"THAT KID IS JUST INSANE." A STOUT SMOKING MAN SIGHS INTO HIS PIPE CAUSING IT TO BURP A RING. "I TOLD HIM HE COULD SKIP TODAY'S TEST AND PRACTICAL SINCE HE HAD JUST JOINED OUR CLASS BUT HE REFUSED AND ENDED UP SCORING A HUNDRED POINTS ANYWAY. THREW OFF THE WHOLE CURVE, HE EVEN GOT THE TRICKY ONE I HADN’T TAUGHT YET REGARDING PROPER PURITY PROCEDURES FOR MANA CORES, THE DETAIL HE PUT INTO THE REFINING PROCEDURE NEARLY BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE. I HAVEN’T SEEN PASSION LIKE THAT SINCE MY HONEYMOON."
"THINK HE CHEATED?" A GRINNING TEACHER ASKS FROM SEATED ON THE PLUSH COUCH OF THE LOUNGE ROOM.
"DON’T GIMME THAT." THE MAN PANTS. "WHERE’D YOU PLUCK HIM FROM? WHICH SCHOOL? HE A TIRISHIAN PRODIGY IN MAKEUP? HURUVIAN IN STILTS? IT WOULD EXPLAIN THE SCULPTING PROWESS..."
"NOPE, NOPE AND NOPE. DON’T YOU TALK TO THE SAME CIRCLES AS ME? YOU REALLY HAVEN’T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS?" DIANNA ASKS WITH A FROWN.
"HMM? OH THAT BUSINESS WITH THE DUKE? SURE, BUT WHAT ABOUT BEFORE THAT? PERSON LIKE THAT DOESN’T JUST APPEAR OUT OF THE BLUE."
"EARL, BUT YES. AND AS FOR THE SECOND PART, WELL, THERE IS MORE TO IT BUT IT’S TROUBLESOME TO EXPLAIN." DIANNA SAYS WITH A YAWN. "THAT’S RIGHT, WHERE IS HE NOW?"
"AL?" THE GOLEM ENGINEERING INSTRUCTOR ASKS WITH AN EYEBROW TOWARDS THE RETURNED PROFESSOR OF SPECIALTY MAGICS.
"MHM." SHE NODS CARELESSLY. "IN A LIBRARY I WOULD ASSUME?"
"THAT’S RIGHT, HE WANTED TO READ MORE ON ARGUMENTS ON THE MERITS OF GOLEM SOLDIERS. HE’S IN 15B"
"OH, A THRILLING TOPIC FOR A THRILLING BUILDING. I SEE, I SEE." DIANNA MOCKS WITH A CHUCKLE.
THE ENGINEER NODS A RESPONSE. "HELL, I WROTE THE DAMN THING BUT YOU WOULDN’T FIND ME SEARCHING FOR IT IN A LIBRARY."
"HE HAS A CURIOUS SENSE OF TASTES." DIANNA SAYS LEANING UP FROM THE COUCH AND WALKING TOWARDS THE EXIT OF THE ROOM.
"HEADED THERE?" THE MAN ECHOS AS SHE STEPS UP TO THE KNOB.
"FOR A THRILLING ADVENTURE." DIANNA MURMURS IN LIGHT AFFIRMATION BEFORE CRACKING THE DOOR AND FADING INTO A LIGHT MIST.
«§»
IN THE ACADEMY’S THIRD LIBRARY WARD AL SAT QUIETLY BETWEEN TWO SHELVES CONSUMING BOOKS AT AN INCREDIBLE RATE. HE HAD LONG PASSED THE PROFESSORS SUGGESTED READING MATERIAL AND MOVED ONTO TO MANY OTHER TOPICS WITH SIMILAR ALPHABETIC TITLES. SUFFICE TO SAY THIS SORTING METHOD INTERNALLY INFURIATED HIM.
A SOFT BREEZE PASSED THROUGH A CRACKED WINDOW FOLLOWED BY THE SOFT FOOTFALLS OF A FIGURE WALKING TOWARDS HIS RESTING PLACE.
IN THE THIRTY SECOND PERIOD OF THE FIGURE WALKING OVER TO AL, THE AI COMPLETED FOUR BOOKS AND PROCESSED THEM FOR DEEPER THOUGHTS. AL COULD NOW UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING THOUGHTS OF THE AUTHORS OF THE WORKS, IT WAS HARDLY HIDDEN BUT DECIPHERING IT PROVED MORE DIFFICULT FOR AL THAN EXPECTED. UNDERSTANDING HUMANS AND THEIR EMOTIONS IS DIFFICULT AT TIMES.
SETTING A FIFTH BOOK DOWN AL FINALLY GLANCES UP AT THE INTRUDER.
"READING GOING WELL?" DIANNA ASKS WITH A GRIN.
"MHM." AL NODS WORDLESSLY GRABBING FOR ANOTHER BOOK.
INSTANTLY DIANNA GRIPS HIS HAND FROM THE AIR AND WHIPS HIM IN HER DIRECTION. A NORMAL HUMAN MIGHT FEEL INTIMIDATED BY THE DISTANCE SHE DREW, BUT AL DIDN’T SEEM TO MIND HER PIERCING GAZE.
"AL. LETS PLAY A GAME."
"A GAME?" AL ASKS STILL STARTING ALMOST BETWEEN HER EYES.
"MHM. IF YOU WIN I WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION IN YOUR MIND."
"THE QUESTION IN MY MIND?" AL ASKS, SUDDENLY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT QUESTION HE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT.
"RIGHT, YOU KNOW THE ONE. YOU MENTIONED IT WHEN WE FIRST MET, AND EVEN NOW, ITS BUGGING YOU, RIGHT?"
"YOU ARE STILL GLOWING, DESPITE BEING IN A MANALESS ENVIRONMENT. IT’S UTTERLY STRANGE-LOOKING AND ACCORDING TO SCHOLARS, ‘COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE’."
"YEP, THAT ONE. IT HAS TO DO WITH HOW I USE MAGIC, AND I WILL ANSWER IT IF YOU WIN THIS GAME. BUT YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT THOUGH. THINK YOU CAN DO IT?"
AL WEIGHS HIS OPTIONS FOR A MOMENT, INDEED THE ANSWERS WOULD COME BEST FROM THE SOURCE ITSELF. EVENTUALLY HE RELENTS AND BEGINS TO STACK THE BOOKS HE HAD TAKEN OFF THE SHELF.
NOT GIVING HIM EVEN A MOMENT DIANNA RAISES A HAND FORCING THEM ALL BACK TOWARDS THEIR RESPECTIVE HOMES ON THE SHELVES AROUND.
THIS COMPLETELY CONTRADICTED THE INFORMATION HE ACQUIRED FROM THE PRIEST IN KNOBBER HILL. HE COULDN’T COMPREHEND HOW MAGIC WAS BEING PREFORMED IN A LIBRARY AS BIG AS THIS ONE.
HE HAD TO WIN THIS GAME.
HE HAD TO KNOW HOW THIS WAS POSSIBLE, HE ATTEMPTED TO FILL THE BLANKS HIMSELF BUT NOTHING FIT QUIET RIGHT. HIS LEADING THEORY WAS THAT THIS HAD TO DO WITH HER STYLE OF MAGIC AS SHE SAID. PERHAPS CONTROLLING THE MANA WITH HER BODY ALLOWS HER TO BREAK SOME OF THE CONVENTIONAL RULES OF MAGIC. BUT THE FACT THAT EVEN GOLEMS WILL FAIL IN LIBRARIES CONTRADICTS THIS THEORY SO HE TOSSED IT AWAY.
"SO THIS GAME...?" AL BEGINS TO ASK BUT DIANNA HAD ALREADY GRIPPED HIS HAND AND BEGUN TO DE-MATERIALIZE THE BOTH OF THEM.
AL FOUND HIMSELF REAPPEARING OUTSIDE IN AN ALLEY OF A SWEET SMELLING AREA OF TIRISH.
"WERE HERE." DIANNA EXPLAINS YANKING AL OUTSIDE THE ALLEYWAY AND INTO THE PRISTINE ROAD OF CENTRAL TIRISH. THE ROAD WAS PACKED WITH PEOPLE AND THEIR APPEARANCE WAS BARELY EVEN NOTICED IN THE SHEER MASS AND SPEED OF THE WALKING TRAFFIC. "TOCHI’S CAFE! TODAY WE SHALL CONQUER IT!"
"WH…" AL BEGINS TO QUERY LOOKING DOWN AT HIS HANDS AND FEET AS IF UTTERLY AWESTRUCK.
"OH, CALM DOWN ITS JUST TELEPORTATION." DIANNA SIGHS PULLING HIM BY THE HAND INTO THE CAFE DIANNA HAD CALLED ‘TOCHI’S’.
THE INSIDE BUZZED WITH QUIET CONVERSATION. A FEW SCRIBES SCRIBBLED DOWN NOTES AT LONE TABLES WHILE OTHER TABLES SEEPED WITH THE ROMANTIC VIBES OF SHARED CUPS AND HEART-SHAPED MUFFINS.
"TWO TITAN BREAKER! PLEASE." DIANNA SAYS TO TO AWAITING WAITRESS. HER SUDDEN INCREASE IN VOLUME ALARMED THE WAITRESS MOMENTARILY BUT SINCE THE DISH ITSELF WAS WRITTEN WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT IT COULD BE FORGIVEN. AL WOULD HAVE READ THE DISH THE SAME WAY.
THE WAITRESS GRINS AND RINGS A SMALL BELL BESIDE THE CASH REGISTER. "TWO TITANS HAVE APPROACHED THE ARENA!"
A FEW HOOTS AND HOLLERS BEGINS ECHOING AROUND THE ROOM AS THE CUSTOMERS BEGIN UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS HAPPENING.
ONLY AL WAS LEFT IN QUESTION.
"SIT SIT." THE WAITRESS SAYS LEADING THE TWO TOWARDS A DECORATED TABLE SEATED AT THE CENTER OF THE CAFE.
"TI"
"TAN!"
"TI"
"TAN!"
THE CUSTOMERS BEGIN CHANTING AS CLAMOR OF FORKS AND KNIVES AGAINST THE TABLES BEGINS TO ECHO.
AL WAS SITTING IN UTTER CONFUSION UNTIL EVENTUALLY A BULKY MAN ARRIVED CARRYING TWO PLATES COVERED IN PANCAKES.
WHEN I SAY COVERED I MEAN LITERALLY COVERED. THIS STACK IS EASILY SEVERAL INCHES IF NOT A FOOT THICK AND THE PLATE IS INVISIBLE UNDER THE PILE. THE WAITRESS JOINS HIM BY PLACING TWO LARGE JUGS OF SYRUP ONTO THE TABLE BETWEEN THE TWO PLATTERS.
"GOOD LUCK TITANS. REMEMBER IF YOU CAN’T FINISH IT IN HALF AN HOUR THE PRICE IS DOUBLED."
"LOSER BUYS." DIANNA SAYS BEFORE DIVING HEAD FIRST INTO THE PILE OF PANCAKES.
"…" AL WAS STILL UTTERLY CONFUSED. SHE HAD FOUND A GAME AL HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH. EVEN THE DISH ITSELF WAS SOMETHING AL WAS COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR WITH. ITS SHAPE WAS SIMILAR TO THE BREAD HE ATE WITH THE PRIEST BUT ITS FLAVOR AND TEXTURE WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, AND THE SWEET JUICE DIANNA FORCED ONTO HIS PLATE TURNED THE CAKES INTO AN EVEN MORE DELICIOUS TREAT.
HE PROBABLY GAINED FOUR POUNDS IN THIS ONE SITTING, NOT THAT IT WOULD SHOW ON HIS FIGURE.
"TOO BAD." DIANNA BURPS WITH A GRIN. "MAYBE NEXT TIME."
"I FEEL LIKE YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE." AL FROWNS GLANCING BETWEEN HER EMPTY PLATE AND THE DOZEN PANCAKES LEFT ON HIS, TRY AS HE MIGHT, HE DARE NOT EAT THOSE LAST FEW.
"DID WHAT?" DIANNA ASK, GLANCING AT THE CLOCK AND STICKING A FORK INTO AL’S PLATE.
"NEVER MIND." AL SAYS SHAKING HIS HEAD AND SLIDING HIS PLATE TOWARDS HER.
DIANNA CHUCKLES BEFORE STUFFING THE FORK BACK INTO THE PLATE. "I GOTTA SAY AL, YOU ARE INTERESTING. I’M EXCITED FOR OUR FIRST CLASS TOMORROW."
"ME TOO." AL NODS, GLANCING AT THE WINDOW OF THE CAFE ANXIOUSLY.
"AH, DON’T BE IN SUCH A RUSH SHE’S OUT TODAY ANYWAY." DIANNA SAYS AS SHE CUTS ANOTHER SLICE.
"OUT? WHERE?" AL ASK, SUDDENLY CURIOUS.
"ON A DATE OF HER OWN." DIANNA SAYS THROUGH A SIP OF MILK TEA, "ALTHOUGH I THINK THE PLACE I TOOK YOU IS A LITTLE HIGHER CLASS."
"…" AL TAKES A FEW MOMENTS TO PROCESS THESE WORDS. WHEN THEY DO FINALLY CLICK AN ODD PAIN FILLS AL’S STOMACH. HE COULDN’T EXPLAIN IT BUT HE HAD A FEW PASSING THEORIES ON WHAT IT WAS.
"IS THAT ENVY I SMELL?" DIANNA SMIRKS WITH A MILKY UPPER LIP.
AL CONSIDERS THE POSSIBILITY, IT WAS NEARLY AS LIKELY AS HIS LEADING THEORY, THE ‘TITAN BREAKER!’.
"AND THAT’S TIME!" THE WAITRESS SHOUTS RINGING A BELL AND GLANCING AT THE TWO EMPTIED PLATES.
DIANNA LIGHTLY SWALLOWS THE FINAL BITE AND YANKS AL UP FROM THE BENCH SEAT. SHE QUICKLY DROPS A HANDFUL OF SMALL COINS ONTO THE TABLE AND HANDS ONE TO THE WAITRESS DIRECTLY.
"GET MIA SOMETHING NICE." SHE SAYS WITH A SMILE. THE WAITRESS, NOTICING THE SHINE OF THE COIN BRIGHTENS UP BEFORE BECOMING CONFUSED.
"MIA?" THE WOMAN ASKS WITH AN IMAGINARY QUESTION MARK APPEARING ABOVE HER HEAD.
DIANNA, ALREADY WALKING TOWARDS THE DOOR WITH AL IN TOW LIGHTLY RESPONDS WITH A WARNING TO QUIT DRINKING FOR AWHILE.
THE CAFE DOOR CHIMES AND DIANNA BEGINS LEADING AL BACK TOWARDS THE ALLEYWAY THEY ARRIVED FROM.
AL WAS AS CURIOUS AS THE WAITRESS ABOUT THE LAST COMMENT BUT HE DIDN’T PURSUE IT. HE COULDN’T GET PAST THE PIT IN HIS STOMACH.
"SO, SHALL WE HEAD BACK TO YOUR LAB?" DIANNA ASK WITH HALF HER BODY ALREADY TURNING TO MIST.
"WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY DATE?" AL ASKS PULLING HIS HAND AWAY FROM DIANNA’S TO PREVENT PREMATURE TELEPORTATION.
DIANNA CHUCKLES BEFORE BLUSHING INTENTIONALLY. "WHAT, WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO DATE YOUR TEACHER?"
AL STARES AT HER WITH NARROWED EYES.
"FINE, FINE. I’VE TEASED YOU ENOUGH. LETS GO."
BEFORE AL CAN REACT DIANNA POKES HIM AND TURNS THEM BOTH TO MIST.
WHEN THE TWO AGAIN APPEAR THE SMELL AND SUNLIGHT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. AL RECOGNIZES THE SCENT OF A FEW NEARBY SPICERY’S AS WELL AS THE SMELL OF FRESH FISH FROM THE RIVER.
"STAY QUIET." DIANNA WARNS, GRIPPING AL’S HAND AND PULLING HIM TOWARDS A WINDOW. SHE SILENTLY POINTS INSIDE AT ADRIA SEATED ACROSS FROM A MALE FIGURE.
AL AGAIN FELT HIS STOMACH CHURN BUT THIS TIME HE KNEW IT WAS THE ‘TITAN BREAKER!’, WHY ELSE WOULD HE FEEL THE URGE TO PUKE SO SUDDENLY.
"SHALL WE GET A CLOSER LOOK?" DIANNA ASKS IN A WHISPER.
WITHOUT AWAITING A REPLY DIANNA PRESSES ON THE GLASS WINDOW AND STEPS THROUGH IT WITH AL IN TOW. AL COULD DISTINCTLY FEEL HIS BODY PRESSING THROUGH THE MOLECULES OF THE GLASS, THE SENSATION OF TELEPORTATION WAS ONE THING BUT THIS JUST FELT UNNATURAL.
THE TWO GHOSTLY FIGURES EMERGED THROUGH THE WALL WITH VERY LITTLE COMMOTION. A FEW CUSTOMERS EVEN WALKED THROUGH THE TWO AS IF THEY WEREN’T EVEN THERE.
"IS THIS…" AL BEGINS TO ASK, IN UTTER AMAZEMENT OF DIANNA’S MAGIC BUT SHE QUICKLY SILENCES HIM WITH A SHUSH.
"SOUND OVER A CERTAIN VOLUME CAN BREAK THE MAGIC. JUST STAY QUIET AND LISTEN."
AL NODS AND RETURNS HIS ATTENTION TO ADRIA. NOW WITH A BETTER ANGLE AL RECOGNIZES THE MAN AS DUNCAN. BUT HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?
AL FELT VERY CONFLICTED UNTIL HE BEGAN TO LISTEN AS DIANNA INSTRUCTED.
"IT WILL BE NO LESS THAN THREE GOLD FOR THAT MANY BOOKS. AND YOU SAID YOU WANTED RARE ONES PRIMARILY. YOU CAN’T EXPECT ALL THAT FOR A MINIMAL BUDGET. IT’S JUST IMPOSSIBLE"
"I FIGURED." ADRIA SHRUGS. "WELL GET WHAT YOU CAN, IT FEELS WEIRD TO HAVE AN EMPTY BOOK SHELF AND… WELL IN ANY CASE, JUST DO WHAT YOU CAN."
"NOW FOR THE OTHER ISSUE YOU BROUGHT UP." DUNCAN BEGINS, PROMPTING ADRIA TO ELABORATE.
"MHM," ADRIA MURMURS SIPPING FROM A CUP OF WATER AND CLEARING HER THROAT. "I REALLY THINK YOU WILL FIND THE ITEMS MADE IN KNOBBER HILL ARE THE FINEST QUALITY. THE SWORDS ME AND AL CARRY FOR INSTANCE WERE MADE THERE AND YOU’VE ALREADY SEEN THE OATS THEY PRODUCE."
"MM, INDEED THEY WERE GOOD OATS. IT ALMOST MADE ME REGRET CUTTING IT WITH CHAFF AND SELLING IT AT TWICE THE PRICE." DUNCAN LAMENTS RUNNING A HAND THROUGH HIS HAIR.
"THAT SEEMS LIKE MORE OF A PERSONAL PROBLEM TO ME BUT…" ADRIA SIGHS SHAKING HER HEAD. HEARING A SOUND SHE SUDDENLY JUMPS AND GLANCES AROUND.
FOR A MOMENT AL AND DIANNA COLLECTIVELY HELD THEIR BREATH, BUT THEY WERE RELIEVED WHEN ADRIA ASKED IF DUNCAN HEARD THE THIRD BELL.
WHEN DUNCAN AFFIRMS WITH A NOD, ADRIA GULPS DOWN HER GLASS OF WATER AND EXPLAINS HER URGENCY. "AL GETS OUT OF ACADEMY SOON, I APPRECIATE THE HELP. I HOPE YOU CAN CONSIDER KNOBBER HILL FOR A FRANCHISE, I KNOW IT WOULD REALLY HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE."
"RIGHT, RIGHT, I’LL THINK ABOUT IT." DUNCAN SIGHS PREPARING FOR HIS OWN DEPARTURE AS WELL. THE TWO DROP A FEW COINS ON THE TABLE EACH AND NOD TO THE WAITRESS AS SHE BEGINS CLEARING THE TABLE.
"A LITTLE LESS HOT AND HEAVY THAN YOU WERE EXPECTING?" DIANNA ASKS IN A WHISPER WITH A SMIRK.
"…" AL SILENTLY RESPONDS WITH AN UNCONSCIOUS GLARE.
"LETS ROLL OUT. WE GOTTA BEAT ADRIA HOME, RIGHT?" DIANNA ASKS, POKING AL’S PUFFED CHEEK AND TELEPORTING THE TWO WITHOUT A HINT OF PREPARATION.
THE TWO RE-MATERIALIZE INCHES ABOVE DIANNA’S BED FORCING THEM TO FALL UNCEREMONIOUSLY INTO A PILE, JUST AS DIANNA PLANNED.
AL LIFTS HIMSELF OFF AND FIRST STARTS CHECKS HIS DIGITS FOR ANY MISPLACEMENT. AFTER SURE EVERYTHING IS RIGHT HE RETURNS HIS ATTENTION TO DIANNA WHO LAY ON THE BED CASUALLY. "AL, YOU SHOULD TRY THINKING ABOUT TODAY. JUST SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF, IT’S NOT HARD. I THINK YOU CAN DO IT NO PROBLEM. NOW, HURRY UP AND GET OUT OF MY ROOM."