Chapter 36

Resonance Myst has a range of uses in spells and Mystechnology. It can synchronize two systems near-seamlessly. It can improve the rate at which a living body pumps blood and consumes oxygen to enhance physical performance. It can also influence emotions and thoughts in more complex spells if used carefully. But among its more common uses is for registering and/or reading the intent of a user or caster to act accordingly. This allows a wide range of adventuring and military technology to act on an instinctive level for users.

Day 363 Quenchenday

It had been a few days shy of a month since I had started my medication of what Dr.Brooksheen called my Z.C.D Elixir The results weren’t instant, other than feeling weird. After the first dose took effect, I felt lighter, airy even. After a couple more days of doses, my emotions didn’t feel so overwhelming. I wasn’t nearly as fearful. Even crossing Mallrimor in the halls, which once made me fear for my life, only made me feel an odd mixture of satisfaction and wariness when I saw the hate in his eyes and the scar under his cuff. I knew I could handle him and his cronies. 

My grades improved as the days went by. My training improved to the point that I could beat Rose every one in three matches. My Mystwell had increased thirteen to twenty-three. I had even managed to get my Vector scores for all sects up to a passing level, though that was no easy feat. One of the highest points of pride for myself in that month was devising a magic formula and device for projecting illusions. But the real high note was about to start.

I was just wrapping up integrating the illusionary projection device system into my tactical gauntlet. I was putting the finishing welds on the system at the back of the hand of my gauntlet. With a clearer head, I had a much easier time using my magic for precision welds. The only visual sign of the device was a dial-ringed light projector that looked like just a fancy green light about an inch and a half in diameter.

“Aaannnd that oughta do it.” I said, drawing out the ‘and’ as I finished the final bead. I raised my welder flame-tipped finger and blew out the flame with a satisfied smirk. Not even waiting for the metal to cool, I slipped on the gauntlet and held it up to the light to admire as I wiggled my fingers. I was eager to give this baby a test run.

I must have been high on the hot metal fumes because I only barely restrained myself from skipping like some schoolgirl as I made my way to the bathroom. I stepped in front of the bathroom mirror, and gave myself a quick examination before looking at my gauntlet. Pressing two fingers against the light, I closed my eyes and focused on the mental image of Ferris. I tried to keep as much detail in the visualization as possible before mentally pressing the image into the device. The new system spun up with a whir before fading to a barely audible hum. I opened my eyes and looked straight into the mirror to find myself looking at Ferris.

I gave the illusion a close scrutiny as I tested making faces and moving my limbs. The details of the image were slightly off. His ears were too big. The image’s eyes weren’t the right shade either, the sclera were more violet than amethyst, and the irises more moss green than jade. But unless I encountered someone who actually saw my Elf regularly, I should be able to walk the academy grounds without issue. Other than that issue, there was no motion blur with limb movements. The eyes looked where I looked; the lips moved when mine moved, and all expressions seemed organic. I did make a mental note to secretly record how different people moved, from walking to lip motions to see what adjustments I would have to make to the device to make the act more believable. Obviously, I would get permission from Rose and the others first, but the less who knew I could do this, the better.

I double-tapped the light before spinning the dial and pressed in the segment that was marked with a 1. Next, I performed the same process to project an image of Nennel. This image was closer to correct, though her hair was less platinum and more sandy. I set her image to segment 2. Next, I projected the image of Rose. Because she was three inches taller than me, things got a bit complicated. Because Nel was an inch shorter and Ferris an inch taller, the difference in our lines of sight was closer to mine. With Rose’s image, I would have to adjust where I was looking so her image would appear as if she were actually the one doing the interaction. I just hoped that the adjustment could have me awkwardly staring at a woman’s breasts just for me to keep up the facade of making eye contact. I set her image to segment 3.

Beyond those three, I also added mimic facades of Mystagogues Thrasher, Thallos, and Kellennar to segments 4, 5, and 6, respectively. I was reasonably sure that I didn’t get Thrasher’s skin pattern perfect. The marbling of grey and green was difficult to visualize perfectly, so I needed to be careful using that one. Thallos I had on hand as an emergency. I knew how he acted better than most and could mimic his swagger and pomp pretty easily. Kellennar was purely out of spite of the slither-spine. If Rose’s stature was going to be an obstacle, then those three were even more so. And yes, it was during that whole illusionary setup session I decided to call the illusions mimic facades.

So I had three students and three instructors, and the final seventh slot I left free in case I needed someone on the fly. Personally, I thought that seven slots were plenty for almost any infiltration situation. Any more would have just needlessly complicated the system, and storing too many facades would have been a serious tax on the power supply that kept the system running.

As an additional modification to the tactical gauntlet design, I had altered the power supply location and setup. Before, the power supply was simply a battery box that was set at the end of the device, just in the crook of the elbow. With the need for additional elements and a stronger drain on the system, I moved it. The battery box also chafed something awful in combat. So I adjusted the power conduits and set up a series of slots under the armor plating around the perimeter of the base fitted for shard-sized myst crystals. One slot for each of the sixteen elements, with each slot holding a standard six shards. I also made it a personal prerogative to only slot a minimum of moderate potency and refined quality, if at all possible.

With the initial function test run, I was eager for a stress test. What I was planning to do would get me in a lot of trouble if I got caught. But if I pulled it off, I could get some serious plus points with Thallos and maybe even get a nice boost to a Vector score.

I had been worried that I had hit some kind of learning and crafting wall because of my constant and routine failure in casting the Shadow Weapon or Shadow Step spells. I had been practicing those two spells on and off since Thallos first told me about them. The failure was starting to get to me. But this masterful success was about to change all that.

My plan was to break into Master Mystagogue Kellar’s office and steal something impressive. I figured that the head of the Sect of the Sightless Eye portion of the academy had to have something worth taking. Rumor had it that he was the only instructor teaching classes for his sect, which I thought was a physical impossibility. Plenty of other students agreed with this, and theories about how it worked were abound. Just from my listening in and snooping around other students, I had heard theories ranging from clones of the man to close linear range time jumps, allowing him to be in several places at once. While I had never heard of successful time travel and I was no physicist, I was pretty sure that the amount of energy, myst or otherwise, needed for even short time jumps had to be massive. It simply wouldn’t be worth the energy cost to perform it frequently enough that he could teach several classes simultaneously every day.

The clone theory, on the other hand, had some merit. The science behind the process was still completely experimental and to my knowledge, openly outlawed in every nation. But there were plenty of people who suspected governments across the globe of running secret tests with less than ethical goals. Personally, while I thought the clone theory was farfetched, it was within the realm of reality, given the allowances of the Order and the extent of their recourses.

I put Rose’s mimic facade back on before I left my room, double-checking in the mirror one last time to make sure everything was as in order as it could be. As I stepped out of my room and locked the door, I double-tapped my therra to start recording. If this was going to count towards a Vector, I needed to operate by the book. I left the dorms, inwardly nervous as all hell, outwardly displaying a lazy nonchalance, hands in my pants pockets with thumbs out, stride slow and uncaring, but set in a definite direction, Aegis Halls.

It was so strange passing people and not having them glare at me, or even stare. The sense of going unnoticed was so alien to me. I felt this rush. Like I could do anything and no one would know that it was me. I could do anything, go anywhere, and no one would judge me or keep a watchful eye to make sure I was behaving. I loved it, relishing every second. I felt like Her Fragment of the Whispering Phantom. Unseen and yet seeing everything.

I passed dozens of students in civilian garb on my way to Aegis Halls, and not a single one even glanced my way. It was only once I was inside the massive structure that things got interesting. I was on my way to the elevators when I turned a corner and almost ran face-first into the bosom of a large Dracose instructor. From her build and closer to human stature, she appeared to be a Dekken breed. Her scales were lavender, with areas fading to a royal blue. She was tall for her breed, around six foot one. She wore her tentacle dreadlocks were worn in a braided bun; the tendrils starting a light purple at the base and facing to a sapphire blue at the tips. Her buxom curves were very distracting and confusing, given her reptilian species. Why would they need breasts?

The instructor was carrying a sheaf of papers close to her chest. She came to a sudden stop, with a startled “Oh!” as she rounded the corner at the same time I was. She righted a pair of square-framed glasses as she looked down at me. “Well, Miss. Swiftpaw, I’m surprised to see you here today. Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Sorry, ma'am.” It was an active effort to restrain my stutter. “Master Mystagogue Kellar to me to find him in his office today to talk about extra credit opportunities.” It was then that I realized that while I was staring at her face, the mimic facade was probably staring over the instructor’s head. Before she noticed, I adjusted my gaze to stare directly at her mammoth melon chest.

Before the instructor even responded, a blush colored my cheeks, and my teenage body responded as hormones are apt to do. First, I worried about the blush showing on the facade and hoped that the fur of the illusion would negate it. Then I had a fleeting thought about how I should program the facades of Primals to have natural animal responses that I could control by intent. But when my boy body did what boy bodies do, I desperately hoped that would not display on the facade. I made another mental note to program gender-set limitations to prevent anything like that from occurring.

“Ah.” the instructor responded with an amused smirk. “Your tail tells me that you’re admitted. You must be frustrated with not finding his office.”

My head whipped around to check my tail. Sure enough, it was acting spastic. Another mental note for the docket, have optional manual control of the facades’ tails should they have one. This stress test was definitely giving me good information. But fragments burn me, I was not ready for something of this caliber. If things didn’t change quickly, I was going to have to scrap the plans and make modifications to my design.

“Well, little Miss, I should inform you that finding his office is the extra credit assignment.” She gave me a knowing smirk as she leaned in, covered her mouth as if to tell a secret, and mock-whispered. “Just between us ladies, his office is on sub-level 13. If he doesn’t intend to have you fail from the start, he would have secretly given you access when he gave you the assignment. Just head straight down the hall and turn right at the first juncture, and it should be the third door on your right. It’ll be labeled ‘utility closet’ or some such nonsense. He changes it every so often and moves rooms from time to time. You’ll know it when you find it if next to the door there is a slight dent in the wall. That dent is actually hiding a keypad.”

I looked at her in total astonishment. She had just practically handed me the keys to the kingdom. “Why, thank you, ma’am. That is a huge help. Can I ask what the code is?”

She gave me an amused smile of sharp teeth. “Now, where’s the test in that?” She strolled past me as she said, “I gave you a head start. Best make it count, deary.”

As soon as she was out of sight, I slipped into an empty classroom. While talking with the Mystagogue had given me a bushel of valuable information, I had started something by talking to her. If she stumbled into the Master whose office I was about to raid, things would go downhill like a lead ball slathered in grease. So, as a precaution, I should take on the mimic facade of a Mystagogue.

I shifted my illusion from Rose to Kellennar. An instructor in the academy wouldn’t raise any brows, and it’s an easy assumption that they would know the location of Kellar’s office. With the facade in place, I took a moment to get into the mindset before stepping from the room and making my way to the elevators. It was difficult to not hurry on my way there but I got lucky for restraining myself. I turned the corner to the elevators and encountered Master Mystagogue Kellar stepping from on.

He turned to face me in his ever-uncaring way and raised a brow at me. I came up short and had to stop myself from panicking at the thought that he figured me out from just a glance. I walked up to him in a calm yet demanding manner.

“Why are you in uniform, Raffus?” His calm tone was tinged with curiosity.

I looked down at myself, stamping out the rising panic before looking at the ceiling above the Master to keep things under cover. “Don’t even get me started.” I huffed in aggravation. “I’m out of clean civi’s because of a prank from a student.” I stomped and waved an aggressive but warning finger that the bland Human. “And before you ask. No, I don’t know who did it.”

“Well, it’s a natural response when you try to kill a student, Darkling or not.” The tone of his voice sounded like he was lost in thought.

I folded my arm over my chest and glared at a wall off to my right. The head position was mostly to give my neck a rest from looking at the ceiling and help me feel less awkward. “You would think attempting to murder a student would give them more of a reason to avoid me and less of a reason to cause me grief. But it’s a good thing I found you.” I changed the subject. “I was looking for you.”

His brow raised again. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“I need your paper files on a student. A Tier-one by the name of Roserra Swiftpaw.”

“Last I checked, she was training under Kiem.”

“Oh, trust me. She’s still training under the prick. But the sack of shit promised me a nice bottle of something special if I can get him her old training files from your side of things. I asked him why he couldn’t drag his cut-ear ass down here to get it, and he just grinned at me and waved a bottle.”

Kellar gave a minor smirk of amusement. “That does sound like the man. Well, you know the drill.” He pulled up his therra and flicked me something. I checked the incoming file to find a temporary authority seal marked with some sigil merged with a number three. “The code this time is 775298336. And He is in there. Tell him number three sent you.”

“Got it.” was all I said as I passed him and stepped into the elevator he had just left. As I passed him, I noticed his signet ring was the same design as the seal he gave me. I gave the master a half-hearted wave goodbye as I swiped by B.I.C over the scanner and selected sub-level thirteen.

The car descended, and while en route, I decided to use my seventh mimic facade slot. I brought to mind the image of the master that I had just passed and cast it over myself. If whoever he was happened to still be in the room, I could claim that I forgot something, just take an item or file and go. If there was no one in the room, I could keep it on just in case someone entered looking for him.

I checked my appearance in the mirrored walls and found it perfect. The fact that I had just seen the man went a long way to help. The car came to a stop, and I stepped out, doing my best to look bland. The car opened into a hall of white walls lined with doors I followed the Dracose’s instructions. When I reached the door, sure enough, it was labeled as a utility closet and there was a dent in the wall on the left-hand side. The dent looked like someone had punched the metal wall, but I pressed my hand against it, and it gave ever so slightly. I pushed harder and my hand simply sunk into the wall as if it were liquid. I pulled my hand out in a panic and followed closely behind was a metal-numbered keypad.

After a moment’s hesitation, I plugged in the code the master had given me. The door slid open, and I stepped into a room. The room was wall-to-wall filing cabinets from floor to ceiling. Each shelf had its own series of three locks: a classic dial lock, an iris scanner, and a small sigil implanted with minuscule gems, a myst lock. In the center of the room, near the back wall, was a simple desk, and sitting at the desk was Master Mystagogue Kellar.

I masked my shock and confusion completely as I silently stood just inside the doorway. This master was reading some paper, only flicking his gaze up to me for a moment before returning the papers in hand. “Seal.”

Without hesitation, I pulled up the file that the other Kellar had sent me, and I flicked the authority seal to this new Master Mystagogue Kellar. I saw the file land when his eye lit for a moment with an orange light. He moved on to the next sheet of paper as he asked, “Did you forget to mention something in your report?”

“No. Exiting the elevator, I ran into Mystagogue Kiem. He asked for me to retrieve the training records for one Roserra Swiftpaw.”

He set down his papers and stood as he said, “Of course he did. Come in while I find the file.”

Without another word, I stepped into the room and desperately sought anything I could snag as a sign of my feat that I was about to achieve. I noticed his signet ring lying on his desk, near the edge. I slipped up to the desk and pocketed the ring while his back was turned to me as he opened a shelf to my right. Kellar turned around with a folder in hand and offered it to me. I took it with a nod and made my way for the door.

I had just reached the door when the master said, “Impressive work, Mr. Maverick.” I froze, hand halfway to the door trigger. Slowly, I turned around to look at the man with a carefully controlled expression. He lifted a hand in display and pointed to the fingers with his other hand. He simply said, “My doubles all have illusory projection rings. Each ring has a unique seal and spell-signature.”

It was at that very moment that the energy powering my projection petered out to reveal a fifteen-year-old Darkling holding a file that was no doubt full of blank pages. “You can take the ring to Thallos as proof. That’s the entire purpose of the thing, after all. Be sure to tell him I give you a passing grade on your Sightless Eye final. He’ll trust my word if paired with the ring and the recording you are taking right now.”