One by one, the fairy lights winked out. Darkness descended over the Spring Gala, leaving only a hushed sense of anticipation hanging in the night air. Teresa subconsciously took a step closer to Lady Li Mei, rubbing shoulders with the small attendant who did the same thing. The smaller girls exchanged glances in the dark, the whites of their eyes shining, before silently agreeing to turn their attention to the straight, calm back before them.

A piercing whistle broke through the silence, followed by the sound of an explosion. Overhead, brilliant flowers of color and light bloomed against the backdrop of the night sky, brighter and more dazzling than even the Watcher's Star in winter. Teresa gasped, clutching her hands to her chest as beautiful particles rained down on the party, leaving chromatic glowing spots of light wherever they landed. Delighted gasps and giggles filled the air between subsequent explosions, until the whole field was lit either by the flowers blooming in the sky, or their sparkling petals upon the ground.

Teresa glanced over at Lady Li Mei, who was facing forward instead of upward, and felt some of her excitement dim. She was unable to see the flicker of cyan flashing across Lady Li Mei's mauve's eyes, but didn't miss the slow curling of the girl's lips.

"Interesting..." She muttered, unfolding her fan and fluttering it in front of her face. Teresa took a hesitant step forward, but questions died on her tongue as Lady Li Mei turned a calm, almost cold gaze her way. "Stay calm, you two. Don't move unless I say so."

The last bit of her statement was nearly drowned out by a sudden wave of explosions - bigger, louder, more rapid than the ones before. Shocked "oohs" and "aahs" murmured through the amazed crowd.

Teresa glanced at Hana, who had the same impassive face as always, but whose hand was suddenly gripping a very small dagger between her fingers. The blade couldn't have been more than an inch long, and Teresa herself only spotted it because she mistook the girl's slight hand movement for trembling, and thought for a moment perhaps the attendant would need comfort.

'Of course an adjutant of Lady Li Mei's wouldn't be so easily unsettled, even one who looks so young,' Teresa thought with a relieved sigh. 'How silly of me... Ah! But why would she have a weapon out at all?!'

A sudden chill ran down Teresa's spine. Hana pulling out a weapon, Lady Li Mei's warning to stay calm and not move...

Teresa casually glanced around, barely turning her head as she did so. Most guests appeared to be enjoying the sky flowers, but a few stood out from the crowd. Duchess Calli Lilyvale, Duchess Quinna Goldclover, Marchioness Sharon Mistdaisy, and Viscountess Veronica Highlotus all had varying expressions of curiosity, surprise, caution, and even disdain. Duchess Quinna had something close to a sneer on her face as she stared at the pavilion, where Teresa's mother stood with a smug, almost eager expression.

The sky flowers faded, leaving only the glow from their petals illuminating the party. Over the murmuring crowd and hushed whispers, notes from a strangely unfamiliar song drifted past on a gentle breeze. Soft, soothing.

The song picked up. Notes rising and falling in a gentle, almost hypnotic rhythm. Faster and faster, whirling and dancing in the ears of the listeners, intoxicating and exciting!

Enticing!

Laughing and giggling, swinging arms and swishing skirts. Their faces flushed as though from too much wine, recklessly whirling and spinning with whomever they could convince to grab their hands.

And there, in the crowd, were people with crowns and clothes of brilliantly colored feathers - bright plumage a stark contrast to the rest of the party, where gentle pastels and modest earthy browns were the fashion for spring. Some carried instruments, while others laughed and danced with the rest, working the crowd into an excited frenzy with loud cheers and throaty singing to accompany the music.

"Careful now, Lady Teresa."

Lady Li Mei's whisper cut through the music, halting Teresa mid-step. She hurriedly put her foot back down in its original spot, a warm blush coloring her cheeks. Snapped back to her senses, Teresa realized everyone around her had been swept into the dance, except for Hana and Lady Li Mei who kept looking toward the same direction.

The guests danced, faster and faster, their shapes blurring together into oddly misshapen pillars of color. Their bodies stretched and distorted changing form into massive creatures, childish mimicry of rabbits, cats, bears and birds. Teresa gasped, prevented from running by Hana's small hand on her arm and the sharp reminder from Lady Li Mei ringing in her ears.

"Tonight's entertainment is a fantastically fun test of courage and wit from The Feather Troupe!" A myriad of voices emerged from the creatures, rising and falling with the ever-present music, their Patois pronunciation oddly inflected compared to the soothing Brittalund accents Teresa was used to hearing. "Escape the maze to receive a wonderful prize! Jewels and gems, enchanted rings and magitech tools are up for grabs to the speediest winners!

"Perhaps there is even a secret surprise hidden somewhere within? But you better hurry... You aren't alone in the maze! What evils might snap at your heels should your pace be lacking?"

The voices dissolved into a cacophony of discordant laughter, towering shapes stretching and shifting. After a few moments Teresa found herself standing alone in a small room, surrounded on three sides by tall walls with shifting cutesy animal patterns running in circles. In front of her stretched a long hallway, while above the stars were still being outshone by blooming sky flowers of light.

She glanced to her side, where Hana was previously standing, then ahead where Lady Li Mei's small but surprisingly reliable figure was last seen.

Nothing.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"What do I do..." Teresa muttered, staring down the long and empty hallway. "What... What do I do?"

"Stay calm, you two. Don't move unless I say so."

Lady Li Mei's warning... Did she see something? Was that why she ignored the sky flowers so adamantly, and why Hana brought out a weapon?

Teresa shakily exhaled, clenching her hands into fists. Her mother wasn't kind, but she wasn't stupid either. Inviting The Feather Troupe only to have them attack or humiliate her guests wouldn't be a good move, no matter how important House Rosethorne was to Brittalund.

So the maze probably wasn't deathly dangerous, at least. But considering what Marilyn Rosethorne considered 'light training', Teresa still felt a bit uneasy about what the supposed "fantastically fun test of courage and wit" would involve.

Hssssss.....

Teresa shuddered, a hot blast of air slithering through her curtain of dark hair to caress her thin neck. Her body tensed, her every instinct screaming at her to run while the warning from Lady Li Mei kept her trembling feet from listening.

Well. The warning, and her own overwhelming fear.

Whatever stood behind her was close. So close she could feel warmth radiating against her back, could smell the sickly sweet rotten breath hissing against her neck. She wanted to scream, to flee down the empty hall, but her body refused to move.

Her knees shook.

And then a sharp resonating yelp cut through the air.

Teresa whirled on her heels, finding herself face-to-face with an enormous lizard-like creature, fangs as long as her arm from wrist to shoulder, cowering on the ground. A gentle tap on her head made her flinch away, but when she opened her eyes...

Lady Li Mei stood with her foot on the lizard's muzzle, shaking her head with a mixture of condescension and amusement on her face. Hana gripped her small dagger close to the lizard's eye, threatening it with the sharp edge and a steely glint in her eye, yet the creature's gaze was firmly fixed on the folding fan clenched in Li Mei's hand.

"Well done," Lady Li Mei said, as she turned to smile at Teresa.

Li Mei glanced at Teresa, gently raising her eyebrows and lowering the hand she used to pat the other girl's head. The semi-transparent illusory shield over Teresa's face shimmered like a veil, matching the ones both Hana and Li Mei sported themselves.

Thanks to her Mana Sight Li Mei saw the colored threads of mana weaving across the sky long before the first firework went off. Even more surprising, they were all coming from a single caster standing in the shadows behind Marilyn Rosethorne - hence her focused stare, watching the masterful weaving of magic to memorize the complicated patterns.

Several arrays were added to the archive, all of which had cause for alarm in the mere mention of their name, much less their descriptions. Illusory Shapes, Concealment, Mass Hypnosis, Serenade, Euphoria, Sensory Entrainment, Barrier. The caster's mana fed into something they held in their hands, which changed the color of the mana as it spread out to create the arrays.

A magitech tool! And, from the way it effortlessly wove the mana into complex patterns, the tool was impressively powerful.

Her curiosity was piqued. Naturally, she Scanned the object from a distance before she lost sight of it in the dancing crowd, as shields formed over everyone's face and obscured their sight with realistic illusions warping their field of view.

-----

[Magitech Orb]

Unknown Product Title

Progenitor-Made (Artisan Unknown)

Judging by the arrangement of arrays and the relative complexity versus potential lethality, it can be concluded to be a device for creating illusions meant to entertain and train young children using non-lethal projections and fictional scenarios. In short, it's a Progenitor toy. To the current level of civilization, however, it's a precious treasure.

Masks are created to help maintain the youth's calm during training, and to provide sensory feedback from the illusions. Touching another mask-wearer will bring them into your specific illusion, allowing group training exercises and friendship-building tasks.

Injuries received from the illusory beasts appear to be real, tearing cloth and flesh, and wearing down stamina. Once the mask is removed, the injuries will disappear as though nothing happened - because, of course, nothing did. They are merely illusions.

The maze itself will also disappear once the masks are removed, as it is maintained by the illusion in the mask.

Without the masks, the illusory beast projections and traps contained within the maze can do no harm. Should someone wearing a mask perceive their own imminent death through illusions, they will be knocked unconscious and the mask forcibly removed to prevent lasting psychological damage. The mask will also automatically be removed upon completion of the maze.

Estimated Pattern Rarities: A - S

-----

'Something like that was considered a toy to them?' Li Mei bit back a wistful sigh, giving a small shake of her head instead. 'No wonder everyone idolizes the Progenitors so much! They had such remarkable toys, then what must their weapons be like?'

With Mana Sight, visual illusions wouldn't affect her as easily. Through her eyes, the entire illusion was semi-transparent and shimmering iridescence like a soap bubble. The entire gala was wrapped up in their own various illusions, noble guests enthusiastically fighting projected beasts with more vigor than Li Mei would have expected.

Of course, she couldn't judge Brittalund's noble sensibilities by those of Earth's wealthy elite. Personal combat strength was vital for a ruler to maintain their power over the masses and protect their own territories. Naturally, any attempt to improve or show off to others wouldn't be passed up.

'I should keep that in mind. These people value strength, showing off a little will be required to get any sort of respect. Mmm... But not too much. If they fear me as a threat, I become a target for removal, something to rally against. Really, it's all so bothersome...'

The creatures looked menacing enough, but Scan pointed out part of the array pattern dictated projections were made not to attack unless their target was moving. So long as Teresa held still, she was perfectly safe from anything that might threaten her.

"Well done," Li Mei said, tapping her folded fan against her thigh. "If you moved, it would have attacked. I'm glad you listened so well."

"How... What's going on?" Teresa muttered, glancing around with a bit more confidence now that she wasn't standing alone next to an unknown beast. "This maze is... And that creature?"

Li Mei chuckled. "We're in an illusion. Sort of. Sounds, sights, smells, all affected by magic. Likewise, this creature is a type of illusion as well. Realistic, no? If its teeth bit into your arm, I'm sure you'd feel the beast was real. But it's all a fancy magic trick."

'Bit more complex than the smoke and mirrors back on Earth though,' Li Mei thought, glancing down at the lizard's flanks rising and falling with each fake breath. 'These are genuine high class illusions.'

Teresa cleared her throat, rubbing her cheek with the palm of one hand to hurriedly chase away an embarrassed blush and a couple shameful tears while Li Mei's attention appeared to be elsewhere. She seemed bothered by her own perfectly reasonable reactions to the strange and frightening occurrences around her, so Li Mei pretended not to see anything until the other girl spoke up again. "What... Do we do?"

'I wonder if she's embarrassed about not immediately jumping into battle,' Li Mei thought while arching her eyebrows. Especially considering how overjoyed everyone else seemed to be at a chance to fight - Teresa's rather placid and fearful reaction would indeed be something shameful in such a combat-oriented society.

Such a naturally timid girl would never survive alone in the pit of warring lions and wolves that constituted noble society. Her fake arrogance would only help around people of lower rank. For those of higher rank, she was a slab of juicy meat waiting to be devoured.

After a moment of thought, Li Mei broke out into a wicked grin. "What do we do? Why, we traverse the maze, of course!"



"That's her, the supposed Yueluo brat? With the strange hair sticks?"

Marilyn Rosethorne glanced sideways at the young woman standing by her side as the illusory maze took shape around the Gala guests. The lithe figure sported the colorful feathery costume so beloved in the Hawaiki Archipelago, a golden bird-shaped mask hiding most of her face from view. The woman held a brass spyglass to one eye, peering in a certain direction with an amused smile on her plump limps.

As though the feathered woman had any reason to be calling someone else's attire strange. Marilyn gave a curt nod, turning her face away. Only one guest had sticks in her hair, so there was no mistake. "Yes."

From their position on the pavilion, the forming illusion was semi-transparent and quite entertaining to behold. However, Marilyn shifted her gaze to the trembling figure standing at the top of the pavilion steps, and allowed a very obvious disappointed sigh to escape her painted lips.

Alba's trembling intensified, much to Marilyn's satisfaction.

As both a mother and a Duchess, Marilyn didn't get involved in the petty games of the young ones as they vied for her valuable attention. She didn't stop them, as it was important for her children to establish a pecking order, and to prove themselves to the lesser Houses. Healthy competition between her children was openly encouraged.

Yet a careless prank offended someone who, for all intents and purposes, seemed to be a legitimate Yueluo Clan heir. Someone who was able to see past the initial actions and insult caused by the obvious perpetrator, Teresa, and find the person who truly caused the incident.

Alba, one of the daughters she so carefully groomed over the years. One of her most favored children, if the Duchess was being honest, and surely everyone knew it. For that treasured daughter to offend something as powerful and vicious as the Yueluo Clan...

"I do so hope you can resolve this... Unfortunate misunderstanding, Alba."

Her daughter's fearful trembling increased, and her gloved hands visibly clenched at her sides. Marilyn made a personal note to increase the girl's etiquette training intensity once the child redeemed her reputation in the eyes of the High Court.

Marilyn let that statement sink into the very depths of her daughter's heart in the following silence, once more shifting her gaze toward the Gala guests. They all stood staring into space, enamored by whatever illusion the Feathered Troupe was showing them as a distraction while maze walls formed throughout the gardens.

She couldn't see the Yueluo brat, nor the youngest daughter who was supposed to be escorting her. Marilyn frowned delicately, showing her displeasure at the Feather Troupe's matriarch not handing over the spyglass for her use.

Regrettably, her frown didn't work on the Feather Troupe matriarch as well as it worked on everyone else in Brittalund, as the Hawaiki woman completely ignored the change in Marilyn's expression. Instead, the woman stubbornly stared through the device with a stupid grin on her face.

"Alright, we separated them as requested. Even that little... What'd you call her? An adjutant? Bit of a little thing, ain't she... Well composed though, good on her. Yueluo brat's composed too. Neither of them seem bothered by the sudden illusion, or very interested in it at all..."

Marilyn clenched her teeth.

She still had unanswered questions about that brat's identity, but there were too many factors for her to completely dismiss the child as a fraud.

Maintaining her composure in front of an enormous crowd of adult peers was a huge sign. Not many children her age would have been able to knowingly offend someone like Duchess Marilyn of House Rosethorne, while keeping a calm expression under everyone's intense scrutiny.

Her Mu accent was authentic, with the unique lyrical rise and fall between syllables so difficult for foreigners to grasp when learning it. It flowed as naturally as water from a spring, and was as infuriatingly flawless as her Patois.

That horrible dress she wore, so out of line with current fashion, was clearly made by a famous seamstress who usually only served the High Court. The materials alone were enough to purchase a small parcel of land, and land was at a premium in Brittalund.

She mingled with the guests, expertly navigating small talk and various intimate discussions with the matriarchs about their specialties, with very few mistakes judging by the approving stares lesser nobles kept flinging at the girl's back.

And most infuriating of all...

The girl was closely acquainted with Professor Bishop!

Marilyn's fingers flexed, barely restrained from clenching into fists at the memory of seeing him stealing treats from the adjutant's plate, an unfamiliar playful expression in his eyes.

"Test her." Marilyn snapped, her voice cold and sharp compared to the gentle tone she maintained when entertaining guests. Li Mei was certainly from the Yueluo Clan, but no one knew whether she was a fringe member on an assigned task, an exile living out her punishment, or a legitimate successor being tested by the elders.

Her actual status within the Clan would determine the moves Marilyn could make against her in the future. Best case scenario, the child was a fringe member who wouldn't be missed.

In the very worst case...

Marilyn dismissed such gloomy thoughts, fixing her piercing stare once more on the costumed woman standing beside her.

The Feather Troupe matriarch nodded a few times, the spyglass bobbing up and down to match the movement. "Yes'm, we- Ahahahahahahah!"

The woman's sudden exclaiming laughter made Alba visibly jump, and even Marilyn was startled, though she kept her composure under tight rein and merely raised her eyebrows. "Did something happen?"

"I'll say! Well well welly well well, this might be more interesting than promised!" The woman flicked her wrist and the spyglass disappeared in a puff, a flashing sparkle of stylish smoke meant to distract from the fact it merely collapsed in on itself and slid down her voluminous sleeve. "I hate to say it, Duchess ma'am, but... The kid might indeed be the real thing. That's unfortunate, ain't it?"

For once, Marilyn was unable to stop her fingers clenching into fists.