The visions keep coming.
I am sitting before my regular social worker, a woman approaching sixty years. Her tired demeanor was broken by a green streak in her hair. „You are good with computers.“ she states. I can only grunt in agreement. She takes that as an encouragement to continue „We need somebody with an apitude that allows them to prosper in an academic environment. The neurologically disadvantaged need to be normalized in the non-humanist sciences.“
As I cannot, for reasons related to the penal code, let her suspect that I don’t strictly need her, I need to put up a credible level of mock resistance. „As you know I have made some experiences …“. She smiles in a way designed to be empathic. And to give her credit, she means it. „Isn’t that exactly why it needs to be normalized? And are you not interested in technology?“
Nobody is surprised when a man with a history of abusing psychopharmaka and a psychiatric diagnosis quickly folds.
Well, that settles it. I am a slimy arsehole. However, I am an effective arsehole. Nevertheless I need to write this down. Do I need to show it to people? That is a different question. But I tend to answer it in the positive. I must figure out what is happening to me. Do I need to explain it to them? Now that is the truly important question.
The data point imortant to me is that I could explain it. I don’t remember sitting in lectures. But I now understand why I know who Boltzmann was. Something stirs in me. This man has a relation to my sorcery of Decay. I understand entropy. A name is coming up in my mind in relation another sorcery: Schwarzschild
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It is still very early. I am going down to the ritual chamber. I am again treated to a spectacle. It is even more impressive under mage sight. But not any easier to understand. I could most likely reproduce a static pattern, even if I had no idea what it is doing. What she produces is anything but static. And it involves things that are not spells. In fact they seem not to be made from mana.
I regret that because they are involved in a pretty cool effect. She is floating about a meter above ground in a meditative pose. Her long black hair is being tossed around as if in a storm that is not physically present.
She is in human form now. I just look at her for a quarter of an hour. If not for my mage sight I would for sure touch her. Her supple flanks over nicely rounded hips …
But I am not going to walk into that mesh of spells. Its intensity has not changed. She just told us to wait when she hurried down as we returned. I suspect that she herself didn’t know how long it would take. At least I hope she does not routinely slaughter in such numbers, however large they may be. I have not watched the details.
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Ocean currents have been changing. Weather patterns have been shifting. Cold and warm masses of air collide. The unseasonal storm in the Indian Ocean has already surprised several ships. The Columba Ragusae has suffered a broken mast. The crew has given up on chopping it loose, as the wind is too intense. The captain has ordered all men to the pumps out of desperation. The crow’s nests in the other masts have long been abandoned. The rock off the coast of Suqutra is seen only seconds before the crash. The end is swift, violent and, above all, thorough.
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I am leaving the delivery of the monster news to Zewrepa. After all she does understand the biology of the species. It also allows me to keep my thoughts to myself.
Branislava comes to the core of the matter directly „Are you sure they cannot get in here?“. Melo does answer that „They cannot tunnel in here or to this mountain.“. Then Branislava gives the obvious response „Then why do we care? If were are lucky, they’ll eat the goblins. Or do you want to hunt them for meat?“
Having a military education does some good. Hildegard talks like this is an academic seminar „First it limits our ability to operate outside. You can see goblins. You cannot see something that can grab you from below. Second we need to make sure the wards keep working. That adds a vulnerability.“ I need to add something to that „I might add that we don’t know how the wards are powered.“
As if on clue, a voice from behind says „That is a concern I can lay to rest to the extent you can be at rest while trusting Atlantean technology.“
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Leuma is leading us back down to the ritual chamber. She can almost read my mind „Atlanteans do not see their secrets as extremely valuable. At least not more valuable than their lives. So the most vital parts of a fortress are as deep as possible.“ That I must answer to „But that puts them closer to summoned entities.“ „Your view of the ritual room is clouded by the fact that you were summoned. That is a small minority of the uses of a ritual room. Even more so in a secondary base that was only used because it is a lesser loss if something were to go wrong.“ she explains. Hildegard remarks „That looks like he cared little for his holdings.“. Leuma chuckles „No contemporary holding can hold its own in comparison to the Atlantean age. To a discrete Atlantean like Marental there is just one thing of extreme importance: their survival.“
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
We are arriving in front of the blackboard. Checking it out more closely I realize that it has a dormant enchamtment, that has a similarity to my cleaning spell. That reminds me that I need to learn how to enchant. So I have to voice my thoughts „That enchantment allows a change between alternate states. As decadent as it may seem, Marental has enchanted his blackboard to be able to clear itself and probably store different versions of the writing on it.“ Leuma smiles „Indeed. And it can make copies on paper. How do you hide something? You put it in front of everybody’s eyes.“. She puts her hand on the frame, supplies mana and does something that reminds me of how I use the spells on Marental’s sword. It is triggered by the user’s will. The blackboard swings towards the ceiling revealing a roughly hewn tunnel whose walls are made of a glassy substance.
Leuma is showing us around „The pipes on that side are for waste water, which is processed on the lowest level of the basement, as if there is a leak you don’t want stuff to flow onto anything else. Above that is the equipment for fresh water and heating supplying water through the pipes on this side. Here we have the core of the installation: the ward stones and the power source.“
Visually it is not impressive. It is capped by a quartz crystal connecting it to power lines of silver mounted on the ceiling. That is quite obviously to mage sight just a distribution component and a buffer battery. The generator itself is another story. Magically speaking it is incomprehensibly complex. Visually it is a cylinder made from copper, about half a meter high. My sorcery informs me that it is almost pure but contains traces of one other metal.
I am mesmerized. This thing is fully based on mana and nothing is being conjured. I toyed with the idea of conjuring mana the same way I routinely conjure biological stuff. This is not how this thing works.
I dimly see Anjali stepping closer to admire it. Should I warn her not to touch it? She has undergone theoretical mage training in contrast to me. Many women have the oddity that they are still offended if you state something true, yet they consider it obvious.
She touches the source and at the same time extends her other arm as if to balance herself, thereby touching Leuma on the hand. Leuma freezes up, tips over and lands on the floor like somebody dropped a painted woman-shaped log. Anjali whirls around and pulls a dagger with two orthogonal blades centered on each other from the depths of her robe. She straddles the helpless demon and whispers „I hope you can hear me. How do you like that? Now I am in control.“
Something is happening to the enchantments. There was a spike in transfer of mana. Now some of the enchantments are reconfiguring while others are fading. I need to understand this. I am dimly aware of some commotion.
Zewrepa recovers her wits first, produces a progression of chords in aeolian mode and states „You have correctly guessed that she, too, has been carrying a controlling seal. That has been clever. I recognize your right of vendetta.“.
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Hildegard is shocked. That weapon looks like dark magic turned into metal. Drawing the weapon has also undone Anjali’s clothing. The demon’s glamor has briefly flared up. Hildegard has developed an annoying tendency to think thoughts she should not think about women. Their second in command explicitely announces her intent of doing nothing, while Peregrinus is staring at this metal rod with a serene expression on his face. Branislava has stayed with Julia in the kitchen. Zewrepa is wearing Melo.
That leaves only herself. „Anjali, you are indeed in control now. Do you want to make her suffer?“. Anjali answers „That is hardly a difficult thing to arrange for. I am wielding a sacrificial dagger. Your soul will not cleanly go to the afterlife if you are killed with this. Even a serious wound will do the job, only slower, which may be even better.“ She closes her eyes and tilts her head backwards. Then she continues „That thought is made even more pleasant by her defenses. A delicious irony.“ Hildegard needs to stall „Where did you get that weapon?“. Anjali grunts before responding „I knew many men like Marental. Most of them keep a weapon ready even in their bed. Finding the hidden compartment took work. But Peregrinus was rightfully exhausted.“. Hildegard draws a deep breath „Was that why you … ?“ Anjali opens her slitted eyes fully. „In part. There are many ways to be tough. You can fight. I respect that. It should not blind you to the possibility of turning desires into weapons, though. Yes, it won’t help you fight a monster. But monsters are not the most dangerous enemy.“
„Your desire is control. You have inherited that“ says Hildegard. „Inherited?“ after that heated response Hildegard continues „Your grandfather was rich. Rich enough to train you in magic theory and practical arts. Your training was wasted. He could have kept you as an engraver. That would have been the economic decision. Neither were you a blemish on his house’s reputation. Then he would just have killed you or locked you up like a princess in a tower. No. You offended his pride merely by existing. You showed that he is ultimately not in control of his bloodline.“. Hildegard has said her piece and stays silent.
„You … You are learning quickly.“. She carefully puts the sacrificial knife aside. They are both watching Peregrinus whose expression has shifted into a scrunched look of utter concentration.
„What will he do?“ Hildegard asks. Anjali chuckles. „Look he is already losing rigidity. I am going to strategically rearrange my robe and position my left hand. Have you not seen how he is around children? I am in no danger.“
Hildegard’s face rivals most cherries.
She takes Zewrepa by one of her upper hands and suggests that they leave together.
Zewrepa hoots sharply and says „A female fought a female and wishes to initiate mating behavior, although she has already been fertilized. I need to observe this to better understand your kind.“
Hildegard’s face rivals a blast furnace.
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I regain awareness. „Anjali, do you understand …“
I notice what her left hand is doing. The power source can wait.