Sitting by the Silver King statue, Luke and Maverick were waiting patiently for the escort team to arrive with the rest of the artifacts. Feeling the cool breeze, Luke noted how cold the weather had been lately. It was a real shame seeing some of the flowers in the courtyard starting to wilt; he couldn't help but smile, Maverick noticed this and asked about it.
"Nothing much." He said putting on a pair of sunglasses. "It was a nostalgic feeling with that amount of energy again."
Maverick was terrified and immediately reached into his coat nearly grabbing his
pouch, but Luke quickly grabbed his shoulder and told him to relax. Maverick was displeased by this, "The last time you said that, it was the Forest Eater incident." He said, still hunted by a tree that nearly ate him alive. Luke could only apologize for reigniting past trauma.
The moment that the armor van arrived, they both stood up. They were surprised by the state of the vehicle. Broken glass, large dents, multiple holes, and a large metal fang sticking out of it. It was practically running on miracles alone just to be here. Page stepped out of the car, holding a tablet, and greeted them with a warm smile as if nothing happened. She handed over the tablet to Luke requiring a signature.
Signing his signature, Luke asked, "Are the artifacts still in good condition?"
"Yes." She answered confidently, "The artifacts were in a highly protective case, ensuring their condition."
"And the extra security?"
"The rest will be here within the hour."
Handing the tablet back, Gray stepped out of the car and introduced himself as Ortiz, and Page told Luke that Gray was assigned as a personal bodyguard and vice head of security.
Luke examined Gray, with his right arm covered in cuts, his clothes tattered and slightly covered in dirt but compared with Page's outfits which were neat and clear. Luke gave her a strange look, "Why didn't you help him?"
Page stammers and tries to explain that Jin was recovering and wasn't suitable for combat but for managing. Luke knew she wasn't lying but it sounded more like an excuse. Someone approaches and chops Luke in the back of the head, "Stop scaring her."
Rubbing his head, Luke turned around and saw Megan with her arms crossed and her face pouting, and the receptionist who smiled nervously. "For a lady's man, you surely forgot how to treat a lady," Megan said very disappointed with him. She had that furious look in her eyes, the type of look that is ready to bite off a head if you breathe the wrong direction.
Megan grabbed Luke by the collar and started to scold him while drilling her finger into his head, while the receptionist walked past both of them. "Hey, I'm Anna and I'll be taking over while they have their coral." She said, greeted them with a deep bow. "Now we would like to examine the items."
Opening the back of the van that contained artifacts that were on shelves and in specialized crates slightly covered in debris, and the lights kept flickering on and off. The hole in the floor was patched but still has evidence of damage. Anna picked up one of the small cases and opened it. "As standard protocol, I'll be scanning all the artifacts for fraud," Anna said as she took out a device from her pocket.
As each item was being scanned, Page and her group took the items into the Hall, while Maverick kept his eyes on Gray, observing him remembering him from the Defensa. Gray was calm, his hands were in his pocket not having his guard up. It is like he was a guest instead of a bodyguard but he still kept his eye on the van. And the strange thing was his core, which flows inward instead of outward, and its hue is a darker color than normal.
"Can you stop staring at my core?" Gray said without looking at him.
Maverick quickly apologized for his rudeness but he couldn't believe how aware he was. Gray looked at Maverick and saw him slightly nervous and curious, "If you want to ask, then go for it."
Taking back this Maverick asked "Do you have an irregular core?"
"An irregular, what's that?" Luke said with his forehead red. Gray was stunned by this Luke question; it was supposed to be basic but for someone who doesn't own it makes sense.
"Well to explain this you can imagine a deck of cards, either the forty through sixty or the standard fifth two limits. These servers are the average limit for ether, each card represents a minute, and for users with an irregular core will have far more or far less."
"Each use of ability tends to have a cost if it is in small amounts, then it is negligible but large amounts are noticeable, but the level that ether has is determined by its hue of violet. The lighter the color the easier to control while burning through less of your reserves, but the darker the color the more potent it is while burning a tremendous amount of your reserves, and for irregular they are soft-locked into one of the hues."
Luke had his hand on his chin listening intently and said "May I ask why you are referring to ether as cards rather than running on its own meter?"
"Two reasons," Gray said, taking off his sword still in its sheath, holding it out as an example. "There is its surface and what is underneath regardless of what type of ether one welds. By asking the right questions the obscurity of one's ability will be revealed. For example; what is this sword made out of? Once answered it serves as a baseline to start crafting theories and cards are used to represent the theories which create the variable costs."
"What about the manipulation types?" Maverick said, looking away as soon as Gray looked at him, feeling embarrassed for asking the questions.
Gary walked closer to Maverick seeing the pins on his coat and asked if he was a Defensa member, Maverick confirmed this and showed his badge.
Gray said, tapping the Maverick head with the hilt, "Alright then you're an idiot." leaving both Luke and Maverick flabbergasted.
"Care to elaborate, Ortiz?"
Gray sighs "I am not going to hold your hand and give the answer but if you can answer the qualifications of the ability that is what you need and then you can start asking questions."
Maverick was doubtful of Gray's answer, his ability was simple, it was simply throwing and guiding to its target and he saw it as nothing special. For all the ridicule he has received from both friends and family for having, Guide. The mocking, the bullying, the sabotage, think about this Maverick clinched fist.
Gray seeing his fist ball up in anger, knocked on the van and asked if they're almost finished, "Not even close." they said.
"Gray I hope you know there were supposed to be forty items in there," Luke said but also understood that he was trying to change the subject. "So Gray, are you aware of what the main item is?"
"If you are talking about that abomination, then yes," Gray replied, looking visibly tense.
"Abomination?" Maverick said, confused, trying to think about the list of artifacts.
"He's talking about the Invierno de Sangre."
Gray was shocked to hear the name of the artifact. "That's absurd, that weapon was lost in the fall of the Empire eighteen hundred years ago?" The moment Gray said that, he covered his mouth and squinted his eyes. A large case was pulled out emitting a strong flame that smelled like rotting flesh.
"Thanks to the Book of the Beginning they managed to find it through its geography clues that it left," Luke said with his mouth covered also, finding the smell repulsive. "And by the looks of it, you can tell that the Invierno is a curse artifact."
"Curse?"
Maverick's hands began to shake out of fear and he said "It's like the Vine of Anahí."
"Similar but this one was made by a tyrant queen who nearly froze the entire world, and the legends don't lie, like the Anahí if paired with the right user they essentially have their own authority with its and others' concepts."
Both Luke and Gray put their hands down as the artifact entered the building. "Sorry for bringing back bad memories Maverick."
"Bad memories? The last time we dealt with a curse artifact, I WAS NEARLY EATEN BY A TREE." Maverick said with a crazed look on his face. Luke only nervously laughs while Gray turns away clinching his chest.