Stepping through the portal that strange feeling still making me nauseous as ever. "Did you get this weird feeling when you started teleporting around?" I questioned Paul needing to take a break to steady myself.
"Ahh yeah, that was so long ago though." He chuckled.
"So how do we activate the gloves?" Jay asked looking at them carefully on his hand.
"So as you know Scorch Ray fires three beams of fire, so you just have to make a gun with three fingers and they will shoot out," Paul answered showing him the hand gesture to activate the glove.
"Ohh okay...." Jay answered looking at the glove carefully, "So anyone can use these?" He questioned.
"Yes, normal people can use them, that why they are pretty expensive to acquire. A small fact you might not have known, unlike the other schools most of Aspa's military force is made up of normal people using equipment that can replicate spells as well as performance-enhancing drugs that enable them to become a powerful arcanum user for a very limited amount of time." Paul informed them.
"Where are we by the way?" I asked looking around finally steadying myself.
"We should be in the woods near the town unless something went horribly wrong." He chuckled and began walking in a direction I guess heading towards the town.
"Wait we could have ended up in the wrong location?! I asked in shock.
"Well, it hasn't happened in a while now that I've gotten better at it but it could happen." He laughed.
"So what's the plan?" Jay questioned.
"Easy, we'll use the invisibility coin and make our way in," Paul answered Jay.
"What about locked door's and patrol's and things?" Jay questioned.
"Well that's why we have Elven boots to hide our footsteps, and Anna has taught me a thing or two on lock pickings so gaining entry should be a cinch. The telepathic earrings should allow us to communicate without making a sound." Paul explained.
"So how would you know exactly where she is?" I questioned as we made our way to the town.
"All of us possess the ability to sense other Arcanum users, some more adept than others, with enough training and honing you can eventually become like me, where I can pinpoint and sense other Arcanum users and their power levels," Paul answered.
"So how far does this ability extend?" Jay questioned.
"Well it all depends on how much I concentrate, the more I concentrate the further my senses reach." He answered.
"So is she okay?" Jay questioned.
"Hmm well, she seems alright right now, very idle at the moment maybe she's in her room or something," Paul answered.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Okay Before we push on into the town gimme your hands." Paul requested. Without question, we both held our hands out to him. "Okay, I'll now be giving you guys a temporary buff to help us see our invisibilities." He said pulling up our sleeves and proceeded to draw a set of magic runes up our forearms that began to illuminate blue.
"Is this Rune magic?" Jay questioned.
"Yes, it is." Paul smiled.
"So you replicate spells by writing the runes on us?" Jay questioned.
"Yes, think of it like I just wrote see invisibility on you, so now you can see invisible people, but like most magic, it wanes over time so it will only last an hour or two," Paul explained.
"Amazing." Jay looked at the rune closely.
"Okay time to use our invisibility coins and I'll lead the way to Jennifer," Paul said speaking into our minds telepathically with a smile. As his form began to change ethereal almost like a ghost appearing semi-transparent with a light blue hue outlining his body. "Remember to take care and- don't bump into people and things." Paul reminded us.
"So these coins aren't Rune magic?" Jay questioned.
"No, this is done by artificing, unlike rune magic which fades over time, Ashley has infused the coin with magic, making a mundane item now magical which also allows it to recharge over time," Paul explained.
It really was quite amazing how we made our way quietly through the darkened streets, the boots making absolutely zero sound allowing us effortlessly walkthrough totally unnoticed like we weren't even there.
"This is way better than a cloak right?" Paul asked chuckling.
"You're an idiot," I laughed back.
"When we neared the estate, I'll need you both to keep watch while I pick the locks," Paul informed us.
"There isn't a spell that can do it?" I questioned.
"There is, but the spell is very loud," Paul answered.
"Surely you can use a Rune to open it," Jay asked.
"That is also a possibility, but I don't want to leave any Arcanum residue that might trace back to me," Paul answered.
"Oh, I understand now," Jay answered.
"So you can trace spells back to the caster?" I questioned curiously.
"Well not really, but the only known users of Rune magic is the Headmistress and me." Paul answered.
"What do we do if we've alerted some guards?" Jay questioned.
"Stand down, for now, I'll put them to sleep," Paul answered.
As we neared the huge Vancliff estate Paul gave us a hand signal to stop. "Everything okay?" I questioned.
"Hm, something seems off..." Paul informed us.
"What's wrong?" I questioned.
"Well, normally there should be guards here, something feels quite strange... I don't know what it is but something feels different about her." Paul answered.
"What's happening?" Jay questioned.
"I'm not sure, she's on the move walking up to the highest point of the building, and I'm not sure if you both have noticed yet, but there's a slight change in the wind... it's more chaotic not at all-natural." Paul explained.
"What could it be?" I asked.
"I dunno, never a dull moment I suppose," Paul said and began advancing into the manor.
As we neared the Vancliff building the wind Paul spoke about began to feel more apparent. "Is it me or it feels like the wind is swirling in a circle," Jay questioned.
"You're not wrong, she's an Air caster right?" Paul questioned as we arrived at our first door and Paul began to pick the lock.
"Yeah, she is," Jay informed him taking a look around the corners making sure they were clear.
"Have you seen her do anything similar to this?" Paul questioned giving the handle a turn and entered the building.
"Nothing like this at all," Jay answered as we both followed in close behind him, it looked like a tornado absolutely trashed the place, everything was out of place like it was tossed around and flung about aimlessly.
"This doesn't look good..." Paul uttered in shock trying to understand what's going on.
"What's happening?" I asked.
"Jennifer's power level is rising at an alarming rate, and I sense several elementals in the area,;" Paul answered.
"We need to hurry!" Jay said to Paul.
"Yes we do," Paul said hurrying his pace ignoring the surroundings and unconscious bodies on the floor.
"Paul there's lot's of bodies here," I informed him keeping up with him.
"They are either dead or unconscious nothing we can really do for them now, but right now Jennifer might be in a lot of danger," Paul answered as we began to ascend the building. "Jay do you have any idea what's going on?" Paul questioned urgently.
"Not that I know of," Jay answered.
"Do you have any idea what's happening?" I asked Paul.
"Well she's now ascended to the highest point of the estate, and there are several elementals around, most the wounds received by the people here are is a result of a blunt force and since she has an affinity to air. I feel somehow her being here is either summoning or calling air elementals here suddenly for a weird reason." Paul answered.
"Why is she ascending to the top?" Jay asked.
"I have no idea, the fact she's the only one still alive or conscience give me a bad feeling, when we encounter here she may be hostile," Paul answered.
"There's no way." Jay objected him.
"I believe you, but it's a possibility... I don't understand why she's the only one aside from us who are conscious here." Paul answered. As we ascended the estate the amount of Arcanum in the air started getting stronger and stronger swirling like a storm. "You guys feel it right?" Paul questioned.
"Feel's like we're in a storm," I answered.
"Yes, and it's getting stronger with every passing minute," Paul answered.
"Is Jennifer still awake?" Jay asked.
"Yes she is, I don't know what's happening but she's become immensely stronger now," Paul answered.
"What do you mean by that?" Jay asked.
"Well, she's on par with an A-class student now and still rising..." Paul answered him.
"There's no way... how can she?" He asked in utter shock.
"There are several ways individuals can boost their power but they are all very dangerous," Paul answered making me remember the student that allowed him to get possessed. "Your friend Jennifer is at the top of this tower..." Paul said stopping us at a battered door that's been blasted off its hinges.
"Why are we stopping?" Jay asked.
"There are several elementals between us and her, there are three on the steps leading up with 10 elementals at the top along with Jennifer," Paul informed us.
"Why are we waiting we need to save her!" Jay said trying to hurry.
"They aren't attacking her, in fact, she's in the centre and seemed to be position in some sort of ritual," Paul explained to Jay.
"There's no way she wouldn't do such a thing!" Jay objected.
Paul grabbed Jay's arm, "You're smart for your age, you and I know that might not be her up there anymore." Paul explained to him seriously.
"Let me deal with her." Jay looked back at Paul seriously.
"You deal with her, whatever is happening you stop this ritual, Emilia and I will deal with the elementals." Paul nodded to Jay.
Paul gave us a definitive and began cautiously ascending up the winding stairwell.