Chương 104: Chapter 102 - Trial by Annoying Professor.

"What did I do to him? I have done nothing to Gladius, he avoids me at every step." Nythera stepped forward and stared straight into his emerald eyes. The sneer turned into a deep frown, eyes reeking of hatred "I've heard of your strange test results, not a single whiff from our agents on where you are from and the specifics are under lock and key. Are you a blackpowder spy? No… A mage council spy?"

"I AM NOT A SPY" Nythera yelled into his face. The air around her rapidly turned colder. Flux leeched off the royal, sluggish, and a faint light blue coloring. Frost formed on the book shelves and water condensed on the ceiling. The pressure was suffocating, the cold bearing down on her like lead weights, the threat of frozen limbs was clearly communicated. Strata three? Four? He's no weakling.

"Watch your tongue" He chided, holding his fist up as if to hit her. Breathing in deeply, he lowered his fist.

"Stay away from Gladius, far away. If I catch you anywhere near him, I'll have you locked in the Red Room within the hour. He has enough on his plate without some renegade foreign noble leading him astray." Nythera's flux hummed to life, pushing back against the cold. One Aether Cannon and I can still turn him into a bloody stain. The scowl turned into a smirk, he slowly lifted a small rod from his cloak.

"Down, know your place girl." Her vision warped, the flux smearing across the air as the skill slid from her grip. A painful resonance filled her mind, screeching into her soul. Not one skill answered the call. A gloved hand shot out, grabbing her neck. Heat leeched from her rapidly as tendrils of ice snaked up her face. I'm going to die. I can't even call the cannon.

"Remember. You're. Place." His grip tightened. Gasps of breath came shallower and shallower. The fist released its grip, sending her to the ground. By the time she could bring her eyes up, he was already gone. Fucking royals. If he wanted, he could have killed me. I'm going to need to develop a countermeasure. Oh I got one! Blast him before he's within five feet of me. What's even going with Gladius? Lead him astray? These people are insane.

The cold took awhile to dissipate and Nythera, nearly an hour to get up off the floor. Striations of frozen-thawed flesh ran down her neck and up her face. Constitution struggled with the healing process. Nythera's hand ran up her neck unconsciously, finding the grooves of frozen flesh. I'm going to smash that skill-fucking artifact to pieces. You just watch, royal bastards, see what a cannon to the face can do. It took two hours to find an exit.

Nythera finally pushed out a door in the library, falling out of the labyrinth of books. Dark green stone walls greeted her, with purplish-lighting. The halls were empty and quiet. This isn't any wing I know, why are the walls green? Wandering around, she could not find any passage or room she knew. Those she encountered in the hallways were wearing the garb of workers, gloves and rough clothing, not the flowing robes of the students she typically saw. Ah the artisanal wing! So this is where it is…

I still don't know where I am. Lovely. Her head barely ducked in time to dodge the end of a scythe a farm was swinging around on his shoulder.

"Hey watch it!" she shouted.

"Oh, sorry ma'am, didn't see ya there. This bloody scythe nick you? No? Alrighty then." he kept on his way, whistling down the halls. These people are insane. If this is full of professions then I wonder what else it has?

"Quick! The professor is actually here today!" one student hissed to another as they speed walked down the halls.

"Do you think we will finally get to work with aetherite?" the other asked excitedly.

"Are you insane? You know they only give that to the more advanced classes and only for the very best students." The other chided. Here we go, time to follow these guys to class! Nythera pivoted on one foot and walked behind them, far enough to avoid their attention. The doorway was like any other, the students walked in without a pause.

"Alright alright, good Ma and Mo are here" the professor's voice could be heard from outside. Well don't mind if I do, maybe I can pretend to be a student. Nythera moved to step into the class.

"What are you doing here? Stop!" A familiar voice hissed from behind.

"Valerius?" she paused, her foot right before the doorframe.

"You really shouldn't be here, by Center, just how stupid are you?" Valerius chided her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"I got lost…" she said with a halfhearted smile. Valerius pointed a paw at the door "Are you blind as well as daft? Did you not see the authenticator runes on the floor?" On glance down showed a vibrant array of energy, brighter than most things she had seen. Oh. so that's how they do security then.

"Do you want to die?" Valerius asked, with his head tilted to the side "or are you just insane?"

"No, I don't really want to die… but what makes you say that would happen?" Nythera asked.

"That array will have you wrapped in a windnet in a second and security will immediately be called here. Then you will be locked in the Red Room and they will extract your organs one by one to question them for answers." Valerius didn't blink.

"Valerius, is there a matter by the door?" The professor called out.

"Oh no professor, just my dumb friend came looking for me in the wrong place and got lost. I'll make sure she does not enter this classroom." he called back politely.

"Oh, very good then. Wouldn't want security called again now would we? Always wastes class time and the amputations in the last three instances were less than pleasant." The professor sounded positively happy.

"Maybe one day she can attend class, but for now I am going to have to ask you to leave." The professor smiled. After guidance from Valerius, she was able to find her way back to the regular school wings. A letter sat on her bed, black with gold trimming. Another one? How do they do this, are keys for my room publicly available? She ripped it open with no decorum.

"Please make your way to my office tomorrow after lunch. Your classes after lunch have been excused for the rest of the day." -Julian Greywing And now he comes calling? After weeks of nothing, might as well deal with it now and see what he wants. … A full hour of searching finally led her to the professor's office hallway, one of six different ones scattered through the hallway. I spend as much time searching for places in this damned academy as I do in class. Seriously, where are the maps?

A tall youth with auburn hair came storming out of one of the rooms "How dare you do this to me!

I am the top student now and the best this academy has seen in decades. You refused me, Marcellus, even Reginald. You cannot scorn the nobility forever! Mark my words." He slammed the door shut and barreled down the hallway. As he passed her, he sneered. The doorway he had come out of just so happened to be titled "Greywing", written in vines. A great wreath of thorny vines adorned the doorway. The door already sat open.

"Come in, I don't have all day." He gestured from the great wooden desk in the center of the room, where he was busy filling out paperwork.

"Oh and do mind the thorns." The office was crammed full of artifacts, lighting up in her sight like a beacon of power. Most of the towering shelves held artifacts and books with enough flux to be artifacts of their own.

"It is not everyday I meet a student stupid enough to keep a leech ring on, let alone a strata one student." He glanced up "Though yours is quite interesting, it does not appear to be a typical model." his fist came down with a stamp on a piece of parchment.

"Haha is that so?" Nythera chuckled.

"Sit and let us begin." the chair was as expensive as anything else in the room, the wood and leather clearly not that of a normal beast, extravagant red lines brimming with flux ran through it.

"I have been keeping your test results quiet. I am sure you have noticed that during the test your results caused quite an abnormal reaction, we have no idea what royal family you hail from, nor what class or magics you practice, beyond the explosions." he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Even observing them several times, I could not diagnose what magics you use. Regardless, I have kept the nobles off your back for as long as I could, the results will start leaking soon and they will try to force you into sponsorship." Julian leaned back and let out a sigh.

"So, what do you think?" Nythera met his eyes "I will not be anyone's pawn, besides I have my own goals here and intend on leaving after graduation."

"They offer good employment, research opportunities, and if you continue drawing interest from the crown, high pay and rare artifacts. Many would kill to be in your position. Are you certain?"

"Yes, I am sure. I'd rather stay far away from their squabbles. I have bigger priorities." Nythera asserted.

"Hmmm very well then" a frown grew on his face. After half a minute he began with a tentative note.

"Well if you can clear my test and manage to become my disciple, and I your mentor, it will be far easier to protect you. How about we play a little game then?" Julian clasped his hands and nodded. She nodded. Fine, this doesn't sound too bad, but if he tries pulling shit on me I'll need a back up plan. Maybe he can protect me from those nutty royals?

"This should be trivial for you, nothing more than a game. Perhaps even too easy, nonetheless view it as a test or a little game." he raised his palm and above it six grey spheres of flux shot up, spinning outwards from the center where a seventh orb took place.

"This is a dualcaster exercise. It neither gives skill levels nor unlocks the skill itself, but it does allow one to practice control. The traditional form uses six orbiting spheres though modern versions tend towards three or four." he grinned "This is your test, make seven and then see how big you can get them to be. Hold nothing back." Nythera stood up and held up her palm. Ok here we go, as much power as I can- Julian held up his hand "before we start, let us make sure we do this in a secure location.

I don't want you blowing up my office" With a flick of the wrist, the stone wall behind Julian folded back and a tunnel appeared.

"Come on, no time to dally." He gestured, leading her through the passage and into a wide open room, opening up into a great circular chamber. As they stepped into the center, a wide opened in the roof revealed itself, showing balconies circling the room. One dim light from above illuminated the expanse. Professors milled about on the balconies, eating, drinking, chatting.

"Welcome to the professors lounge, normally you would never be given access, but I pulled some strings to make an exception." He pointed at the center of the stone courtyard.

"You will do your exercise there."

"I thought you said you would protect me, isn't this just advertising my abilities to the entire school?" she looked at him in shock.

"Come on, they don't have all day, and neither do I. Just do your best." Julian ignored her complaints. Here goes nothing.