M.I Hausk

Chapter 1 - Part 1

First Differential

Gregor Hausk limped into his briefing room, who was just connected beside his office room. His staff tapping against the floor with a dull thud, each step a reminder of his perpetual pain. The staff, etched with glowing runes, served as both a crutch and a tool, as functional as it was mystical. He winced slightly as he moved, his small bag of vials clinking softly at his side.

Without ceremony, he uncorked a vial of Vynodin, took a swig, and let out a dramatic sigh. "It's for my leg," he deadpanned, catching the judgmental glances from his team. "Not that any of you care."

Erik Foremain, arms crossed, smirked. His half-orc bulk leaned back in the chair, unbothered. "Maybe if you used real healing magic instead of that alchemical brew, you wouldn't need it."

Hausk gave him a flat look. "Maybe if the last healer who touched me wasn't a walking disaster, I wouldn't need to drink my pain away." He motioned lazily toward Robard Chasen.

The Aasimar, his divine features practically glowing in the dim room, looked up from his scrolls. "Don't look at me, I am not one of them."

"Yeah, your kind did this to me," Hausk muttered.

Chasen sighed.

The magical display orb in the center of the table flickered to life, showing Valen Myrlith, the academy instructor, convulsing mid-class as mana bled uncontrollably from her aura. The room darkened as the swirling image hovered above them. Hausk waved it off dismissively.

"Alright, we've got an overpaid academic writhing on the floor, and apparently, the academy's brightest can't figure out why. Differential mystical, go."

Alyss Cammron, poised and graceful as always, adjusted her robes before speaking. Her silver hair shimmered in the flickering candlelight. "It looks like mana overload," she began, her voice calm. "She channels arcane energy constantly. It's possible her magical equilibrium couldn't handle the strain."

Hausk yawned dramatically. "Burnout? Boring. If that's it, she's just another washed-up old mage who needs vacation time. Next."

Erik leaned forward, arms still crossed. "What about a cursed artifact? She's at an academy, surrounded by relics older than half the kingdom. One of them could've gone rogue. A hex might've triggered a latent curse."

Hausk raised an eyebrow. "Blaming shiny objects? Not bad, but not good enough."

"Also, it could be a corrupted growth (tumor) happening inside her brain." Foremain offered, his tone deadly serious.

Hausk shook his head, cutting him off. "She's 25. Wrong target age for brain rot."

His gaze shifted to Chasen. "What divine nonsense do you have for us, Robard? Maybe a hymn will fix her."

Chasen, unfazed, met Hausk's stare. "It could be a spiritual imbalance. If her aura's interacting with divine energy-whether from a curse or her own experiments-it could explain the violent outbursts. Her body's rejecting her own magic."

Hausk rolled his eyes. "A divine curse, huh? So much being a divine."

"Could be external interference," Cammron chimed in, "A rival mage, or even one of her students cursing her as a prank. We'll need to check her magical signature for tampering."

"Maybe it's Luphos," Chasen interjected, half-joking. "The mana instability could explain some of the fatigue."

Hausk waved him off with a dismissive roll of his eyes. He limped toward the table and dropped himself into a chair, resting his staff on his knee.

After a moment, Hausk continued, now a flicker of excitement in his otherwise bored expression. "Now, Foremain, head to the academy, search her quarters. Cammron, starts tracing her magical residue. Chasen, check for any divine interference. Meanwhile, I'll-"

As his team slowly went out, he was cut off as the door swung open, revealing Lysa Caudus, a high elves, presented in curly brunette hair with strong authoritative presence. Hausk groaned inwardly, pretending to follow his team out, but Caudus pressed a hand to his chest, halting his exit.

"Master Hausk," she said, her tone polite but edged with exhaustion. "A moment of your time."

"No time," Hausk replied, already trying to sidestep her. "I'm busy."

Caudus' hand glowed briefly as she cast a restraining spell, keeping him in place. "You were supposed to be in my office this morning. We need to discuss your... performance. The Guild's reputation is suffering."

He sighed theatrically, dispelling her magic with a flick of his wrist. "Must've slipped my mind. Old age."

Caudus noticed Hausk dispel her restraint, she shook her head but continued to catch up to Hausk. "You're just 45 years old, Hausk."

"Vynodin," he shrugged, pointing to the vial.

Caudus rolled her eyes. "Vynodin treats pain, not causing memory loss. And speaking of performance, your paperwork looks worse than usual. I signed off on your ridiculous paycheck, you know."

"Many jobs pay better with fewer hours," said Hausk as he walked down the stairs.

Caudus tilted her head in exasperation. Attempting to politely reason to him, she swiftly stood in front of his eyes. "Alright, I know these kinds of small duties, like receptioning, consulting, bores you, since you rarely get any interesting commission. But I need it so that headquarters does not see you as a walking liability!"

"Sounds like... it is a you problem, not mine." Hausk squinted his eyes at her, shrugged, and walked toward the exit. "Also, everyone lies about their problems."

He turned slightly, walking backward now. "Some wise person once said, you can't always get what you want. So, I suggest you keep your expectations low on me." said Hausk with a cheerful snarky smile.

"Where are you going?" confused Caudus as to why Hausk went out.

Hausk turned around as he walked backward, while pointing to the sun. "As you may see, the sun is about to set. So I am heading home before those pesky monsters and curses get me because I am a cripple."

With that, he disappeared through the exit, leaving Caudus staring after him in exasperation. She sighed, watching from the window as Hausk limped toward his house, just a few buildings away.