♦ Light and Lightning

Badja Kiri, the frontier campus, was radial in shape, a central shared circular area, with a ring of sectors around it, each sector dedicated to one area of study. The central area had been left between a garden and just untamed wilds, meant for socialisation and relaxation, it stood in contrast to the many cutting edge buildings just across the street, with the core of dormitories, laboratories, libraries and other facilities dedicated to learning preferring to stay close to each other in the central ring. The outer layers expanded depending on the needs of the sector, the greenhouses of the botanical studies, the cages and prisons of the study of biology, the active projects of engineering and the warehouses of umbrium and other chemicals too toxic or flammable.

And all that rose in the middle of nowhere, a figurative oasis of learning, a literal oasis with its aqueduct and dams, and it all started as a little outpost that was never meant to have grown into what it had become. Badja Kiri, the dark gate, was situated in the only known crossing from Node 7 to the Maelite, dusklanders obviously had great interest in the dark, so most intellectuals naturally had visited the place a few times, seeking the elusive umbrium. When the information exchange with Node 12 started, it flowed there, when the three Halle were created, Halle Kemiha found no other place more fit to call home than it. The goddess herself had come to sponsor the building, letting her best engineers reshape the land, creating routes for food and materials to flow in easily, even hiring foreigners though few matched the magistrate precision in mathematics. The end result was almost more fit to legend than reality, from the artificial lake where engineers tested new ship schematics to the absurd abundance of libraries where one might find more information about their hometown than they would find in their own homeland, to foul smell of the fields bathed in distilled acid.

Djaro was one of the students in this facility, which to him was embarrassing. This was the opposite of what one would expect, he was a normal human, not a magi, and he was part of the single most prestigious of the schools, the study of heavenly elements, by all measures he was exceptional among the exceptional. But all that had been given to him not by merit proper, but by luck.

When younger, the boy worked for his family, one of the earliest to settle in the highlands, once a very prestigious one but fallen quite sharply into decadence given the upheaval when the magistrates overtook the clan structure. His work was simple, to carry goods on the back of llamas across the plains, but all of it changed with one bad decision of his, to brave said path during a bad day of the rain season. One lightning strike and his whole pack was dead and he barely made it, his body burned and scarred with the vein like mark of thunder.

It took the best and wisest of the duskland to save his life, but in exchange, the best and wisest of the dusklands took what they gave, and the boy found himself practically kidnapped into the academic world of the Halle Kemiha. Years later, he had become a natural to it, but still, to hold such a position of prestige having never been particularly bright himself still made he feel like an outsider, not to mention, some of the scientists didn't see him quite like an equal either.

"Yohoo~" A female magistrate with smooth dark hair and dark glasses rushed past the crowd, almost pouncing at Djaro. "Sooooo! How are you doing today? Did you think about my proposal? I promise it will just be a few magnesium probes, I wouldn't want to hurt Mava's pet, right~?"

He sighed. "Fuck off Radja. Don't you have a child to torture or something?"

The older woman gasped. "Why... how rude. When have I ever done anything to deserve that?" she shook her head. "Kids these days. I swear, anyone born after the world started just doesn't know how to do anything but eat coconut chips and be rude. Don't you agree pal~?" she turned thinking she would see one of her fans and sycophants, instead meeting the unimpressed eyes of a veteran. "Oh. Nyoriko."

"Hello Radjakiri. Say, the biological sector is quite far, isn't it? Any reason why you are haunting the halls of the upper engineering lab?"

"Mmm. I just like the food, you gearheads make a lovely salad, you know? Thinly sliced tomatoes, very delish... I saw my friend here. Thought I would say hi." she twirled her dark hair. "Welp. Back to work I guess, they say my sector is getting a little gift from node 13 soon~ See you two later!"

Nyoriko was a human much like Djaro, heir greying brown hair fashionably cut around the shoulder, contrasting with her darker skin. Her cold stare sent off Radja, who slithered away when facing perhaps the single most respected human of the Halle Miradja. "I swear." the engineer started "You would think Nora getting sent off would result in an improvement in the biological sector, but this Radja makes me miss her."

Adjusting her purple tinted glasses, she turned to face the young man. "Well. Nevertheless, how are you doing Mister Djaro? I take you are here to gather the latest stained glass for the heavenly sector?"

In a much better mood now that the weirdo was off, Djaro nodded. "Ayup. Heh, seems like I am falling back to my old work. Just transporting stuff about. It's fine though, it's what I prefer."

"Hmm? You think so?" she stared quite intently, although she was short and probably couldn't throw a punch, something about her eyes had the intensity of the stare of a wolf king. "If that is the case, then why not work for me here in the engineering sector? Heavenly studies, philosophy, arts, gears, if you think you should just carry stuff around, the sector wouldn't matter, yes?"

He gasped. "Well. You see uh..."

"You like the heavenly studies in particular, no?"

"Y-yeah."

"And why is that?"

"... Well... There is something about... the heavenly elements. Light and Lightning. They are so majestic yet so wild, power in its rawest form, even the crystal works of Eunomia pale in comparison. And even the gods, as Dzallitsunya confessed, cannot reach so far into the celestial realm. And yet, to work with light and lightning, it's such a delicate process."

"That is true. Lightning has hurt me a few times, but I escaped light alright" she tapped her glasses.

"Master Nyoriko, may I ask, why didn't you follow Dzallitsunya when she was making the first magistrates, you are, uhm, unblinded..."

"I think I look cuter when tanned, paper white just wouldn't go well with my aesthetic." she joked. "But perhaps... I am a prideful person. I like working hard for what I have, I like taming the beast of mathematics with no divine blessing." she patted the boy in the head. "Perhaps we are similar in that way, no?"

"Prideful? I wouldn't..."

"But I am older and less of a fool, I know for sure that my work was never damaged by my decisions, can you say the same?" she smirked. "Food for thought, you should probably rush back to Seer Mava with the glass, before he thinks I am trying to steal you. But if you want to talk again later, there will be a storm when the morning comes, we can go by the copper totems and watch the lights."

[hr]

Mava stood in the central hall, his assistants adjusting glass panes, mirrors and candles... though the methodology was unclear, in fact, despite being so prestigious, this sector had never truly given any results, people merely respected them for their theme.

"Mister Djaro. You are terribly late." the short magistrate announced before even turning to face the newly arrived student. "You also smell of sulphur, I am guessing you were spending you time dating that girl from the chemical sector? Didn't I say to come here as soon as you had the oils and the glass?"

"Well, you see master, I..."

"Close the door, please. My work is gentle like an orchid, any hint of light and it will burn and wither."

"Right. Right. The door." It was midnight and there was very little wind despite the overcast skies, but his master was very peculiar about his 'work'. "Anyway, as I was saying, she needed help finishing a few concoctions and potions, since today is overcast I assumed I would be out of stargazing duties?"

"Hmm..." the magistrate tapped his chin "I guess today IS overcast. Huh. Well. I will be benevolent this time, try to be more punctual." he reached to take the materials and then waved off. Joining the rest of the stargazers, Djaro had nothing to do but watch the light show of colours and shadows as the candles and lamps were arranged in accordance to constellations and reflected on tinted glass. Sometimes he tried to spend his time reading, but the light rays always stole his focus.

Due to Mava's demands, the room was silent, the crackling of fire, the breathing of the other bored stargazers, the steps of the assistants in the candle ritual, the master himself eating his nails as if today would be the day they discovered the spell to milk celestial energy straight from the sky (it wouldn't), and the humming in his ear, incessant, as it had been since he was thunderstruck.

The ringing hum would change as he focused on certain things, and go fully silent when he saw what wasn't supposed to be there, like the hollow rays of light that emanated from the lava crystal light forcing its energised power past a pane of umbrium tinted glass. He tried to not focus on that, so far whatever impulse overtook him when following these visions only led to trouble, like when he tried to dip his hand into a mercury substance, entranced by the fluid mirror.

A distraction soon presented itself, but it was far from calming. The latest caravan of goods had arrived, meaning fresh food, new tools, new crystals from Eunomia... and prisoners. Radjakiri was there again, of course she was, leader of the biological sector, she was one of the main receivers of the latter. The occupation of node 13 had produced many... undesirable individuals. Brigands, invading beastfolk, Anak'thite zealots, soon hanging every foolish kid who thought about raiding a Paladin supply line felt like a waste, especially with the goddess not buying the whole idea of "leave them hanging to send a message" other cultures might subscribe to.

Then the Halle Kemiha provided an alternative solution, instead of wasting human life in executions or worse, putting them to work for life in a regime of slavery, they proposed finding an 'alternative use' for it, something to 'advance the sciences' and 'save lives'. Djaro could bet any of those in the cage would rather take the rope around their neck over being dragged to Radjakiri's catacombs, to be the first to test the latest medicine and potions, the effects of certain substances on the human body, or to be torn apart like toys, among other dark things one could only speculate about.

And yet, again, most of those in the cage would rather take Radja ripping their still beating hearts out of them over the second district master rushing over the cages like a vulture. Huruh was what people took to call the leader of the studies of the mind, she was youthful and curious, smart, as any magistrate in a position of power, but knew no boundaries. Infamous before the 'prisoner proposal' was put in effect, people were already saying she was insane given her interest in watching people die to see what happened to the mind and a sincere proposal of burning books to see if that would result in smarter demons. Now, with the prisoners, she had bloomed into a twisted flower fully.

Most prisons in the duskland were left comfortably dark and damp, so one may have respite and think about what they have done. Sunlanders complain, of course, but it was seen by the dusklanders as merciful. Huruh invented the opposite of that, the 'bright rooms', to study the harmful effects of excessive light upon one's mind, she crafted a room of pure white, with reflective white marble floors, stainless white walls and so much pure light one could not see their own shadow, even the jailers were made to wear white cloths when dealing with the prisoners, with white masks and white caps and always changing their shoes as to not stain the floors. The only extra colour that made its way into the white rooms was the eventual streak of red when violence and madness occurred.

Both her and Radja had particular eyes over the single beastman of the batch, a captured slave taker and a rarity, though lacking the implants that had become so desired by the dusklander scientists, it still would provide great results to whichever of the two got to 'break down' the man-beast. It didn't take long before they were bickering with each other and the commotion started to grow.

Djaro almost felt sympathy for the thing, before reminding himself these were zealots and slavers, ones that would destroy him and everything he loved for the sake of their demented sunlander desires. Still, it was easy to see himself in there, being one of the test subjects of these maniacs.

"Mister Djaro" Mava called for his attention. "Since you are the closest to the window, could you please throw a brick at the head of those two barbarians outside? Their yelling is upsetting my candles."

"I think that would be a crime Master Mava."

"Hmm... Shame. The ash in the trays then, perhaps? That would just be a misdemeanour, and for all I know, you are still dating that sulphur smelling girl and was never here to start with."

[hr]

The early morning was arriving soon, not even the overcast sky could hide this, it almost made Djaro a bit tense as the memory of the day he was hit by lightning was alive in his memory. It was safe in the campus, however, as Miss Nyoriko's greatest work had been the copper totems standing tall and consuming all incoming thunderbolts. The main concentration of them was exactly where he was going, an invitation by her was not one you could refuse.

"Good morning!" Yelled the magistrate Manya, grabbing his arm and squeezing it. "Been a while since I last saw you~"

"Didn't we just meet? Master Mava yelled with me because of you." he stroked her pale-ish purple hair and delivered a kiss to her forehead. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back to the dorm for the day?"

"Heard you were out on a date with Miss Nyoriko and I couldn't just let you go alone! That woman in dangerous~"

"She is uh... too old for me? And married to."

"Oh! Oh! Wanna know I fun story I overheard? Hmm? Sooooo, they say once, Miss Nyoriko had an eureka moment, like, in the middle of the 'act' with her husband, do you get what I mean? She just stopped, muttered some equation, and went off to grab the nearest paper sheet to write it down."

"I... ewww." Djaro shook his head. "I could have lived without info on any teacher's sex life... What in the shining hell! Manya!"

Manya laughed out loud. "Well~ I cannot forget this type of information given I am a cute little magi, and now neither can you. Have fun with that." she made a bow-like movement as if striking her boyfriend, before gasping as he was still shocked, wide eyed. "Oh come on its not that bad, I know worse info, this one, I'd say, is kinda... cute in a way?"

Djaro gulped, continuing to stare.

"What? Don't you agree? I would say this tale is quite cute, even if not exactly true." Nyoriko added, adjusting her glasses, this pair was gold trimmed with green lenses, she placed a hand in the purple tinted hair of the magistrate girl. "You magis always assuming we normal humans need to take notes whenever we think anything."

"Oh. Hi. Miss Nyoriko. Good Morning." The magistrate was almost going invisible, the intense sweating threatening to wash off the make up. "I brought the samples you requested, by the way."

"Samples?" Djaro questioned, but Nyoriko was now rushing the two into the amphitheatre like observation post overlooking the lightning rods.

When inside, the two women were quick to move to the nearest table, Manya handing the master a few solutions, most of them ones that Djaro worked on while in their dates, a few seemed like blood samples.

"I will take the cart to put them close to the copper totem, Magistrate, you will have to observe it to see if the results..." Nyoriko had started but was stopped by the roar of thunder, as a bolt hit the rod and travelled around the set field.

All the vials seemed to react.

"Well... no cart needed." Nyoriko said covering her mouth, taking off her tinted glasses. "So its true. Huh. I owe Radjakiri a lobster dinner." she picked up one of the vials.

"Manya, what is happening here?" Djaro questioned, squinting his eyes.

"Love. Look. The concoctions you worked on, they all are different from normal. I don't know how. The results. It was statically impossible, they were all anomalous. Results that happened in 1 out of 10 mixtures with you happened 1 to 1. So. I talked with Nyoriko, she started to look up..."

"And everything you worked on shows similar results Djaro." The engineer said in a harsh tone. "I knew something was up when you worked for me a few lunar cycles ago, but I thought you had tampered the results because of a mistake, not because of unusual and even sometimes better results. We all took Radjakiri's theory that the thunder changed you as an illogical hearsay, but now..."

"Now we got you. We got proof~" Radjakiri added, humming as she stepped closer.

"Oh fuck me, its a party now? You.. Won't cut me... right?"

"Don't be silly, if we wanted to hurt you, you would have been hurt already. Mister Djaro, do you even understand what is happening here? You... somehow, charged these solutions, changed them, when interacting with crystals you too bring out any results. Furthermore, the results differ based on your will, two of these concoctions Mister Djaro, were placebos of sugar and water, Manya also gave you the same request, boil them. And yet... somehow, these two vials now contain two different things, the only variable here is your mindset... its miraculous, really." her stare became harsh. "Its the type of miracle that could have helped us, its the type of miracle that Fora went to the Daman seeking, and you had it all this time. Its truly... shameful."

"So. Me, Nyoriko, a few friends, want to perform a few exams, don't worry, I will keep the prodding and probing to a minimum."

"But Mister Mava, wouldn't he need to approve?"

"He resigned." Nyoriko cut him off quickly

"HUH? He just held a class, he didn't seem like he was quitting and he sure isn't old enough to be retiring??"

"He gave his position of lead seer to someone else, the person who will be leading the Halle Kemiha as far as Light and Lightning, as you put it, is concerned."

"Then... who?" He questioned.

"Her..." Nyoriko rose a hand and pointed at Manya, who was coy for the whole ordeal and confrontation. "... boyfriend."

Those words echoed in his head and his eyes widened. "... You have another one Manya? Who is he?"

"Oh for goodness sake. My moon blessed treasure, its you, we just granted you the rank of master." Radjakiri was in a tenuous frontier between joy and rage. "Unlike the pupils, we all knew that sector was nothing but a sham, that is why we joked around saying smoke and mirrors whenever something was false, but it had a special religious purpose, so we kept feeding it resources. Did it never hit you as odd why the lightning rod studies were done by the engineers not those who studied the heavenly elements? You, however, changed this picture with those little magic fingers of yours, and you will have to take the responsibility one way or another." 


[hider=Summary]
This post takes in the advanced campus / fortress / outpost of Badja Kiri. THE centre of studies in the dusklands.
We follow Djaro who was hit by lightning when he was a boy and since then has had some weird 'abilities' he tries to hide given his insecurities and a feeling he shouldn't be known for what is luck instead of his own hard work.
The teachers however say that is bloody stupid and his abilities are actually very, very important and basically force him to agree to help them study it.

Also there is a small tiny mention of human experimentation going on with prisoners of war, bandits and captured slavers. Tsunya is a good girl I swear.
[/hider]

[hider=Might Usage]
Initial: 4 might
Bonus: +2 (another drawing)

-3: To create the campus in Badja Kiri and its many cutting edge facilities (Catalog: Conjure many constructions (town, city, multifaceted academy or fortress))

-3: To bless the dusklanders with magical power, Alchemy. Alchemy is a magical art that involves controlling energy charges to perform magical acts, either using fuel or by creating unusual chemical reactions through magical control. Alchemists are sensitive to light, electricity and magnetism, but only to perform minimalist highly focused acts, which is why they need accessories and other elements to make use of their power.

(Unlike a normal mage an alchemist cannot simply create a fireball, but they can ignite flammable oil with their will, for example, or make a more flammable oil by creating an impossibly unstable substance and artificially keeping it from exploding until its time to use it)

Final: 0 might
[/hider]