Spear trap-noun
1) A device or enclosure designed to catch and retain others, typically by allowing entry but not exit or by catching hold of a part of the body, by use of a spear.
2) A spear or set of spears launched from the ground, designed to impale intruders.
Spear trap-noun
Dyne
1) A spear or set of spears, crafted of tool steel and a carbide or other harden tip, designed to completely impale an adult male in full forged steel armor plating. Pneumatic control system driving hydraulic levers to extend spears at one hundred meters a second.
See also (death trap)(maim)(Dyne Index of Lethal Devices and Other Fun Toys)(trap)(carbon steel)
Each level a student earns is generally attached to a specific set of skills and is normally one course. Maid Jac's seventh level course was titled 'Identification of traps by type within castle Dyne'. Looking at the noble's foot clearly across the tile line the above definition was the single thought that popped into her head.
From the ground, a shaft extended almost faster than the eye could follow, driving into the soft chin of the young noble child. In the older maid's heart, blood and brains splayed everywhere across the ceiling.
"Ah, it looks like not even the Dyne family is insane enough to put a real death trap by the young children's classroom." Noble lady Tiffany spoke after being struck with a bright red boxing glove popped her. Pole traps were spear traps with large leather wrapped gloves stuffed with soft fluff, instead of sharp points.
"It considered impolite to question or mention the Dynes family's insanity." Speaking ruefully the maid didn't want to fill the noble in on the base definition. Most of the traps in this section were harmless, a light bop in place of total impalement.
"My mistake, is their taste in interior decoration an issue?" Noble lady pointed to the nearby wall where there was a set of cracks radiation from a central position. Lady Tiffaney asked as she evaluated the strange feature leaning closer to it.
"No that's-" Before the maid could fill in the child a second spear protruded from the wall, far faster than the simple pole trap. One could feel the reverberation from when the harden tip struck the wall, as it slowly retracted the noble child could see the pointed glass like tip covered in stone dust.
"A lethal single launch spear trap." Maid Jac finished lamely. Silences ensued as the noble child's brain required processing time.
"It's designed for adults so unless a kid is freakishly tall it's no danger to anyone." Weakly the maid attempted to defend the family of the house.
"If they happened to jump vertically in surprise after being struck from the pole trap?" Lady Tiffaney asked slowly.
"As far as I know it only happened once." The choice to come to the Dyne lands was its complete separation. Southern duke had the strength to stand against the royal family and faction but was not completely agnostic to them. Now that she knew what she wished she had known, the girl wondered if it was too late to head south…
"That's not important right now, let's go meet instructor Rose." Rose was considered one of the smartest servants in the employ of the front castle. As the only level twenty servant of the front castle, she was highly respected by the children who could never get past level five. This happened to cover a large number of individuals, as most topics beyond level five were highly specialized or advance for children that could barely get basic language skills.
"I forgot to ask; it seems like there's a lot of people here." Unable to handle the stress, noble child forced herself to speak to prevent herself from breaking down.
"Front castle houses a few dozen, ranging from mechanics to cooks. Since there's so much space that needs cleaning, we have the most maids. Rear castle has few servants but many workers who maintain the whole castle. Her ladyships castle has five plus the three who tell everyone else what to do."
Tiffaney digested this uncertain what they were but assumed there were three other castles or areas. Before she could ask for further clarification they arrived in the classroom.
'No traps beyond this point.'
'The following is designated a green area.'
'Hazcom free zone.'
Several large signs were posted by the doorway into the classroom itself. These were unlike anything the noble had seen before, the letters were large, yet razor strait, free of blots or imperfections. Normally stoneworkers would spend days slowly polish letters into walls to get that kind of clean appearance. Fluid ink? The girl had no idea how such things could be…
The list of things that made no sense in the castle grew by the moment.
"Maid Jac, I am still waiting on your schematic drawing form your level eight course. Which excuse will you use today to explain why it's not done?" With thin rimmed glasses the women who was obviously in charge, sharply glared at the older sister maid.
"No excuse, instructor Rose, I'm here to assign the new maid to look after the young kids." Raising a single brow, this move had caused many a misbehaving brat to reveal their wrong doings, Rose fixed her stare onto maid Jac.
"Right, right, Trixie and Matt, come help me teach the new kid to make blocks." Scurrying off before the senior instructor could question further, the noble child was dragged forward.
The room was unlike any the maid had seen before. Desk with small chairs and tables with taller ones. Selves had all manner of toys and strange shaped items tucked within them. Against the wall several bookshelves held colorful spines, too far for the noble to read at this distance. The walls were plastered with posters and drawings some good, many poor scribbles. A chalk board on wheels had a few basic computations etched on it and a strangely shaped cat…or maybe a dog, penned into the corner of it.
Several things stood out to the noble, as nothing like this existed for her. The alphabet was placed near the celling, a number line, and a giant 'e= 2.71828'… Most strange was a phrase in quotes.
'Magic is not the only power of this world; humans possess strength that is their own' Lady Dyne the first.
"Is this a new girl to play today?" Whistling through a gap in her teeth, a small child of four and a half-asked maid Jac.
"Storytime Zhac?" An adorable dark-haired boy with barely spit out the words to the giant maid that he looked up at.
Smiling at the adorable children, the older sister maid, bent down getting completely to their level.
"Not today, this is your new playmate, Tiffaney. She's supper new and needs someone to teach her how to build with the blocks okay." Smiling at the two, there was time as the two children considered things before nodding slowly.
"Leave it to us." Standing straight up, the small girl attempted a simple salute. Not to be out done the small boy also stood taller. The two looking so serious and proud with their chubby faces were like an arrow through maid Jac's heart. Even the noble found them utterly adorable with their big eyes and soft dark hair.
"I leave her to you."
Watching the maid stand and leave, it became clear to her, that she had been abandoned at the hands of two four-year-olds.
Curse you, demoness Shax!