TBATE: Let The Truth Be Known {Completed}

Chapter 36: Fabricating a Solution

Aether, please help me fabricate an item that would allow me to view a person whose name I speak through a sort of hologram. I wish for its form to be that of a small palm-sized purple gem.

To my surprise, my prayers don't go unanswered. Manifesting in my hand is a minute little crystal the size of a grain of rice.

I spring to my feet in elation at the feat I've just accomplished. After months of fruitless attempts, I've finally had the first taste of success, partial or not.

"This isn't exactly what I asked for, but it's better than nothing!" I shout in a victorious tone.

"What is it you're envisioning to create this time?" Crawn asks.

I pull the 'stalker stone' from my dimension rune and toss it to him.

"I'm trying to make something akin to that. I found that in Alacrya. It allows me to see a person I specify for a few minutes. It's only ever worked on close family members, so I'm trying to expand upon that and have it simply view anyone whose name I speak," I answer, holding out the tiny speck of gem. "This is what I got."

Crawn waddles over and inspects the tiny gem I just created, but doesn't seem very impressed. "Your speed at which you've been able to bear fruit is impressive, but that thing is inert. It'll never work. I can see traces of your desires, but I think you weren't specific enough. What exactly did you think of?"

I explain the request I made verbatim. Crawn nods his head in general understanding before speaking. "Yep, definitely too broad. You need to be painfully more descriptive. Allow me to demonstrate."

The enormous man closes his eyes for a moment before opening them and handing me an identical stone to the one I first handed him.

'You just got one-upped to the highest degree. He really just hit you with a "fine I'll do it myself,"' Regis taunts.

He's been doing it for 220 million years. Piss off.

"So, what did you ask for?" I ask.

"I asked for an item that would connect my vision through an edict of spatium to a designated location in which the person whose name I spoke is at. I then specified the duration of the link, the exact shape and dimensions, and finally the color of the stone. For those I said ten minutes, an ellipsoid, two by four inches, and amethyst," Crawn explains. "You need considerably more detail to use creation to its fullest extent. It sounds like blasphemy, but imagine aether as a child that you have to explain everything to. It doesn't have a physical and material existence, so you have to guide it in processing the aspects of the material world."

I can only stare intently at the hulking man holding the exact object I've been working so hard to make. My jaw hangs ever so slightly, leaving a small gap in my mouth to express my disbelief.

"So, you're saying that I've been giving aether too much credit?" I ask.

"THAT'S what you got out of that?" Crawn asks, astounded at my conclusion. He quietly mumbles to himself and rubs the bridge of his nose as he squats down in disappointment.

"Obviously not. I'm just being facetious," I reply as I sit back down and cross my legs in a meditative position. "Let me give it another shot. I'll be very descriptive."

"Please do," he grumbles.

Reaching back out to the connection within the recesses of my mind, I try and commune once more.

Aether, please create an item that uses a vivum edict to mask the appearance of a person into that of one of the user's desires. The appearance will flawlessly merge over the user's physicality and be imperceptible to those who aren't aware of the aether art being used. The form of this object should be that of a small pendant with a teardrop shape and a purple gem inset into the silver frame. The dimensions of the pendant should be roughly 8 mm by 15 mm and the chain should be a width of 2 mm and a length of 50 cm with a clasp at the end.