Free Techromancy Scrolls: Adept by Erik Schubach Page A

feel it.
    I was getting frustrated because I didn't know how. That frustration caused the heat to rise inside me again as my eyesight started changing. I tried to channel it like I did with my crystal. I smiled as I could taste it. I squinted in confusion. “It does not taste like copper, nor steel. It is not the blue of iron, nor the yellow of copper. It is a pale pink.”
    I remembered that color from when I was scavenging the prior morning there was an infinitesimal amount of it in the conveyance but there was a lot of it in his hand. I grasped it in my mind, trying to understand it and it leapt up out of his hand and hovered above him as two other items on the floor joined it.
    He was grinning like a madman and said, “Those items all contain platinum.” He bent and grasped a small item into his fist and cocked his eyebrow at me. My eyes flared and I was seeing orange from his hand and I shrugged, “That is even different, I am seeing orange.” As I said it another object jumped up and I looked at it. It was a gold coin. I smiled and blurted, “Gold!” He opened his a hand and there was a gold coin that hopped into the air and started orbiting the other one.
    He was still grinning. “How many metals can you see around us?”
    I looked around it was a rainbow of colors. The items that had all started orbiting themselves fell to the ground as I lost focus on them. I murmured, “There are so many.” Then I glanced up and staggered, to be held up by Celeste's firm hand. I was inundated by so many colors and tastes from above it made me dizzy. I grabbed my head and closed my eyes, there was too much screaming at me. I gasped, “There's too much up there.” What was stored above his office? That would be the back of the library by the vaults.
    Celeste was saying, “Just breathe through it, block it out and pick just one thing and concentrate on it.” I looked up and met her eyes. I calmed quickly.
    The Prime Techromancer looked too chipper as he hopped up to sit on his desk again. “Now young Laney. Can you feel the electricity flowing through the remaining lights?”
    I looked at him and smirked. “You make fun of me now sir. Nobody can feel...” I paled, I could feel the steady stream of power being fed through the bulbs, it felt similar to the feel of my magic, only... different.
    He laughed at my expression as Celeste furrowed her brow at him. He said to me with a jovial tone, “Congratulations Laney, you just became far too valuable for the Duke to ever spirit away. You are now one of the five known Adepts in all the realms of the habitable lands.” Then he added, as my mind reeled, “What are the odds of one Keep spawning two in the same century?”
    Celeste was supporting me. She looked to be in shock too. “An Adept? Truly father?”
    He chuckled at her this time, “Have you known a Techromancer to be sensitive to more than two or three metals, and electric power?”
    She was shaking her head as she looked at me and a smile slowly grew on her face. My own mirrored hers as I couldn't help but smile at hers. Then she asked cutely, “So Laney. What do you say? Be my squire?”
    I was nodding stupidly trying to process everything. She hugged me. “Grand! We will get with the Duke and should make it official in the next day or two.” I nodded again numbly, trying to fight down the rush of heat and excitement of being in her arms.
    I jumped when the Prime Techromancer clapped his hands together and prompted. “Great! Now that we have averted a travesty. Celeste said that you had information you wished to share with a scholar?”
    I blinked. Oh. I nodded and he said, “Grand!” and I tried to remember why I needed to speak with a scholar, my mind wasn't working until Celeste released me. I smiled and began.

Chapter 5 – The Great Library
    Getting over my prior fright at the thought of sharing what I had learned with someone of Donovan's stature. I smiled and said quickly, “Lady Celeste and I