Chapter 99 - Crushing the Regis

“Just what is going on here?”

Skyle stood in a daze as he saw four different images taking shape in the magic circles all around him. Only then did he realize that he had been paying so much attention to the water rune that he had not spared even a glance to the other runes, which would automatically be fed from the same magic circle Skyle was using. The panicked boy frantically waved his arms around, then belatedly realized the sheer idiocy of his actions. Such gestures were useless because his physical arms couldn’t even touch elemental essence, let alone stop the test. Only his shadow essence could..

Skyle was dumbfounded as he stared at the thin layer of shadow essence that had instantly spread itself over his arms. It was like a second skin which bent and moved with his fingers as he flexed them in awe. There was no sensory feedback from the shadow essence itself, but at the same time a warm, comfortable feeling spread itself through his hands and up his arms. Power unlike any he had experienced before surged through his muscles. He felt as though he could slap that silly grav puppet to oblivion.

“My god, the runes are glowing brighter and brighter.”

The breathless whisper coming from his back snapped him out of his reverie. He immediately burst into action, praying he was not too late to avoid disaster.

He used his arms to push away the elemental essence strands collected upon his circle. However, he was startled to find that far from dispersing as he had hoped, they were only pushed away for a couple feet before inexorably being drawn back into his magic circle.

Howling in his indignation, Skyle swept the circle with his True Sight and gawked at the thick streams of elemental essence feeding directly into the main channels leading to each of the greater runes. Following one of these lines, he found himself gazing straight into the open eyes of the water elemental spirit’s image. The gleam within its eyes was so life-like at this point, that he couldn’t help but stare in sick fascination.

Then the eye winked at him.

“Ack!”

Skyle stumbled back from the image as though he had been stung. His vision immediately retracted itself, and the little boy found himself clutching at his chest while gulping big mouthfuls of air.

“ Wait a moment. That voice just now spoke of the runes but said nothing about the spirit. What’s going on?”

Skyle’s face crumpled up until it looked like a dried up raisin, the lines of his face sagging in misery. These damn spirits that were only visible to his True Sight must be intentionally sucking all the essence dry!

“Stop! Stop that right now. Don’t you dare suck up any more essence!”

Finally, the elemental spirits dropped the act. They all began to move animatedly, each of their life-like movements scorching Skyle’s sooty heart black. Especially the water snake, it flicked its long tongue at him with an almost human sneer that stretched its lips taut.

“Stop that, you damn overgrown eel!”

Deaf to his demands, the water snake leisurely swam around the increasingly dense streams of water essence. To make things worse, Skyle was clearly outnumbered. On top of the fire rune, a flaming tiger with bright scarlet fur opened its maw in a soundless roar which nonetheless made Skyle wobble on his feet and shrink back. From the wind rune, a delicate bird of vibrant green plumage swept its wings in Skyle’s direction, and he imagined he could feel a refreshing breeze brush past his face. Finally, the biggest bear Skyle had ever beheld squatted placidly on all four legs upon the earth rune. It didn’t even bother raising its head, only occasionally shifting a massive paw to scratch at its black fur.

Not one to admit defeat quietly or gracefully, Skyle immediately sprang into action.

He drew deeply upon his shadow essence, at first trying to clog up the channels of elemental essence leading into the runes. That seemed to work for a moment, but the four elemental spirits only eyed Skyle with an amused look before the absorption rate more than doubled. The thin membrane of shadow essence was ripped to pieces, and even more essence began to frantically stream toward the hungry runes.

Skyle even considered directly attacking the runes, but quickly discarded the idea. He was desperate, not crazy! Thus, in the end he could only settle for containing the damage as much as he could.

If the crowd behind him had been staring before, their collective jaws now hit the floor as they gaped at Skyle. The new genius of Aegis Academy, who had given birth to a new four-element legend today before their very eyes, was now frantically jumping up and down while waving his arms in the empty air like a raving lunatic.

“Get off, damn you. Go away, go away. Leave me alone!”

The incomprehensible babble that spouted off his lips was as confounding as his actions. Spittle flying about everywhere, a panting, red-faced Skyle swayed unsteadily after running himself ragged - all the while staying rooted within the same tiny magic circle.

“Ah, brother?”

“Not now, Kass!”

Skyle spun around in dizzying circles, all the while continuing to wave his arms around.

“I-Is that some new essence channeling method?”

“If it is, then it is as unorthodox as it is effective. Just look at that affinity rating climb!”

“How is he gathering essence into all four runes so quickly?.”

“I thought the regis test was supposed to take at least 20 minutes. He’s hardly been in there for 10!”

“Yeah, it’s almost like he’s treating this like one of those lesser affinity test circles. He’s just charging up the greater runes as if they were lesser ones.”

Skyle’s blood froze at those last two comments. There were different types of affinity tests? These were greater runes while the ones from his memory were lesser ones? Why hadn’t anyone told him about this? If he had known, he would have slowed down his test instead of trying so hard. Now, he was even faced with the nightmare of being hailed as an unprecedented four element genius.

“ As if I need the extra attention. Low key, low key.”

The greater runes seemed to mock his thoughts, flaring up right at that moment and draining even more essence from Skyle’s circle. It was like a great vortex that kept drawing more essence in spite of Skyle’s frantic efforts otherwise.

“C’mon, that’s enough already. Please, just go away.”

On the verge of tears, Skyle finally collapsed to the floor. His exhaustion lent a nasty edge to his fear as it gnawed upon his resolve. He felt wronged by this entire ordeal, and though he had tried his best, at every step misfortune had struck.

Suddenly, a flicker of a familiar presence seemed to brush past his consciousness. Skyle raised his eyes up and looked around in a daze but could not identify this feeling. What he did see, however, were the retreating figures of the elemental spirits. For some strange reason, they had finally stopped feeding upon the essence.

The blue snake sent him one final wink before its scales flaked off and they scattered to an invisible breeze.

“Is it over?” Skyle said, his heart thumping in his chest.

“Is what over, brother?”

Skyle made a shushing motion with his hand toward Kassandra while he stared up at the glowing letters suspended above his head. If it were anyone else, a casual spectator might have mistaken the rapid twitching of his lips for prayers. Nevermind that such a notion was ridiculous. After all, why would such a genius need a prayer with such incredible test results?

Finally, the script upon the barrier flickered, then displayed the final results of the test.

Elemental Regis Test Completed Subject: Warrior Student Skyle Farrow, Class Undetermined. Elemental Affinity Score: Water 83% Earth 78% Wind 75% Fire 72% Elemental Proficiency Rating: Water: A Earth: A Wind: A Fire: A Elemental Regis Score: 393

A deafening silence descended upon the room. All noise died away until even the sound of a single pindrop falling to the floor could have been easily heard. The moment lasted for only a moment. Then sound rushed back in a tumultuous wave that crashed in an explosion of feverish discussion amidst cries of shock.

“Holy shit, a 393 regis!”

“What the hell is that score? Is that even possible? Wait, isn’t this his first regis test? It says his class was undetermined.”

"Damn, I guess Kassandra Farrow's entry score no longer holds the record as the highest at our academy. What was her regis?"

"I heard everyone was shocked she broke through the 200 point barrier, but her brother has almost double that! Talk about smashing a record. He obliterated it.”

“He must have cheated. How can a person rate high affinity with four elements?”

Skyle had the decency to feel a pang at that. His shadow essence and the True Sight were like massive cheats in a test like this. His powers were so different from the essence gathering system of the academy that the magic circle simply could not account for the difference.

Skyle slowly picked himself up, all the while studiously avoiding everyone’s eyes. He did spare a few baleful glares toward the glowing elemental runes. He had a theory as to why the elemental spirits that had been bullying him had stopped, but now was not the time to dwell on it. Instead, he needed to come up with a plausible explanation for the disaster he had unleashed upon himself. The animated chatter filling the room was only the calm before the real storm struck.

“I agree, he must have cheated the system somehow. These results are just impossible! The most I’ve heard of are dual element geniuses, and even those are rare!”

"Look at the proficiency rating. It's a bloody A - across all four elements!"

"Damn, I'm still stuck with a D+ rating."

"But I thought even Masters can only obtain a B rating."

"Yeah, that's right. I've only heard of Mortal level experts obtaining A ratings."

"Then what does that make him?"

"Uh.. a freak?"

“Well, at least he didn’t break anything this time,” said a bored voice. Skyle could have recognized it anywhere.

“Kass!” Reik said.

Kassandra sniffed loudly and ignored her twin’s outburst. In truth, they were both preening like peacocks displaying their new tail feathers. They basked in the warm afterglow of the vindication of years of faith when the entire world had looked down upon their unshakable belief in one salient fact.

“Big bro, you sure kicked some major ass!”

“Hmmph, took your sweet time, brother.”

Skyle could only shake his head in dismay, keeping his head down as he dragged his feet over to the circle’s boundary. He did not dare to raise his eyes. Already, he could feel the burning gaze of Syrene Le Flueur Aegis’sur following him the whole time. Deep inside, there was still the smallest flicker of hope against all odds that the fiendish woman would let him off easy, just this once.

Only an instant later, hope lay crushed and bleeding at his feet. Skyle groaned loudly when the heady scent of rose and lilac assaulted his nostrils. He tried to move away but it was already too late. Long, supple arms wrapped themselves around his neck as they irresistibly drew him closer, just like a spider reels in its prey.

“I didn’t break nothing!” Try as he might, Skyle still couldn’t keep the plaintive whine out of his voice.

“Right, at least you didn’t break the regis circle,” Syrene said, flicking Skyle’s nose with the back of her finger. Then she leaned in closer until he felt the now-familiar weight of her bountiful bosom crushed against his chest.

He resisted at first, but his limbs froze and he stopped squirming the instant he felt her hot breath upon his ear.

“You just crushed all the academy records from, oh I don’t know, ever?”

Then she laughed in that soft, husky tone that sent involuntary shivers down his spine.

The students were quickly dispersed, and the masters reluctantly followed. They had a myriad questions they wished to ask, but Syrene’s intense gaze cowed them into swallowing them back and reluctantly taking their leave. Skyle decided that if he only learned one thing from the Aegis’sur, it would have to be the strange power she exerted over others’ auras.

In the end, only the Farrow siblings remained behind along with that devious woman.

Her aura was practically bursting at the seams with barely contained excitement and curiosity, almost as though Skyle were an exotic beast sighted for the very first time. Only the subtle undertone of genuine concern that lurked beneath her other emotions stopped Skyle from snapping at his tormentor. For make no mistake, she was a plague upon his placid life. Skyle would have never had to subject himself to all these gruesome tests if not for her unwelcome insistence. Then again, who knows how long it would have been before Skyle could figure out the new uses for his shadow essence without the ordeals he had been through?

“Adversity is the hammer while courage is the anvil, right da? Now I know how a chunk of iron feels when being battered into shape.”

Skyle grumbled to himself from where he currently lay, hopelessly lost amidst the confounding depths of Syrene Le Flueur’s expansive breasts. If the damn woman would at least have the decency to cover them like any civilized, modest woman should, at the very least he wouldn’t have to rest his cheeks against the impossibly smooth and creamy texture of her skin. The close-cut vest exposed nearly half of her milky globes. So perilous was their perch that with every breath they threatened to spring free and burst out from the confines of her clothes.

“Why are a woman’s breasts so soft and yet bouncy at the same time, anyway?”

“Because they reflect a lady’s heart, dear Skyle. Tender and delicate beyond measure, yet resilient in the face of the greatest of adversities.”

Her sudden words made Skyle want to curl up like an earthworm lying exposed under the scorching sun. How had the woman known what he was thinking? A guilty blush burned his cheeks as he lowered his gaze. That was not such a good idea, considering it brought his eyes diving deep between the plunging valley of Syrene’s imposing peaks.

Kassandra sniffed loudly, eloquently expressing what she thought of Syrene’s words.

“Oh, you just don’t understand, my dear. Not yet, anyway. Maybe in the future you will, once you grow.. you know, there. Still quite a ways to go, I’m afraid.”

Above him, Skyle felt Syrene turn her head. He didn’t need to look to know exactly where she must have directed her pointed gaze.

“Why, you overstuffed so-”

The rest of it sounded muffled as Reikard cut in.

“Kass, you’re letting her get to you again.”

“Get off me. She’s got her odious paws all over brother!”

“Big bro can handle himself. Uh, I think.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Reik.”

Brushing away his annoyance, Skyle squirmed in Syrene’s embrace until he was finally able to free up his mouth so that he could speak without brushing his lips all over the Aegis’sur’s sun-kissed skin.

“I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud,” Skyle said.

“That’s because I can hear your thoughts when we’re close like this, heart to heart. Why else would I be holding you? Do I look like a perverted child molester to you, dear Skyle?”

She was obviously a pervert, but that couldn't be all. Skyle tried to find an answer and had to admit he was stumped. Why was she fixated on tormenting him? At a loss for answers, Skyle instead asked another question that had been rolling around in his mind for a while now.

“Can you really hear my thoughts?”

Syrene finally let him pull away far enough that she could smirk down into his big, round eyes.

“Of course I can. Would I lie to you?”

"You just did, you shameless pervert!” he thought. Skyle was reading her aura, and the pink of mischief had flared brightly while she said that. “Think this is all funny, do you? Can’t trick my eyes, lady.”

Syrene paused right at that moment, and a considering look entered her eyes as she squinted down at the boy lying in her arms.

“Interesting. Very interesting. The more I get to know you, the more intriguing you become,” she said quietly, her eyes suddenly growing distant.

Skyle’s own eyes narrowed slightly as he squinted up at Syrene. Could she have a similar ability to his True Sight? If so, she must have read him like an open book. She must have already spotted his shadow essence as well. The implications cascaded down into an impossible tangle that Skyle was forced to cut short until he could confirm his suspicions. Otherwise, he would drive himself crazy.

Tentatively, Skyle willed a single strand of shadow essence to extend from his hand. He waved it back and forth under Syrene’s nose. To his great relief, he did not detect a single change in her aura.

He meant to let out a sigh, but instead Skyle found himself choking as Syrene drew him close once again. Her embrace pushed his face straight into her bosom with dismaying enthusiasm.

“You naughty boy. Don’t play games with your big sister Syrene.”

“B-Big sister?” Skyle was able to push himself off far enough to gawk at her.

“Over my dead body!” Kass cried out.

“I don’t know, might be nice- Oww!”

“Stop that right now, Reikard Farrow!”

“But Kass..”

The rest of it was lost to Skyle as he gazed up at the summoner who held him tightly in her arms. There, hidden deep within the bright, flickering colors of her aura, lay a tremulous strand of muted blue that struck a chord in him. He felt himself drawn toward this unexpected discovery, and through her eyes he fell deeper into her aura until he could see the faintest outline of a little girl clutching a broken sailing boat to her chest while her sad green eyes shed tear after tear. He didn’t understand why, but the image brought a sudden sting to his eyes.

“Syrene..”

“Hmm?”

“I think I might like that, one day.” His words were a barely audible whisper.

Syrene smiled at that. It was a new smile, one he hadn’t seen before. It was less flashy and more subdued than her usual cheeky grin, but that only made it all the more precious. Like an unexpected gift, it spontaneously brought a mirroring smile to Skyle’s own lips.

“You’re really not going to ask any questions?”

Skyle eyed the Aegis’sur doubtfully.

“Why should I bother? I can read your mind like an open book.” She flicked his nose with her finger, sending him a knowing wink.

“Hah, liar. Your aura’s churning with so much curiosity, it is a wonder you can hold that carefree smile at all.”

After that rare moment of vulnerability, Syrene had returned to that same teasing, saucy grin without a hitch. Still, the brief moment of intimacy had inexorably drawn them closer. Now Skyle felt the beginnings of a trust that had not been there before. Given the Aegis’sur’s strange ability to influence other people’s auras, he wasn’t ready to test the depths of such a newborn feeling. Even so, it was a great improvement from before. Just the fact that she was still holding back the barrage of questions that were boiling beneath her carefree exterior was enough to earn Skyle’s gratitude.

His head hurt enough already without having to invent lies to explain away the results of his tests. Already, rumours would be spreading like a wildfire. He would have to consult with Uncle Talon in order to find a way to explain away the disastrous events of the day.

“Go on now, it is time for you to get settled in your new villa.”

“We get a villa?” Reikard chimed up, his eyes glittering.

“Of course. You’re my apprentices. How could I let you stay in those pigpens they keep the rest of those wretched students in?”

“Actually, I think the dormitories are quite- Oww, Kass.”

“I suppose we can accept your offer,” Kassandra said, stabbing toward the sky with her nose. “It is the least you could do after putting my brother through such an ordeal.”

Syrene didn’t say a word, just brushing back a lock of hair from Skyle’s forehead.

Kassandra puffed up her flushing cheeks and stomped her feet, but kept her peace.

“So, you’re not coming with us?” Skyle asked, surprised to find that for some reason, he was somewhat reluctant to part with her company.

Syrene smiled down at him. “I’m afraid someone has to tell the academy staff about the new 225,000 gold expenditure that must be added to the budget this year. Unless you’d prefer to do so yourself?”

“No, not at all! I think we’ll get going then, Syrene.” Skyle wrung his hands and shifted his weight for a moment, struggling with the next words. “Uh, thanks.”

“Well, actions speak louder than words.” Syrene bent down and presented her cheek to Skyle. “How about a kiss?”

For just a moment, Skyle was tempted to agree. Then he caught the rippling tendrils of mischief in her aura at the last minute. Good thing he had checked with his True Sight. He didn’t know exactly what she had been planning, but it certainly wasn’t anything nice!

Again, Syrene seemed to have read his thoughts. Her perfect eyebrows arched up ever so slightly as her eyes danced with a dark promise.

“No? Well, next time, then.”

“Not if I can help it.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Syrene laughed at the surprise in his expression. It was a rich, throaty sound like a tigress who was toying with her prey.

“I told you I can read you like an open book. Run along now. I’m afraid that’s enough fun for one day.”

“Just what part of today was fun, you demoness!”

A parting wink was all the answer Skyle got.