[Flashback] I Used to Plot (Solo)

[Rayage]

Summer 20, 404 AV
OOC: Continued from I Used to Lie

How could he threaten him? How could Dayle do this to him? The nuit paced back and forth as he held the letter in his hand. Furious wasn’t the word to describe how angry he was. The letter stated the conditions in which Rays secret would be left untouched, left in the dark. Dayle was blackmailing him, and at the same time taking credit for all the work Ray did. Though the Head of the Department of Alchemy couldn’t explain the process in which he found the underground lab that did not matter more than the founding of the lab itself. The fool couldn’t even explain the simple alchemy behind the creation of the door that would temporarily lead to the underground lab.

As a nuit he doubted he would be able to teach. He had a decision to make, let Dayle take credit for his discovery, or discontinue his teaching here at the University. Frankly, he wasn’t done here yet. There was oh so much yet to discover, and people to corrupt, he still had to usher in change. The lab was one, but it looked like as an agent his work was never done. Education was the finest vessel to usher in change, and he wouldn’t let Dayle take his thunder. So, there was yet another path to take, and that would be of revenge.

Yes if Dayle wasn’t around anymore, Ray could take over his operation with the newly found lab. Although it has only been a couple days before its discovery, pre-val experts and archeologists trusted by the university were already uncovering more and more of the place. Ray, the one who had found the lab and reported his discovery to Dayle, got no credit, and no access. Now, he was being told to back down or else he would be exposed. This was not acceptable. He would have the last laugh, for he still hasn’t played his entire hand of cards.

[Rayage]

Summer 18 404 AV

There was nothing more rewarding than solving a mystery. This parchment was a mystery. Ever since he had uncovered its secrets he had went to each of the locations marked that he could find. He didn’t get far though; most of the locations marked were not there in present day Zeltiva. In the old district it was easier to uncover some clues, as some of the layout didn’t change, but as time passed things did change. That was a fact of life, of time, that was a fact of being. Something cannot exist as stagnant. Things are constantly changing over the shifting times, everything was moving in a cosmic dance. The study of auristics proved it all. Everything was in a constant state of change. Granted some change was more obvious than others, such as drinking a glass of water, whereas more often than not the process of transformation is dragged out over the course of many many years. Being a nuit, he has had the power to watch the slower and less obvious change in the world around him. From people to places to the very nature of things, nothing was spared from the process of alteration.

Standing now in the streets of Zeltiva Ray looked at the map again and back up at the abandoned looking building. If he read the map right then inside this building is where one of those weird splotches on the map were. The building was old, stone, but still standing. There was probably a reason it wasn’t occupied, and if logic dictated his actions he wouldn’t have even gone into the building. Unfortunately logic did not rule this situation. The ease of discovery, a sense of adventure welled up inside the nuit. He was about to unravel one part of the mystery: What were these splotches on the map? They couldn’t be put there by accident. No, they were far too precise and one needed auristics to even see the map. Someone went through great length to hide the real information. Ray wasn’t even sure he was getting everything he could out of this paper map. That bothered him, but for now he would use what he could from it.

The building loomed over him. Checking the map once more, he smiled to himself and placed his hand on the stone wall, ”What secrets lie inside you?’ he whispered, ”What stories do you have to tell me?” he grinned, his hand trailing along the wall as he made his way the door. Rugged and old, timeworn, just like the nuit, the building reminded him oddly of himself. They were probably around the same age. It was like he was greeting an old friend as he slowly pushed the door open, careful not to knock it off its old hinges. Though it would have been a lot easier if the door would be more cooperative, it was stubborn and threatened to bar him entrance in the name of old age. What used to open doesn’t any more. Laughing to himself, this is the power of change.

[Rayage]

Summer 20 404 AV

”What is Alchemy?” he asked again, repeating the question for the third time to the class who just looked dumbstruck by the question. Their faces said it all, the blank looks, the fact that no answer presented to him thus far satisfied his definition of Alchemy. Maybe he was asking the wrong question? No, perhaps he was asking the wrong people.

Silence. Not exactly what he wanted to hear. There was an anger boiling up inside him. Has he been wasting his time on this bunch? ”Can anyone tell me what Alchemy is?” he asked, trying to provoke an answer. Anything. Yet more eyes avoided his as he scanned the room, looking at the faces of the future alchemists. All of them seemed uncomfortable, squirming in their seats as the interrogation of knowledge continued without avail and the professor getting more and more worked up. Ray again opened his mouth to speak after a chime, but as he did a brave one stood up to answer, and all eyes were immediately drawn to the young student as Ray nodded in approval, beckoning the youth to speak.

”Professor,” he started, letting that be his intro trailing off as he collected his thoughts. The boys nervousness was clearly visible, and it seemed Ray enjoyed making the students feel like that, but that was not the case. He just would not accept failures. ”We have told you ever definition of Alchemy from the text, and even quoted your own definition of Alchemy which you explained to us on day one.” he paused looking around for moral support. He got a few nods from his fellow students, but the others looked a bit horrified at the words being spoken, and they seemed to know the direction in which this was going. Perhaps he was saying what was all on their minds, ”It is the same definition you have been preaching to us, and now it is not Alchemy?” he asked, ”Professor, I am just a little confused tha….”

Rayage had heard enough. He raised his hand, and the boy stopped trying to explain himself. The student was squirming as Ray stared at him for a full chime. Silence again, but this time it wasn’t that the students didn’t know the answer, but it was a silent anticipation. There was a tension in air, and the student was turning a bit white as if fearful as to what was to come. Was this the calm before the storm?

"Confused?" he asked, "Idiots are confused! This is so simple..." but this time it was Ryage who was cut off.

”Im just a little…” he tried to explain himself again but this time it was met with a loud interruption from the Professor himself, ”Enough.” he raised his voice, the word seeming to echo in the lecture hall. ”Do I have to tell you that you are mistaken?” he asked, ”I am disappointed in all of you.” he addressed the class but his gaze never left the boy brave enough to speak up, ”To think I’ve been teaching such idiots this whole time. I am wasting my time here.” he told them all pacing back and forth the front of the class, ”Have you learned nothing?” he asked, ”Have you been mindlessly just reading and jotting down notes, following what others say is right? Is that how you learn? Is that all you will ever know about the subject?” he asked shaking his head, ”Indeed Alchemy IS all those idiotic things you’ve spouted at me, but they are wrong.” he told him, talking to the boy student in particular, ”Do you know why they are wrong when they were right before?” he asked, his gaze piercing the still standing student.

The boy was caught off guard by the question, but the class was caught off guard by this explosion not being as bad as they anticipated. There was a sound that came from the brave youth, but it wasn’t a word, ”Common,” Ray said, ”don’t stutter.” he told him, ”Answer the question.” The boys eyes avoided Rays gaze, it was obvious to Ray that he didn’t know the answer, but he kept on. The youths eyes searching for anything to look at but the professor, ”Look at me and answer the question.” Ray said losing his patience, walking up the isle and standing right in front of him. The other students seemed to shrink away as the professor walked past them. ”You don’t know, do you?” he asked smiling, reveling in the delight of the humiliation that his student was feeling right now. He laughed after a chime, the student shaking his head, as Ray walked back to the front of the class, ”Let this be a life lesson to you all.” he said, ”Don’t be brave, you will only end up looking like an idiot.” he told them.

”I guess I’ll spell it out to you.” he said, as no one else dared to ‘challenge’ him. Taking a piece of chalk he copied many of the ‘descriptions’ of Alchemy that one could find in a text explaining about the magic, and then he added his own ‘Alchemy is the art of transmutation, innate change and endless possibilities through the combination of the many manifestations of Djed’. In short, it’s the art of change. ”These are all wrong now, because you have known them before. Nothing has changed, nothing has evolved, the thinking has been stagnant. You are merely puking up information given to you. That is not learning. That is not understanding. That is not knowing.” he said crossing out each of the definitions, striking them with the white chalk so hard a noise was audible. His strikes seemed to punctuate his words and enforce his meaning, ”You did not learn alchemy if all you do is follow what others did before you. You did not learn anything if all you do is walk in another’s shadow feeling safe in the ‘understanding’ that you have in the art. No, that is not your understanding, it is someone elses. You did learn something though.” he said turning, facing the class, ”You learned how to mindlessly follow and act. There was no independent thinking involved. You have proven yourselves to be mindless fools that can be led by others, having no thought of your own. You are worthless, and if you ever think you are going to do anything worthwhile with alchemy by following in another’s footsteps then you are just a fool. No one will recognize you, they know who did it first.”

[Rayage]

Rayage looked over the class, ”Im disheartened that I had to spell that out to you guys.” he said, an utter frown on his face as he proceeded, pacing back and forth. He must have gone wrong somewhere… No, it wasn’t his fault. It was the students fault for being unable to comprehend the lesson he was trying to teach him. Yes, it wasn’t his failure, but the students failure. Why did the University give him garbage when he only asked for the very best and brightest of the Alchemy students? People who could keep up with him and be on his wavelength. He had found none among them who was worth such praise, ”Are you really the best of the best that the University has offer?” he asked shooting glares to every one of his students, ”Are you really as good as they praise you to be?” he asked wanting to instill doubt into their minds. ”Because what I see here is a bunch of students. Average, normal, need-everything-spelled-out students. Not one of you can think beyond the book. Not one of you can participate in higher thinking. Did all you do is copy alchemical formulas and examples from the books, recreate what other wizards before you have done? Where is the progress in that?” he spat.

”IF you have really learned Alchemy then you should be able to come up with your own experiments, with your own formulas, with your own alchemical style. Copying another wizards work does not take brains, it does not take understanding, it does not take imagination, it does not take change. Alchemy is the art of change. It changes things, not only physical things, but the Alchemist himself.” he boldly proclaimed, ”Do you understand how deep change runs?” he asked them. ”It’s a powerful force that drives every chime, every bell, every breath you take you are changing.” he said, ”Every breath.” he repeated himself, ”And every moment you spend on this planet is a moment you are affecting it, for better or for worse, you are changing, and really.” he paused, ”Better or worse are only human concepts. They are used to define ones state of reality, when really, reality can’t be defined. Do you know why?” he asked, his speech getting faster and faster, ”Because it’s always changing.” he pointed out, ”Change is the force that drives this universe, it is what allows infinite possibility to exist, it is what allows different ideas to come and go, it is what allows advancement, innovation, constructive thought and progress. Change is more than a force of nature, it drives nature! Change is an understanding that nothing is ever still, progress is always being made, and if you see change or not, it still affects every one of you.” he said pointing at each and every one of his students punctuating his words with the almost accusing finger flying across the classroom.

”With Alchemy you get some limited control over the force of change. With Alchemy you meld, and transform, and have the ability to create substances which shouldn’t exist, but do through the power of Alchemy. With imagination almost anything can be accomplished.” He continued his frantic pace, ”Through Alchemy you will see the truth, and then you will be changed by that truth.” he ended his rant, ’Forever changed, your very soul…” his voice got quiet and he looked at the class which he was addressing, ”I think we all need a break.” he said, smiling, ”Some time for you guys to absorb what Ive thrown at you.” he nodded, ”Yes, let’s have a break. Be back here in half a bell.” he said dismissing the class.

The class filed out of the room with muttered and hushed conversations. Some sounded quite serious while others were light hearted. Whispered words mocking the professor. This was exactly why they wouldn’t make good Alchemists. The nuit picked the student out of the crowd, walking over to him he stopped him before he could leave, ”A word.” he said pulling him aside.

Soon the class was empty, that was except for the teacher and one student. ”Are you still interested in homunculi alchemy?” he asked him bluntly. The student only nodded, ”Good.” Ray said, ”I have just the time to help you with your ambitions. Be sure to bring the cat.” he said, as he silently went into more details with the student, drawing him away from the door and closer to his own desk.