"WHY THE FUCK IS THIS SO HARD!!!!" I screamed as I reread the smell line again for the one hundredth time. I was sitting in living area and in one of my arm chairs trying to understand some of the more advanced concepts in the book. I'd been studying this book for the last three days and while it did help me understand systems better its early chapters only presented me with problems not solutions.
"You can't expect to understand everything right away Chase." Jane said.
"Yeah Star Child, systems are one of the most important tools to a splicer so of course an idiot wouldn't be able to understand." Iris chimed in.
I looked up from my book and scowled at her. She just stuck her tongue out at me and continued looking at the documents that Baset's people had sent over earlier. It was the syllabus for her class. I gave it a quick glance earlier but decided the system was more important.
"What is it you're getting stuck on?" Jane asked.
"Something that needs a more studied mind…" I replied. I slammed my book closed and hopped out lf my chair. The girls both shared a confused look but didn't say anything as I walked over to the door that lead to my floor terrarium.
The terrariums were designed to be highly customizable and allow the owner to change what they wanted in it on a whim. After Bone-lasher got out of my room the first day here and terrified the girls I've kept him in here when I sleep or whenever he wanted out.
The terrarium originally was themed after a dry and barren Savanah with lots of sand, rocks, and very little vegetation. Obviously Bone-lasher didn't like that. So I had it changed, apart from a few feet by the door when you walked in the whole room was submerged in water, a enchantment spell was cast on the walls to make it look like an endless ocean. From where I stood I could see Bone-lasher floating aimlessly in the makeshift aquarium.
"Bone! Wake up! I need your help!" I called out to it.
My mind was flooded with feelings of calm and serenity. A image of a vast and endless ocean filled with endless prey to hunt. I smiled happy it was having pleasant dreams but there was work to be done and it's had three days to lounge around.
"Sorry Bone but I need you to wake up!"
This time I was flooded with feelings of annoyance and a low grumbling vibrated the water. I chuckled and shook my head.
"Fine stay here and be lazy. I just go ask Jane if Jingles can help me." I said then turned to the door as I was about to leave.
Feelings of anger and jealousy flooded my mind this time along with the image of Bone-lasher clashing with Jingles. Both of them were heavily injured and on their last leg. This of course never happened, it was just a fantasy of Bone-lasher's. Ever since the second fight in the coliseum he's sort of seen Jingles as his rival of sorts. Just the mention of him was enough to get him upset.
Bone-lasher swam down and stick his head past the water veil and growled at me.
"Come one then." I said as I held up my right hand. Bone-lasher jumped into my crystal in a flash of light
I couldn't help but smile a bit. It was a little back handed to bring up Jingles knowing it would make him jealous and help me out to spite Jingles but I couldn't rely Jane and Iris to help me all the time.
I left the terrarium and headed to the front door. Jane and Iris were still looking at the syllabus when I walked into my living room.
"I'm heading out!" I called to them.
"Where you going?" Jane asked.
"Out for a bit. I'll be back in a bit!" I replied then left. Once outside I held my hand out.
"Bone-lasher!"
Bone-lasher shot out of my crystal and materialized in front of me. He let out a loud roar then shook. I smiled and petted Bone softly, he flinched at first but then relaxed to the touch.
"I need you to take me to Baset's office. It's that silver spire over there." I said pointing out the spire. Bone nodded then knelt down and allowed me to climb on its back right behind it's dorsal fin. Bone took off running, not quite as fast as a steed but still pretty fast considering.
It only took us fifteen minutes to reach Baste's spire, which was good timing considering Bone-lasher had to weave through the afternoon traffic of people heading to class.. Bone-lasher stopped at the front door and let me off. He jumped back into my crystal and I felt his emotions slowly fade as he fell asleep again.
"Sweet dreams." I said.
I walked into the main lobby of the spire and was greeted by quite a scene. There was a small group of students clamored around the security desk. All of them were yelling at the security officer. He looked like he was past done with all of them and had mentally checked out.
As I approached the security desk I realized I recognized two of the people in the mob. Kyle and Ranjesh, two of the guys I fought during the second match a few days ago. I frowned as I heard some of their shouting.
"….do you have any idea who I am?! I demand to see Baset!" Kyle demanded. The guard groaned and looked up at Kyle and the rest of the group.
"No I don't care who you are or who your parents are. None of you are allowed to head up and see Lady Baset." The guard said.
"I will have you fired! My dad has connections with the collage." Kyle screeched. The guard laughed at Kyle which only made him angrier.
"No you won't. I work for Lady Baset not the collage." The guard said. He noticed me and scowled. "God another one. Look unless you are one of the students in Lady Baset's advanced class "
"I'm in Baset's class." I said then held my left arm up which had the tattoo that Baset cast on us. The guards waved me over and I walked over the desk. As I passed the mob everyone seethe, I made sire to keep my right hand inside my pocket to keep my farm crystal hidden. I showed the guard my arm, he studied it intently then nodded and picked up a phone on the desk. He had a short conversation before nodding and hanging up.
"Lady Baset will see. Take that elevator." He said.
"Wait this penniless peasant can see her but we can't?!" One member of the crowd yelled.
"Gods is peasant literally the only insult you spoiled brats know?!" I groaned and shook my head.
"Shut up peasant!" Kyle snapped. "I'm not going to stand here and let you insult us!"
Kyle's farm crystal started to glow as he started to cast a offensive spell sigil. Before I could react the room suddenly filled with the sound of intense buzzing. Everyone looked up to see hundreds of hivdrix circling above us. A blur buzzed right by my head and I turned and saw it land on the shoulder of the security guard, obviously the created hivdrix mentally controlling the rest.
"If you aren't a part of Lady Baset's advanced class then you have no reason to be here. You all can leave now or be carried out." The guardsmen said. The hivdrix extended their stingers and aimed them at the small crowd.
Kyle glared at me and kept casting the sigil until one of the hivdrix flew down and stung him. He fell limp to the floor and the spell sigil shattered.
"I warned you." The guardsmen said. The rest of the little group quickly ran out of the lobby leaving Kyle, except Ranjesh who dragged the paralyzed Kyle put of the lobby.
"Lady Baset will see you now. Do you know the floor?"
"Yeah I remember."