Finally squeezing into the city, I try to find a cranny to settle my staff into. There's too many people on the streets these days. Certainly says a lot when a mixture of foreign troops and city guard need to use the roofs for their patrols. Even up there, it's not exactly a sparsely occupied route.

The loss of the city's primary power supply for the sake of that airship fleet is something alright. I was already aware of Thrurstradtur using advanced, dimensional shifting technology to maintain its populace. The city can still have a vast, incomprehensible total population, but it can run itself like it's a quarter of the scale. This is just the surface as well, Liadanann has told me how it's more so businesses up here.

Only the truly wealthy can live on the surface and even then, most people prefer pocket realms. I bet most of these people are now quite resentful that they chose to get a building out in the open. However, I am quite glad that this does not apply to the Gnomon in the slightest. The king of all Thrurstradturan architecture can be reached on foot, always has been the case.

Adjusting my bag, I keep a slight supply of magic in my staff. I know there's not much room to work with, but I need something to influence people and to incite movement. More than a tight squeeze to get to the Gnomon would be quite ideal, right about now! Eugh, one more reason to hurry, I guess.

Get these tablets to the local leaders from the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra and they can be on their way. These tablets have everything they need to figure out what to defeat the giant with. Defeat the giant, the fleet can go, the fleet's gone, the city can go back to normal. Just a few streets to go and I should be within range of an entrance.

"I don't think walking in is really an option..." my tongue clicks out as I find myself a wall to press up against. Only my free hand really gets a chance to feel the abrasive, grainy structure of the bricks. My feet are otherwise too busy trying to keep me upright. Popping out of gaps really needs to stop.

Minding what may be a small family and their run down, abrupt shelter, I accidentally kick a support out. Hurrying along as a fight begins between simmering groups, I manage to get out of view. Security up on the nearby tiles and slopes start to shout down and a mild, short-lived stampede pushes at the street sides. My ankle scrapes its way through a suddenly tighter gap and I fall against a pole.

A hand grips my almost-fallen staff and I snap towards my weapon, magic shining bright. Staring the wannabe thief down, they back away, iris' alight with my power. I return the staff close to my chest and hold it there. Of all the things to almost lose...

Doubt is certainly the simplest way I can put my feelings about the Gnomon right now. Security is clearly more than it typically is, even at the small entrance up ahead. Thankfully, I suppose, I don't look out-of-place watching the guards in this crowd. There is no way I can sneak up, though.

I've never had much interest in defensive works, but, having grown up in a ravineer town, I have some understanding. There's a wide, open space between this small entrance and any nearby building. No windows face it and all the garden walls and front porches are notably reinforced if facing the door. A couple of men are also not all there is, they're too safe for that to be the case.

There're troops positioned in a secured, tight-lipped balcony with little room to throw stuff through. A slight stretch of the neck lets me catch glimpses of those posted at the rims of the open space. If I run in for those in front, those behind will shoot me dead. No useable pipelines of any variety, either, not even sewage.

Groaning a bit, I force my way into an alleyway otherwise too tight for crowds. I still need to mind the odd person and their knees-to-the-chest seating, but I can move. It's so strange to find the most freedom for movement in a place where my arms being up means bent elbows. Scratch that, I don't think I can even get one arm up and have it be straight all the way.

"If only I was stronger. Might be able to leap the distance and break down the door that way." I mutter as I weave my way to a closed shop. Magic fights off the canopy shadow, and I apply it to the locks, crumbling them out of existence. A careful push of the door and I step into the dark building, my ears overly active. Not a peep. I smile.

The miserable day is slipping in through the gaps in the shutters and the layout is elucidated. However, for all that I can see, not one of these things is an indicator of how to get into the Gnomon. I guess the rumours of secret tunnels have no weight at all. I blink in thought and a word repeats, weight.

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Weight. Heavy. Stable. Sturdy.

"Protection..." I let out with a hard flick of the tongue. Setting aside my staff, I feel out for any metal in the structure with my magic and bring it back. If I myself am not strong enough, then I can use what is strong enough, perhaps? I need to try, I suppose, not that I have much choice.

Besides, the crime report can be used as a point of reference in my transfer exam! Who can possibly sit there and tell me that I am not entitled to a place within Exceptional House? I broke into the Gnomon, after all. Well, I will...

I blink and consider that, nevermind the Gnomon on its own, right as it's filled with foreign troops. Men, who, in my limited experience, are incapable of acting outside of the orders they are given. If they're told to kill me, they will keep at it until I am dead. So much rests on a bit of luck and hope an-

"What's my life to the whole country?" I ask myself as I grab my staff once again. This isn't really a spell I've practised if at all. My magic has always been more for the destruction of metal by inducing oxidation. Yet, there are transferable skills and an Exceptional Student is expected to make use of these things.

I take in a deep breath and focus. Calling on my internal power, I bring it out into the open and feel out for all the metal in the building. The structure sings with rattles and shakes, the forceful eviction of rivets and the loosening of washers. Welds come undone.

Almost, I laugh at how easy this seems to be and I can't help but falter in focus. This is all because of the Gnomon being turned off, isn't it!? I can't use this at all as a means to progress up to Exceptional House. Who can't express their magic so easily in an environment like this?

"Focus!" I snap and another tunnelled breath escapes me. The wind is directed towards where I can sense the door and the soldiers most certainly return the feeling. Metal is building up around me, and most certainly, more of them are coming into my limited view. Motioning back a fist-gripped staff, I fine tune the point of my magic.

Forcing the power forward, I blow the building's structure out and it smashes into a greater whole. The opening of the torn down walls present lights me up. Clenching up all over, I run into my tunnel and seal it with my magic. Shots tear apart my safety.

Cherry red patches appear in front. I feel them at my sides and know they're behind. An unsettling thunk of a noise precedes entire chunks vanishing. Weapons stick in and bad views. Sprinting with all I can, I build up my magic around my front and barrel ahead.

I hit into the elastic wall of the Gnomon and keep on going even as my boots start to scrape. Groaning with all I have, I pop through and reseal the immense wall. I sigh in relief. The building screams with all the alarms it has.

"Great... Well, I know I have to go up. Grandguard Inerish's office is on the same floor as where she normally is." I remind myself, scraping my robes off and adjusting my heavy back weight. Moving up to a door, I wait for any signs of noise beyond. No feet, no rattling. It's safe...?

I lean ahead and the weapons fire is immediate.

Magic in hand, I break the door's hinges and locks, sealing it up with an impromptu weld. It shakes violently and I turn to get going before the door gets a chance to open. Another door leads me nowhere, and another leads me to a hallway of pipes and steam. Not seeing any other place to turn, I run with all I can down the latter.

A light at the end of the tunnel at least has some implications that incite optimism. And would you look at that? I'm completely right, a flight of stairs and the indication of this being a maintenance shaft! Something slams open.

The alarms become clearer for a moment.

"THE INTRUDER IS DOWN HERE!" a voice roars from the top of the stairs and a shadow vaults. Skidding into my back steps, I bang on the pipes and a body lands on the ground. A pair of orange eyes looks up at me and his trigger guard cocks forward. My body screams one word.

Run!

Slipping some magic across the pipes, I break them open and make a shot go wayward. It breaks open more of the pipes and it's not enough to stop the troops. Barely avoiding the terror-inducing bolt of magic, my bag-covered back slaps on the wall. Preparing my staff, I focus on the power it's conducting into the surroundings and let it go.

What sounds like floor supports failing on top of pipes falling is enough to send me on my merry way. Something bangs far behind and I make the mistake of looking back. My magic is causing the lights to fail. It's a cavern back there. One with a pair of orange pricks accompanied by rapid feet.

Rushing with all I have, I make a turn that hurts both my arms. One is now bruised, and the other dislodged. I keep running, but so does the soldier. He's getting closer, closer, closer. Too close!

Minding the magic in my staff, I stop and turn. I barely manage to get a solid blow on the guy's chest, and he flies off with a roll. His armour breaking down, I gulp and get going with the hope that will stop him. I yelp and fall onto the netted floor.

He grabs my staff before I can react, and my bag becomes a seat. Something long bounces and clatters across the floor and I smash the floor. I do it again and again. Dammit!

"Whereever this is, whoever you are, consider yourself lucky." the whistle-accented man warns as he brushes the metal flakes off. Some get into my mouth and I spit them back out. Awkwardly, I reach up for a pipe and try to get a solid grip on it. I need my staff for quality magic, but, now, I need to prove that, that is not the case!

Directing what I can into the metal, I try to erode it to the point of failing. He smacks the hand with what remains of his helmet. Keeping my limbs to myself, I clench my teeth and sneer down at the ground. I didn't get anywhere with this and now I'm going to be wasting away in a prison cell...

More feet travel towards us and I look up just in time to watch a rifle butt ram my way.