23: Star Child II

"Thank the gods for a hot shower!" I exclaimed as I walked back into the kitchen. Freshly showered with clean clothes on I felt like a new splicer. Dressed in one of my older deep blue tee-shirts and a faded pair of jeans I felt a lot more comfortable than I felt yesterday in the dress shirt and new pants that were now in tatters and in the trash.

Jane and Iris were still seated at the table which was now set with plates of food. Both Jane and Iris their own plates in front of then and were happily eating. Jane stopped eating for a moment and waved me over.

"Chase! Sit down and eat! It's all really good." She exclaimed.

"It's not bangers and mash is it?" I joked as I walked over to the table. Barton chuckled and flashed me a coy look.

"No I wanted you to feel at home yankee so I made you some country double fired pork fat, and cheese curd grits." Barton said in English, using the same southern accent used before. I rolled my eyes and sat down across from Iris.

"It's country fried pork chops, and cheese grits." I replied in English. Then flicked a imaginary hair out of my eyes. "And you call yourself a chef."

This causes Barton to laugh as he set a empty plate down in front of me along with some silverware. Now that I had food in front of me that I realized how hungry I actually was. All I had to eat yesterday was those energy bars before I got knocked off of Jingles back.

I piled my plate high with mostly breakfast meats and a few sides and lots of biscuits. After I took the first bite I felt a voracious hunger take over me. I hastily and admittedly rather noisily ate plate after ate of food. For the first few plates it felt like all the food I ate was disappearing before it reached my stomach. After about the ninth or tenth plate did I finally feel full.

"Wow I was hungrier than I thought." I said to myself. I looked over at Iris and Jane , they both looked at me with mixed looks of horror and amazement. Barton just looked horrified.

"Where the hell did it all go…?" He muttered and stared blankly at the dozen or so empty plates that until a few moments ago were full of food.

"Guess the rumors about star types like yourself having huge appetites after they run out of mana was true." Jane said.

"Don't all splicers eat a lot after they use mana?" I asked then stretched a bit.

"Yes but there's a different between eating a little more food than normal and devouring enough food to feed a family of five!" Iris exclaimed. I shrugged. Eating that much was normal after I used up a lot of mana, it's why my parents didn't like me using my powers too much at home unless it was necessary.

"The food was great by the way." I said to Barton as I stood.

"Could you even taste it?!" He exclaimed. Again I shrugged. Barton grumbled and started clearing the table.

"What are you going to do now?" Jane asked.

"Not sure actually. I know there is a lot I need to learn but I really don't know where to start." I said.

"The basics: mana control." Jane said. "A splicer can't do anything without mana and learning how to control and manage it is important."

"The only reason you've managed to get this far is that you have a massive mana pool." Iris said. "Though honestly you'd never really notice given how inefficient you are with it."

"So how do I start to control my mana? Meditation?" I asked. Iris laughed loudly and shook her head.

"Meditation? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" She cackled.

"Iris…"Jane groaned. She turned to me and said. "We'll need to head to one of the libraries."

"What for?" I asked. Jane walked around me and headed toward the door.

"I'll tell you on the way." Jane said. Iris stopped laughing long enough to follow Jane as she left the kitchen.

"Thanks for the meal!" I said to Barton before I rushed after Jane. As the three of us left the dormitory I was blinded by the bright early afternoon sun.

"Jingles!" Jane yelled summoned her evo. When my eyes finally adjusted to the light I saw Jane and Iris already climbing on top of the Evo. "Come on!"

I hurried over and climbed onto Jingles right behind Iris. Jingles roared and snapped open his wings and quickly took off. We flew towards the library we were at yesterday.

"So what exactly do I need at the library? I asked.

"We need to research mana systems." Jane said.

"What's a mana system?" I asked. Iris let out a loud groan.

"A mana system is a specialized way to flow mana through the body from your farm crystal." Iris explained. I froze and cooked my head at Iris.

"Wait from my crystal? My mana has never come from my crystal." I said.

"Let me guess, it always feel like you're directing mana from somewhere else in your body and have to force it where you want?" Iris asked.

"Yes actually." I replied.

"Figures" Iris said. "Wondering mana syndrome with a possibility of developing into traxidilaexia."

"Traddil-what!" I exclaimed.

"Don't worry about that!" Jane said. "Only splicers with low mana pools develop traxudilaexia. Though if you do have wondering mana syndrome it would only highlights how much mana you actually have and how much talent you have with controlling evos to control five of them at one time."

The library was closer to our dorm than the coliseum was. It only took five minutes for Jingles to reach the library. Jingles landed next to the library entrance and let us all off.

"Thank you Jingles." Jane said then Jingles flew back into her crystal. Seeing Jane's farm crystal and Iris' crystal a thought suddenly popped into my head.

"Does my farm crystal have something to do with that mana syndrome stuff and mana system?" I asked the girls.

"Yes and no." Jane said. "The wondering mana syndrome would be because you don't have a mana system not because of your farm crystal. But in order for you to fix it if you have it would be to find the system that fits for your farm crystal."

"Well that shouldn't be too hard." I said. Both Jane and Iris gave me concerned look. "It's not going to be too hard right."

The both of them were silent for several moments before sharing a look with each other. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I saw them share that look.

"There are thousands of mana systems just for one type of Farm Crystal. Each system specializes mana to do specific things. Choosing a mana system for you is s serious thing that will effect everything that you will do from now on." Iris explained.

"Not to mention how choosing a system that isn't compatible with your farm crystal I could have adverse effects on your body as well." Jane added. My eyes grew wide.

"What do you mean adverse effects?" I asked.

"Lets not dwell on that." Jane said then quickly turned and headed toward the door to the library.

"Iris?" I asked. She gave me a sheepish look then rushed after Jane.

'Got it, be one thousand percent sure the system I learn is good for me or I could be really hurt.' I thought as I chased after the girls.

When the three of us walked into the library it looked as if we hadn't left. Jovia was still at her desk sorting books, even the stack she was sorting didn't look like It was as if we haven't left.

The three of us walked up to Jovia's desk and Jane rang the bell on the edge of her desk. She took a moment to stop what she was doing to look at the three of us.

"Back so soon? Well that's surprising." Jovia said.

"Hi Jovia, we need some information that might be a little hard to come by. Cam you help us?" Jane asked sweetly.

"What information do you need?" She asked eyeing all three of us suspiciously.

"Anything on mana systems. Specifically mana systems for star farm crystals." Jane replied.

"Good luck with that." Jovia said with a hearty laugh. The three of us looked at each other, stunned by Jovia's reaction.

"What's so funny?" Iris asked.

"Well firstly while Andromeda has a extensive collection of mana systems for each type of farm crystals only certain qualified people are allowed to peruse the tomes for each type." Jovia said. "And sadly there is no one alive currently that is qualified to read even the most basic of systems for star farm crystal."

"What does it take to qualify to see some of those systems?" I asked.

"Well firstly in Andromeda in order to view any system you have to be able to benefit from it, secondly you have to have approval from the dean to see tomes from each level, and thirdly in order to get that approval you have to pass a test given by the dean." Jovia explained.

"So basically what you're saying is you have to have a star farm crystal first just to qualify to see the tomes?" Jane asked.

"Naturally." Jovia replied. Iris, Jane and I shared a knowing smile.

"Well then we need to see the dean then." Jane said. I held my hand up to show my farm crystal. Jovia blinked at me and squinted at my hand then her eyes grew so wide I was sure that they would pop out of her head.

"By the blood of Osiris!" Jovia exclaimed. She dropped the book that she was in the middle of the sorting and rushed around the desk and snatched my hand.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. Jovia hushed me and pulled a small eye glass out of her pocket and used it to examine my crystal. After a few seconds she put the glass away and looked at me like she'd just saw a medical marvel.

"It's actually real." Jovia muttered. Iris patted Jovia on the shoulder then placed her hands on her hips.

"So about the dean?"