"Alright... alright, I've got this," the young man murmured while pacing around the room, hands flexing at his side. His voice wavered slightly, evidently, he was in a lot of pressure.
All around him, assistants bustled around with efficiency, wheeling around carts stacked with peculiar mechanical trinkets that glinted against the room's light.
"Tesric," out came a voice as sharp as a razor, slicing through the air and freezing the chaos around him. Tesric stopped his pacing, his gaze snapping to the corner of the room where a woman sat with a regal aura. Wearing an extravagant fur coat that was shimmering faintly under the chandelier, matching the color of her auburn hair. Her piercing gaze locked onto him, and her voice was rich with authority.
"Remember what I taught you," she said, her words precise and deliberate.
The woman stood up and moved gracefully towards Tesric, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. She stood in front of him as she reached to adjust his collar and tie. Her fingers brushed lightly against the fabric, smoothing it down as she told him. "One should always keep an air of confidence around them."
Tesric who was dressed in a sleek dark gray button up shirt and vest with a bright red tie, looked every bit the part of a polished, professional, and brilliant young man. His clean-shaven face was sharp and handsome, his hair was slicked back neatly, his gloves fit snugly over his hands, and a pair of goggles rested on his head, ready to be used.
He took in a deep breath and smiled at the woman in front of him. "I know... I think I might just be excited," he said, voice laced with a mix of nerves and anticipation.
A sudden voice broke the moment as a woman came into the room. "Madame Lestair, the council is ready for him."
Madame Lestair's gaze flicked toward the woman and then back to Tesric, her lips curling into a smile. She leaned in close towards Tesric's ear and whispered, "Showtime."
Tesric nodded silently towards her and straightened his posture. He took a deep breath to steady himself before moving towards the velvet curtains at the center of the room. The assistants then began pushing the carts as they followed behind him.
Beyond the curtains, the Vespera Council awaited-a trio of individuals whose influence over the city was absolute. The council members were the gatekeepers of power in Vespera. Tesric knew that if he wanted to truly change the world, he would first have to prove his worth to them.
Tesric stepped through the curtains, and was immediately blown away by the sight in front of him. The room was a masterpiece of architecture, with golden decorations adorning every surface. Silk banners fluttered gently in the air, the colors mixing well with the shimmering in the floating magical orbs used as light. However, it was the floating platform that truly caught his attention.
Elevated above the rest of the room, the platform hovered, it's edges softly glowing with a magical aura. The three council members who were draped in blinding golden robes, sat atop it, looking down upon him.
Around the room were other influential figures of the city seated in neatly arranged chairs that were lined along the walls. Madame Lestair gracefully made her way to a seat among them, her eyes briefly meeting Tesric's before she settled down.
Tesric hesitated for a moment, unsure if he was to begin or not, until the council member in the center spoke, his voice smooth and commanding. "Proceed with your presentation."
The other two council members remained silent and observant, their eyes fixed on him.
Tesric cleared his throat. "My name is Tesric Lestair," his voice steadying with each word. "And today, I present to you an invention that...I believe has the potential to change the world!" He raised his fist in a burst of excitement before quickly letting it drop.
The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the next words to follow.
He motioned to one of the assistants, who stepped forward and placed a cart infront of him.
"Magic is the driving force of our society," he began, his gaze going over not just the council but the lesser ranks in the crowd as well. "Yet, not everyone has the ability to wield it. That's something we all understand. But with this..." He tugged the cloth off the cart in a slick motion, revealing a strange contraption.
A web of transparent wires and cirtuits coiled around a small cylinder. On opposite ends of the cylinder were a marked plus and minus symbol. "Anyone can wield magic!"
The room fell into silence as the council members leaned forward, their expressions unreadable but their interest piqued.
"Or at least, something that can rival it's power," Tesric said with a cheeky grin.
He took a step back, his fingers fiddling with wires. "I call it electricity." He straightened up, giving a half-smile. "I won't bore you with the fine details, but basically it's created by moving electrons through a conductor, like this wire here."
With a confident flick of his wrist, Tesric flipped a switch on the device control panel. A faint blue crackling stream shot through the transparent wiring, sparking as it spiraled towards the cylinder, which seemed to pulse with energy.
"It can be harnessed through mechanical means, chemical reactions, or even just sunlight itself," he added, his voice rising with excitement.
Whispers began to spread throughout the room, murmurs filled with confusion and curiosity. People leaned in closer to each other, speculating about what the device was meant for.
"In essence, it's an energy source," Tesric explained, gesturing towards the wires feeding into the glowing cylinder. As the light continued to pulse brighter, he flipped a switch which powered down the device. Yet, the cylinder continued to glow, now steady and constant. "Not all too different from the lightning spells elemental mages perform."
With care, he detached the cylinder from the machinery and held it up without his gloves for everyone in the room to see. "All the electricity generated is fed into this storage unit, which I call a battery."
He turned it over in his hands, showing off the smooth surface and compact design. "Despite the small size, it can hold enough energy to power just about anything you can imagine."
He moved along the edge of the room, holding out the battery to the people for closer inspection. "It's light, safe, and completely portable," he added, his tone laced with brimming confidence.
The audience exchanged astonished remarks with each other, no doubt thinking about how the device can be used for their purposes. Even the council members leaned in as they murmured to one another.
Tesric motioned toward his assistants, who quickly pushed three carts forward and positioned them beside him. "Now here's the fun part... the testing!" He declared gleefully. With a cool flourish , he removed the tarp from the first cart, revealing a strange machine.
It looked like an engine with two wheels attached to its sides. "With electricity," Tesric began, showing off his contraption proudly, "you would no longer need to hire a mage to enchant your carriages to move without a horse."
He slotted the glowing battery into a small port on the side of the engine, the engine glowed blue as well, the moment it connected. Tesric stepped back, gripping a string attached to the machine and with one forceful tug, the engine roared to life.
"Aaaaand here we go!" he said with a wide grin on his face, pressing a button on the side. The wheels began to spin faster and faster in a blur of motion. The crowd gasped, multiple people began standing up to get a better look, while whispers of amazement circulated the room.
The council members who were usually impassive, exchanged curious glances.
Tesric gestured toward another assistant, who wheeled in a massive stone nearly as large as Tesric himself. The slab's sheer size and weight made it clear it was no easy task to move.
While the stone was being positioned, the inventor removed the battery from the engine. The machine powered down instantly, the spinning wheels coming to a halt.
"Now," Tesric began, turning to the crowd with an inspirational smile, "how about something to help the working people?"
With theatrical flair, he peeled the tarp off of the second cart which revealed a colossal, three-pronged claw arm. The blue and gold metallic appendage gleamed under the lights with intricate joints and cables.
"Let's see how electricity can lend a hand or in this case... a claw," he said, the excitement in his voice unmistakable.
Moving swiftly to a control panel mounted on the back of the machine, he inserted the battery into its slot. "Down in the mines," he began, his voice commanding the attention of the crowd, "workers usually have to wait for a mage to come down and enchant their tools to harvest the toughest materials."
The claw arm shuddered before glowing a faint blue. Tesric gripped the joystick and demonstrated its range of motion, opening and closing the claw with a menacing quality. "But with this," he continued, guiding the claw forward, "the tools wouldn't even be needed in the first place."
The claw reached out and gripped the enormous stone. Gasps echoed through the audience as the machine lifted the slab, moving it effortlessly as if it weighed nothing at all. Tesric smirked as he turned a dial which commanded the claw to clench.
With a sickening crunch, the stone crumbled into fragments which scattered across the floor.
"Don't worry, I'll clean that up," he quipped, flashing a cheeky smile. The audience's stunned silence broke out into cheers and claps as the possibilities dawned on them with every passing second.
After a few moments, Tesric removed the battery from the claw, the machine powering down. He turned toward the final cart, pausing for dramatic effect before carefully peeling back the tarp. Beneath it was a peculiar object: a bulb-shaped piece of white glass with a metal base.
"I think this one can speak for itself," Tesric said with a tone of voice full of confidence. He placed the bulb into a dock, which was connected with wires to a circuit with a battery shaped hole on top. With a flourish he inserted the battery and called out, "Let there be light!"
The bulb flickered and casted a steady, warm glow that illuminated the room almost as effectively as the magical orbs they were using. Gasps and cheers erupted from the crowd as they were transfixed by the simple yet amazing display. Even the council members had astonished looks on their faces.
Tesric took a step back, letting the moment wash over him. The cheers of the croud and the wide eyes of every person in the room told him one thing: this was it. His dream was finally coming to fruition.
But it wasn't over yet. He straightened his posture, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Now came the most important part-the words that would seal the deal. His invention had spoken for itself, but his speech would speak for its future.
He stepped forward, meeting the gaze of the council and the crowd alike, ready to deliver the finale.
"With electricity," Tesric began, his voice steady and resonant, the crowd leaning in, hanging on every word.
"Not only will the lives of the lower class improve with affordable light, and machines to aid their work," he continued, glancing meaningfully toward anyone who looked wealthy, "but the high class will also benefit heavily from it. Productivity, convenience, comfort will be for everyone."
"Perhaps..." he thought about what he was going to say next but his enthusiasm got the better of him. "Perhaps it could even replace magic altogether."
The words had barely left his mouth before he realized his fatal error. The shift in the mood of the room was instantaneous, as if he'd just committed a cardinal sin. Gasps of horror rippled through the crowd, followed by rising murmurs of discontent.
"How dare you suggest that!" one voice cried out, indignant and sharp.
"Treason!" another roared.
"He should be exiled for such blasphemy!"
"Magic is irreplaceable!"
Tesric stumbled back, raising his hands in an attempt to calm the crowd. "Wait, no! I didn't mean-" he tried, but his voice was completely swallowed in the chaos.
The council members looked equally horrified, their faces twisted in disbelief. One leaned forward, her voice cutting through the noise. "Do you understand what you're implying, young man?"
Tesric's heart pounded as he searched for a way to recover, but his words were lost in the rising storm of boos and accusations. The brilliance of his invention was forgotten, overshadowed by a simple slip of the tongue.
.
.
.
Meanwhile... a woman in a green robe with delicate pink highlights, her outfit fastened by a pin the shape of a rose, stood silently in the shadows of the room.
While the crowd was outraged, the woman remained fixed not on the young inventor's words but on the invention itself.
She leaned slightly forward, her fingers brushing the rose pin as she was lost in thought. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she murmured under her breath, "Interesting."