar red pulse emanated from a crevice on its back — a tiny antenna piercing deep into the empty dark. First | Previous | Next (Author's Note: And there we have it! :D The dragon makes its appearance, alongside a certain missing drone from back during the warehouse explosion! :D I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! :D The next Two Chapters are already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters.) (Author's Note 2: Here's the Updated Map for Emma and Thalmin's progress so far! :D) [If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 150 and Chapter 151 of this story is already out on there!)] submitted by /u/Jcb112 to r/HFY [link] [comments]
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Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (44/?)
First | Previous | Next Patreon | Official Subreddit | Series Wiki | Royal Road I woke up with a sudden gasp and a reflexive jerk. My whole body reeled back from another one of those microsleep-induced dreams, the ones where you slip and fall into the abyss, only to end up being propelled back to the waking world. I was too groggy to make heads or tails about where I was, but I didn’t need to. Even though everything was weirdly hazy, the dread of a deadline and the fear of sleeping on another assignment was more than enough of a reminder to my current situation. I rubbed my eyes to find myself surrounded by the tasteful furnishings of the wood-accents and clean lines of a room dominated by mid-millenium aesthetics. It was another late night at the IAS’ staff-only rec room, and I needed to get this assignment done stat. So with a tired breath, and another quick rub of my eyes, I went straight back into it. Reading what little I wrote in hopes of getting inspired to keep on writing. “Human tenacity knows no boundaries, but-” “-but this hasn’t been without its price.” Another voice suddenly interrupted. “Such as staying up all night in the rec-room for no good reason at 3am on a weekday.” A cocksure, playfully dismissive voice, belonging to one of the many instructors at the IAS on loan from the military. Except instead of the usual rank and file army officers, the man was LREF. That much was obvious though by the way he talked, walked, and carried himself. As everything about him screamed ‘space explorer bad boy’; this decade’s stereotype for a branch of the military steeped in as much historical prestige as it was marred in gross overspending. The gold-trimmed blue cloaks they wore didn’t really do much to deter from that latter stereotype. Though to be fair, gold hasn’t had the same appeal ever since mega-foundaries started roaring to life en masse. “Captain Li, sir!” “At ease, at ease. Save the salutes and what-have-yous for Field Captain McCay. It’s late anyways. You really shouldn’t be up right now, overexertion’s a heck of a thing y’know?” “Yes sir, but-” “But what?” “Permission to speak freely, sir?” “Granted.” “I don’t think my sleep deprived stints hold a candle to what the labs and fabs have been up to for the past two decades, sir. Everyone’s been putting their all into this, and I don’t want to be the weakest link.” “Let me stop you right there. First, you’re not the weakest link, alright?” He paused, placing a hand atop one of my shoulders, shaking it lightly. “We’re all working hard here, but there’s a difference between pushing yourself out of necessity and pushing yourself to fit in, understand?” The Captain spoke reassuringly, his piercing eyes remained sharp throughout each and every word. “Yes sir, I understand.” “Good. Now, second? The past two decades were dominated by exceedingly exceptional circumstances. Using that as a benchmark for healthy work ethic is like using the rush to Alpha Centauri as a metric for sustainable extrasolar growth. Suffice it to say: you shouldn’t.” The man punctuated his speech with a sigh, before finally concluding. “You get me, Cadet?” “I get you, sir.” I nodded affirmatively, garnering a satisfied expression from the man who continued on without skipping a beat. “The labs and fabs, as you call them, had an arbitrary deadline to reach. Twenty years from the unfortunate fate of the first candidate, as requested by the powers on the other side… or never at all. So they did everything they could to reach it. And like every other story of innovation in human history, they were cutting it pretty tight.” “I can’t blame them though, sir.” I added without a second of hesitation. “Oh, I wasn’t casting any judgment. If anything, I meant that as a compliment. I mean, discovering a whole new realm of material science? Then developing that into something tangible? Functional? Practical? In a fraction of the time it took to figure out warp-rated hulls?” “Yeah, it’s a miracle we’re standing where we are now.” I managed out with a confident snicker. A wave of pride, admittedly not of my own, started to well up inside me all the same. It was the same sense of pride you had for being a part of something greater than yourself, something so unfathomably big that it manages to overcome if not completely transcend seemingly impossible odds. From permanent space habitats, to the smashing of the light barrier, and now… the creation of an interdimensional portal. Humanity’s story was always one of consistent insatiability, facilitated by that natural inclination towards teamwork, of different minds with a thousand different ideas managing to do what would be impossible for anyone working alone. Forever pushing the envelope, until there was nothing left to push, regardless of the risks involved. I was just happy to be a part of that neverending story. “-fifteen years of theory. Four years of iterative design improvements and fabrication. And a whole year dedicated to fabricating just barely enough for the armor and tent.” The Captain continued on, as I realized I’d just barely caught the tail end of that whole spiel. It was clear though, from his wide grin, that he was going through much of what my reverie had just covered. “Speaking from an LREF perspective, a year from first-gen proof of concept to a functional manufactured design is incredible. Though, this is only possible because of the difference in scale of our two mission parameters.” That last part caused me to cock my head in curiosity. “What do you mean, sir?” “The wonder material the IAS came up with is horrendously unscalable. Its production is time-consuming by its very nature, and it's so bizarrely novel that it’s incompatible with any industrial process we have, like I said, it took an entire year to produce enough for your armor and tent. At that rate, it would take us a good century to even coat a corvette to the same extent as your armor.” "Well let’s just thank the portal people for requesting a single candidate, and not an entire ship, sir.” I shot back cheekily. “Besides, I doubt that even with the stockpiles we have of prior versions of the stuff, we’d be able to coat even a quarter of a corvette.” The Captain cracked a short laugh, shaking his head at the thought. "That’s certainly an idea alright. Imagine finding another point in space with enough latent Quintessence to tunnel up another portal for a ship to fly through. It’s not like we haven’t tried.” The man shrugged, before quickly correcting himself. “As in, trying to find another location with latent Quintessence, not the ship thing. The ship thing is impossible. The only place with enough latent Quintessence is right here, weirdly enough. But, anyways, there’s at least one good thing we’re using the stockpiles of the previous iterations for.” “You mean the portal room’s shielding tiles?” “Correct. Some say it’s overkill, I say it isn’t. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that the thing’s rated for just under three quarters of your armor’s rated mana-resistance. When you combine this with the fact that the portal barely leaks out a fraction of a fraction of a percent of what you’ll be dealing with on the other side, the powers that be… most notably the assembly committees, seem alright with it. Speaking for the LREF though? Nothing’s ever enough. But speaking in terms of evidence-based considerations? Yeah, I’d say it’s enough. That isn’t stopping me from pushing for a motion for any mana-resistant material produced after this point, to be procured exclusively for the portal room though.” I took a deep breath, nodding as the Captain spoke, before steadying myself by shutting my eyes and reaching for the energy drink sat atop another stack of e-ink documents with a hundred variations of the word [CLASSIFIED] plastered all over them. However, instead of being met by the cold, comforting embrace of a 10-alloyed can of sweet carbonated caffeine, I was instead met with nothing. In fact, I suddenly felt constricted. My loose fitting nightwear was suddenly replaced by the skintight undersuit of my gear, and then enclosed within a thick, solid layer of unyielding composalite. I was back inside the power armor. Opening my eyes, I wasn’t met by the mid-millenium chic of the IAS’ recroom. I was instead floating in darkness. An oddly familiar darkness. Confusion consumed me. Followed closely by panic. But those two gut-twisting emotions had nothing on what came immediately after, as I began hearing it again. And it was just as otherworldly as when I last heard it. It started out exactly the same way. A constant stream of distant chimes, pulsating in intensity from a barely audible pin-drop, to a soft whisper at its peak. I instinctively reached for my ears, but found my hands unceremoniously slamming against the helmet again, unable to reach them as the incessant vibrations started tickling them, sending wave after wave of shivers down my spine. “EVI!” I shouted. But there was no response. There was only the thrumming darkness growing ever and ever louder. “EVI!!” BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! “EVI!” I jolted up with a raspy shout, panting heavily as my eyes began darting around, my hand instinctively reaching yet again for my sidearm but finding it firmly trapped within a soft cocoon of canvas. I looked down in confusion, just to be reminded of the sleepsack I found myself snugly tucked into. A sleepsack that I just about managed to squeeze inside the tent right before the rays of the early morning started to bleed through the dorm’s windows. MEDICAL ALERT: Detecting elevated Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Respiratory Rate, and stress hormones; EEG patterns outside baseline standard. Patterns indicate [1] episode of variable-rate night terror. NOTE: This marks the second night terror logged. “Noted, EVI, thank you.” I managed out with a sullen sigh, plonking myself back against the plasticky floor of the tent with a dull thud, cushioned by the padded canvas-like material of my sleeping bag. “First the Null, and now our mysterious noisy Cthulian-wannabe inhabiting the space between spaces…” I paused, before slowly unzipping out of the cocoon of canvas, reaching lazily for my tablet. “EVI.” “Yes, Cadet Booker?” “Set a reminder for me to bring up the mystery of this noisy entity between portals to either Thacea or the Library when we have the chance. You know? The one that we encountered after jumping after Mal’tory through his portal? Set it for… I don’t know, a few days from now or something.” “Affirmative, Cadet Booker. Reminder set.” “Right…” I let out another sharp sigh, before getting up properly this time, rubbing the drool from the corners of my mouth with the backside of my forearm. “Diagnostics?” I spoke lazily through a yawn, bracing myself against one one of the four work benches that had been set up so far, my eyes firmly fixating on the support frame that now held the armor aloft by its shoulders and hips. “QSR: All suit systems nominal, Cadet Booker.” “Are my repairs holding?” “Affirmative, Cadet Booker. I’ve run passive mechanical stress-tests whilst you were asleep. Repairs were completed within a 1.73% margin of error.” “Good. Captain Li would be proud.” I let out a grin. “The night terror episode barely lasted for a quarter of the dream, so I’m going to call this one a win. Plus, at this rate, I’ll be rid of them sooner rather than later.” I tried my best to reassure myself as I moved to stand in front of the armor, noting a few scratches on the paintjob. Superficial damage aside however, this avatar of technological exceptionalism was ready for round two. “Alright then.” I continued, as I began climbing into its vacant back, entering legs-first. “It’s library time.” Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Emma and Thacea’s Bedroom. Local Time: 1040 Hours. Emma Booker A sharp hiss marked my return back into the world of magic and sorcery. This was followed by those first few tentative steps out of the tent as I paid extra close attention to the mechanical sensor readings currently superimposed into the upper right hand corner of my HUD. I began pushing the systems slowly, taking short, measured steps, followed by larger, and more awkward ones. All with the intent of completing the appropriate calibrations that weren’t strictly necessary, but were part of the post-repair recalibration (PRR) protocols that were strongly recommended. Thacea, noticing this, cocked her head toward my general direction, having completely stopped any and all pretenses on finishing the spoonful of nuts and berries currently in her hand. “Emma, are you certain you’re quite alright?” She managed out quizzically, standing up with a degree of obvious concern as she regarded me with a look of abject confusion. “You seem… encumbered.” Part of me couldn’t help but to feel just a bit embarrassed at having just graced the princess with her first taste of the world of interpretive dance. Another part of me however couldn’t decide whether or not to just ignore the feeling entirely, given that the armor itself ruined any chance at really being socially ‘acceptable’ here. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I finally managed out, once more finding myself attempting— and yet again failing— to rub the back of my head reflexively. “It’s part of the procedure in making sure that my repairs are working, is all.” I explained away simply, which was followed up by a tentative nod from the princess. “A ritual of sorts.” She concluded with a tentative nod. “Right then, I’ve sent for breakfast so that we may-” The princess stopped herself in her tracks, before placing a hand over her beak. “Apologies, Emma. Your… dietary restrictions slipped my mind. I was, admittedly, a bit overeager to prepare for the day ahead by preemptively having a meal ready for the both of us. I-” “It’s fine, Thacea.” I quickly interrupted the apologetic avian with a single tap on her shoulder, shooting her a smile despite knowing full well the obvious fact that a barrier of composalite and glass stood in the way between us. “I appreciate the gesture all the same.” Thacea’s eyes seemed transfixed on the hand, before shifting to meet my gaze once again as she nodded once in affirmation. “I value your compassionate nature, Emma.” I slowly removed my hand at that, prompting Thacea to shift a bit in place, before craning her head towards the door. “With that being said, I must apologize for being the lesser of compassionate spirits in this instance, by insisting that we cut straight through the clouds.” She pulled out that same pocket watch-like device from a few days earlier, its round golden surface glowing a dull green and yellow hue, displaying a series of alien symbols that the EVI could not translate. “We have approximately an hour before noon, and from then, we have half a day left to complete the procurement of school supplies from the town in accordance with the window of grace the Academy has afforded us.” I nodded once. “Then let’s hit the library first. It should be a quick in-and-out.” “Very well then.” Thacea nodded, pocketing her watch as the both of us left to regroup with Thalmin. Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Living Room. Local Time: 1045 Hours. Emma Booker The lupinor prince was waiting for us right outside our door. Despite being of a completely different species, the frustrated features of a canine were definitely not lost on me, as those bared fangs and scrunched up nose did little to hide his current state of mind. Though, from the looks of things, I could tell this frustration certainly wasn’t instigated by us as his features lightened up just a bit as we finally exchanged words. “‘Morning, Thalmin.” I chirped out. “A bright morning to you, Emma.” Thalmin managed out with a forced smile, before shifting gears to a tentative sigh. “Though I wish I could say that with wholeheartedness.” “What’s wrong?” “This.” Thalmin moved towards his dorm’s entrance, gripping the handle tight, before pushing it inwards with a forceful thud- ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 140% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS -only to have it slam in his face just seconds after. This was accompanied by a slight but noticeable series of hisses from what I could only assume was the only other inhabitant of the room. “This is what’s wrong.” Thalmin continued with a resonant growl. “The blue thing refuses to leave his room. And what’s more, he refuses to even acknowledge the simple question of why.” Thacea’s eyes narrowed, zeroing in on Thalmin’s. “Has he shown any signs of other peculiar behaviors?” “Not necessarily, just the usual, with the addition of this unexpected development.” “I see. This may become more of an issue in tomorrow’s house choosing ceremony.” Thacea spoke with a high-pitched series of chirps. Each one more exasperated than the next. “Regardless, that is a matter for the following day. If Lord Rularia insists on being unruly, then we must move forward without-” Thacea paused mid-sentence, or rather, her voice had completely trailed off as both her, and Thalmin’s eyes were now completely trained on me. Walking past the pair, I positioned myself right in front of the door, before forcing it open with yet another loud SLAM. ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 140% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS This was, expectedly, followed up by the door being forcibly closed by the Vunerian’s magic, to which I had a simple counter… A simple foot in the door. Warning: Minimum pain threshold on [RIGHT FOOT] has been exceeded, auto-disconnect of haptic feedback engaged. This forced the millenia-old wood to buckle and creak concerningly as the rest of the door above my foot began to bow and bend, yet was unable to overcome the space-age composalites comprising my boot. A series of sharp, threatening hisses soon followed, flooding the living room as the both Thacea and Thalmin began peering awkwardly in from behind me, their heads popping up on one of my rear-view live-feeds. “Ilunor.” I managed out through a frustrated sigh. “Come on out, buddy. Do you need to talk, or-” “THIS IS MY PRIVATE DOMICILE AND I WILL NOT BE HARASSED!” “Come on, you can tell us if there’s something wrong. Thalmin here is worried-” “I WILL SAY NOTHING MORE! IN THIS ROOM I SHALL RESIDE, AND IN THIS ROOM I SHALL REMAIN!” “Right…” I responded with a half-hearted sigh. “Okay buddy, we’ll be back sometime later today okay? Just call room service if you need snacks or something. I’m going to pull my foot away from the door now, alright?” With little acknowledgement aside from a sudden reduction in mana, I slowly pulled my foot away from the wedged door. ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 140% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS Before being met by a resounding SLAM once more. “Right then.” I spoke with yet again another sigh, turning towards Thacea and Thalmin who had since regained their respective composure. “It’s library time.” The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts, En Route to The Library. Local Time: 11:20 Hours. Emma Booker Once again, the trip to the library saw us exiting the main structure of the castle, through two unassuming double doors, and towards a large open promenade with little to nothing in the way of exterior decor compared to the many open-air outcroppings along the Academy proper. The howling winds hit all three of us first, followed by the loud roaring of the waterfall behind us logging in at the same deafening 91 decibels. The stark white tower soaring hundreds of stories overhead lay in front of us. The spindly single-lane bridge connecting it to the Academy stood in the same place as it always had. But unlike before, the bridge wasn’t empty. In fact, it was packed. At least forty or so gargoyles occupied the single-lane bridge, remaining so still that anyone seeing the structure for the first time could’ve easily mistaken them for part of some centuries-old blockade. Strangely though, the blockade seemed to occupy just the first half of the bridge, with the latter half being completely empty and devoid of any obstructions. What I could only describe as a guard post had been assembled at the entrance to the bridge, assembled out of cobblestone and timber, with an imposing roof that was… as expected, host to four perching gargoyles. A small gaggle of four students were gathered around the guard post, their uniforms looked to be a bit more decorated than Thacea’s, implying that they were probably second-years. “You lot, halt!” A voice echoed from the guard post, as a taller, older elf emerged, quickly fastening a cloak to a uniform that was even more decorated than the others. The man was an apprentice. Once again, evidenced by the uniform that resembled Larial’s. ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS A brief mana radiation warning was all that was needed for him to blip between the guard house and the door we’d just entered through, as the taller elf squared off against the three of us with a purposeful whoosh of his cape. “What are you miscreants doing about here then?” “I mean…” I managed out slowly, much to Thacea’s dismay as it was clear she had wanted to take charge of the talks. “I think that much is obvious.” I gestured to the library in the far distance. “We’re headed to the library, sir. And honestly, I haven’t heard of a learning institution of all places preemptively calling a bunch of library-goers and knowledge-seekers miscreants.” I shot back with a series of polite, yet snappy responses. “Oh, ohoho. Is that how it is then?” The man responded with a cocky smirk. “Just a jolly old perusal of this here compendium of all the knowledge of the realms that ever has been and that will be?” “I mean… yes?” I turned around purposefully, meeting both Thalmin and Thacea’s expectant gazes. “What else are we going to do at the library?” “Hmmph, what else are we going to do at the library, they say.” The man scoffed back, before making a point to unfurl a ridiculously long scroll, and clearing his throat. “By the order of His Academic Excellency, the Dean, and the powers bestowed upon him by the authority of the Nexus’-” ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS The elf was interrupted by the teleporting arrival of a similarly dressed apprentice, who arrived simply to whisper into his ear, before disappearing almost just a quickly. ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS “Ah, very well then. Consider yourselves fortunate. For it shall not be I, but the Dean himself that shall be addressing this matter, and the matter which has become the talk of the town.” “And what do you mean-” “Shush, shush shush shush.” The man interrupted, reaching his index finger forward towards my vocoder which I immediately pulled away from. “An emergency assembly has been called. Attendance is compulsory. Letters confirming as such have been dispatched to all dorms. Proceed to the Grand Assembly Hall, and be out of my hair. I have more important matters to attend to.” He shooed us off, before promptly blipping back into the guard house. ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS Whilst that interaction was… weird at best, I couldn’t help but to feel just a bit nervous about the sudden and unexpected turn of events, as the three of us reluctantly headed back inside. “Well, Emma. It would seem as if there might be some merit to your theory of a potential shift in Academy scheduling after all.” Thalmin began with a nervous smile. “So what now?” I asked, turning to face the pair. “We attend the assembly. There is no other choice in the matter, Emma.” Thacea quickly added. “I guess this means we’re calling off library time for now…” The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts, En Route to The Grand Assembly Hall. Local Time: 11:45 Hours. Emma Booker There was no question about it. There would’ve been no way we could’ve made it to the Grand Assembly Hall in time if it wasn’t for the horde of students that had inadvertently led the way there like a herd of sheep making their way to the slaughter. Okay maybe that’s not the best metaphor to use here but I digress… It was very much clear the announcement had reached the eyes and ears of everyone around the same time we were informed. Which means the library itself was blockaded before this whole announcement was made. Which made things even more confusing, but at the same time, made me all the more curious as to what could be going on. Or more accurately, what the faculty could be cooking up. Upon arriving at the Grand Assembly Hall however, we were met at the entrance by a parallel duo of rolands— swords outstretched towards each other. At the bases of these knightly statues were decorated stretches of parchments bearing and receiving names of students that entered. We were shuffled into a queue like the rest of the students, quite a few of them giving me questioning glances, but most of them simply going about their way; clearly more focused on the assembly itself rather than my armored form. As we finally got to the front of the queue, we were once again reacquainted with a familiar face. Or, more accurately, with a familiar lack of a face. As the hooded and cloaked shadow-faced apprentice we’d met from the Medical Wing now stood guard next to the statues. His two glowing orbs-for-eyes shifted to a more polite, amiable, and friendly half-lidded semi-circles that more resembled emojis than an actual face. “Greetings Princess Thacea Dilani!” The man spoke with a courteous, polite bow. Actually taking the time to hold up the queue as he went all in on the Expectant Decorum game. “I see fate has once more granted us the privilege of meeting. Now, what can I do for you today?” Thacea responded with a bow of her own, taking a good ten seconds to complete before meeting the man’s ‘gaze’ as best she could; the polite, ‘customer service’ smile taking over her visage like a well rehearsed role she was born for. “And a greetings to you as well Senior Apprentice, Appointed-Deputy Magistrate, Sir Ostoy. We are here for the compulsory assembly, at the behest of the Dean.” “Oh please, Senior Apprentice Sir Arlan Ostoy will be sufficient.” The man shot back with a polite chuckle. “And ah, yes, of course! What else could you be here for.” The vapid, directionless conversations threatened to rear back its ugly head if not for a tap on the shoulder from one of the other apprentices lining the doors to the Grand Assembly Hall, motioning their head to the cramped collection of annoyed students that were being held up behind us. “Ah, yes, well, it seems like everything is in order here-...” The man trailed off, his eyes darting between Thacea, Thalmin, and myself, before pointing at an empty space right next to us. “I must apologize for the inconvenience here, Princess Dilani. However my roster informs me that your peer group consists of a total of 4 persons. Is that correct?” “That is correct, Senior Apprentice Sir Arlan Ostoy.” “With that being the case… where is your fourth peer?” “He is currently in our residence, Senior Apprentice Sir Arlan Ostoy.” This back and forth ended with a shift in the apprentice’s ‘face’, as his two glowing eyes narrowed to an impossibly thin line, before shifting to one of wary concern. “His presence will be required, Princess Dilani. Without it, you may find there will be consequences for the entirety of your peer group.” He spoke in an uncharacteristically straightforward manner, cutting right to the chase as all three of us looked at each other with a renewed sense of concern. “However, considering I have previously had the distinct pleasure of being acquainted with your peer group’s star student-” He gave Thacea a polite, respectful nod. “-I will allow two of you to enter. The third must take full responsibility in the retrieval of your fourth peer. Now…” The man paused, grabbing what seemed to be a time piece of his own, before pocketing it. “You have just under an hour to accomplish this. Considering it takes fifteen minutes to return to your dorms and back again, I suggest you take flight immediately.” He nodded once, giving Thacea a brief ‘wink’ at that pitiful attempt at a pun. “Alright, I’ll-” “No, I volunteer.” Thalmin interjected with a resounding rumble in his throat. “Thalmin, it’s fine, I can run pretty quickly-” “After everything? No. I will not allow myself to fall into further dishonor by having all of the burdens of this peer group falling upon your shoulders, Emma.” Thalmin spoke earnestly, and with a resounding sense of finality. “I just… alright.” I sighed. “Alright then. I wish you the best of luck, Thalmin.” I concluded, before giving the wolf one more appreciative nod before he sped off, impressively and literally disappearing into the crowd of students. ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 220% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS With Thalmin gone, the hooded apprentice quickly ushered us inside. Making our way in, Thacea promptly led me up higher and higher into the plush, opera theater-like seats. It certainly wasn’t just your rank-and-file bleachers or your crammed-together stadium seats, that’s for certain. “Here, this is our peer group’s assigned seating, Emma.” Thacea pointed out at a small enclosed row of seats, with no clearly defined signage or anything to indicate it was ours at all. “Wait, this? How can you tell?” “Ah, it’s… it’s this, Emma.” Thacea quickly waved over the side of the enclosed canopy, revealing the letters corresponding to our dorm room. “It’s a mana thing isn’t it? I can’t see it because I can’t sense the mana-streams or whatever?” “Correct, Emma.” Thacea nodded once in reply. “Right.” I spoke with a mix of frustration but also nervousness as my eyes kept track of the time, and the countdown timer the EVI had once again conveniently placed at the top right hand corner of my HUD. Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Living Room. Local Time: 12:10 Hours. Thalmin I arrived back at the dorms with a huff and a puff, though it wasn’t so much the sprint that drained me, it was moreso the frustration at navigating through this labyrinth of a castle even with the manastreams attempting to guide the way forward. Slamming the door open without a moment’s hesitation, I marched my way over to my room, and the source of all of my current grievances. I let out a breath, steadying myself, before bracing my right shoulder as I rammed my way in through the door; making sure not to give the Vunerian a single chance to properly fortify himself within. “Ilunor!” I shouted, only to find that the room was… empty. I looked around, glancing at every corner before slamming the door behind me shut, making sure the little thing couldn’t skitter out from behind me. But as quickly as I did so, and upon trying my best to sense any other presence from within the mana-streams… I was met with a resounding nothing. The lizard was gone. First | Previous | Next (Author’s Note: Hey everyone! As you might have noticed, I've finally just decided to add the Royal Road as the link on top, instead of having it be in the author's note just to streamline things along! Just as another reminder, I'm still posting here as normal so that's not going to change! :D Anyways, we're starting to really move along in this chapter. With the dream sequence establishing more of the situation back on Earth and some lore on that end, as well as serving as a reminder of certain entities we've met before, but haven't yet been emphasized, but will play a part in the plot down the line! :D We see that, as well as Emma moving from location to location as the situation develops throughout the day! I wanted to more or less capture more of the Academy's general vibe with this one, coming hot off of the intensity from the previous arc. I hope you guys enjoy! :D The next Chapter is already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters!) [If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 45 of this story is already out on there!)] submitted by /u/Jcb112 to r/HFY [link] [comments]
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