Professor Gemstone is on the case! (28)

Ezera was very satisfied with the scrying lens he created.

The lens accumulated information and sent it to him. Then, if it received Ezera's signal that he was receptive to these informations, Ezera would be able to consciously receive them while asleep, like a dream.

Of course, he could skip through informations via this same method. His students were allowed privacy. He tested it on and off during a few nights, and when he was certain of the device's success, he prepared his material to create new ones.

Meanwhile, he tired himself out planning new lessons for class time. He was worried about Onyx, who spitefully refused any help his classmates might offer him. He was lacking in algebra, but that wasn't too surprising. Ezera had previously considered that the required level of mathematics learnt in this world may have been inferior to what was considered high school level back on Earth.

His method only worked when students were willing to see him as an ally, or at least a neutral person. To Onyx, Ezera felt like the enemy...

On this topic, Ezera found himself very curious about the crown prince, Ysmel. What was his relationship with Onyx? The elder brother had to be around his students' age. Ezera wondered why it was that she had thrusted Onyx in his care instead of the other one.

Well. It was never a good idea to make suppositions. Curiosity killed the cat, Ezera should rein himself in for now. And he liked Onyx well enough on his own.

He was also very aware of what two brothers could get up to when left alone together...

"What did you think of the book I lent you?"

"The book you stole?"

"That very one."

Ezera and Ilya were back together in the dead of night for another round of scrying device crafting. Ezera didn't know why Ilya insisted in helping him at every turn of this project. It wasn't like he had any plan to give Ilya one.

"I did. It wouldn't belong in a normal library."

One question answered, at least.

"I remain curious of its origins."

Ah. Yes. Ezera hadn't forgotten.

"What was it about?"

"Old myths regarding spells using dark matter. Heretical theories. The others?"

"Mh. Very strange nonsense about alliances and temples in Kyur. Or the diary of the master of I don't even know which order. One of them was normal religious stuff, I think, except it tried to analyse the inner workings of firelight energies and its connexion to the rotation of the planet around the suns. Scientific religious stuff."

"Not normal."

"I see. Does that mean you want me to guide you to where I found them?" Ezera smiled knowingly.

Ilya's answering gaze was enough answer.

"Very well. But I have something I want to show you before that. I would be overjoyed if you could help me with something..."

There was still another mystery he was hoping to solve with Ilya's aid.

There were no windows by the third floor, none that opened from the outside at least, they were all sealed. But there was a balcony to both the inner yards and the inside down the second floor. If they could avoid the guards, everything would be alright. Ezera had done worse, early morning, when the palace should have been filled with guards.

Wouldn't be a useful providence if all the guards' shifts just happened to take place then? Or maybe had it just been that day? Mh. If Ezera could figure out an easy pattern, they could use a small relaxing in the defense to get up to where he wished to go.

He smirked.

"Meet you up the third floor in two nights."

Needless to say, during the time he had given Ilya to prepare, he made his own research. He observed, before dawn, the different shifts in different parts of the structure, and memorized a path easily accessible for his skills.

He also noticed another way, that could potentially be accessible for people of this world, but definitely not him. He didn't have enough strength in his leg to jump from the backyard ground to the balcony of the third floor! Not possible.

However, he could bet all his money on someone else using that path. If it had any worth still.

Every time Ezera met back with Ilya after their last scrying lens creation, however briefly they crossed path, he felt very satisfied with the glances the man threw around the place and at Ezera sometimes, ready to meet a challenge head on.

He huffed, amused. He would have given him the solutions had he asked.

When the time came, Ezera was ready. He waited until Ming fell asleep to head out, with his discreet long jacket correct worn this time.

He left from the window and started climbing. He did not bother to find his way up the third floor, already stopping and breaking through the second window thanks to his lock picking skills.

Once inside, he evaded the guards walking up and down the corridors with quick hiding skill, a clockwork memory, as well as his silent steps. He waited until they'd just passed, suppressing his presence, and slipped up the hall immediately. Then he subrepticiously inserted himself under the grand stairs leading to the balcony of the third floor, quietly remaining hidden from his armored compagny, until he could slip behind the forbidden curtains separating the second from the third floor.

Ezera had figured out very quickly that the third floor was only accessible to royalty and the highest members of the Church, when invited by the Queen. No one would be bothering there, especially now that the royal family had retreated to the inner palace.

Now. He sat up on the majestic railing, facing the vast bay windows separating inside and outside balconies, with a smirk. He checked his pocket watch, and started waiting.

How much longer until Ilya arrived?