Three Spheres

Chapter 63 - Direction

_ What do you mean "new direction"?! _ Nayla exclaims, slamming her clipboard against the table.

_ Yes, Hotak. I, Cicely Gottron, am the new Chief Priestess. _ The woman with dyed red hair smiles _ It's a pleasure to work with you. Let's make some changes around here, shall we?

While the Ágora was taking place, Meigdan's headquarters underwent changes: Arthur Savill was deposed and sent to a distant District; much of the staff has been redistributed, replaced or overhauled; the bureaucratic assignments of the members of the ACU have been modified... As a bitter medicine, there was nothing to do but swallow and accept.

However, other concerns surround the group of teachers of the headquarters. In particular, Deodoro, who did not leave Amadeo's bedside during the 4 days in which he remained passed out from a fever, awakening only due to the effects of nightmares and apneas. "And again, I find myself in this impasse", he stares at the boy's rosy face. "You arrive with a phenomenal report, a victory worthy of a Magnum... But with symptoms of a child who has just awakened their Spirit's Sphere. So absurdly weak that I can barely recognize you, Amadeo...", Deodoro rests the back of his hand on the boy's forehead. "Even Johan noticed. What could explain this...?", he wonders.

At the same time, on the outside of the fort, Emília howls:

_ HOW DID YOU LOSE AGAINST THAT GOOEY BRAT??!!

Johan is on his knees, with his nose a few inches from the ground, while the red-haired Paladin stomps on it with all her might. Dijana tries to stop her from the torture, but the woman steams, more frightening than any Dragon:

_ You losing to Amadeo is a personal defeat for me!! I won't tolerate this! _ She lifts the man by the leather straps on the jamb _ If you can't guarantee yourself against a user of spiritual energy, you're useless!! USELESS! _ She hits his forehead with hers _ I won't let it lie, kid. I'll teach you how to dine these people with magical powers. Whether you want or not, I'll make you a monster! CAPICHE???

Johan's eyes shine. "Uhum" is the only answer he can manage to spit out. Emília smiles. Suddenly her cheeks flush and she turns to Dijana, crossing her arms:

_ I wish I'd have watched it!!

Dijana laughs; Johan shakes the dust off his pants, but Emília doesn't stop:

_ To begin with, you may have noticed that 90% of spells need two things: Gestures and words. _ She cracks her fingers against her chin _ Whenever you're fighting with someone who uses magic, aim at their hands and jaw. If you break their fingers, there's no magic! Not even you are so stupid to not have noticed, right...?

_ Ah! _ Johan exclaims, as if a light had come on in his mind; Emília slaps her own face, a mixture of disappointment and resignation.

_ Anyway... I'll teach you some patterns. Magic isn't an anarchic thing as it may seem; there're a bunch of rules that need to be followed. That's why the Veneficus are so good: The perfect blend of concentration, focus and memory to do spells effectively. If you can learn the most common patterns, it'll be easier to deflect and counterattack. _ As she paces from side to side, Johan shakes his head non-stop _ I also think it'll be useful for you to carry some "silencers" in the next missions.

Dijana pulls a thin, metallic arrow with a kind of cylinder on the axis.

_ The "silencer" works like a blowgun dart, but you use it on a crossbow. The cylinder is filled with a substance that blocks the flow of spiritual energy and prevents the victim from using their tricks for a variable time.

Dijana complements the speech: "This was one of the first "poisons" created with alchemy, and that's where the Veneficus got the name of "Poison wizards", got it?", she smiles. Johan raises his eyebrows. Even after so long, there is so much he still doesn't know.