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Warm Up | 23 - Lost Then Found

'Should no light be found outside, one must be found from within.' Dauvos read out, "And that's all we have deciphered from the Thear, just after the Great Flash."

"I can actually cast a spell like that," Cho said, lifting his arm as sparks of magic bounced between his fingertips. "Becoming a symbol of light." Enough of the flavor talk though, "I'm still amazed how instantaneous you can get information. Where I'm from," he still missed Sword's Coast, "It would take a month or longer to obtain the findings of our finest Wizards. And with a fee. Everything here is just free."

And free did not skimp out on the facilities, material, and educators. He sat on wheeled padded chairs while his arm rested on a long desk, one of many, that curved around the room. There were three more rows above, and two more below, arcing around a stage with a podium and a holographic display beside.

Dauvos raised a brow, intrigued by the upbringing. "Are you from a sort of fantasy world?" He too was a dragon, but was a descendant of it who embraced who they were. Bulkier, stronger, and considerably taller yet very gentle.

"Realm, but, technically yes." It was what Ricky advised him to refer to himself as. The nuances of planets, worlds, and realms were aplenty and he still could not distinguish them in great detail. And don't get him started on science-fiction, or fantasy both low and high.

Concepts that Cho would grasp better as the weeks would follow. Concepts he was excited to learn, and study in-depth even in his off time. The class he was in was astronomy, to be followed by history, and then a cultural workshop after. To top it all off? It did not cost him gold at all, or 'credit' in this Universe's case.

"You're the first of two fantasy people I'd encounter here in Karsma. Or befriended, at least."

Cho pinned that on his mind as a badge of pride- apart from Ricky or Nicholas, he had made a friend. It got his tail wagging. "Two? Who's the other?" His wonder was aroused by the presence of another individual who hails from a landscape that may not be too far-off his own.

"Exiled king," simply put.

Cho was surprised by that- such royalty was lost and was treated as an afterthought. A testament to the scale of this Universe, this Realm of sorts. He pulled out his MD, more accustomed to it now. "From where?" He wanted to find out more about this king.

"I-N-Y-L-S-E-N," Dauvos said. "Not sure if it's pronounced as Ee-nehl-sehn, or I-neel-sehn."

"Former," Cho was surprised to learn that this was the first world with an article only a hundredth of what Earth had to offer. Not even the exiled king was mentioned whatsoever. The summary was a planet who worshiped three moons, led by different animals who are very attuned in magic which was limited by the planet itself. It puts things theninto perspective for the dragonborn, that electrifying surge coursed through his body. He ought to acquaint himself with him then, in that regard.

Speaking of, "That's him over there." Dauvos nudged the dragonborn's arm and pointed his muzzle-beak towards the gray deer who walked alongside a white lion entering the room. It was at this time that more students poured in alongside, class about to start.

"The deer or the lion?" Cho thought that the lion looked more representative of royalty; the deer was haggard in his attire. But, like him, he clutched onto books with a passion to learn more.

"The deer."

Perhaps they would make best of friends then, Cho surmised. "Fascinating. I might make good friends with him yet." He barely smiled, but he was very ecstatic about the prospect, and his own social progress.

"Hmmmm..."

"What's up?"

"I've seen that lion before," he refers to the fluffy and somewhat chubby lion. His color was either albino, or he's from Palluvia. "Enrollment in the last term. He's taking something about business, didn't think he'd be interested in astronomy."

Cho wondered, "Why are you taking astronomy?"

"I need to graduate with a license from this place so I can legally and literally walk on stars."

Cho sized him up, the scales could match the action. He believed him. While his own would get singed when a fireball would graze past him. "To do what exactly?"

"Surveying and experimentation."

"That seems cool." Cho looked up his kind on the MD. He knew him as a Daerchus dragon. Starwalkers, sturdy, but very brittle in the harshest colds. Their biology was divided between purists, and pilotists; the latter contained a dragon that acted as a pilot of the sturdy form. "Very cool."

The silence dawned on him- class was about to start. It was proper etiquette to stow MDs away during these hours, but others didn't seem to care. Cho pulled out a big notebook, supported by four different colored pens, each representing a purpose. Black one for general notes, blue for clarifications and corrections, red for key concepts, and green for others. The first ten pages were littered with preliminary notes about constellations. A lot of black and red, and a bit of green that connected the stars to form shapes.

A saber toothed tiger walked on stage, wearing a brown suit with a checkered button-up underneath, and khaki slacks. He wore glasses with a faint left glow of scrolling information on the left eye. There was a cup of coffee in one hand, and an electronic pen on the other. His drink was so strong that Cho could feel the rush course through him from the scent alone.

The rooms were filled with murmurs. Cho glanced around what everyone was trying to say. Dauvos saw his curiosity in play, "That's Frosty Coler. He's an assistant researcher for studying the Thear, and he and his lead researcher, Ricky, bypassed the blockade. Ran away from Aerth, the Matang promised them protection."

"What did they learn that was valuable?"

"Information on Hell's Key."

It wasn't the Hell that Cho grew up being terrified about. Hell, as it turned out for both Realms, meant a place full of fire, brimstone, and a lot of death. There was one here before the planet's mantle, and it housed a key that could lead to more answers. Or so the articles said. "Something I'm about to learn with everyone else." It occurred to him soon after that Furgo was the last name of both the lead researcher and the scientist. Both communed with knowledge beyond any mortal would. Or maybe his rescuer used a relevant name and stuck with it. He would have to speak to his 'Ricky' later about this.

"None yet. They've only arrived here a few weeks ago and it's Ricky who has all the answers."

"Alright everyone," Frosty on stage gestured with one hand waving downward, "Please settle down. Yes, I am the pilot that got Ricky and I into Thear. And my notoriety makes all of you wonder: Why Karsma University?"

Why indeed? Cho wrote down Frosty Coler's name in his notebook and listed the actions that led him to this position. Followed by questions regarding Thear, the next topic he would learn about in his spare time.

"Because this is the best University for astronomy courses!" He cheered. Half the room resulted in howls and table slams in affirmation. Dauvos clapped out and Cho let out softer ones while nodding. He noted that down too.

"Alright, formalities; I am Frosty Coler but please call me Frost." He took a sip of his coffee as he walked around. "If any of you call me Frosty, I will deduce your final grade by one point. I've done it for salaries and I won't hesitate to do that for a student's grade."

The cheering died down, and the room was the manifestation of a guilty swallow. Students were nodding quietly.

"Good. Alright, roll call." He tapped his foot. "We'll start with myself and then we'll start from the closest right." He nodded towards the canid with glowing rings around his limbs. "State your name, and a summary of who you are. Like so:"

"I'm Frosty Coler, astronomer and research assistant. I love coffee, and understanding the great unknown. I have won a very prestigious award for having the most clusterfucked room in Aerth and Aereath." He clicked on a button at the rear end of his electronic pen, showing a bedroom that is messied up with scattered paper, full of scattered scribbles, and coffee mugs. There was a bunk bed for two and Frosty was a candid subject who had been lying on a bunch of papers too. Most of the classroom laughed and he himself laughed along.

"Alright, let's keep it going," he pointed at the same canid. "You, Vehrwolf."

The Vehrwolf's eyes opened wide, amazed how Frosty knew what he was. He greeted himself with such a jubilee. And so did the next. And it continued.

Cho listened intently to their species, writing down what he found interesting such as: Vehrwolf, 5D, Viksek Laser Deer, Akalvakos Dragon, and Palmos Dolphin.

Moments later it would be his turn, with an introduction in mind. And he stood up getting more attention than he anticipated. He cleared his throat for a moment, "Greetings," introducing himself to strangers, he had an exhausted look, "I am Cho from the Sword's Coast. I'm new to this side of the Universe and I want to learn more about it. I'm a sorcerer." He showed off the sparks between his fingers that wowed only a handful of his classmates, but certainly got the attention of the exiled deer king for sure.

"Pleasure to meet you Cho, there's always mystery to be had at this part of the galaxy, that's for sure." Frosty said to him.

Dauvos stood up next, and it seemed the lion the deer came with was interested in him. "Hello, I'm Dauvos," he had a more cheerful disposition. "I want to become a certified starwalker and learn more about the secrets they contain."

Cho had an inkling that the last part was just to flourish for their teacher.

"A Daerchus dragon, splendid!" Frosty applauded. "Contact me when you've gotten your license. I've got contacts who are in need of your kind."

It was the first time Cho would see his tail wag, and he didn't mind it smacking him because this was an opportunity of a lifetime.

"Thank you, professor!"

And it went onwards until it arrived at the lion. He was indeed from Palluvia, a lion named 'Dan'. Part time barista, and with an interest to know more about the stars. What the professor said about him was intriguing; a species that by divine could not fight. Inadvertently became the finest shield makers and armorsmiths out there.

And followed the deer that Cho was invested in.

"I'm Arthur Liaseon, I hail from Inylsen." He said it shy enough that the teacher had to lean in his direction with his ear wiggling. "I want to learn more about the Universe." A quality that Cho admired.

And apparently Frosty too, "I get that. I really do. Speak with me after class." But before the class could gossip, "Next!"

Once everyone had their turn, "Thank you Adam for that lovely greeting." Frosty positioned himself behind the podium. "Welcome to the pseudo-summer class of Astronomy. You all have access to your syllabus, just check your registered MDs."

Cho had read it over and over again.

"Our first lesson would be about uncharted space." He showed the galaxy they were in- a lot of star systems in dots, connected across multiple star-lanes in the form of lines. "Empty space that the Thear had mentioned about; we have speculated the existence of drift-worlds, planets without star systems to revolve around, and have found several of them. Most are barren rock, but a few gems had civilization who utterly perished before the galaxy had been deemed an 'Intergalactic'."

Cho repeated certain notes he had written before, but added to it was the specificity that certain worlds had been lost due to the destruction, and even abduction of stars that left them to wander in the uncharted void.

"But the Thear," he showed the metallic sphere on screen. A planet composed of patterned glossing steel, full of candid shots, and some from a hiding spot taken during Frosty's small academic incursion. One of the photos showed an ancient tongue, translated and overlapped that read: 'Should no light be found outside, one must be found within'. "We've discussed this with philosophers, other fields of sciences," he went around the stage, gesturing at the different images and symbolisms that spoke about one's 'inner light', ending with a word cloud of association to each of these concepts. "In our branch, we speculated about worlds becoming stars themselves."

That got Dauvos wagging his tail, leaning forward intent on listening more. Cho noted his excitement and could picture him walking on one to find artifacts of a bygone world. But that was a weird thought the more he lingered.

"Or," Frosty stood still, holding for flair. "A world may be bright enough to not appear in our star charts, but with warmth to sustain themselves." The next image series caught everyone's attention, even those using the MDs. There were pathings of probing devices that detected worlds outside of charted space, between the spiral arms of the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy to name a few.

"We have our first one here," Frosty showed an image of a world alone in the darkness, but there was a gentle light upon the mountains, upon the pathings. At first, Cho and Dauvos thought these were natural patterns. And then a highlight was included, showing notes that marked civilization- ports, roads, skyscrapers, power grids, and everyone started to see the patterns. It truly was a world like their own, but with no knowledge of where the major starpaths were being used, and certainly no star to use as an anchor point.

Dauvos was the first to clap, and Cho followed. Arthur, Adam, Dan, next and the rest followed. And after Frosty had them settle down, "We are still observing them, but this is just one of many more out there. I would call it 'Ember Point', but my partner's got a weird name for it. He wants to call it Heartlight."

It made some of the students chuckle.

"Thank you. I personally don't like it either." And the lesson would continue. From hidden worlds to creatures, and the explanation of how it came to be. Thirty percent of the time, as it turned out, was the result of divine intervention. Twenty percent was the result of sentient actions, while forty percent was natural. Ten percent accounted for those to have been graced by the creation of their Reality.

Cho was astonished by the roles of the divines, and how proactive they are throughout the cosmos yet somehow feel insignificant in scale.

"And for your first homework, please read the second chapter of Earthean Astronomy, tenth revision. It's about the origin of this Reality. One more thing!" Frosty showed a tally via the hologram, "Please vote for which name appeals to you more." It was a competition between 'Ember Point' and 'Heartlight'. "What matters is you vote. Preferring Heartlight, won't penalize you, nor does voting Ember Point improve your chances. I just want to see if I can gloat at Ricky later for how dumb his name is."

The sabertoothed tiger returned to his podium and turned off the displays, and collected his things. "Thank you for coming to my class. I will see you all this Wednesday. Arthur, please remain. I need to speak with you."

Cho stayed, wanting to make the deer his acquaintance. Dauvos did too as he had similar intent for the professor. Most of the people who were leaving spoke about their next classes, or the ongoings of Earth. But a tidbit he picked up on was about Arthur who had left his people to die. Maybe Frosty knew something about it.

"It's going to be alright, Art," Dan walked right behind him as they descended. Giving him a firm hold of his shoulder trying to ease him. "You said it yourself, no one in Inylsen could leave other than you."

"I guess?" Arthur trembled, clutching his jacket tighter to him as the cold chilling worry trickled through his veins. The stronger the coffee's scent was, the harder it became for him to concentrate on plausible outcomes. But alas he stood in front of the professor who wondered about his rugged looks. A few of his classmates glanced at both of them, wondering if he was actually in trouble or not. And the dragon sorcerer from earlier, Cho, and the Daerchus dragon that Dan had a crush on, Dauvos, remained on the stairs far off from the stage.

"So you're King Arvenium," Frosty pinched his chin in wonder.

Arthur was astonished, having been addressed by such a title. Tears flowed through his eyes as he unclasped his jacket, reached out and shook Frosty's hand, "How did you know?"

"I've heard rumors about an Inylsenian who left his homeworld in pursuit of knowledge." He patted his hand, "I didn't think I'd have the honor of meeting your highness."

Arthur felt flush, "Please don't refer to me as such- I haven't earned that title yet." But Dan behind could see his wagging tail, sniggering under his breath.

"Alright, Arthur. I'm glad you wanted to know more, because I know Inylsenians aren't fond of anything beyond the Three Moons."

It stung the deer, all those constant reminders of their deity. But he was right. "I want to help them when I get back."

"You plan to go back to them after they exiled you?"

Arthur nodded, and Frosty could never shake that determination off of him.

"What did you think of today's lesson?" He wondered about the take of someone who had rarely encountered stellar travel.

"It was unthinkable at first. Worlds that could thrive without suns. I've read so much about typical star-system inhabitation, and the requirements needed to sustain natural life. But it made me wonder; why did the Great Flash have to happen to make such a fact known to us?"

Frosty laughed when Arthur thought his query was being dismissed. No, and he clarified, "I'm not a philosopher, but that is the million-credit question on every science team's heads right now. Why the Great Flash?"

"Do you know what caused it?"

"Well, it's public knowledge that Ricky is here to ascertain the Hell Key." He glanced at Dan who looked far paler than his fur already was. But that aspect he dismissed and continued, "Because what he saw was a symbol in Thear's core that resembled a three-dimensional rendition of the Hell Key. And maybe through that we could figure out what caused it."

"If the Great Flash made 'public knowledge' of these uncharted worlds. Would it still be a discovery?"

"Archaeologists would find lost treasures. So in the process of what was lost to then be found is a discovery, therefore it is a discovery for the rest of the known Universe."