Professor Gemstone survives an assassination attempt! part 2 (21)

"This protective amulet is a gift from the Crown and the Church. Do not separate from it, or it will not be able to protect you efficiently."

As if.

This, was very much a killing device. But seeing as it had been gifted to him as a friendship token from the Crown, he couldn't part with the corrupted scrying device without sending a hostile message. The perfect way to be discredited. He didn't want that.

Therefore, for lack of better alternatives, he kept the poisoned present attached to his wrist as a bracelet through its lace. Ezera didn't know whether the thing needed physical contact to work or it sent its destructing effect even through clothing. Hopefully with someone who did not have any contact with firelight energy, the damages would be mitigated.

He only needed enough time to modify it. Or swap its place with the one he'd already stolen, but it seemed to Ezera that the color of this one was different. His hosts wouldn't be easily fooled, especially if he showed up with a stolen item. Actually, he shouldn't even let the two amulets close to one another, seing as the first could corrupt the second.

He made his way to the dinner room, eating there with everybody else as he read Ilya's list of answers. When it was time for class, he was ready.

"Today," he said, knocking on the slate board behind him, "let's talk of this world."

All his kids perked up. It was so cute. Onyx on the other hand, seemed even more depressed than usual.

"In this world, there are three continents," he proceeded to draw a schematic map. "Azarock, the continent we are on, is east. And he's the smallest. He also has a strange form, what do you think?"

"It looks..."

"Like a croissant?" offered Helene.

"Nah, it's different. It's more... Brutal."

"I don't get what that means."

Before it could digress into a cat fight, Ezera called their attention back to him.

"You're right. The land is dense, that is for sure, but it is indeed somewhat arched. It's not as obvious as an actual croissant or moon quarter, but it's there. You can use it as a memo. Azarock is actually curved toward another continent. This one is very close. His name is Kyur. It is much larger."

He then proceeded to draw it. It started out like a reversed arc West from Azarock, except its south sharp pointy end was drawn in between Azarock's corners, not symetrically. Also... It was three times bigger. The southest end quickly curved north to form a very vast land that elongated wide and large above Azarock.

"Wow, that's giant."

"As big as Asia!"

"Yeah... But not the same form. Like, the two continents looks like a spiral that was cut of after the first inner curve."

"No, Kyur's not withdrawn on Azarock enough to have that effect. And the spiral effect goes down in ashes with how big the main part of it. It literally covers our Northwest, North and some Northeast. Without speaking of the West."

"Like a big manga speak bubble... But really wilder."

"Helene what the hell."

"And the third one?"

Ezera drew it too, south-southeast, quite below.

"Its name is Dracia," its form was like that of a drop, with its end toward Northeast. "To summarize, it's half super hot, and half super cold."

"Like deserts?"

"Like deserts, but at different places, and depending on the seasons. It's a civilized but neutral territory, and they're so private I wouldn't advise going there without an invitation."

"It's smaller compared to the two others."

"Perhaps it's not a big population."

There was a moment of awe. Yes, Ezera thought, it sounded like some mythological tribe might inhabit it, seeing as most ancient spells and techniques seemed to originate from there. How fascinating. Moving on.

"Don't you want to know where we are exactly in Azarock?"

He followed this question with a lecture on all the countries of Azarock, their geographic location as well as their ancient relationships with each other, those which influenced the commercial relationships they had in the present. He gradually slipped from geography to geopolitic, often making comparisons to what things were on Earth so as to still progress in the original curriculum or review what they'd already seen.

It was all very interesting, and by the time Ezera stopped his class, they might have been a bit late.

"Oh!" he remembered before they could leave. "I actually need help with something. Does any of you have a really thin but solid pointy thing on you? I would be grateful if you could give it to me."

They all glanced at each other curiously. What was their favorite teacher up to again? In the end, it was Sandra who raised he hand.

"I'm alchemist," she said. "I could make you a very sturdy needle soon, if you'd like?"

"You save my life," he said to her, not quite exagerating. "Then, go and have souper everyone. I'll finish up here."

"Yes, Professor!"

They crammed.

Ezera suddenly felt very tired. Hopefully it was only natural exhaustion. Nothing to do with magical curses.

Of course.