Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Thirty-Five ۞ Finalizations

Valeriana had no new tricks to reveal as the festival drew nearer. Her fight with Corvan would be on the sixth day, so she still had time to train and see what she could do.

She still had Cifaro, though.

But Seraphina told her that she was prohibited from using Cifaro in the fight. She was not, however, to tell anyone she could not use him to physically harm someone. Combat wise, he was fairly useful. He could parry blows as any sword, but in fact, more effectively.

If she was to bring him out for swordplay, she would have to be careful not to harm the guy. Seraphina told her to be wary, though. If Corvan found out she was holding back, it would be undetermined what he would do about it. He might use it against her and fuel his rage. After all, he didn't like being babied.

Her DevDept team was very competent in regards to their work. They asked her to try out the prototypes of the suit she would use and try to maneuver with it on, including the body armor. The purplish-red shade it was complimented her skin-tone quite well--as Leticia commented. It fitted her body like second-skin and didn't suffocate her or make her feel uncomfortable at all. It was stretchable and comfy to the point she wouldn't even notice she had it on.

As promised, it was fireproof.

Her second layer of protection--the arm guards and everything else--were modified.

They came with mild transparency, successfully coated with a hydrophobic layer for protection against water. The surface was smooth to the touch. Its structure promoted mobility, not to mention the lightweight characteristic it possessed. Valeriana would bet the dress she wore before was tons heavier than what she had on now.

Axel had her try out some of the weapons he made to determine what sort she was most compatible with. Her preference pointed to longswords so the master artisan crafted one--a fine piece of art that was simple in design but deadly when put into the right hands. He made it easier to wield using the laws of physics and air friction. As surprising as that was, they had similar concepts pertaining to the sciences she studied back in elementary.

It was still in the early stages, so he was still experimenting with what he could do to modify it. The shape of the weapon helped in the movement of the user, whether it would cut his speed or enhance it to some point.

Axel said he wanted to call it the Empyrean. As cheesy as that sounded, he seemed to be the type of guy who loved clichè names. Ironically enough, empyrean was supposed to contain the purest elements of fire.

He said he had a surprise for her, though. He was still trying to see if it was possible as he didn't want to disappoint anyone else except himself.

Of course, the entire process was full of trial-and-error. Valeriana got singed and almost--she actually did--caught fire one time that she came crashing through the doors to ask for help. Luckily, Conradine was around holding a bucket of water to put her out.

It was three days before the festival, so they spent most of their free time working--crafting. She never really stayed long because of the demand on her time as well, but when she saw them at work, it was amazing.

Usually, they had things ready when she came as she could not afford to wait. But they were already finalizing most of the work, only making minor changes to bring the gears to their best.

To her surprise, the way her team worked was somewhat . . . hands on.

And by hands on that meant they were really using their hands to craft everything. Everything.

"What the heck." Were the words that flew from her mouth when she caught sight of Axel.

She came by for the usual meeting, especially since Sai said he had the general outline of the new version of her suit done.