The Elemental Chronicles: The Search for the Prismancer energy

The wind whips across your face as you race through barren trees, trying to put some distance between you and the creature chasing you! Shadow Monster "RAAAAAGHHHHHH!!". The force of the monster's roar shakes the ground beneath your feet! You trip at the edge of a pool of black water, catching a glimpse of your scratched and muddy face in the process. "Come on, get up. Keep moving!" You dig your fingers into the black soil, pushing yourself toward the mirror you've been desperately seeking. "Just a little further!" When suddenly the beast crashes through the trees just behind you! "RRRRRROOOAAAAGHHHHH!!" You roll onto your back as the creature thunders toward your prone body! Out of options, you throw your hands up, and searing energy pulses through your fingertips! "Yueguang Trabem!" You bolt upright in your bed, clutching your chest. "That felt so real!! Your phone buzzes aggressively on the nightstand, and you look over to see that it's almost ten. Your alarm has been going off for almost two hours. "Crap! I'm going to be late for that meeting with my advisor!" You scramble out of bed and dash to your closet to throw something on. Once you're dressed, you bolt out the door. Not noticing someone watching you from inside the mirror. You run into your advisor's office without a moment to spare and drop into the chair across from her desk. "Sorry! I overslept." Ms. Blake "You're not late, so that's quite alright, Mr...." She rifles through some papers on her desk. "Just Parker is fine." "Parker, right. Forgive me. I'm used to dealing with more troubled students." She finds the right file and slides it behind her desk. As she scans the pages, she frowns. "By all accounts, you're a perfect student. It's only a couple of weeks into the quarter, but your grades and attendance are excellent." "So, I've got to ask, Parker. Why are you here?" "It's hard to describe. I know I should be happy. But I'm just...not." "I try so hard, but no matter what I do, it all just feels like... like I'm sitting in a waiting room or something. And no one ever calls my name." "And... what is it exactly that you're waiting for?" "I guess I'm looking for a life of adventure!" "What?" "A life exploring new worlds, collecting ancient artifacts glowing with mysterious powers... That's not too much to ask, is it?" "Those are certainly some original aspirations. But I can't help you live in a fantasy world' Parker." "Yeah, I know. I'm only joking. I just wish I knew what I was looking for. Whatever it is, it's not this." "I know you're at a crossroads right now. And one of the directions you could go would mean dropping out of university." "It crossed my mind..." "Please don't do it. When this phase you're in ends, you don't want to discover that you've given up your chance of a degree, do you?" "But... but what if you're wrong? What if it's not a phase?" "I tell you what. Why don't you go home and think about it? Will you do that for me? ". I guess I can do that." Later, you stand in the bathroom of your suite and look at yourself squarely in the mirror in front of you. "I know you belong somewhere. I know there's more to you than this." Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered! 'What the hell...?" Something caught your attention out of the corner of your eye. A glint in the bathroom mirror. "Huh?" "What the hell! Why do you look like this?" Seeing yourself in the mirror is different from usual. "That's... That looks like my face, but..." You raise a hand to your face, but when your reflection doesn't move, you freeze. The mirror itself looks a little odd—almost shimmery. "Am I... am I dreaming again?" You reach a shaky hand toward the mirror, and when your fingers touch the surface, they press into the glass! "Whoa!" You try to pull back, but your hand won't come free! Your palm starts to sink into the glass, then your forearm, and before you know it, "Wait, wait, wa--" Your whole body is sucked through! Rushing water yanks you forward, forcing you to squeeze your eyes shut against the current! Just as you feel your lungs starting to strain, a splash comes from your right! You feel a pair of strong, sturdy arms wrap around your middle and pull you to the water's surface! You feel yourself being dragged onto dry land and sputter as you wipe the water from your eyes. You try to get your bearings, taking a moment to gape at your surroundings. "Wh-Where..." In front of you is a picturesque collection of cozy-looking buildings with steeped roofs, a manicured lawn, and an ostentatious statue out front. But as you gawk, the carved marble figure keeps moving around, and overhead, people fly around on a variety of objects, including an ottoman, a broom, and an ornamental rug! "This is... This isn't real. Right? Where..." "Hey, Hey! You're okay, I got you." "You're a new student here, right?" "... I am a student." "Great! You missed the Hall of Mirrors by a mile, but you made it. Welcome to the Arcane Academy of Elemental Magic." "Since it's the first day of the new semester, we should probably get you to the dining hall for orientation. If you're feeling okay, that is." As you turn to try and get your bearings, you see a tall, haughty guy eyeing you disdainfully from nearby. "I suppose I should have listened to my dad when he said the admissions standards are in decline here." "Didn't you read the information in the information packet? There are arrival protocols, you know." "Who are you? Campus police? Why don't you take him up to orientation then and make yourself useful?" "Absolutely not. I'm Ben Hope. I don't have time to show the other first-year students around campus." His lip curls into a sneer as he says this. He gives you one last, withering look before he turns and stalks away. "I guess it's just you and me, then. I'm Gary." He smiles at you warmly and offers his hand. You shake it, your fingers trembling from shock, and the water cools on your skin. "I'm Parker. And also... I'm very confused." "Here, Parker, let me help you." You feel a change in the air around him as he brings his clasped fists up to his mouth and blows through them. Suddenly... "Hey! I'm completely dry!" Gary turns the air current on himself, shaking water off of his shoes as he dries them. "Sorry if the work was a little shoddy. Air magic isn't the most natural to us Earth-Adepts, but Professor Stan says I'm getting it." "Come on. I'll take you up to the school for orientation!" He turns and starts to walk towards the front of the school, and you stumble after him. "Okay, wait. So you're saying this is some kind of school. To learn... magic?' "Good to see there's no permanent damage from that trip through the lake." You pass the statue in the center of campus, and it swivels its head to look at you! "Oh, that's just the security system, set to vaporize any magicless intruders. But there hasn't been one on campus... Well, I don't even know." (Oh god, I would really love to not be vaporized.) You keep an eye on the statue, but soon it looks away. You let out a relieved sigh. When you turn back, you've reached the massive double doors at the front of the school. "Welcome to Arcane Academy! If you follow me this way, I'll show you to the..." Gary starts toward the staircase, but the loud chiming of a bell stops him. He looks at his watch with a start. "Oh, crap. I totally forgot about this Thief Team meeting I'm supposed to go too!" ! You can't leave me! ""Of course not! I'll drop you off in the dining hall. We're just going to have to speed this tour up, is all." You follow him up the stairs, which lead into an adjoining hallway. "The dining hall is just at the end of this hall and to the left. This is the school's main building, so there's a ton of offices and stuff here. Reception, the dean's office, classrooms... Some of the Adapts placement exams are held here, too. "'Adapt placement'?" "I think it's kind of silly, too. I knew Earth was my thing when I caused a tiny earthquake by throwing a tantrum over dessert when I was five." "Right. Totally." As you pass one of the doors off the hall, you hear a small commotion coming from inside. Voice: "Oh, hell!" "Uh, Gary? What's this room?" "That's the Hall of Mirrors! Where you were supposed to come through." The first thing you see when you open the door is a beautiful girl with long, dark hair, trying desperately to pull her foot out of a floor-length mirror. "Oh, thank goodness! Some assistance, s'il vous plait?" You and Gary rush over, each taking one of her hands, and tug until she comes free. She stumbles right into your arms and blows her bangs out of her face with a smile. "Oops. Alice Hall, in your arms and at your service. Good catch, by the way!" "Thanks. How'd you get stuck?" Alice straightens up and smooths out her hair. "I always have trouble with these silly mirrors if we're being honest. I much prefer air travel. But at least I made it. I was about five minutes away from starting my first-year student year a month late." "Why a month?" "That's when the first Visitors' Day is. When the wards reopen, of course. Guess Arcane Academy is stuck with me now!" "Well, welcome. I'm Gary, this is Parker. He's a freshman, too. I was just showing him to the dining hall if you want to come with him." "No need, I know just where it is. I'm a legacy student." She struts out of the Hall of Mirrors. A short while later, Gary stops in front of a pair of ornate doors. "Well, that ends the Gary tour! Sorry it was kind of rushed. I've got to go, but good luck with the rest of orientation!" "Actually, if you could just—" He's already bounding away down the hall. You turn toward the giant double door and steel yourself before you push it open. As you slip into the hall, you're momentarily overwhelmed by the high ceilings, stained-glass windows, and the countless dining tables. A handful of heads swivel in your direction, though the dean continues to drone on up front. "Hey! Over here!" A guy with a megawatt smile waves you over to a nearby table, and you hurriedly slide into the seat next to him. "Hey, you're late! I'm Kaden Black." "I'm Parker." "So, Parker, what's your Adept?" "I, uh, I am waiting until tomorrow to find out for sure. Don't you want to jinx it?" He opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by Dean Montgomery loudly clearing his throat. "In conclusion, I'd like to remind you all that this is an institution of higher learning, not a playground for children. Put to work or go home." Around you, students start to rise to their feet and shuffle toward the doors. The dean walks briskly offstage. "She's just full to the brim with the warm fuzzies, isn't she?" "Wait, it's over? I missed the whole thing!" "Don't worry, Dean Montgomery's speeches are notoriously dry. Besides, I'm an expert at listening and speaking at the same time. The gist is, the first-year students will line up at 7 AM in the foyer tomorrow to get assigned one of the staff as their examiner for placement tests." He points up at the stage, where a hairy, kind-faced man with horns is seated behind a table with a few other teachers. As he stands up, you see that the bottom half of his torso ends in thick, furry haunches and hooves! "Holy crap! He's a satyr?" "Yup! You don't see many of them around these parts." Kaden stands up as well, and you follow him to join the queue of students exiting the hall. "Classes will start after all the first-year students have been placed, and your schedule will be given to you then as well." "So... what do we do now?" "Basically, the rest of the day is free. My roommate and I have a fun evening of bonding and laying out house rules ahead of us." You follow the crowd of first-year students out onto the grounds and immediately lose track of Kaden. "Uh... now what?" Hey, Parker! You turn toward the voice and see Gary coming toward you from the direction of the bridge. "You survived orientation! How was it? As boring as last year's?" "No, it was fascinating, actually. Well, not the actual speech; I missed most of that. But I saw a...a satyr, I think, and I'm pretty sure I made a new friend. It's all so much considering where I was this morning!" In the whirlwind of the day, you had briefly forgotten about your situation, but it all comes flooding back... (I can't believe how far away from home I am. I felt out of place at university, but now...) "Are you okay?" You realize that you've gone completely rigid, your body tense. You force a laugh and will yourself to relax. "Just, uh, first-day jitters, I guess. It's all a bit overwhelming." He puts a gentle hand on your shoulder, giving you a reassuring smile. "Hey, it's going to be okay. If it makes you feel any better, you're really bright." "Uh, I think my third grade teacher told me that once?" "No, I mean like inside. I can feel your energy on the ground. I felt it as soon as you stepped onto campus, actually." "Really? What did I feel like?" "Hmm. It felt like taking your first sip of a hot drink that's just cooled down. The kind of warmth you get all over your body, you know?" "A hot drink? That's a weird thing to say." "Is it? Maybe I'm just kind of a weird guy." He laughs again, unfazed. "It gets better, you know. My first day here was awful! I didn't really know anyone at first, but I figured that thanks to my Thief scholarship, I'd at least have my teammates. And then, next thing I know, I'm running naked across the lawn chasing the clothes my captain magicked to life while I was in the showers." "No!" "My point is, that day sucked, but ther isn't a single moment since then that I regret coming here. Especially not now." "Yea... Maybe it's not the worst thing that this is where I ended up." "One thing I've learned in my time here is that if something happens to you, good or bad, it happened for a reason. I think you're meant to be here." He pauses thoughtfully, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I've got an idea. I could really use your help with something, if you're up for it. If anything, it might make for a good distraction." "Yea? And what could you possibly need my help for?" "There's this thing I lost last year. I must have missed it while I was packing up my dorm room, but I'm pretty sure I know where it is now. Still, it's going to be hard to spot and an extra set of eyes would be fantastic. Do you want to help me try and find it?" "So, you need help? You can count on me! You were the first friendly face I met here. The least I could do is lend you a hand with this." "Awesome! I have a feeling you're going to like this..." You follow Gary through campus and down a hallway very similar to the one from earlier. He leads you past several doors and right into a dead end. "Uh, if this is where your lost item is, it shouldn't be too hard to find, considering there's nothing here." "Hang on a second." Gary presses his palms together, then begins moving his hands back and forth in front of the wall, as if wiping steam from a mirror. With each move, the wall movement to melt away, revealing a door behind it. "Whoa, how did you do that? There was a wall, and now." "Invisibility wards are pretty basic. The key is knowing where to look. Now, watch this." Gary clenches his hands into fists. Then he presses his knuckles together and takes a deep breath. "Here we go." He exhales and places two fingers against the doorknob. After hearing a satisfying click, he opens the door. "Wait, did you just magically unlock the door?". That makes it a little more challenging. Metal's usually tough to work with, but it's close to Earth, so I am alright." You shake your head in disbelief as Gary leads you inside. The room is packed full of objects. Boxes overflow with colorful knick-knacks, and shelves bend under the weight of an assortment of curios. To your left, a stuffed raven caws loudly. There's a thin aisle that winds through, giving you just enough space to walk. Gary starts to rifle through the shelves. "Wow..." Your eyes flick about, unable to take everything in. You spot a candle glowing with a bright purple flame, and a large, spiky ball of metal hovering in midair. "The thing we're looking for is a silver ball, about the size of my fist, with an onyx button at the top." "I see why you needed the help" A bell rings, and after looking around, you spot it in the hand of an eerie doll. It smiles down at you from a high shelf, and rings the bell again. "Wow. I hate that creepy doll. What is this place? "It's a lost and found of sorts. Anything students forget on campus ends up here. I think the professors put confiscated items in here too, hence the wards." As you walk further into the room, you catch sight of a jar full of shiny, jagged ovals, shimmering in the overhead light. "These are beautiful! Pretty rocks." "Dragon scales. I wonder what they're doing down here. That's a lot of money gone to waste." Findertook!" You stiffen at the sound and slowly turn, expecting to see someone behind you. "Oh, ignore that thing. It's just going to spew nonsense at you." Your eyes fall on a pendant with a woman's face in profile carved into an alabaster shell. "Why's this strange pendant here?" The woman's mouth suddenly moves! "Thibity! "The pendant spews at you. "What language is that? ""Honestly, I don't have a clue. I'm guessing it was some kind of prank." Gary sifts through some boxes behind you where you see a unicycle lying in the corner. "You're not telling me magical unicycles are a thing, are you? ""Last year, some kids thought it'd be them to enchant it to fly. The professor confiscated it after he fell off it about three stories up. Turns out unicycles don't like to be enchanted." You wander over to an open box full of unusual objects and start picking through it. You find a scarab. As you pick up the scarab, the jewels shift colors, going from soft purples to bright oranges and everything in between. "This is beautiful. What's it for? "Gary joins you, peering over your shoulder. "Oh, I bet the professors used that for Adept placement. Fire-Adepts usually have a connection with scarabs, since they're a symbol of Ra, the Egyptian sun god." "I guess that makes sense." You turn the scarab over in your hand, and it feels surprisingly warm. You walk a little further down the aisle. A metallic glint catches your eye, and you pick up a silver ball. "Hey, Gary! I found your... thing! " "What? Nice! I knew inviting you along was a smart move." Your thumb slides over the diamond-shaped piece of onyx at the top, and, with a click, several panels pop out on all sides. "Whoa..." You look up at the ceiling. The lights in the room have dimmed, and all around the room, sprinkled across the clutter, are... "Stars." "It's a star tracker. It maps the rotation of stars! They're a tool for astroweavers mostly, but I found this one here a while ago." "Astroweavers? "Gary's voice comes from behind you, suddenly very close. "They maintain constellations, mostly. A lot of Air-Adepts go into that field after graduation." "Is that what you want to do after school? ""Nah, Earth-Adepts are a little more... grounded than that. I'm thinking of majoring in natural preservation sciences. I just like having a star tracker. It makes me feel bigger than myself to be able to see the stars so close and in real time like this. What do you think? Worth finding? "Yeah,, this place is amazing. Seriously, it's pretty incredible. Thanks for inviting me along." "No, thank you. I'm so bad at finding stuff. I never would have gotten this back without your help." You glance up at him as the surrounding stars twinkle and shift. He sees you looking and gives you a teasing grin that makes your face heat up. He reaches out and places his hand over yours, covering the tracker. The panels fold in, and the stars disappear. "We should get out of here. I don't like to leave the ward on the door for too long."" . Could you show me to the dorm? This campus is huge, and if I tried to find it myself, I'd probably end up sleeping on the front lawn." Gary chuckles as he leads you out of the lost and found. Outside, you follow him to a building on the other side of campus. A plaque on the building's door reads, 'Fletchly Residence Halls.' "Here you go. Once you get inside, someone'll help you find your room; I'm sure of that. Hey, and thanks again, Parker. I appreciate you helping me find my star tracker." "Don't worry about it! You've helped me out so much today that I had to return the favor." "See you around? "He gives you a nod before walking away. You steel yourself and push open the door to the dorms. As soon as you enter the nearly empty dorm lobby, an upperclassman with a clipboard waves you over. "Welcome to Arcane Academy! Need help finding your room? ""Uh..." The R.A. c***s her head to the side. "You can just tell me your last name, and I'll point you in the right direction." You give her your last name, and your stomach roils as her eyes skim the clipboard. "Wait a minute." She glances at you, then back at the page. "Okay, I have to confess. I'm not actually a..." Then she flips the page over. "Here we go! Parker Dark, first floor, room 105. Your roomie has been checked in since this morning!" You hurry away down the hall, simultaneously relieved and even more confused than you were before. (If this is all some mistake, how was my name on the list?) Behind the doors down the hall, you can hear music, people laughing, and even... an occasional roar. Finally, you find number 105. You see that there's no doorknob. "Come on, does this place come with an instruction manual? "You put your hand out and lean against the door, taking a moment to center yourself... and your hand right through!" !" You feel a chill go through you as you fall through a transparent blue wall and onto the floor. As soon as you're at the door, reform. "It's you again! Well, aren't I the lucky girl? ""Oh, right, from earlier! I kind of... lost you in the dining hall." "Yes, sorry about that. I had friends waiting, and, well, you know how that goes. I'm so pleased! I'd be a perfect roommate. I don't know what you've heard about me, but I assure you it's only partially true." When she pauses for air, or maybe dramatic effect, you take a good look at your surroundings. "Glad to see my roomate isn't completely devoid of style, though you could still use a few pointers. Luckily, you have me to help you! Well? Say something." "I think you should relax. Please. Today has been, for lack of a better word, insane. So I could really just use a second." You plop down on the nearby couch, sinking into the soft cushions. Alice perches herself on the chair across from you silently, though she leans toward you. "So..." you sigh. "You said before that whatever I've heard about you is only 'partially true.' Alice rolls her eyes. "I know you're thinking about me and Tify's tiff at Hall Inc.'s annual charity fashion show." "Tify? Hall Inc. charity show? ""You know, the one with the lava rock runway? It was all the news a month ago, not to brag" "I get the feeling that if I tell you that I have no idea who you are, it's going to be a whole thing." Alice is still for a moment before she finally smiles, though it was almost painful. "Not. At. All. My family is only the number one purveyor of enchanted objects worldwide, but why would you know that? Besides, that was the whole point! To come to college, have new experiences, and fly under the radar. Become the person I want to be, you know? "Alice, I know exactly how you feel. Honestly, that's the same thing I was hoping to get out of the college experience. Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try, nothing fits? Do the things that you think are going to make you happy never happen? " "Absolutely. It's how I felt all the time. Until I arrived here, that is." "This morning I was at this college, which I used to think was finally going to be my place in the world, but it very quickly became clear that it wasn't. And then I got here, and, yeah, it's a little weird and a little hard to believe, but for the first time... Something finally feels right. And now it's... all going to be taken away." "Taken away? I don't understand. Why would—" Your voice trembles as you finally tell her the truth, revealing the secret you've been keeping since your arrival: "I can't do magic! " "What? "You lower your voice to barely more than a whisper. "I was in my dorm bathroom at my university, and there was something weird in the mirror, and when I thought about it, I just..." You throw your hands up, unable to explain, not even knowing what happened yourself. "And I don't know what to do now. I'm afraid of what will happen if I tell someone, but I know I can't leave." You watch Alice guiltily as she stares at you wide-eyed. "You're... You're not going to, like, erase my memory, melt my brain, or—" "I'll help you." "You will. Why would you do that? I don't mean to sound suspicious, but you barely know me. Why would you stick your neck out for me? ""Because it sounds like fun. Part of the reason I came to college was to meet all different kinds of people! And you, Parker, are quite an interesting kind of person. But have you considered that there may be magic in you? Have you tried any? " "Well... There was that thing with the door? ""No, no, the doors are enchanted to accept the tenant's genetic code. That wouldn't count." Alice taps her fingers on the coffee table, her eyes roaming the room. When they stop, she grins and hops out of the chair. "I've got it! Come on, let's go before the shop closes." "Wait, wait. Where are we going? I thought we couldn't leave campus! "You follow Alice across the room and find yourself facing a door with a variety of doorknobs in different shapes and sizes screwed into it. "There are a few pre-selected places we're allowed to go, like Hallowed Square, for example." You notice that each knob has a neatly inscribed label above it: "'Parker's room,' 'Alice's room', 'Hallowed Square'... Wait. Are you saying my room is in there? " "Sure. So are mine, Hallowed Sqaure, and the lake. That one opens up in a tree, though. It can be quite unpleasant if you run into a berkspire." Alice examines the lables carefully, until finally she finds the knob labeled 'Hallowed Sqaure.' She turns it and pushes the door open. "Whoa." "Charming, right? "In the afternoon sun, the square is bustling with activity. You see a stately woman with deep blue skin and tusks dragging a kicking toddler with impish horns past a magical toy store. Beyond that, a pair of men with pointed elfish ears and webbed hands debate over a beaded bracelet at a stall marked 'Charms.' "Is that vendor selling heads? "You gesture at a nearby stall where a handful of shriveled human heads hang. "Yes, but you'll want to stay away from those unless you want to end up with a nasty curse. Come on, there is no time to waste! We need to get you something to help with that whole 'no magic' thing."