Harnio opened the door to his room and walked in. "Too much mess… Doesn't matter. I now have the answer. It should work now. Hopefully…"
He dropped the books in his hands onto his bed while moving the large pile of books sitting there already with their pages open and piles of handwritten notes. He yawned. "When did I sleep last?"
He smiled at the battery essence stone. "Buying this was worth it, but only if this works… I have at least fifty percent chance that it works." He picked it up and stared at the stone as it sparkled and shone in his hands. Occasional small purple arcs connected his body to the stone. "Impressive, it's still reacting to me like this."
He reluctantly put the stone on the ground with a frown and looked at his walls. "Need to check the patterns again, must improve my chances." He picked up a book flipping through the pages. "Ahh, here it is. Let's see..."
He compared the patterns on the walls to the descriptions that were on the page. He took a step back and smiled. "Excellent, they match. Which means the final step."
He walked to the desk and picked up his small knife and placed it next to the essence stone on the ground.
"Sinis pointed me in this direction. So, if this is the correct pattern then this should work." He frowned for a moment. "Everything seems ready, but why do I feel uncertain about it?"
He looked at the small knife and smiled."Don't worry, if this works then you'll be made stronger and have some further use. Don't worry about my thoughts. It'll work. It has to work."
He walked to the wall and drew the final pattern. He stood back as the patterns started to glow making its way to the essence stone and the small knife.
The energy then reached the essence stone which started to glow with a sky-blue color. Arcs were coming from the stone hitting the knife. Harnio looked at the process with a serious look. "Please work…"
A sudden flash of blue light caused him to close his eyes. "Did it fail? I must stop the energy." He wiped the pattern he had drew and the bright light dimmed. "Smoke… Smoke from the patterns. It must have been at a very high temperature." He bent over and inspected the patterns on the floor. "Wow, it actually started to melt the stone… Hmm… There must be a better way for energy transference, because it is being wasted in heat."
He looked up noticing the essence stone. "Wow, it's destroyed there is only dust and small pebbles. I'll have to take these things into account in the future. With all this energy and the destruction of the stone. Does that mean this was successful?"
His heart started beating faster as he picked up the small knife. "On first glance there is no change, nor damage from the high temperatures."
He held the small knife in his open hand. A tiny arc of purple light shot into the knife. Harnio smiled. "Yes, I finally succeeded. I did it." He smiled as he waved the knife.
"BBAAANNNG!"
A blade of wind hit the wall and carved a thin line into it. Harnio stopped and stared at the blade in silence. "Such a small blade. With a small knife I was able to do that." He looked at the wall in thought. "What would happen if I put more effort into the swing?"
He took a few steps back and swung the small knife as hard as he could.
"BBBBAAAAANNNNNNGGGG!"
Harnio opened his eyes. He stared at the cut that went through the wall of his room and left a deep scar in the wall across from him. He dropped the knife and stared at the door which was now in pieces across the hall. He felt his face start to turn red. "That's not good…"
He watched in shock as other students came out of their rooms and stared at the damage walls and doors. He felt their gazes. He turned around to get the knife and stared at the hilt in shock. "The knife cut through the stone like it was nothing."
He turned and saw some students enter his room and look at the hilt of the knife in the stone. He saw Eiken walk into the room. "Everyone out now. He's my apprentice I'll deal with it. Call the attendants get them ready to start cleaning."
Harnio looked down at his feet and watched as Eiken's footsteps approached him. "It seems you finally succeeded in your experiment. Can I see?"
Harnio nodded and took a step towards the bed revealing the hilt in the stone floor. "I finally have been able to fill an object with battery essence as well as successfully powering it from the winds outside. Now that blade there when it is swung will release blades of wind." He smiled.
He pointed to it at his feet, watching Eiken walking over to stare at the handle. "Harnio, first it is a dagger. Not a small knife. Second you have succeeded in imbuing the essence and energy of wind into it. That is very impressive. I'm very proud of you, I hope that you'll release the notes and the procedure shortly."
Harnio nodded silently and kept his eyes locked on the dagger as Eiken pulled the dagger from the stone floor. Harnio looked worried. "
Bbbe careful."
Harnio watched as Eiken lifted the dagger and slowly swung it towards the wall.
"BAANNG!"
"Hahahaha."
"Harnio this is amazing, but maybe a little dangerous, because a dagger would always be moving on a person. That means this dagger will always be releasing blades."
Harnio nodded sadly and watched as Eiken placed the blade on the desk. "Harnio, when was the last time you had a shower or even went to class? The professors have been missing you in the classes."
He shrugged and stared at the hole in the floor and scratched his arms. "Not sure, I read about Sinis's theory in the library, and wanted to try and apply it. The result is the dagger on the table."
"Harnio, when was the last time you showered, let alone cleaned this place?" He shrugged and kept looking at the hole in the floor and around the room scratching his arms, "no idea, just saw Sinis's theory in the library, so I collected what was needed, and as a result you have the dagger in front of you."
Eiken looked at him calmly."Do you know what day it is today?"
Harnio looked up and blinked glancing at Eiken and then looked around the damaged room."Umm, isn't it the day of fire, since I was assigned the job of your assistant yesterday?"
Eiken sighed and placed his hand on his head shaking."My apprentice. It's the day of the sun, and you have been in the tower for nearly one full moon."
Harnio looked down at his feet. "Sorry. I got carried away in my research and reading. Also, those classes are boring and not beneficial to me at all, since I have read all the books related to the taught topics."
Harnio felt Eiken's gaze. "Go clean up. After you shower, we need to discuss a few things. I'll send people to clean this mess up."
Harnio nodded and bowed. "Yes professor…"He slowly left the room looking at the dagger that was now sitting on the desk. "It took me a full moon to complete the experiment… Sinis spent years, so Sinis I'm already in front of you." Harnio smiled walking down the hallway towards the baths.
"Was that him?"
"He's the one who cut through the walls with a wind blade."
"He's clever, but very strange. He hasn't been to classes, yet can do that? Maybe the professor is giving him private lessons?"
Harnio ignored the stares and whispering from the students around him. He kept his head down. "Must get to the showers." He looked at his feet. "If I change the patterns, could I place the essence on the shoes to make my movement faster?"
He stopped walking and stared at his feet. "It shouldn't be difficult… Since I know the process, I just need to work out the patterns first."
"What is he doing?"
"He's just staring at his shoes. Very strange person."
Harnio looked up and felt his face going red. "Shower first. Need to get away from these people."
He increased his pace to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. "Finally. Some peace…" He took his clothes off and stood under the shower letting the water run over his body. "Wow," I didn't realize how dirty I was. All that dirty water is just from me."
Once he finished washing, he sat under the water. "The water feels amazing."
He opened his eyes noticing the clouds of steam. "Water and wind together can make cloud. That's it! I know how to make the cloud battery that the professor has."
He stood up in surprise and stood up rushing towards the exit of the bathroom.He reached the door and looked down and cursed himself. "Need clothes. Lucky, I didn't go out…" He went back and got dressed and ran out of the bathroom back to his room.
"Professor, I solved the dual battery issue… Professor…"
When he was back standing in his room, he saw several attendants cleaning while Eiken stood watching them. He grabbed a pile of books from one of the attendants.
"Sssstop! I nneeedd these. Please…"
He looked around the room avoiding the gazes of the attendants, his heart pounding. He heard Eiken's voice. "Can you give us a moment? It seems I need to talk to my apprentice."
Harnio watched in silence while holding the books close to his chest as the attendants bowed and left leaving Eiken standing in front of Harnio.
Harnio looked around Eiken. "Professor, I just realized how to make a dual essence battery. I also thought of a way that'll make the battery stronger and contain more energy."
Harnio waited to see Eiken's smile, but instead saw him sigh and shake his head. "Apprentice your intelligence is very high, and your ability is incredible. However, you really need help with people, and yourself. It seems to some people that knowledge is a curse and not a blessing at all."
Harnio's face turned red as he looked around the room, he could feel tears forming behind his eyes. "People are just too hard professor. Even crowded places I don't know how to deal with." He smiled faintly. "Books and knowledge, they're like sweet music to me, and I understand well. They are family."
He met Eiken's eyes for a moment the continued looking around the room hugging the books tight to his chest."Just because something is hard doesn't mean you just give up on it. Think of it like a challenge or an experiment, a problem that needs to be solved and not just put in the hard basket and forgotten."
"An experiment?" Harnio stood in silent thought. He watched Eiken touch the damaged wall. "Harnio, I have something that will help you especially when you feel uncomfortable."
He watched Eiken pull out a small bag opening it to reveal a pipe and a pouch of dried leaves. "Harnio, this here is what we call tumbleweed. Usually this is something that makes people become relaxed and sleep. In your case this will help you relax when you in a difficult situation."
Harnio stared at the bag nervously as Eiken packed it again and placed it on his desk. "Tthank you professor. I'm sure it'll help." He looked down at the floor scratching his arms. He heard a loud sigh and looked up glancing around Eiken.
"Harnio. There is something that we need to talk about. "First off, no experiments like these in the dorm rooms anymore. If you need to use a lab for experiments, you can use mine." He watched in silence as Eiken stood up and placed their hand on the damaged wall. "This weapon is too dangerous. If you are wanting to do these types of experiments, please choose other objects."
Harnio stared at the floor as he felt Eiken's gaze upon him. "The most important thing is that you need to go to class and also attend your duties."
Harnio looked up. "Professor, those classes are boring, and I'm not learning anything from them. The duties, I just forgot about them, this experiment has filled my attention for a long time…"
"Harnio, no excuses. From now on you go to class and attend your duties."
Harnio nodded his head in defeat. "Yes, professor…"
He heard Eiken move to the door. "Harnio follow me, there are more things to discuss." Harnio nodded and followed Eiken out of the room and down the hallway.
As they were walking Harnio heard Eiken's voice.
"You said you have figured out how to place two essences in a battery, like the one that I used before?"
Harnio nodded and kept looking around the hallway avoiding the gaze of the students, professors and attendants.
"The idea is very similar to what I did with the dagger. Take the essence out of the stone, and with the right amount of energy to contain the essence place it in the battery casing." He looked up for a moment and counted on his hands.
"The problem is working out how much energy is needed to contain the essence, if too much the essence is destroyed, if the energy is too less the essence is lost to the environment violently..."
"Cough… Cough... Violently?"
Harnio watched Eiken's movements not looking up and stopped when Eiken stopped. "That makes sense in theory apprentice. The question that you need to work out is how to calculate and control the energy required and needed."
He nodded. "Sinis's ideas are useful, but they only show the idea of calculating a single mass, and all I did was just copy what he had created through the patterns in his books."
Harnio looked around. "This is your living area professor. I shouldn't be here." He looked around Eiken. "You're my apprentice so you can be in this area. If you were doing your duties, you would already know this…"
Harnio watched as Eiken pointed to a door. "That is your new residence. Next to mine, and across there is my laboratory where we can work on our experiments. You might be surprised at the equipment inside. Now come to my office we need to sit and talk like master and apprentice."
Harnio frowned in silence as they sat in Eiken's office. He watched Eiken's arms and hands as they tapped a book on Eiken's desk.
"Harnio…"
"There are people born to be around people, and there are people born to be around only those that they trust." Harnio nodded in silence.
"Apprentice. You're a person who can help this world as it does need help, but you need to find people you can work with."
Harnio looked at Eiken in confusion.
"If you can't deal with lots of people, find a small number of people and put your trust in them, help them, and they'll help you."
Harnio watched Eiken stand up. "Come let's go to the laboratory. You'll like what you'll find in there." Harnio smiled and followed Eiken out of the office turning down the hallway to another door. He watched as Eiken pushed something on the door which then glowed and opened. Harnio followed Eiken into the room, and he stopped mid step as his eyes started shining with what he saw.
"Apprentice… Welcome to my laboratory…"