Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (119/?) WiP 1

Hey everyone! Here is the Work in Progress for Chapter 119 I hope you guys enjoy! :D

21 Hours Later

20 Minutes following the conclusion of Professor Articord’s class.

The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. En Route to the Apprentice’s Tower. Local Time: 1720 Hours.

Emma

Ilunor did, in fact, find the current impasse to be quite unacceptable.

So following a surprisingly tame lecture courtesy of Professor Articord — on topics that seemed to once again reinforce the Nexus’ perpetually-expanding, forever-discworld — we now found ourselves barreling head-first into the unknown.

But at least we weren’t alone.

“OHHOHOHOHOHO— WHAT?! WHY DIDN’T YOU START OFF WITH THAT?! OF COURSE I’d be happy to entertain this discourse, M’LORD!” 

Though whether or not that was a boon or a burden… was most definitely up in the air.

But I knew one thing was for certain. 

The fact he was able to make it work was definitely the most magical thing I’d seen him do so far. 

Because through some odd combination of wishy-washy words, with enough empty and vapid grand sweeping statements… he was able to actually convince the overly-dramatic Apprentice Ral Altaria Del Narya Sey Antisonzia the Second — henceforth shortened to ‘The Bridge Apprentice’ — to take us to Larial’s office.

…

Or at least, as close to Larial’s office as was possible.

As our destination technically wasn’t her office, but instead, the bridge apprentice’s.  

“If I mayyyyy— while this is NOT my prerogative nor duty, my own exploits behooves me to ask! Why is it that you have kept your drake-jockeying exploits hidden for so long, M’LORD?!” The apprentice practically bellowed out, eliciting the attention of literally everyone currently sharing our hallway. 

“Oh, shush now my dear fellow! I am nothing if not a modest man! I mean, why else would I have even entertained the thought of leading this sorry troupe I call my peers if it weren’t so?” The deluxe kobold jeered, garnering a vapidly friendly, snooty laugh from the likes of the apprentice. 

“A drake-rider, and a gentleman! It would be an honor to discuss your aerial exploits, M’LORD!” The man replied boisterously. “I am, after all, something of a sky-jockey myself.” He chuffed through an uncomfortable series of haughty, nasally laughs. “So if you would be so willing, perhaps we may trade stories of this GENTLEMANLY pastime?”

“Of course of course! Where would my manners be if not with those who have earned their place amongst the skies!” Ilunor continued the mind-numbing flattery… until he didn’t. “Though, of course, I assume we can disregard pretenses if you would be so earnest.”

“Pretenses, M’LORD?” 

“Let us not be beside ourselves, apprentice. We both understand the ultimate conclusion of this discourse, no?” Ilunor continued, his social facade contorting to a more coy one. “Why else would the Second-Apprentice-Lead of the Student’s Flying Organization be so forthcoming with this discussion…  if not to offer me a place amidst their ranks?” Ilunor went for the jugular there, causing the apprentice to stiffen up, if only for a moment. 

“Am I THAT much of an open book M’LORD?” He grinned cheekily. 

“Perhaps I am merely an expert at deciphering the abstract and profound.” Ilunor spoke in a way I rarely saw him do. As he went back to flattering the man, inflating his already eccentric ego. Though seconds later in the midst of their collective laughter, did Ilunor finally glance sharply in my direction, as if to remind me of our ad-hoc plan as we finally crossed the threshold and into the apprentices’ tower. 

“Remember Cadet Emma Booker, our plan is not to court this buffoon, but instead, to play the spymaster! Now, it is commonly known that the apprentices live, breathe, and work in their own exclusive tower, similar to the faculty’s. Thus, all we require is a passing stroll through their offices, and a glancing mention of Larial’s, at which point… I would humbly demand that you utilize two of your manaless creatures. One to confirm the whereabouts of the green book, and the second to act as our permanent sentry within her office.”

“EVI?” 

“Yes, Cadet Booker?”

“You got those drones ready?”

“Affirmative. INFIL-DRONE01a… STATUS… READY TO DEPLOY. INFIL-DRONE02a… STATUS… READY TO DEPLOY.”

“Good, just be ready to deploy them the moment we find our opening.”

“Acknowledged.”

“Cadet Emma Booker!” The bridge apprentice quickly turned in my direction. “I can only IMAGINE the sorts of awe-stricken faces to be garnered once the taming of sky beasts and the introduction of aerial vehicles finally reaches your realm!” 

I responded with a tired nod, defusing the man’s intentions as he went back to the mindless back and forths with Ilunor.

Our walk through the Apprentices’ Tower was surprisingly normal all things considered.

As unlike the faculty tower, there seemed to be markedly reduced instances of geometry-defying anomalies.  

If anything, it seemed to resemble Dragon’s Heart tower… if only a little bit more dressed up.

With white and black checkerboard marble floors adorning the lobby, and chandeliers appointing practically every hallway intersection that led way to the magical elevators. 

Indeed, there seemed to only be one set of stairs in this entire tower. Though not grand, what it lacked in size, it more than made up for in verticality. As this spiral staircase quite literally went all the way up about thirty or so stories.

We passed by hundreds of Elven portraits on our way up, through the second, third, fourth, and then finally the twentieth floor.

At which point, Ilunor was practically gasping for breath.

“Apologies M’LORD! I’d have assumed—”

“Is. This. The. Apprentice’s. Office. Floor?!” The Vunerian managed out in between unsteady breaths, leaning against one of the ornate pillars, and pointing at what was effectively a hallway  with door upon unmarked door.

“Indeed it is! Now, my office is just this way…” The man continued, walking down the elongated corridor.

At which point, did Ilunor finally strike, in between bouts of vapid conversation.

“Does the Academy insist on keeping your doors so… bland? So completely… unadorned?”

This prompted the man to stop, as he cocked his head in Ilunor’s direction.

“Without any form of personal embellishments as is the case with any noble occupying any of His Eternal Majesty’s ministries?” 

“That ISssss Academy rrrregulation, M’LORD!”

“For shame.” Ilunor tutted. “‘Tis but a blank canvas. Just think… if given the opportunity, what brilliant gilded works would you adorn your door with, Apprentice?”

This one question… opened up the floodgates of torrential yapping. As seconds bled into minutes, prompting me to turn to the EVI.

“It takes a yapper to know a yapper, but I assume I don’t go that far when I really get into it, right?”

“ERROR: Query is unquantifiable.”

I was about to question exactly what the EVI meant by that, if it wasn’t for Ilunor’s gambit quickly panning out.

“Now, what would you say Apprentice Arlan Ostoy would prefer?”

“Oh, that dark and brooooody sycophant?! Why I’d assume his door would be completely gone! Buried! Entirely overrun! Hidden, entombed, and interned beneath the crests and sigils of those victims of his insincerrrre FLATTERY!” 

“I can understand perhaps why personalization would be quite troublesome then.” Ilunor chuckled. “But, even so, I doubt it would be an issue if his office weren’t adjacent to your own, no?” 

“HAH! While that may be so, there are others whose… aesthetic differences would be entirely unacceptable!” 

The conversation snowballed on from there.

As both Ilunor and the apprentice continued down the hall, discussing the minutiae of each and every apprentice’s supossed aesthetic preferences, until finally, we reached Rila’s door.

“Jackpot.” I sighed inwardly, practically drained from having to sit through all of that. 

But I still couldn’t deploy the drones though.

I needed just the right window of opportunity…

“Here, allow me!” The apprentice beamed, opening the door to his office, while utterly enamored by Ilunor’s conversation.

He’s distracted.

“Deploy!”