Scrapyard Angels Act 1 Chapter 17

The College of Techmaturgy was an imposing sight to behold. It was a huge tower suspended between the crack where Zaun built with nothing more than metal support beams, suspension wires and what I assume is magic. The thing defies logic but then again, logic in Runettera has magic put in the equation

The singular bridge connecting it to the outside world made it look like a fortress monastery especially with its tall buttresses, sharp gothic arches and liveral use of glass and steel. Some would say that the building was built to keep the students in but I say that this building was built to keep the undesirable out.

"Ark, it's just a simple registration" Vi reminded me why we were here.

"Yeah, just a sec. Just trying to psyche myself up" I ran my hands across my hair as I paced back and forth. We were by the edge of the bridge, away from the crowd coming in and out of the building

I felt Vi's arms wrap around my shoulder before she pulled me close to her chest and rubbed my back. "Come on, I'll be there with you. I promise" she reassured me

For a few seconds I stood frozen before relaxing in her hold. Pulling back, I nodded as I finally got myself some semblance of control.

"Ok, let's do this, '' I said before we walked to the building.

We walked past the main gate and there inside was one of the largest rooms I've ever had the chance to step in. It was a large circular room with various booths and registrars accommodating the countless students, parents, guardians and hopeful applicants

A person once said that fear was the mind killer and I have to agree with them as fear is absolutely killing my mind right now. I wasn't afraid of registering my application, it was the easy part. I was afraid of the security

If Plague Rats were normal City Rats bigger and meaner cousins then the College Security were the Vigilnauts bigger and meaner cousin. They were more machine than man at this point, huge hulking armor with random tubes and gears sticking out of them. Their huge clawed hands reaching out to me, trying to rip me-!

My attention was brought back to reality as Vi snapped her finger in front of my face. "Ark, look at me. Look at me"

I stared into her eyes as I let go of the breath I didn't know I was holding. My heart was thundering in my chest as sweat dripped down my forehead

"Into the registration, in and out" Vi reminded me as she guided me to the seats. She held my head, stopping me from gazing towards them.

We sat down in one of the empty seats as the line moved slowly towards the registrar. The line was long with many children and young teens alike accompanied by their guardians. They were here like me, hoping to get in

"Hey Vi, have I ever told you why I didn't take a part time job in the College?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the puffs of steam and grinding of gears

"No but you could have, right?" She asked.

Laying my head against her lap, I then guided her hand against the side of my head. I felt her hand brush against my head

"I once tried but I was a bit foolish back then. I was a lot less wiser and more daring. I thought I could get a better job if I could just impress one of the professors but all I got was this and a broken rib" I was afraid, I was so very much afraid but here I was going to try and study in a place that brings nothing but bad memories.

"It's funny right? Here I am trying to get an exam in a place where one of my fears can be found'' My feet feel cold even with the thick woolen sock and heavy boots I wore. A sense of dread loomed over me as I could feel them behind me

Vi, my angel, gently ran her hair across my hair. "No, not really. I think you're actually brave Ark"

"I'm just a coward who hides behind his bravado. I could barely even fight back to my childhood "friends", what can I do with these giants" I asked

"I'm not really good at this emotional stuff but I know what I'm good at. Ark, we're going to teach you how to fight"

I just nodded as we waited for the line to move. Looking back, I should have probably backed out but I was too distracted. Maybe it was for my own good.

The registration was thankfully an uneventful one. The clerk was thankfully too tired to give a fuck about my stuttering. I gave my papers and in turn, I was given a piece of paper that would serve as a reminder when and where my exam was scheduled and also the slip I was going to use

I'm finally registered and with that, my place in the College was all but secured. All I had to do now was survive Vi's grueling training.

"Vi, I think I should really be studying right now" I shouted as I felt the burn in my arms from lifting the heavy metal bars Vi called her weights.

"Says the guy that taught Jinx division and alge whatchamacallit. You'll do fine~" Vi said as she pumped iron with me. It was just simple weight training but I could already feel my arms giving up. Was I really this weak?

"Ok, just a few more repetitions! The guys at work always shouts about those"

With a few more lifts, it was finally over. I let go of the weights as they thud against the concrete ground. Vi was there to give me some water

I silently prayed to Janna to get me through this. Small mercies that the hard work of living in the sump at least made the process of getting stronger far more easier. I wasn't exactly starting from Zero after all

"You know, maybe in a month we can get you to tip top shape!" Vi said cheerfully

"Vi, I love you but you're killing me here!" I shouted as I laid down.

"I love you too, Ark but this is for your own good!" I complained a lot but in truth, I was kinda enjoying this… if my muscles can only stop hurting for a bit

Making a wing from scrap parts was… harder than I thought. Sure I finally got the "propulsion" down and it was merely directing pulses of magic in my main wing and tilting forward so the "push" of the magnet can be directed.

I really wished I could get to learn how to make electronics so I could automate the process but for now, it was all manual

This was one of the reasons why I hired Bob to help me make the machine. It involved a lot of begging and forcing money in Bob's hand but we finally got our wings. Damn it old man, just accept the money. I really don't want charity when I could afford it

What I got was a collapsible and expandable wing backpack. It was articulate enough that I could make the wings wrap around me. It was a nice touch.

It was made of multiple "feathers'' arranged in a series in parallel against the ground. I had to do the wiring myself but the crude electromagnets help keep me aloft

Floofington could only glare at me as I brought out the backpack.

"Stop teasing Mr Floofington!" Shouted Jinx as she laid down beside the huge rat and rested her head against its chest.

She was eating a cupcake and tearing small bits of it to feed her giant pet.

"He's overreacting" I grinned and was met with a shiver from the huge rat. Whump was taking satisfaction from watching Floofington even if he was just right besides the huge Plague Rat.

"He's just fidgety, that's all. '' Jinx defended her pet while giving it headpats. I had to admit though, I was wrong about the smell of Plague Rats. They smell like dogs if you give them a good scrub.

Wearing the backpack and feeling its hefty weight against my back, I asked her "Hey Jinx, want to come see my test? Vi's already there and tying the rope that should hopefully keep me from falling"

Jinx mulled at the thought a bit, humming before sitting up. "Are you really going to jump off the cliff?" She asked as she slowly pushed Floofington up

"Well, I tried hovering a bag off the cliffs and it hasn't fallen down so why not?"

"Sounds dumb but I like dumb ideas! They're always more fun if they work!" Her words suddenly filled me dread. I was going to jump off a cliff… I was really going to jump of a cliff with nothing but a rope around my waist and my experimental wings

It does kinda sound dumb once I say it out loud inside my mind… well, it was too late to back out now

The trip to the cliff's edge wasn't too hard. Zaun after all was just a series of bridges linking the two cliff faces and buildings attached to the walls. Finding an edge to jump from was easy

I was regretting my decision as I stared down into the abyss. The world below me seemed to stretch on for eternity.

"Do a backflip!" Shouted Jinx as she gave me some thumbs up for encouragement. The spirit of her words was well meaning but it didn't fill me with confidence

"Vi, I just want you to know that I really love you"

Vi rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless while Jinx booed.

"Enough talking! More jumping!" Shouted Jinx

"Also, I need you to pull me up because I'm not sure I could even pull myself up"

I took one last look down below. Only the railing I was stepping on and the rope tied to one of the lamps stopped gravity from pulling me all the way down. I closed my eyes and let my magic flow

The familiar hum of it coursing through the crystal in my belt while the wings flared out. I stepped forward and I finally took my first step into the abyss.

For a few seconds I felt everything become weightless. A video once taught me that free fall was similar to having no gravity. I felt… free, with nothing to hold me down but the abyss was heading up fast and there was no holding back.

With a flare of mana, I felt gravity pulling me down once more. My momentum arrested as I came to a complete stop before I looked up. I reached up to the sky before the sky came to greet me. I greeted it in open arms as I soared up high there in the sky, I felt free.