Ch 26: The Professor

Leaving Amy to tend to Alexander, Grey and the others go to face The Professor in Lamis and save Schmitt, with a new ally in Mythra. How will they fare against a Revenant born of a Sage's bloodline?

            Mythra’s Pond. Friday June 1, 520NA. Gathering at the pond to set out for Lamis to do battle, Grey, Scott, Serius, and Mythra were saying their goodbyes to Amy, who’d come to see them off. Lei quickly leaped in the pond and began to swim about happily as they arrived. Alexander, still recovering from his injuries, remained at Mythra’s house somewhat begrudgingly. Waving, Amy said to them, “Good luck everyone! Please be careful!” Feeling confident after all the training they had done in the morning, Grey grinned, and then pumped a fist for emphasis as he said, “Just wait! We’ll be back with Schmitt before dinner!” Smirking, Mythra crossed her arms smugly and said, “Well of course! With the four of us, this will be no contest. You just look after Alexander for us. Honestly, that stubborn fool actually intended to go in his condition…” Looking back up the path to the house, Scott said, “Well, I suppose if it were me I wouldn’t want to just to sit and wait while the rest of you went off to battle either…” Turning to go, Serius said, “We’d better get moving. We have till sunset. It will be a long walk.” As they all turned and went on their way, Amy thought to herself, “It’s almost more than I can bear to watch them go off into such a dangerous battle as well, but… I’m not strong enough yet. I know I’d only get in the way.” As the four began making their way through the forest, Serius said to Mythra, “I’m surprised you wanted to come with us Mythra. What happened to your distaste for the affairs of the outside world?” With a quiet laugh, Mythra smiled to herself as she replied, “Well I know that Amy would have gone along to help Grey if she could. Besides… we’re all friends after all, right?”

            Arriving at the gates of Lamis Village, Grey and the others readied themselves and moved cautiously into the village. Quietly, Mythra cautioned, “This is without a doubt a trap. Be prepared for anything!” Slowly making their way down to the square, Grey found himself interested in how similar this village looked to Aerennis, though the absence of the flowers was quite obvious. Thinking about it, he realized it wasn’t all that surprising. Though Aerennis lay in the Kingdom of Gaian while Lamis was within the borders of the Adali Empire, they were both for the most part farming villages and both near a lush forest. Stepping into the town square, they found it seemingly deserted. However, it was not long before a voice rang out, “We meet at last, heroes!” Stepping forth from the shadows cast by a building in the light of the setting sun came the Professor, wearing a dark blue suit that matched his hair and smiling at them as he said, “Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Professor Vincent Marcellus, The Revenant of the Black Inferno. Though to the public eye, I am simply the Head of the Research and Development of EDE Weaponry for the Imperial Research Facility.” While everyone else bore a look of surprise, Scott shouted in realization, “That’s right! I knew I’d heard of him somewhere! He’s been at the head of all The Guild’s most important, top secret weapon’s development programs for years!” With a quiet laugh, the Professor gave a slight bow and said, “I see my reputation precedes me! You are well informed, Thunderfury Energist.” Wearing a disbelieving expression, Grey said, “What the hell? You’re telling me someone like you was the one on the inside?!” The Professor turned his gaze to Grey and said, “Ah, Grey, the man of the hour! I’d heard you were a sharp young man. I am indeed what you’d call a double agent. I keep the appearance of being a good little worker bee of the Imperial Research Facility while discreetly handing their research and materials over to Altera Veritas.” Mythra looked at him in disgust and said, “So in other words I was right. You’re nothing but a traitor.” Laying his eyes on her, the Professor laughed and replied, “I’m afraid you’ll find the Guild is full of people like me. But my, my… A halman? This is unexpected! Just who are you miss?” Smirking, Mythra raised her wand in front of her and said, “Who am I? I’m Mythra the Spellweaver! Feel free to start running…” With a surprised expression, the Professor said, “I see! So the heroes of Angelorum Lux have all rallied to the side of the new He of the Infinite to oppose us again…”

            Looking around for the hostages, Scott said, “Where’s Schmitt and his grandkids? You said you’d set them free if we accepted this challenge of yours!” With a smile, the Professor snapped his fingers and before him blue flames flared up. Quickly the flames vanished, and in their place sat Schmitt holding his two grandchildren, a young girl and boy who were maybe five or six. The Professor looked at them and said, “You are free to go. Your friends have made a bargain for your lives, and while I may be with Altera Veritas, I am a man of my word.” Schmitt quickly hurried his grandchildren over behind the others and said, “I thought we were goners! It’s real good to see you folks right now!” Grey turned to Schmitt with a smile and said, “We’re just glad you’re safe Schmitt. You get yourself and your grandkids out of here, we’ll handle this!” Schmitt grinned at him and said, “Right’o! You just be careful kid!” With his grandchildren in his arms, Schmitt quickly headed out of the square towards the village gates. Scott shot a suspicious look at the Professor and said, “You sure let them go quite easily. You could have held them over us as hostages. Why is a traitor like you a ’man of his word’ all of the sudden?” Waving his question away, the Professor replied, “This battle would hardly be any fun with you worrying your bleeding little hearts out over innocent civilians. Quite frankly, I won’t need hostages to defeat you!” Gathering a mass of EDE into his hand, the Professor added, “You’ve come for a fight, and I shall not disappoint! Now come and show me what you’ve got, Grey of the Infinite!”

            The mass of EDE the Professor had gathered into his hand crystallized into a rapier with an elegant blue and gold hilt, and as he whipped it around and brought it to bear, pointing towards Grey in a challenging and showy fashion, Grey stepped forward and said, “Bring it on, four eyes!” Laughing quietly to himself, the Professor said, “Before we begin though, seeing as this is a proper duel…” The Professor raised his free hand and snapped his fingers. Beneath the square an enormous rune circle appeared. Seeing it, Mythra shouted, “Oh no! Grey!” A massive wall of darkness rose up from the circle, coming up just in between Grey and the others. Continuing to rise and curve inward, it had soon created a shell over almost the entire square, with Grey trapped inside. Staring back at the wall, Grey exclaimed, “What in the hell?!” Then turning to look at the Professor, he shouted, “What do you think you’re doing?!” With a smile, the Professor said in a mocking tone, “It’s called a barrier Grey. Have you never seen one?” Then he leveled his blade at Grey and said, “This way it’s ensured that no matter how the tides of battle may turn, we shall have ourselves a fair one on one duel. Worry not about your companions, my experimentally enhanced anomalies will keep them in good company…” Glaring at the Professor for a moment, Grey thought to himself, “I have to defeat him and help the others!” Adjusting his glasses on his nose, the Professor said, “Well then, we may begin anytime you’re ready, Grey of the Infinite.” Charging towards him, Grey shouted, “You’re really asking for it!”

            Meanwhile, outside the barrier, a battle raged as anomalies began spawning from the shadows throughout the village. Hovering over the battlefield on her broom, Mythra and her Elementum Orbis rained seven colored beams down upon large groups, while Serius, his Basilisk Armor formed on two fists, and Scott, bearing his staff, faced off against the hordes of anomalies with everything they had. Staring down at the gathering anomalies from her perch, Mythra thought to herself, “D****t, they’re endless! We need to get them off our backs and find some way to break through that barrier to help Grey!” Down below, Scott and Serius found themselves overwhelmed. Surrounded by anomalies, they stood against the barrier as Scott said, “Well, this isn’t going so well… Any ideas?” Suddenly, Serius said, “Leave them to me. I may not be fully recovered, but for these, this level of power should be sufficient.” The air swirled around Serius as he channeled EDE around his body, and it crystallized to form stone armor across his whole body. Now clad in a fearsome stone suit of armor, Serius gathered EDE into his fist and slammed it hard into the ground. The anomalies in front of where he had struck were torn asunder as the ground itself reared up and rolled over them like a wave at the ocean. Serius then formed a glaive in each hand and charged forward into the surviving mob of anomalies. Scott put away his staff and quickly formed his bow, shouting, “I’ll cover you!” Twirling his glaives, Serius hacked and slashed through the anomalies as Scott picked them off with lightning arrows. Serius seemed unstoppable as he rent the enemy ranks apart, the anomalies completely unable to penetrate his Basilisk Armor.

            Up above, Mythra found herself in an unfavorable position, as some of the anomalies had formed black wings and risen up into the skies to face her. Soaring around firing beams at them with her Elementum Orbis, Mythra muttered, “We’re not making progress at this rate, if we only had reinforcements…” Suddenly, the anomalies chasing her through the air were shot down by crystalline bullets, and in surprise, Mythra could only exclaim, “What?!” She turned to look down where the bullets had come from, and saw a man with long black hair moving through the hordes of anomalies up the street towards Scott and Serius. Seeing him coming up the street as well, Scott grinned and shouted, “Jack!” Shooting an anomaly in the face as it lunged at him, blowing a hole straight through its head, Colonel Richter grinned as well and yelled back, “Honestly Matthews, anywhere there’s trouble these days, you’re not far off are you?” Forming a second pistol made of solid crystal, Richter shouted, “Alright you two, take cover! I’ll use my Radiating Shot!” Taking aim as Scott and Serius took cover, light shone from the barrels of both Richter’s pistols. As Richter fired, for every crystal bullet that left the barrel, an energy bullet of each of the colors that make up light itself formed in the air around the barrel and rained out as well. This created an incredible hail of bullets that tore the anomalies apart, and adding a finishing touch, Mythra aimed her Elementum Orbis and fired her seven element beams down upon the anomalies as well. Rushing over to Scott and Serius as even more anomalies began to crawl from the shadows, Colonel Richter said, “I don’t know what all is going on, but you all look to be in quite a pinch! I take it Grey is somewhere inside this strange black shell?” Nodding, Scott said, “Yeah, we’ve got to get in there and help him against the Professor!” As Serius stepped forward to confront the approaching anomalies, he said, “As I said, leave them to me! Find a way to reach Grey!” Looking at Serius as though he were insane, Colonel Richter quietly said to Scott, “Is he serious? We’re up against an army!” With a laugh, Scott replied, “Yeah well, I think he might just be able to pull it off! He is Serius the Unbound after all…” The Colonel’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “Serius the Unbound?!” Changing the subject, Scott said, “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but what in the world are you doing here Jack?” Still looking rather confused, Colonel Richter composed himself and said, “I was sent out here because we’ve been unable to contact the nearby watch post for a while now. I’m starting to get the idea why I was chosen to investigate despite letting you go in Aerennis… This looks like a suicide mission with the meager support they gave my division! I was on my way to the village when I came across Schmitt fleeing from anomalies, and when he told me you were all fighting in Lamis, I left him and the children that were with him in my soldiers’ care and rushed over here.” As anomalies suddenly began creeping out of shadows near them, Scott let fly lightning arrows as Richter opened fire with crystal bullets, and Scott said, “Looks like they’re not giving us time to chat!” With a quiet laugh, Richter replied, “Indeed. It appears if we’re going to think of how to get through the barrier, we’d better do it fast!”

            Dodging and parrying Grey’s swords easily with his rapier, within the barrier the Professor had Grey going in circles hacking and slashing at him. In frustration, Grey shouted, “D****t fight me you b*****d, this isn’t a dance contest!” Laughing quietly as he continued to evade, the Professor said, “Just why is it you fight Grey? I would assume by now you know the true meaning of Altera Veritas. Was it not the philosophy of the Greyson family that all mankind should be equal? Our goal is no different.” Glaring back at him, Grey continued to lash out with his swords, saying, “No different?! You’ve destroyed the lives of countless innocent people in pursuit of whatever goal you’re talking about, and I want no part of that! You people have no right to even speak about my parents!” Dodging another strike, the Professor replied, “Honestly, look at the big picture Grey. The Guild continues to oppress our kind, allowing countless innocents to live their lives in suffering or simply die. Even if the energists of the Sanctuaries were to overthrow them, the animosity between energists and normal people would remain. We are the only way the world will be freed from the stranglehold of discrimination that threatens to destroy it. Great change often entails great sacrifice sadly, but in the scheme of things this world is much better off realizing The Second Truth than it is remaining a slave to the Guild! In this situation, I believe the end justifies the means…” Locking swords with the Professor, Grey said, “Bullshit! Is that why you, a sage’s descendant of all people, have decided to be their puppet?!” With a skillful motion the Professor disarmed Grey of one of his swords as he struck out again, “Yes it is, though I consider myself far from being a ‘puppet,’ thank you.” Using his remaining sword to block, Grey said, “Really?! Because that’s what you are! You’re a Revenant, someone with a piece of the Nameless One’s essence manipulating their thoughts!” Laughing at him, the Professor said, “You don’t know, do you?” Seeing Grey’s confused expression, the Professor continued, “I’m afraid that I must inform you that your information is out of date! Alastor has conquered the will of the Nameless One, and in pursuit of his own goals, he has granted us Revenants part of its power himself! Our minds are quite our own, I assure you…” Using telekinesis, Grey drew his lost sword to him as he said, “Good…” With a surprised expression, the Professor said, “I’m not quite sure I heard you right… Did you just say that was good?” With a determined look on his face, Grey shouted, “You heard right! Now that I know you’re doing all of this of your own free will, I have no problems hitting you with everything I’ve got!”

Reviews

[Ryan Henderson]

Before I begin the actual review, please allow me to state my favorite parts of the chapter;

“Just wait! We’ll be back with Schmitt before dinner!” - Grey

Smirking, Mythra raised her wand in front of her and said, “Who am I? I’m Mythra the Spellweaver! Feel free to start running…” - Mythra

“Bring it on, four eyes!” - Grey

“This way it’s ensured that no matter how the tides of battle may turn, we shall have ourselves a fair one on one duel. Worry not about your companions, my experimentally enhanced anomalies will keep them in good company…” - Professor

Scott grinned and shouted, “Jack!” Shooting an anomaly in the face as it lunged at him, blowing a hole straight through its head.

“Not that I’m not glad to see you, but what in the world are you doing here Jack?” - Scott

“Looks like they’re not giving us time to chat!” - Scott

“Indeed. It appears if we’re going to think of how to get through the barrier, we’d better do it fast!” - Ritcher

“D****t fight me you b*****d, this isn’t a dance contest!” - Grey

“You heard right! Now that I know you’re doing all of this of your own free will, I have no problems hitting you with everything I’ve got!” - Grey

Okay! Now for the review. *Ahem*

This chapter was truly very entertaining and absolutely hilarious! The character interaction in this chapter is amazing and at the just the right level. It seems as though I love your book more the more I read it! I still love Mythra, but the professor dude seems cool too. Grey is interesting, Amy is interesting, Mythra is interesting, the professor is interesting, Scott is interesting, everyone is just really frigging interesting!

As of yet this chapter has to be my favorite because of the priceless humor! Also switching perspectives between the fight outside the barrier and inside the barrier was a very nice touch! I am loving your book and will read more later. Keep writing!