“Okay, watch when you put it down.” Gunderson instructed as we slowly set down a large metal contraption that he had just had us pull out of his car's extra-dimensional trunk. “There, slowly now, aaaand down.”
We both took a step back then and looked at the strange-looking device that Gunderson had set up next to his car.
It was silvery metal in color, and its shape vaguely resembled a misshapen tripod. There seemed to be quite a lot of little devices and attachments connected to the three legs, and even more, were placed around and on top of the central connecting column where the three supporting struts came together. It was at once both high-tech, but it also looked like something a do-it-yourself amateur whipped up together in their garage.
“Phew.” Gunderson said quietly from beside me. “That thing is a pain to unpack, but damn, is it useful.”
“You said that, but how exactly does it work again?” I asked while still staring at the two-and-a-half-foot tall metal tripod.
“Well, it essentially reinforces the veil in a localized area around the device.” Gunderson said while gesturing towards the contraption. “That greatly enhanced effect makes almost all signs of magic and the non-mundane completely unnoticeable and unremarkable to those nearby. It also covers up for any gunshots or other loud sounds we might end up making.”
“Wow, that seems pretty potent. It also seems pretty dangerous as well.” I noted. “If it can cover up the sounds of, I guess, mundane violence and noise, that makes it seem like a good way to get away with a lot of messed up stuff.”
“True, it could be, I suppose.” Gunderson responded. “But, it does have its limitations, not least of which is that we can only use them when we're dealing with potentially dangerous paranatural encounters that have a high likelihood of drawing the attention of nearby mundanes. We can’t just pop these out and set them up whenever, wherever. They also only have a limited duration of an hour before their mana battery runs out of juice and needs to be replaced, which is a tedious process, by the way.”
“Huh, okay. So we just switch it on now, before you go inside then?” I asked.
“Yep, it’ll keep the mundanes nearby from noticing us. The range is about a mile or so from the amplifier.” Gunderson explained.
“Cool, so uh, are you turning it on, or…” I asked, my curiosity painfully evident by my tone and my eyes looking back and forth between Gunderson and the device.
“Hah, fine, you can switch it on, come here, I’ll show you how.” Gunderson said as he stepped up the metal tripod and crouched down to get a good look under the central column. “Here is the switch you need to flip.”
I followed where his finger was pointing and flipped the relatively small little metal switch to the on position.
The device quickly started emanating a field of energy, mana I would guess, that rapidly spread out as all sorts of little lights and indicators on the machine began to light up. A low, almost unnoticeable hum also began to leave the device. As I stood back up and stepped away, the sound of the hum and the feel of the mana-field surrounding it faded away very quickly.
“So it’s working now, then?” I asked uncertainly.
“It is. We should be good for about an hour now. That’s assuming now colossal dragons show up or archmage level magic starts going off.” Gunderson said with a wry smile. “We should be good.”
“Uh, right, good to hear.” I said, even more, unsure of the device's efficacy now.
“Well then, I’m going to skulk around to the front and then make entry.” Gunderson said more seriously now. “You remember your part?”
“Yeah, guard the back exit, and apprehend anyone trying to leave.” I said, repeating from memory what he had told me.
“You got it.” Gunderson told me with a solemn but warm expression on his face. He then placed a large comforting hand on my shoulder. “Just be careful, do whatever you have to complete the mission, but your life and well-being always come first. Remember that.”
“I, uh, I got it.” I said, feeling a bit awkward at the emotionally charged moment.
“Keep your weapon ready and your magics prepared. You got this.” He said more warmly and confidently this time.
“Yeah, I won’t let you down.” I said, forcing a small smile onto my face.
Gunderson placed his pointer finger back onto the side of the enchanted sunglasses he was wearing, seeming to make some manner of adjustment to them.
“I know.” Was all Gunderson said before turning off and making his way over to and around the corner of the large condemned apartment building we were currently behind.
As I watched him go, I couldn’t help feeling my nerves and anxiety spike at being left alone out here. This was a potentially dangerous and even deadly situation I was in right now.
Who knows what kind of people are inside there and that might come charging out the back and right into me.
But, whoever they are, I need to be prepared. Assuming what Gunderson said was right, these guys were small fries compared to whatever monsters I might have to face in the future. These were probably just ordinary-level people, likely not much different in ability than any joe schmo you’d find on the street.
When you compared the abilities of someone like that to even the limited amount of magic I had already done and seen, they probably really were just small fries.
Plus, I did have the weapons Gunderson had left me. That and the emergency button he made sure to warn about in his car. I should be just fine hopefully.
*Crack*
*BANG* *BANG*
Well, that was pretty quick. I guess Gunderson was right about them not being willing to come along quietly. I could feel my anxiety spike again as my muscles tensed at hearing the very close sound of gunfire going off. Without really even thinking about it, I unconsciously unholstered my own small silver pistol and held it out in front of me.
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
Frick, it really sounds bad in there.
As more and more gunshots started going off now, I was increasingly glad that Gunderson had taken the time to set up this veil amplifier device to mask our activities. It might be a slightly rundown part of town, but even so, all these gunshots would, for sure, draw the attention of other people.
It would then be only a single quick phone call to the police before who knows how many cop cars would suddenly pull up and surround us.
Stolen novel; please report.
*BANG*
*Crack*
*BANG* *BANG*
*Thud*
*BANG*
The sounds of fighting and conflict only seemed to escalate and grow as time went on, and I was stuck out here, standing next to a bright red convertible and a weird magic tripod thingy.
Part of me was relieved not to be in the middle of all that, but I was also feeling more than a little concerned for Gunderson’s safety right now. He was supposed to be pretty experienced at dealing with stuff like this, but that didn’t do much to quell the worry I was feeling.
I gripped my little silver pistol a bit tighter in my hands, and as I was thinking about it, I made sure to switch off the safety in its side. I needed to be ready to use it at a moment's notice right now.
*BANG* *BANG*
*Crack*
How long was this going to go on for? The building was pretty large, but there can’t have been that many more of these guys insise there, right? I guess it would probably take a decent amount of time for just one person to clear a whole building this size by themselves.
Thinking about it now, why was Gunderson doing all this by himself? Couldn’t he call in some backup for something like this?
The only backup he had right now was me, and that thought made me feel even more unsettled. He was depending on me, just like all those other people at that party.
I need to do whatever I have to to support him here.
Strengthening my resolve, I crept closer to the actual walls of the building we were assaulting. Keeping my head on a slow swivel, I did my best to be aware of my surroundings as I made my way across the small alleyway I was in, and then over toward the walls with their worn vinyl siding and the exposed brick visible underneath.
As I settled myself up against the wall, my hands still firmly holding the small pistol in my hands, I listened for the sounds of any more fighting going on.
*BANG*
*Thud*
The number of gunshots has decreased quite a lot by now. I wonder if that meant things were coming to an end? Hopefully, Gunderson is still alright in there.
Should I go inside to help me when it seems like everything is really over?
No, he made my job and task very clear. Watch the back exit, and stop anyone who…
*CRASH*
At the sound of glass breaking, I whipped around just in time to see a figure landing with a loud *Thump* as they somewhat gracefully landed just a few feet away from me.
The male figure who had just landed had greenish-yellow skin and pointed ears on the side of his head. As he stood up, I immediately recognized who this person was from before.
His eyes went wide a little bit as he noticed me standing nearby, but whatever he saw made him open his mouth up into a wide and friendly smile. The only problem was his mouth was filled with a multitude of tiny but razor-sharp little teeth.
“Well, hello there, young lady.” The man said to me with a large and creepy smile. He held his hands out to his side as he was talking. He clearly must have clocked the firearm I was still tightly holding in my hands. “I hope you aren’t planning on firing that weapon at little ole’ me are you?”
“O-only if I have to.” I stuttered a bit before quickly trying to bolster my resolve. “Place your hand on your head and face away. You’re being detained.”
“Oh yeah?” The creepy said with an even wider smile. “On whose authority, exactly?”
“On the authority of the IDPA.” I stated firmly. I wasn’t entirely sure I could speak on their behalf, but I was helping Gunderson out in this, so it should be fine.
“I thought so.” The needle-toothed man said with a smile as he licked his tongue across his numerous gleaming teeth. “You’re all dressed up in your civvies, so I wasn’t too sure at first, but I guess it makes sense that you suits would send someone in disguise first to spy on us before you made your attack.”
Not feeling the need to correct his assumption, I kept my weapon pointed in front of me and in Needletooth’s direction.
“I won’t ask you again.” I said more loudly and firmly this time. “Hands on your head and knees on the ground.”
“Oh, now you also want me to kneel for you as well.” He said with a playful and unnerving smile. “A bit greedy, aren’t we?”
As he said this, he also began to move very slowly toward me, his steps ever more cautious and deliberate as he kept his eyes locked with mine.
“I said stop.” I shouted at him this time. I pointed the silver pistol down at his feet and pulled the trigger once.
*BANG*
A tiny little puff of asphalt and debris erupted from the little crater my shot had made into the alleyway surface beneath our feet.
I had intended my single shot to be a warning, hopefully convincing him to stand down and surrender. Instead, he seemed to take it as the signal to charge straight for me.
“Frick!” I exclaimed, quickly bringing up my pistol and firing a couple more rounds at the quickly approaching man’s direction.
Somehow, he was quick or lucky enough to dodge out of my line of fire and, with his right hand, drew a sharp and gleaming knife out from somewhere on his person.
“Fricking frick!” I yelled again, entirely unloading my pistol at him this time.
He, again, seemed to glide around wherever I was currently aiming at as he continued to move swiftly and gracefully directly for me.
After I had fired a few more shots that also missed, he had gotten within reach of me and knocked my pistol right out of my hands with a decisive strike from the backside of his left hand.
As the weapon went clattering away to my side, he thrust his knife straight towards my gut, a sickening toothy smile was on his face as his weapon and arm seemed to glide through the air toward me.
Time seemed to slow as I could sense the imminent danger that I was in. I called on the one thing I knew for sure could help me in this situation, the magic that was within me. It had so far proved to be my most potent and surest weapon. Right now, that was exactly what I needed.
“Chromatic Shield!” I shouted at the onrushing knife and the grinning man.
A large shadowy black barrier materialized in front of the left arm I held up in front of me in a desperate attempt to protect my body from the sharp metal blade coming for it. The inky black hemisphere of energy made it hard to see clearly past it. Still, I could clearly feel it when the knife made its impact with the magical barrier.
It felt like a firm shove against a door I was holding closed, as the knife seemed to be making sharp scratching sounds of metal against a hard, unyielding surface. As much as the blade was pressed into the barrier, it seemed largely unaffected by the foreign object thrust into the shadowy wall from the outside.
The face of the Needle Tooth could only be partially made out through inky fog that seemed to be swirling through the barrier of my Chromatic Shield spell. But, from what little I could see, it made a slightly cocky grin spread across my face.
He was livid at first from his weapon being stopped. This reaction caused my own fear to quickly melt away at almost the same speed that my barrier was dissipating after the spell had ended.
Like I had told Gunderson earlier, I wasn't idle this past week. Every night, I had been staying up as late as I could as I continued to study the book of magic I had been given. While it was true that most of the spells listed in that book were inaccessible to me until I learned how to filter out my essence, there were still a handful of darkness and shadow spells that I did take the time to learn.
‘Chromatic Shield’ was one of them.
It was a handy type of spell that was known as universally compatible. This meant that it would accept any type of essence provided to it in its casting.
The primary function of the spell was to nullify or deflect attacks based on whatever type of essence was used in its creation. In my case, that would be shadow. Additionally, it also acted as a sort of generic lesser barrier to other types of attacks. It was not nearly as effective or strong in those cases, but right now, in my situation, it was enough.
“You.” Needletooth said with venom almost dripping from the word as he uttered it.
“Me.” I replied back snarkily.
“You’re a mage.” He seemed to continue to be trying to size me up and get a read on me. “No, wait, you can’t be just a mage… Your a-, oh fucking fuck. You’re a goddamn super, fuck me fucking sideways.”
With that statement, Needletooth's eyes went very big as turned right around on his heels and charged away in the exact opposite direction of me. Just as quickly as he had come at with his knife, he was now beating an unashamedly hasty retreat away from me, as fast as his legs seemed to be able to carry him.
“H-hey wait, stop!” I shouted back impotently at the rapidly retreating form. Quickly readjusting to the new situation, I also began running as fast as I could right after him. “Frick!”