The Arcane Trilogy: Sins of the Past - Book 2

Chapter 30: Weird Science

Her footsteps rapidly carried her flying down into the depths of the fissures. Jinx's mind had been absorbed by the endless possibilities regarding how she could use the device she requested from Signed. She almost salivated at the endless prospects available to her. If the device came to reality in such a way that she desired, the outcome of such a creation would be her crowning moment, and forge a path that she would follow for the rest of her life.

This internalised enthusiasm was apparent from her rapid and almost rythmic knocking on the door to Signed's lab, echoing several metallic clangs off the thin walls of the small outcrop that encased the mysterious 'doctor's' domain. After another impatient series of knocking, the slider on the door shot open, with the familiar brown eye beneath a furrowed brow of Signed looking down on Jinx, followed by his gravely cold voice.

"Can I help you?" He asked, seemingly slightly irritated, which Jinx replied with through the use of an eager nod and devilish grin.

"I came to see how much work you got done on my...y'know, my thing." She chirped back, causing a stifled groan to escape Signed's lips.

"Well I appreciate your concern, but it is unnecessary." Responded Signed with a concealed yet sarcastic edge, one that Jinx immediately bit back at with a less than impressed tone.

"Y'know that I ain't leaving now that I am here, right?" Probed Jinx, forcing a more obvious groan out of Signed.

"I suppose you are right." Replied Signed before quickly bolting the slider shut and slowly unbuckling the thick slab of metal that guarded his domain. Jinx then promptly bounded into the eternally dark and gloomy interior of the lab, the soft green hue of the primary glass container softly illuminating her pale features, with the idle creature still floating in its vacant form with a slightly thinner shape than before.

As she danced around the lab, her eyes fell on a bulky looking seat tucked away in the corner of the lab, causing her eyes to light up with a violet tinge. She eagerly hopped over to it and clasped the wooden armrests.

It resembled a skeleton when compared to what Jinx had initially envisioned. The fundamental chair structure was there, and it had enough thickness to its design as to allow for machinery and what have you to be slotted within, but that was about it. The chair itself was constructed with wood at that point, with the only metallic part being the metal plate that sat beneath it.

"Please be careful with it." Called out Singed as she dragged the chair further into the limelight, causing an awful squeaky scratching sound to fill the lab as metal and stone came together.

"Don't worry I'm gonna." Groaned Jinx like an irritated teenager addressing a parent. Signed merely sighed once more in response as he reached one of his stools by his workstation.

After yanking it further into view, Jinx took a step back to observe a complete picture of the prototype, scanning every indent and slight colouration change with her keen and erratic eyes that zipped back and forth.

"Soooo, how's it coming along?" Asked Jinx with a smirk as she clapped her hands together, pulling herself from her fully focused gaze upon the chair, before spinning around to face Signed. He slowly spun his stool around to address her.

"As you can no doubt see, the basic structure is complete. You were, vague, on the details, so I decided to begin with a wooden foundation."

"Well sorry, I was busy y'know?" Defended Jinx with a light hearted tone, one that Signed didn't pay much mind to.

"Mmm." He mused before continuing. "With regards to powering the device, that has proven much more challenging, but not impossible." Began Signed as he organised a few notes from his desk, with Jinx looking on with eager attentiveness. "The theory I have for this device is as follows. We first need to bind you, and the chair by a common thread. Fortunately, I have discovered what that bind could be."