Professor Gemstone survives an assassination attempt! (20)

Ezera used the few hours he had before breakfast to research the amulet, along with the treatise on arrays. He had not had time to read Dereck's collection yet. Instead, he spent more time recognizing the amulet's different elements of array language in its engraving and finding their purpose through other viewings of these elements in the arrays from the book.

At first, he thought that it was some sort of camera, because it contained multiple elements linked to sound and vision. There was an absorption diagram included in the array. But the actual capacity of containment of the artifact was very limited, so it couldn't work. Moreover, there was also an element of 'energy' detection, he realized, as well as some sort of geolocalisation. At first he found it amusing, but then it dawned on him.

This amulet was entirely equiped to gather all kinds of information that would be extremely useful, depending on where it is located or, better said, who. This was a scrying artifact. He should have realized it sooner.

Now he knew why this was incomplete. The piece was made to gather information and store it away, but whoever created it tried to link it to the target instead of the user. If there is intake of information, there should naturally be packages to be sent!

It might be a complicated concept to grasp for medieval people though...

At any rate, Ezera could easily imagine himself rewriting the diagram to actually make it useful for what it was. It shouldn't be two difficult once he understood how to link together all the elements, and also look up the elements he should add in and how.

In the meantime, he researched the difference between dark matter and firelight energy, two forms of energy that were given in the book. Apparently, firelight energy was what Dereck had called the energy of the world and the suns. It was the natural energy of this world. On the other hand, there was the energy said corrupted that enabled the monsters and non-human apocalyptic creatures... Dark matter.

Ezera thought back about the night before. If firelight was what naturally ran through arrays and spells such as this one, and that what the high priest had made them soak in during the night would change their function to something 'useful'... Then by all means, it ought to be the other kind of energy. Dark matter.

He immediately started reading through the effect of dark matter on anything and everything. It was not difficult to find. Dark matter's effect on most energetic mechanisms, living or inert, was the reversal or its function.

In other words, if the amulet was fed enough dark matter, it would not absorb information as firelight energy and instead it would give back dark matter to the target. As well as either an overload or a deprieve of informations. Too much noise in the mind, colors too bright, loss of awareness and of the place one is that... Disrupting of the thoughts... Either that or becoming blind to those senses and having your thoughts stopped entirely.

Eventually, in both cases, it would lead to death.

Ezera smiled nervously. That wasn't good news. At all.

Time to wake Ming up.

He decided to think upon the purpose of the high priest's actions later on, instead focusing on gently dragging Ming out of bed so that they would not miss breakfast.

"You weren't there last night," the boy mumbled still sleepily.

Oh, so the boy probably had noticed Ezera never went back to bed. Evidently, now that Ezera thought of it, since if he had Ming would have been immediately attracted to the other source of warmth. The boy was prone to cuddles when asleep.

He winked at him.

"Can you keep a secret, then?"

Of course, Ming only gave him a questioning glance before he nodded, agreeing not to mention it to others. Damn, was Ezera the only one to fine his students the cutest of all students?

Nah, it was probably just his heart-shaped eyes.

By now, no one was blinking at seeing Ming getting out of Ezera's quarters with him. Ming had even moved his clothes from the dorm to the teacher's chambers. Therefore, no one was surprised when coming into the dinner room to see Ezera petting a half asleep Ming's head.

"Just because you're always early shouldn't mean you have to drag others at dawn's break with you," grumbled Yuga, for once feeling a prickle of compassion for the petite boy.

"It's fine," answered Ming, but Ezera was pretty sure only he heard it.

Dereck entered, gave him a look, then he stopped and gave him a Look.

"You look like you slept even less than yesterday."

Ezera waved him off.

"And yet, I haven't read a single book tonight," truth, only early morning, "it's probably just an impression." Big lie.

"Sure," Dereck said disbelievingly, an eyebrow raised, before going on his way to his seat.

During breakfast, as well as during training, Ezera was extremely alert to all comings and goings, when he wasn't reading Dereck's collection to be ready for the next class. He was all too afraid of Hortensius showing his face and gifting his students some of his poisoned gifts. In truth, he knew that was a stupid fear: Hortensius needed the Heroes, he had made that clear.

So instead, Ezera alternated between listening to Dereck explain to Lucas his truly amazing elemental spells and looking through Azarock's continent's truly fascinating history, starting with the old war between Luversten and Lyndala.

Of course, the moment training was finished and Ezera made his way to the library in case Saera Ilya had already written down the answers to his questions, Hortensius did show his face. In the library. For some reason.

Ezera hid in one of his pockets the bundle of ink-streaked notes that Ilya had hidden under the shelves of the spell and array section where Ezera spent most of his time. His jacket was very much multi-fonctional, but it was really starting to get heavy with all the things he stuffed into it. At any rate, he imperceptibly tensed when the high priest walked right toward him with his afable air and falsely amiable smile.

It looked so genuine Ezera could throw up.

"Here you are, mister Gemstone," the man said. "What a coincidence! I was actually looking for you."

"Professor Gemstone," Ezera corrected with the same smile, emptying his eyes of all his enmity until they were guileless and diplomatic. "Is that so? Then I am quite enchanted to speak to you again, Your Reverence."

"That is perfect then. Mister Gemstone-"

"Professor," Ezera cut in again placidly, so much so that the other paused for a moment, perhaps of irritation.

"Yes. Professor Gemstone. I am very glad to count you among our allies."

"Likewise."

"However, I noticed that you were very endeared to the apprentice Heroes which we are teaching. Do you perhaps care for them as a father would? I also noted that they liked you a lot, that is a prowess from a teacher to their students, not many manage to gain their respect."

Ezera's smile widened without emotion.

"You flatter me, Your Reverence. But as you say, they are my students. I am very proud of them, but I do not think they would consider me a father. I am teaching them, after all."

Hortensius' smile twitched lightly. Ezera smirked internally, before focusing again.

He would rather the high priest didn't know about his calling them his kids. That's what they were to him, of course, but Hortensius didn't need to know that.

"That is admirable nonetheless. I asked because, as you know, the Heroes will be tasked to protect this world for us. It would do them great pain to have you hurt as a collateral damage."

This almost wiped the false courtesy down Ezera's face. Because if there was one thing he wouldn't let them do, it was to take his kids to war. No matter how certain the high priest was acting. Not only that, but... was he threatening Ezera? Or was he trying to trick him somehow?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that as Heroes, they will always have enemies. And not all apocalyptic creatures are unintelligent. You are at risk by remaining by their side. Of course, you will most likely be safe here, in this castle, but we wouldn't want to risk your life."

Where was this going?

"Nevertheless, we appreciate your loyalty to your students very much. You are as much friend of this kingdom as they are. You are the guardian of those who will save the world, you are very worthy of this honor. Likewise, we are honored by your friendship."

That... was assuming out loud a lot of things Ezera could not refute unless making himself an enemy of Luversten. Ugh.

"Therefore?" he prompted the man to reach the conclusion of his speech.

It was Hortensius' turn to widen his smile ominously.

"Therefore I would like to bestow you with a gift that will protect you, for your sake and that of the Heroes. Consider it the representation of our longlasting friendship."

He extended his hand, showing the object in his palm. Ezera looked down, already annoyed by the meaning of the words...

Oh.

So that's why.