Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School

Our entry back into the world outside was marked by a raging, roaring WHOOOOSHHHHHHH!

“Agh!”

[Alert: External noise exceeding preset thresholds. Adjusting and recalibrating live-audio feed for background audio track WATERFALL_01 to predetermined safe thresholds.]

A noise that, despite only lasting for a fraction of a second, was sudden and abrupt enough to get my blood pumping.

The transition between the silent library within and the noisiness of the world outside would never stop being jarring. It reminded me of those legacy MMOs with their sudden and abrupt shifts in ambient soundtracks between different maps and biomes. Although to their credit, it wasn’t like that sort of thing wasn’t often the case in the real world. As I could count more than a handful of places in Acela that fit that exact description; active soundproofing sometimes doing too good of a job that leaving your apartment felt like entering into a whole other world.

Several mana radiation signatures would clue me in to the rest of the gang’s reaction to the noise of the waterfall.

Or rather, it would have been several, if it wasn’t for only two having been reported.

As Thalmin seemed to have foregone that cone of silence ritual, for the sake of humming an upbeat and chipper tune.

“Hm Hm Hmm Hm Hm Hmm Hm Hmmm Hm Hmmmm~”

The lupinor hummed a gravelly, dulcet tune. One that the EVI had allowed to filter through to my ears untranslated and unadulterated, once more surprising me with the deepness of Thalmin’s actual voice, especially coupled with his native, non-Nexian tongue.

I couldn’t help but to follow along the beat with my footsteps, which almost immediately garnered the attention of the lupinor, as he turned towards me with a sly grin and a series of purposeful stomps from his boot.

It was then that I quickly realized what he was humming.

A marching tune.

We both matched pace almost immediately, with Thacea and Ilunor trailing behind, each with their own bewildered and bemused expressions.

The knowing glance between two comrades-in-impromptu-marching was enough to clue me into the lupinor’s mood. As I too felt the wave and rush of triumph and victory washing over me with each and every step, coinciding with the rise in cadence and rhythm of the lupinor’s well-tempered humming.

A proud smile had since formed across the lupinor’s mug, one that I couldn’t help but to reciprocate, even if it was all for naught.

It was times like these where I was once again made painfully aware of the inch of composalite in front of my face. The encumbering-yet-life-saving piece of hardware handicapping these spontaneous moments of brotherly bonding, and hampering what would’ve otherwise been an even more enjoyable walk back.

It would’ve definitely made the short little stint even more enjoyable, especially as it was cut short as we reached the other side of the bridge.

But not by a waiting apprentice as I’d come to expect.

But instead, a lone gargoyle, animated explicitly for one very specific purpose.

To simply let those from the other side of the bridge cross, without so much as a cross check or a word from the apprentice.

The man in question having seemingly chosen the ground of all places to retire for the night. As he sat there out in the open courtyard, back against the smooth cobblestone and marble bricks, staring blankly at the cloudy skies above.

This definitely put a dampener in our little marching tune, as it prompted us to attempt to skirt awkwardly around the man, if not for a sudden and abrupt interruption that took me by surprise.

“Oi, you lot, was that marching music I heard?” He asked from his supine position, not even putting the effort into getting up to face us.

“Erm…” I turned towards Thalmin, who promptly nodded and answered for me.

“Yes it was. What’s it to you, sir?” He all but spoke out in a low rumble.

The man chuckled in response. “Nothing really. Just wanted to note how there may still well be some semblance of culture left in you lot; an appreciation for Nexian sensibilities where it counts. As it is clear that even from a bridge away, my glorious marching was enough to have had a subconscious effect on the manner by which you choose to travel.”

Thalmin clearly didn’t know how to make any of that. Which was fair, given how all of us seemed to remain baffled by the man’s antics.

A single, frustrated, glance of disdain was all the lupinor had to say to that. A set of eyes that quickly turned towards me, with a look that just screamed ‘is this dude for real right now?’

“Alright, off you go then. And don’t let me see you around here tomorrow. I got orders straight from the man-in-white himself. Says right here-” He lazily held up a piece of paper. “-that no one’s allowed to enter for a full day, or until such a time when the perpetrator behind this affront to our great and enigmatic partner is apprehended and dealt with.”

I couldn’t help but to let out a sly snicker at that, although I made sure to quickly tone down the external speakers so that none of that made its way to the man.

“So I hope you’ve had your fill of cocky owls and mischievous foxes for the night. For tomorrow, you aren’t stepping a foot into the library. And mark my words, I’ve trained my gargoyles well for any would-be rule-breakers.” He held a single finger up, yet still didn’t bother getting up. “So off with you!” He shooed us away, pointing straight towards the double doors that led back into the Academy.

I couldn’t help but to feel weirdly bad for the man as we finally made our way back inside, but only because I could empathize with the feeling of going a little bit mad from being assigned an all-nighter.

I just hoped that there was some relief coming soon.

Because he clearly needed one.

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Local Time: 0230 Hours.

Emma Booker

The rest of the trip back to the dorms was made in silence. Mostly due to the fact that everyone else was already fast asleep by this point.

Reentering our dorm felt… oddly surreal; similar to how I reentered it immediately after the explosion. Except this time, there was an underlying feeling of optimism that colored my mood, rather than the cold, confused, and dazed one.

It finally felt as if we were moving forward. In a direction that was dictated by us instead of any outside force.

It finally felt like we were now holding the reins of this beast that was our complicated relationship with the Academy and its faculty, rather than responding to the punches as they came.

Though we might not fully be out of the backfoot just yet, I could definitively say we were at least now properly, and surely, in the game as Ilunor would say.

“So, anyone hungry?” I finally broke the ice, prompting the faces of all three members of the group to quickly turn towards me with expressions as varied as their reactions.

Thalmin looked at me with an excited pair of eyes, glimmering with as much hunger as the excitement welling within them. “I sure am-”

“-certain that rest would be a preferable course of action at this point in time.” Thacea interjected sternly, with a strength of finality that up to this point I’d only seen my aunt capable of mustering. “I am certain that is what you were leading up to, Prince Thalmin?”

“Well...” Thalmin attempted to quickly segue into what was clearly his actual point. But after yet another stern bird-of-prey tier glare from Thacea, he reluctantly acquiesced and began shifting gears. “I hate to say this Emma, but we might have to put off the celebratory feast for another day.” Thalmin acknowledged with an awkward rub of his back. “Not that the consolation prize is cause for celebration, of course.” He quickly added, staring down at the blank-faced Vunerian. “But a victory in your favor is a victory all the same. Even if that victory was won for those undeserving of it.”

It was clear that the lupinor wanted to make his disdain for the Vunerian known despite it all. As if he didn’t want his involvement with this rescue to be conflated with a renewed outlook on the discount kobold.

Which was fair.

Ilunor still had a ways to go to really prove himself in my eyes.

But it wasn’t like it was impossible, though by that same metric, I wasn’t going to jump to any conclusions just yet.

At the end of the day though, only time would tell.

“Thank you, newrealmer.” A voice suddenly pulled me out of that reverie, an unexpected one that was all too pertinent to the topic of my thoughts. “You have my…” The small blue thing struggled to get the words out, stuttering for a few moments, before finally going through with it. “... gratitude. In both a practical, and a metaphoric capacity.” The stutters and reluctance however quickly gave way the more he spoke, as the topic at hand transitioned from the more difficult subjects of humility and gratitude, towards issues that were easier for him to swallow. “You have my word, that I will commit to whatever will be necessary to maintain the agreements set forth with the library.”

“So you’re saying you’re going to behave from now on.” I clarified, bringing the Vunerian’s lofty words to ground.

An incredulous gaze and an open-mawed expression immediately manifested on the Vunerian’s small-snooted mug.

But surprisingly, that was about it for the Vunerian’s reprisals.

There were no self-righteous rebuttals, no sassy remarks, not even a single contradictory statement made.

Instead, for the first time since our frank discussions regarding his fate, he remained quiet; allowing me to continue despite clearly being miffed by my words.

“No more backroom dealings-” I paused, before realizing that that might've just been the Vunerian’s strong suit, and those skills might otherwise prove vital in the reality of backroom politics that was the Nexus. It was better to keep that skill in reserve for our ends, rather than banning it outright. So I shifted my course. “-without prior consultation with the rest of the peer group.” I clarified, leaving the door open for our own brand of operations if the need arose. “No more spying for anyone else. No more plans or agreements with anyone outside the peer group that could endanger any of us. No working against the interests and well being of the peer group. And finally… just learn to be more frank and upfront about things with us.” I managed out with an exhausted breath. “I know that there are things that are better left unsaid, but let’s just try to be as honest with each other as possible alright? For better or for worse, whether you like it or not, we’re a team now. And that means our fates are inexorably tied together. You and me, more so than anyone else here. So let’s try our best to try again, and this time, hopefully things will work out better for all of us.”

At the end of it all, despite holding certain reservations in that opening statement, he eventually relented with a nod, before replying in a way I thought wasn’t possible for him. “Those terms are… acceptable, newrealmer.”

“I have a name, you know.” I interjected. “And while I might be getting used to you calling me that, I’d prefer if you at least started trying using my name once in a while.” I attempted to bridge the gap, encouraging him forwards instead of outright demanding it.

“So you do.” He slowly nodded. “Well then, allow me to rephrase. I find your terms agreeable and acceptable, Cadet Emma Booker.” He finally announced, before leaving just as abruptly for his room. “And once again… thank you.” He forced those words out as best he could, before slamming the door behind him.

Maybe there was some hope left for him after all.

The door slam was markedly less aggressive than before as well.

“I’ll report back to you if he starts hooting, barking, or in any way starts shapeshifting into a creature of the library, Emma.” Thalmin shot back with a teasing cocksure grin, poking fun at the overarching worries we had with the library’s dealings when it came to Ilunor, before marching his way back towards his room and closing the door shut behind him.

This left just me and Thacea, as we both stared at one another, before retiring to our little corner of the world.

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Emma and Thacea’s Room. Local Time: 0245 Hours.

Emma Booker

“Well that was an eventful day.” I announced with a strange mixture of exhaustion and giddiness in my voice, still riding off the high at just having conducted what was in effect a successful run of diplomatic talks with what for all intents and purposes was an interdimensional cosmic being.

That, or I’d just successfully defused a disagreement between a kobold and an owl. Though the latter was definitely the far less impressive descriptor of everything that’d just transpired.

“Indeed, Emma.” Thacea responded warily, having already gathered the piles upon piles of supplies she tended to use for her long baths. “Though might I suggest you take a well deserved rest? It would be the most prudent course of action at this point in time.” She turned towards me, just before entering the bathroom proper. “I’ll make certain to leave the water on for your purposes.” She pointed at the long, ugly, obtrusive pipe that I’d laid down the other day; connecting the magical bathroom of wonders to my tent’s plumbing suite.

The clashing aesthetics of a utilitarian pipe just laying there on granite and varnished hardwood wasn’t lost on me. But it was the only solution I had right now for my plumbing solutions.

“Sure thing! And erm, thank you for the plumbing help again, princess.” I responded sheepishly, prompting the avinor to respond with a single exasperated sigh before disappearing into the bathroom proper.

It was then that I decided to get to work on a few finishing touches to the tent’s other assorted systems. But just as I was getting into the groove of things, almost as soon as I’d finished offloading some of the suit mods into the tent, I heard the distinct clack of the bathroom door opening. It was only then that I realized, much to my surprise, that I hadn’t just been toiling away for ten or twenty minutes…

But a full hour.

The princess reentered the room once more wrapped up in a hundred pieces of fine silk, and as she made her way into the disaster zone that was my setup operations, she let out a long drawn out, frustrated, wailing chirp. One that was undeniably pretty from an acoustic standpoint, but one that carried with it the same vibe of frustration and disappointment that matched her current gaze. A gaze that I once thought was only possible and reserved for use by parents when scolding a particularly difficult brat.

“Emma.”

“Yes, Thacea?”

“I’m assuming you have yet to have even entered your tent?”

“Well you see, I just thought since I was up anyways, that I could just-”

“Emma.” Thacea interjected once more, stopping me in my tracks as she began closing the gap, taking several urgent steps towards me with the very-audible clack clack clack of her bare talons. “I worry for your sake.” She continued, before finally stopping just a few feet shy of me and the tent. “This pace is unsustainable, this pattern of living untenable, and this lifestyle you lead… unnatural; fraught with the risk of exhaustive consumption. I understand well the urge to move with the rhythms of the world. I comprehend that inherent drive to respond, to react, to answer the call of duty and the insatiable demands of a system that is by its very nature unconducive to the individual and the organic. I understand this viscerally, Emma, perhaps more so than you.” Thacea’s voice began dipping into a certain warmth of earnestness that I’d only heard bits and pieces of from the previous nights.

“Which is why I must ask you to stop.” She urged with an overture of emotive resonance only a bird could muster, and one that was otherwise absent from her conversations outside of the confines of the room.

“It is… deceptively easy to fall into the roles we play. To fall prey to them, and become ensnared by their ceaseless demands. I know this, for the role of royal duty demands an adherence to a facade as rigid and unforgiving as the metal and glass of your armor.” She pointed to my armor, her hand just barely grazing it. “So I can imagine it is far, far easier for you to be completely subsumed by your role, being not just metaphorically consumed by its demands, but literally.”

“So whilst your armor exudes the raw strength and uncompromising zeal of the realm you hail from, underneath it, is still a being of flesh and blood. And whilst most may simply see the neutral, unflinching, stoic face of your knightly helm, I instead see the woman underneath it.” Thacea continued, her eyes never once breaking contact a mere foot from my own. “So please, answer the call of the flesh beneath the metal, and rest.” She reiterated.

I took a moment to consider everything, as throughout it all I genuinely felt as if she was peering once more straight through the inch or so of helmet and straight onto the fleshbag underneath. It was… a strange feeling, especially after interacting with so many who saw only the armor and not the person inside.

I couldn’t come up with a response that felt fitting to the effort Thacea was putting in.

That was until, a sudden and abrupt thought popped into existence, and some exhaustion-addled part of my brain decided to just run with it. “Is that an order, your grace?”

Thacea almost immediately pulled back with wide eyes and an abashed look on her face. “I… Have I been too insistent in my phrasing and my tone of voice-”

“No, no. That. That was a joke, princess.” I interrupted before things could go any further. “I just couldn’t come up with a proper response to… all of that.” I admitted with a dumb awkward chuckle, reaching up an arm to awkwardly rub the back of my helm. “But in all seriousness, thank you, Thacea. You made very valid points and I concede. I guess I’ll continue all of this-” I pointed at the mess around the tent. “-in the morning. Or rather, the afternoon or something. I do have a Dean to intercept before we finally have some proper free time.”

The princess nodded warily in response, having since regained her composure, her raised fluffy feathers having since shrunken back down. “Then I bid you a good night, Emma.”

“Good night, Thacea.”

With that, I finally reentered my tent, standing in the mana desaturation chamber for the typical ten to twenty minutes before stepping into the main chamber proper, before promptly hopping out of the back of the suit and straight into the shower.

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Local Time: 0700 Hours.

Emma Booker

I emerged from the cocoon that was my sleeping bag and straight into the armor. From there, I exited to find the room bathed in a dazzling beam of sunlight that felt ever so slightly brighter than before, probably due to the elated high I was still feeling.

Regardless of what it was, I emerged through the door of my bedroom to find the rest of the gang having already dressed and prepped for the day; the whole group seemingly in the middle of a conversation just before I turned the corner.

“The uniforms are nothing short of ghastly in their commoner-like austerity. I shall remain decorated in my fineries until such a time where it can no longer be tolerated. Namely: until the visitation to Elaseer.” I could hear the Vunerian settling back into the one emotion he always embodied best.

Annoyance.

“It’s not like it can do any more damage to an already damaged mannequin.” Thalmin muttered out annoyingly, which prompted a hiss from the discount kobold.

He would’ve gone into a whole tangent too if I hadn’t rounded the corner in time, prompting the whole group to hail me to varying degrees of tiredness.

“A bright morning to you, Emma.” Thalmin spoke up first.

“Bright skies await, Emma.” Followed closely by Thacea.

“Hello, newrealmer.” And of course, Ilunor, who was at least trying to get into the program.

“Good morning everyone.” I replied, before making the effort to crane my head around, before continuing. “So… have we received any mystery letters?”

“Not that I’m aware of, no.” Thalmin responded.

“Any mysterious knocks on the door?”

“No.”

“Any break-ins or thefts of property?”

“Nope.”

“And no unannounced or unplanned summons?”

“No.”

“Alright.” I spoke, letting out a contented sigh in the process. “Then that means we just have one more thing on the agenda to take care of.”

“Delivering the letter to the dean?” Thalmin perked up.

“Exactly. After which… well… wow… we don’t actually have anything to do after that now, do we?”

“I mean, you still have your quests to think about. Namely: the crystal dragon.” Thalmin urged.

“And your promises to the library…” Ilunor piped up meekly, practically squeaking out those words.

“But of course, all of that can wait.” Thacea quickly butted in. “We are on the final day of our grace period. Tomorrow, classes shall commence. It would be prudent to take the rest of the day off to rest and recuperate. Moreover, it would be prudent to plan our next course of action in detail if possible.” The avinor all but announced in a series of authoritative chirps, before turning towards me. “Wouldn’t you agree, Emma?”

I nodded firmly. “Sounds like a plan, princess.”

“With that being said then-” Thalmin perked up once more. “-considering we truly do not have much in the way of immediate affairs to resolve… I believe it would be as good of a time as any to sit down to discuss a few points of contention that have been left unresolved with regards to Earthrealm.” The prince not-so-subtly alluded to the interrupted conversation a few nights prior. “I would be interested to learn more about this fantastical mana-less plane of existence, provided you are willing to entertain my curiosities, Emma.”

I couldn’t help but to grin widely at that underneath my helmet, realizing that after everything that had happened thus far, I hadn’t yet properly sat down to actually divulge more than a few passing points relevant to whatever it was the adventure called for at the time. “Sure.” I answered simply. “That can be arranged.”

So with a few more nods from the group, and a bit of pre-game planning involving our angle of attack when it came to approaching the dean, we finally made our move; leaving the safety of the dorms behind us as we marched straight back into the dining hall.

We planned to strike, as soon as the man left his seat.

The Grand Dining Hall. Local Time: 0730 Hours.

Emma Booker

I once more had to brave through the torture that was breakfast as Thacea began reminding me of a few points I should raise when dealing with the dean.

The man was a clear cut opponent on the surface… but given that we had to be dealing with him for the rest of the year, if not the entirety of our five years here, there had to be some attempt at dealing with him without burning all bridges.

Moreover, Thacea had more or less suggested paths I could take to address what were otherwise irreparable bridges that had already been tarred and burnt.

Namely, in the form of spinning what would have otherwise been a simple ‘in your face’ moment, into a sort of a ‘social debt’ move.

“For as it stands right now, Emma-” Thacea continued, her piercing eyes sharp in their calculating approach. “-you hold a card with which to dictate the course of this encounter.”

“We effectively did his dirty work for him. Or rather, fixed an issue that would’ve been a headache for him to deal with.” I surmised.

“Correct. Which, even if it wasn’t ever explicitly called for by the indebted party, is still a social debt all the same.”

“The issue is whether or not he’ll honor it or consider it anything at all.” Thalmin interjected with a growl.

“That is the risk here, yes. But at the end of the day this all depends on how Emma approaches this conversation. It is easy to merely prance into the man’s office, to flaunt the letter and to deliver the contents plainly and simply. Yet the only net gain we would accrue would be the pride and satisfaction in the act. Everything else may as well be a net negative balance from the ire we may incur from the man.”

“I’ll find a way to spin it.” I managed out with a confident grin. “What’s more, I’m certain I can still get a bit of satisfaction from the whole interaction too, so don’t discount point one just yet.” I chuckled.

“With all that being said, do be sparing with the details regarding our agreement, Emma.” Thacea warned. “Whilst we know for certain that it was Mal’tory who was the party responsible for the burning, we do not know just how many more within the faculty may be involved. So in order to best ensure we have our options open for our investigation, you should exercise liberal use of discretion, as well as misdirection if appropriate.”

“Heh, you could play dumb and say that you agreed to some dumb agreement with the library if you wanted to.” Thalmin added.

“I think it’s best if we don’t offer anything concrete.” Ilunor finally chimed in. “The tainted-” Ilunor paused, as I peered down on him menacingly as he uttered that word. “Avinor princess-” He quickly corrected himself somewhat. “-has a point, Emma. It is best to be sparing, with misdirection only given if it truly comes to it. The liberal application of misdirection could very well lead to the same result as the overeager sharing of the truth. Namely: in the other party moving in to match those supposed developments, rather than in them remaining placated with the partial truth.”

I nodded at all the advice, and was about ready to put my two cents into the pot, before several loud sonorous claps were heard throughout the hall.

Once again, announced by the still-injured looking apprentice. Who at this point seemed to only be bandaged with no splints or accessory aids in her healing process remaining. “To all students: this morning breakfast is officially dismissed. In regards to yesterday’s announcement, letters of summons will be dispatched to each and every room. Students with names on this list must proceed to the designated meeting grounds written within your summons. That is all.” Larial concluded, sitting back down on her chair… Mal’tory’s chair, as the rest of the professors stood up and moved out.

The short line of professors made their way out in the same fashion Larial did a few days before, through a side door immediately left of our table.

This gave me ample opportunity to get up, and once more confront them in the fashion Thacea preferred - discreetly and outside.

The cluster of about twenty or so professors eyed me down with suspicion, as I approached the white-robed dean himself.

“Professor, I-”

“What is it, girl?” One of the professors interrupted abruptly, turning to me with an incredulous set of beady black eyes, reminding me of an angrier, older, meaner version of Buddy. His frustration would’ve been even more pronounced if he had a tail to express it with.

“EVI? Who’s this guy again?” I spoke silently into my helmet.

ENTITY IFF CONFIRMED: A12 PROFESSOR ARTICORD - NEXUS AND ADJACENT REALM HISTORY AND POLITICS

I ignored the man, opting instead to focus squarely on the Dean. “I wish for an audience with you, Professor. I have an urgent matter which must be addressed.” I spoke plainly, politely, and above all else, calmly.

“Mreow? An audience? With the Dean?” Chiska announced with a perplexed expression.

Articord let out an indignant huff, sidestepping Chiska as he approached me menacingly. “Perhaps I have been too presumptuous in assuming you had two eyes to see with, and two ears to hear out of. Or perhaps the armor you wear has dulled your senses significantly, but we do not have the time nor the inclination to entertain your concerns, not especially at this junction in time.”

“I presume the matter of the library has the faculty preoccupied, Professor?”

The man paused, his eyes narrowing towards my lenses. “Don’t play coy with me, girl. Now out with-”

I reached for the letter folded within one of my mana-resistant pouches, prompting the man to all but halt in his tracks.

Chiska, Vanavan, and Belnor who were all in my immediate line of sight couldn’t help but to let out gasps in varying degrees of intensity; as the other professors who had been otherwise uninvested in the whole back and forth finally turned their heads towards me.

The Dean’s expression at this point had likewise shifted, as he turned to move towards me, the other professors giving him a wide berth. “...Come.” Was all he spoke, signaling me to follow with a lazy hand. “You’ve earned yourself an audience, Cadet Emma Booker of Earthrealm.”