Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 5] Ch. 5 Stage Reset

Sebas

I can't believe I missed him. That WAS him. I know it was. The leader of the Nightclaw. Just who was he anyway? He had so much power I decided waiting around for him to talk was not something I wanted to waste my time on.

Next time.

Next time I will be faster.

*

The next day I sit down to read. It's the weekend so I'm staking out, to watch out for Julie. She and Professor Perchwell were kidnapped. I received word from Actor and reacted immediately. When I found them, they had already made their escape, so I returned to the base to take it out and met up with him. I was just going to blow it up to satisfy my revenge but when I found that guy, I instinctively knew that I had to end him and shoved a piece of Dungeon Core in his mouth. I was using it as a catalyst for the explosion to contain the destruction.

Ley magic, or Fey Magic as Nerys has been trying to rename the whole field... I'm not completely against the idea. Fey magic rolled off the tongue better anyway. Anyway, it had a unique aspect. Since I theorized it was the origin of all magic it had greater potential for manipulation. By drawing Ley magic through a catalyst like Dungeon Cores or Cross Quartz it is easy to focus and wield a greater amount of magic faster. It's also hard to build a resistance to natural Ley magic, so it was effective against just about everything and everyone. With only a second, I was able to see the Leader of the Nightclaw was resistant to just about everything through my demon eye.

The power he held... it was frightening, but not omnipotent. Julie or Perchwell managed to injure his eye. And if he could bleed, he could be killed.

"Excuse me!" came a slightly louder than normal voice, as if she had repeated herself to get my attention, only louder, too loud. But the familiar voice grated against my nerves at any volume.

I turned to see Minerva. She was red faced and clutching tightly to one of the textbooks. The textbook to the class we had together. Normally, I'd ignore her, but we were given a group project after the Sovereign/Ranker showdown. It was a research paper so we went to the library and talked as sparingly as possible She was quiet in class, but she'd been growing bolder since the day of the showdown and for some reason she had seemed to sniff me out.

I glare at her passed my book. I'm busy thinking... but I guess it's dangerous to do even that much on campus. I have to thank her for bringing me back... I just don't want to. "Red..." I begrudgingly greet her.

She seemed to jump a little. Seriously? If you're scared, then go away. And put away the shy high school girl act... I'm not buying it.

"Can you help me?" She tensed while gripping her book.

I look to the book she's pressing into her chest with both hands and then to her. "I'm not in the business of tutoring." I groused.

"That's not it."

"I'm not interested." I turned to my own book, holding it a little higher, so it blocked our eyes from meeting.

I was on the second story landing of one of the lecture halls. It has an outside hallway like the Teagon Castle, so it kind of feels like home in a round about way. Pillars held up the ceiling while three-foot-high flower beds acted as a railing so no one would walk off the second floor. I was using it as a bench and was sprawled by it with my back against the pillar. The problem now is that it's a reminder of those tense hours I spent in the Windowsill locked in the same room with this banshee. She needs to go...

She sat down on the flower bed wall near my feet.

"Please," she pleaded.

When did she learn that word? I guess if she wants something bad enough...