218: A Plague of Phantoms II

"FOR THE LAST GODSDAMMED TIME! IF YOU WANT A ENCHANTED ITEM MADE GO TO THE SHOP!" I bellowed as I slammed the door to Baset's tower closed.

I stood in the lobby with Jane, Bo, Nate, and Iris looking out at a nearly mindless mob of fellow students trying to talk to me about making them an item. After making so many items yesterday and not getting much sleep it was not in the mood to hear about items. Thankfully none of the students were dumb enough to try and break into Baset's tower especially with the security guard at his desk.

"So this is our school life now?" Iris asked with a groan.

"It beats mobs of people angry at Chase for getting into Lady Baset's class." Jane replied with a sigh. I ran my hands through my hair then groaned.

"Fuck this is getting annoying!" I grumbled then turned and started towards the auditorium. "We'll have to come up a way to get to class without getting swarmed for next semester."

"Agreed." Iris and Jane both replied and followed after me.

"It's like that every morning you have class?" Nate asked as he and Bo followed the group towards the auditorium.

"Yeah…it was fun at first but now it's just annoying. They always make us late!" Bo grumbled. Nate looked down at his son and frowned.

"I think your mother and I need to rethink allowing you to come to school by yourself." Nate said. Bo frowned and crossed his arm.

"I'm not a baby! I can protect myself!" He pouted.

"Suuuure you can!" Nate replied with a roll of his eyes.

I reached the door first and opened it, holding the door open for everyone else. Everyone filed into the Baset's class with be bringing up the rear. Inside the classroom Damon and Astrid were already at their seats as usual however there were two other faces as well.

"Alberto?" Iris gasped when she saw him seated beside Astrid and Damon. Alberto looked up at the five of us walking in and arched a brow but didn't say anything.

"And his dad…yippee…" I said sarcastically as a I looked at Loki Paragon standing directly behind his son. Loki paid all of us no mind and instead stood up straight and stared straight ahead at the chalkboard.

"What kind of loser brings his dad to a college class?" Bo asked. Jane, Iris, Nate and I all turned and looked at him. It took him a few moments to realize the irony of that statement but when he did his face turned bright red. "Never mind…"

He quickly scurried over to his seat and sat down. Jane and Iris both followed suit while Nate stood behind his son and shook his head.

"About time you four finally show up to class." Damon jeered.

"Oh stuff it Assworld, its not like anything excited happened while we were gone." I said. Damon gritted his teeth and pointed a finger at me.

"Ashwold! Not Assworld, you ignoramus!" Damon snapped.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I said dismissively as I walked over to our desk and took my seat.

"Seriously? You're gone for two weeks almost and the first thing you do is crack insults." Astrid said.

"In my defense it's not my fault that we had to miss class." I said. Astrid narrowed her eye at me and crossed her arms.

"Oh really? Why do I not believe that?" Astrid asked. The doors to the Auditorium suddenly opened again and Baset walked into the classroom and then headed down to her desk at the front of the class.

"For once he's right. It wasn't his fault." Baset said as she turned to face everyone the class. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"What do you mean for once?!" I cried out. Baset ignored me and looked around the room her eyes landed on Loki and Alberto and her expression turned even more serious.

"NOW! Sorry about missing class earlier this week. That was beyond my control as I was attending the Royal anniversary celebration at the Egyptian royal palace. I'm sure all of you gave heard second hand what happened and I am not at liberty to say anything else so let's just move one from that." Baset said.

"You seriously can't tell us anything?" Damon groaned and dropped his head. Astrid patted his head then looked to Baset.

"My uncle was there. He said the ball ended up becoming a bloodbath and that Chase was involved in the center of it." Astrid said. Damon scoffed and shook his head.

"Figures the class trouble maker is involved!" He huffed.

"As I said I am not at liberty say." Baset said. Loki cleared his throat to get Baset's attention. When she looked his way he pointed at me.

"At least let me know if the rumor that's been floating around is true Baset. Did Chase Kingston beat The Morgan Paragon before she was found murdered after the attack on the ball?" Loki asked.

Damon, Astrid, and Alberto all perked up on hearing that question and all eyes turned to Baset. She sighed then nodded.

"Yes, Chase defeated The Morgan Paragon publicly." Baset confirmed and then quickly added. "However her title as Paragon was revoked shortly after and it currently remains empty."

"Empty? Why would it be empty? If Chase beat a Paragon then he earns her title right? Did Scotland not offer it to him." Damon asked.

"Oh they offered it alright. Chase turned it down…." Baset said.

"HE WHAT?!" Damon, Astrid, Loki, Alberto and Nate all bellowed. I looked at all of them then shrugged.

"What the hell do I need a Paragon title for? I own a shop that sells enchanted items and custom made spells. I'm obviously the world's foremost expert in the runic language." I said nonchalantly.

"Didn't Uncle Turry name you a Paragon though?" Bo asked. I curled my upper lip up in disgust then groaned.

"Oh yes! Pharaoh Turak'Kahn also bestowed Chase with a royal moniker. Revolutionary Paragon." Baset said. I groaned and glared at her.

"Why the hell did you tell them that!" I snapped. Baset simply smirked deviously.

"Revolutionary Paragon? Wait so he is a Paragon?" Damon asked.

"NO!" I yelled quickly. "It's simply a nickname that Turak'Kahn decided was fitting for me."

"You mean Pharaoh Turak'Kahn?" Loki said sternly. I glanced over at the Paragon and saw that he was glaring daggers at me.

"No I mean Turak'Kahn." I replied. Loki curled his upper lip at me.

"Don't let your recent popularity go to your head boy! He is a Pharaoh, the ruler of all of Egypt. Show your better the proper respect he deserves!" Loki snapped. Baset cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Actually Chase and Bo have special permission from the Pharaoh to call him by his name or by the little nickname that Bo calls him and the queen." Baset said. I didn't need to look over at Loki to know that he was glaring at me. "Speaking of special permissions I have two new students to introduce."

"Two more student?" Astrid and Damon exclaimed. Baset nodded then motioned to Jane and Iris. Both girls then stood up and looked to the other side of the classroom.

"I'd like to introduce you or rather reintroduce you to Princess Jane Solomon and Iris Philari. "Baset said. Jane and Iris both waved at the class.

"PRINCESS!" The other group bellowed.

"Yeah, yeah, Jane's a princess. Old news…" Bo said dismissively. Jane and Iris both took their seats again then frowned at Bo.

"You only found out about That two weeks ago…." I said narrowing my eyes at him. Bo stuck his tongue out at me.

"I knew it longer than they did!" He exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes then looked over at Nate. Jane and Iris informed everyone that worked at Sho'lajah who they really were. It actually took some persuading to actually convince them who they were but quick confirmation from Baset was all it took to convince them however.

"While such news is shocking I ask that the three of you please come to terms with it on your own time. I would also like to bring to everyone in Chase's groups attention the return of Alberto Silva…as well as His father: Loki Paragon's presence in the class." Baset said narrowing her eyes at Loki.

"Wait that's Loki Paragon!" Bo and Nate hissed. I nodded and the two of them looked at Loki with a bit of fear.

"Now that all of that is over with I have important announcements that I need to get through…" Baset said then opened her desk drawer and pulled out a stack of papers and held them up. "…as all if you know this is the last class of the semester. Winter break officially begins and you will all be off for an entire month…well everyone in regular classes will be off for a month. My class will be on break for two months."

I arched a brow at this news then looked over at the girls and Bo. The girls both looked as surprised as I was while Bo looked like someone had kicked his puppy.

"Two months? WHY?!" Bo groaned stood up from his seat.

"I have a personal matter to attend to and will be gone for a while. Class will resume in two months though so it's not the end of the world Bo." Baset told Bo with a amused smirk. Bo puffed his cheeks out then slumped into his seat.

"Fine…." He grumbled and crossed his arms.

"During winter break I want all if you to make strides in the evo you all will enter into the Andromeda Grand Royale and also think about your futures." Baset said.

She walked around her desk and walked up to Damon, Astrid, and Alberto and then handed them three sheets of paper from her stacks. She then walked over to my groups table and did the same with the girls and Bo. She completely ignored me.

I arched a brow at this but instead of making a stink I leaned over and looked over At Jane's paper. Reading the title I realized why she completely ignored me while passing it out.

"Field of study selection?" Bo read aloud then looked over at Baset. Baset walked back to her desk and tirned to look at all of us.

"Yes! Over the break I want all of you to think long and hard about what you want your field of expertise to be. While this is normally something a sophomore thinks about, everyone in this class should already have some idea on the type of splicer they want to be." Baset explained.

"Then why did you skip Chase?" Bo asked.

"Because the last thing he needs is to be exposed to anymore fields of study. He already makes enchanted items and monstrous evos. Can you imagine what sort of destruction he could bring if he had anymore knowledge?" Baset replied. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"For the last time: my evos are not monsters!" I griped.

"Denial isn't just a river, Chase." Baset said casually. "Either way you are the world's foremost expert in the runic language and you invented a brand new Splicing Technique. Either one of those could be considered your field of study."

Loki's and Alberto's brows both shot up at Baset's declaration. The expression that followed on Loki's face could only be described as a mixture of pure and unadulterated hatred and unequivocal disapproval.

"I'm sorry…did I hear you correctly Baset? Kingston created a new Splicing Technique?" Loki asked. While the expression on his face portrayed calm and control, his voice betrayed him. It quivered slightly as he spoke.

"Yes you heard me correctly. Chase is the world's only practitioner of Shaping. A style of splicing that combines elements of trational and techno-splicing together to create evos." Baset said. Alberto's mouth dropped open at Baset's explanation, his eyes quickly darted to his father who looked less than pleased.

"SACRILEGE!" Loki bellowed as he pointed a well manicured finger at me. "OF ALL THE OUTLANDISH AND HERETICAL THINGS I HAVE HEARD! TO HAVE THE AUDACITY TO TRY AND ALTER SPLICING! YOU AMERICAN TRASH!"

"Seriously?" I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Gods, I already went through this with Jane. I'm not having another argument with you too."

"That was less of a argument and more of a beat down." Bo quipped.

"You think I would argue with a overconfident upstart like you! No! I refuse to acknowledge this…Shaping as a splicing technique!" Loki announced.

I blinked at him a few times then shrugged and looked back at Baset.

"Yeah I don't care." I said dismissively.

"Chase!" Astrid hissed at me. "He's still a Paragon and the world's foremost expert on splicing at that!"

"And yet a evo of his was defeated so easily by a techno-spliced evo." I jeered. I could see Loki's face getting red and his anger rising until I was sure smoke was going to start coming out of his ears.

"Here we go again…" Bo, Iris, and Jane all groaned.

"You….you….you…!" Loki started, literally so angry that he couldn't find the words to insult me.

"Loki! Let me remind you that you are here as a guest in my class. I have a right to boot you out at any time!" Baset said sternly catching Loki's attention. She then looked to me and gave me a death glare. "Chase…while I have been lenient with you and your deliberate provocation of Paragons and other nobles I will no longer turn a blind eye to it."

"They usually start it!" I defended.

"Hardly…" Baset huffed.

She was suddenly interrupted by the doors to the Auditorium suddenly being pulled open. Everyone turned to see who had interrupted class only to see Dean Baxter standing in the doorway.

"Dean? To what do we owe this visit?" Baset asked. Dean Baxter looked apologetic to see that Baset was in the middle of class and held a hand up in apology.

"Sorry Lady Baset, but the guards at the gate told me their was someone trying to get into the college to see a student that went here."

"What does that have to do with me and why would you concern yourself with such a trivial security matter?" Baset asked.

"Because the student is in your class. When they said the name I'd the student I was intrigued." Dean Baxter said. He then looked to me. "Chase, you wouldn't happen to know these people would you?"

Dean Baxter stepped to the side a man stepped forward from behind him. I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Grandpa Seamus…?" I breathed. Grandpa smirked as he looked down at me from the top of the stairs.

"Well I ain't the bloody tooth fairy." He joked then laughed heartily. The sound as joyous as a choir of babies giggling. It echoed through the auditorium and brought back memories of nights curled up in front of a open fire between him and Grandma Lulu.

I jumped up out of my seat and raced up the stairs, all but tackling him when I reached the top and held him in a tight hug.

"GRANDPA!"