At the center of the Academy people would find the office and residence of the highest authority in the city, Xal’rus was the Principal of the Academy, Mayor of Masridge, and founder of both.
He was also known as the Dragon King of Knowledge, the Clever One, the Redeemer of Men, and the Archwizard of Mystery.
The Principal sat at his office in his human form, looking a like wizened old sage. The room was more of a library than an office, it had bevy of different books in different sizes and shapes, with some parchment lying here and there. The sunlight ever so subtly went through the window, giving the whole room a homely feeling that put people at ease.
It would also be very disconcerting for anyone to watch his expression as it is, an expression of sadness and pity.
“I am truly sad for your circumstances, young Vedas, and while both I and the members of the faculty would be sad for your departure, I cannot begrudge you your decision.” He told the young man sat in from of his desk.
“I’m not sure about the faculty, I’d bet my department would have a field day at the swelling of the budget. But I appreciate the sentiment.”
The floating giant ring at the Vedas back seemed to almost glow out of mirth, but the wizened dragon could still recognize the façade, the young Archwizard was hiding a deep suffering behind a mask of normalcy.
Xal’rus stood up, followed by Vedas, as they approached the door of his office. “Well, let it be known that the Academy will always recognize you as one of us, and that we’d always welcome you with open arms…. Well, as long as you don’t raze a country out of the earth with no reason.”
Vedas let out a dark chuckle at the old Principal’s joke, as they stood in front of each other.
Suddenly, the young Wizard envelops the Principal in a hug. “I’ll miss this, Old man.”
The Dragon in human form’s eyes widened out of surprise, before he softly tapped Vedas’ back, a warm smile on his face.
“It was wonderful to watch you grow, young man, truly.” He commented.
After a while, Vedas let go of the Principal. “I guess this is goodbye then.”
“Don’t say it like that; I’m sure we’ll meet again, Vedas.”
The young Archwizard just laughed, his crystal halo enveloping him like a moving portal, both disappearing in a burst of golden light.
“Your journey isn’t over yet, Archwizard of Stars.” Softly spoke the dragon. “It may have just begun.”
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Sir Theodore was a preeminent knight of the Older of the Shining Beacon, a veteran of many wars and a skilled Aura Knight, but currently he is but a platform for a cheeky owl.
He stood next to a familiar building, waiting for his liege, but the obnoxious Owl won’t stop yapping at every woman that is even remotely attractive, he was knight, dammit! He will not get humiliated by a godsdamned owl!
As if to sense his discomfort, Otis’, his new Lord’s familiar owl nibbled at his ear from his perch at the top of his head. “Ow! Quit you miserable bird.”
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Before the owl could do anything further, Vedas appeared before him in a ray of light, his crystal ring at his back.
He wore a black silk shirt lined with gold, alongside a long black coat, black leather pants, and sturdy looking leather boots. His outfit didn’t look particularly luxurious, but it didn’t look fit for travel and/or adventure.
Vedas clearly noticed the knight’s apprehension from his gaze. “What? This is my adventuring outfit; even the belt buckle has more enchantments than your whole armor. I fought against a Lich Archmage in these clothes!”
Declaring Theodore sufficiently chagrined, Vedas opted to approach the Warp Chamber.
The old man who once grumbled and hawed at the knight stood in an absolutely respectful stance towards his liege.
“Welcome, Archwizard Agis, where would you wish to go?” He respectfully asked.
In the city of Masridge, professors of the academy are respected quite a bit, and an Archwizard even more so. It is no wonder, with his position and reputation, that Vedas would be an urban legend in these parts.
“I’ll have to add another layer to the array, we won’t be going to another anchor. I’ll need your eyes to get a second opinion, so you should probably observe the process.”
The old man’s eyes widened out of surprise, but he was clearly more than overjoyed by the prospect. “Of course, sir! It would be my absolute to observe an Archwizard at work!” He exclaimed before rushing inside, holding a round crystal ball to his mouth. “The Warp Gate at Masridge won’t be receiving any visitors until further notice; we have a custom job here.”
Vedas just chuckled at the old man’s excitement, before he approached the glass dome.
“Where did you say the Order was stationed, Theodore?” He asked.
“Somewhere at the eastern edge of the forest, as long as we get there I’ll be able to get some clues as to their exact position, my Lord.”
His Ring’s glow seemed to intensify “The forest huh? I used to play there a lot as a kid, I know a nice spot.” He said, but Theodore was more focused on the circle of Green-Yellow crystal dome that slowly appeared, enclosing the glass one.
Vedas turned to the old mage. “That’s Peridot, the crystal most associated with space. As you know, the warp chamber is built using glass infused with space attuned mana simply because it is both the cheapest and available option; it was an economic choice, based on the ability to both maintain the chamber and to have the capability to build as many ones as possible.”
He gestures toward the newly built dome even as countless runes start to light up on its surface, matching the green-yellow tint of the crystal. “But in case you want to build a one use array like this, then mundane conjured Peridot can do the trick, it’ll use more mana than usual of course, but if you can pay that cost then it’s no issue.”
The old man nodded sharply, his eyes focused on keeping every word to memory. “The array itself isn’t anything complicated, the usual warp gate array is as genius as it is simplistic, it basically makes it so that two anchored identical chambers have the same coordinates in physical space, so for a miniscule moment we aren’t just standing here, but also at an identical chamber that exists in our destination.”
“That means that both chambers have to be identical in both form and material, as just a single inconsistency will cause the array to malfunction and explode, it also means that only one chamber should be filled with passengers, as having two bodies occupying the exact same space is not a pretty picture.”
“Now, we’re not going to an anchored point, so I’m using this one as an origin to determine the coordinates of our destination using a minor psychometric array, which it should be able to get from my body’s memory. The issue here is that any physical object in the destination may splinch with our bodies, so to say.”
“So I’m technically using the teleportation array twice in less than a second, the first to send a general transmutation and displacement array, that should one, transmute any non-living material into light, and two, displace through a simple usage of kinetic force any living thing on the area. And only then will we teleport to our destination.”
“Anyway, that’s the general explanation for the second layer, I’m sure there’s a surveillance apparatus here that’ll allow you to check the details in depth later, so goodbye, old man.”
Theodore wasn’t able to hear the old man’s reply as he felt the familiar feeling of a warp shift, but unlike other experiences where he found himself in an identical chamber, they found themselves in a familiar mystical forest.