The Red Fairy was known for her unpredictable nature, and Atlas wasn’t sure if she’d congratulate them or blow their heads off for disturbing her. For a moment, he could barely muster the courage to speak. “Uh, hello there Miss Magnificent and Important Red Fairy,” he finally managed, trying to keep his voice steady. “We, uh, just bought some SkyPatrols.”
John, standing next to him, tried to look calm but his face had turned a shade paler. He forced a smile, his lips stretched in a way that looked more like a skeleton’s rictus smile. He desperately wanted to avoid saying something that might set her off.
The Red Fairy tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “It looks like you made the INCREDIBLE choice of choosing my SkyPatrols. I’m so glad you did!” She twirled in the air, her wings fluttering as she spoke. “I put a lot of work into those, you know. They’re not just your average drones. They’re special, like me!”
Atlas tried to keep up the pleasantries, though his mind was racing. “Yeah, we thought they’d be perfect for Fort Bone. We’ve got a lot of new people coming in, and we want to make sure everything’s secure. These SkyPatrols should really help with that.”
The Red Fairy clapped her hands together, clearly pleased. “Oh, they definitely will! And since you’ve chosen my SkyPatrols, I get to have a little fun.” She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You see, when someone buys these, all the mana coins go directly to me. It’s one of the perks of being the Red Fairy.”
‘Oh great,‘ thought Atlas, trying not to let his anxiety show. ‘She’s definitely up to something.‘
“But don’t worry,” she continued, her tone brightening again, “I’m going to make sure you get the best results out of this deal. I’m going to create 20 mini copies of myself to patrol your settlement. They’ll be as bright, brilliant, and beautiful as the real Red Fairy—well, almost as good. But in the Wasteland, almost the same is the best solution you’ll get!”
Atlas knew what she meant about how things in the wasteland were, at best, almost as good and not quite the same. He had spent some mana coins on buying Glenfiddich-21 in the vending machines. It had come out, and while it looked kind of the same and tasted almost the same, it definitely wasn’t the same thing. It was like a backstreet knockoff that you’d buy in the alleys of Hong Kong.
She let out a gleeful laugh, clearly thrilled at the prospect of her mini faeries roaming Fort Bone.
John finally found his voice, though it came out shakier than he’d hoped. “Uh, that sounds… great. So, how do these mini Red Fairies work exactly?”
The Red Fairy beamed. “I’m so glad you asked! You get to set three automatic rules for them. Once you’ve decided on those, they’ll enforce them to the best of their abilities. But remember, once the rules are set, they’re permanent. I won’t be coming back to change them, so think carefully!”
‘Oh crap,‘ Atlas thought, his mind going blank. ‘I didn’t expect it to be like this.‘ He glanced at John, hoping he’d have some brilliant ideas because right now, Atlas felt like his brain had short-circuited. If there had been a picture of Atlas’s inner eager beaver, it would be hiding in a cave, with its tail sticking out.
Sensing Atlas’s hesitation, John took a deep breath and spoke up. “Alright, Miss Red Fairy, the awesome and important,” he began, hoping to appease her with flattery, “Rule one: the mini fairies should always look out for littering in Fort Bone. If they find a litterbug, they should fine them ten mana coins and give them a little reminder that littering is bad.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The Red Fairy nodded, clearly approving. “Excellent choice! I can’t stand litter myself. Rule one is set!”
John felt a bit of confidence returning. “Okay, rule two: they should stop any fighting in the settlement.”
Atlas quickly interrupted, his voice laced with urgency. “Wait, wait, wait. Let’s amend that. I don’t want them stopping the fights. Just have them alert our regular guards. Let them handle it.”
The Red Fairy raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. “Oh? Why the change of heart?”
Atlas swallowed hard. “Oh, I don’t want to work the little guys too hard is all,” he said with his best apologetic smile.
‘If they stop the fights… Well, I bet they’ll just blow their heads off. A death penalty for a drunken bar brawl isn’t what we’re aiming for here.‘
A sly grin spread across the Red Fairy’s face. “Oh, I see. You’re so thoughtful!” She winked at him, and Atlas felt a chill run down his spine. “Very well, I’ll make sure they only alert your guards. Rule two is set!”
John was on a roll now, but he was also cautious. He didn’t want to make any decisions that could backfire. “Alright, rule three…”
Atlas cut him off again, his mind working overtime. “No theft or vandalism. If any of the fairies see it, they should kick the culprits out of the settlement immediately.”
The Red Fairy’s eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” she asked, her voice dripping with glee.
Atlas hesitated, his thoughts racing through the potential chaos such a rule could cause. Finally, he shook his head. “No, wait. I’ve got a better idea. Rule three should be that I can issue a command to have the mini fairies attack all enemies. They can go wild on anyone listed as an enemy in our friend/foe system.”
‘The friend/foe system was designed for dealing with petty security issues. It wasn’t powerful enough to deal with mass insurrections. Hopefully these mini faeries will help.‘
The Red Fairy’s grin faltered for a moment, clearly disappointed that her opportunity for mischief had been curbed. But she recovered quickly, her smile brightening again. “Well, if that’s what you want… Rule three is set!”
With a dramatic flourish, she snapped her fingers and with a twinkle of her wand, 20 mini Red Fairies appeared. Each one no bigger than a fist, their wings shimmering as they floated in the air. They called out in unison, their voices high-pitched and cute, “Here! Here! Here! Ready to serve!” They gave an adorable salute in unison.
Atlas and John stared at them, still reeling from the rapid series of events. The mini fairies flitted about, their tiny faces beaming with excitement, eager to begin their duties.
The Red Fairy hovered above them, looking down at her daughters with a mixture of pride and amusement. “I hope you’re happy with your purchase. My mini fairies will keep things very interesting around here.”
Atlas forced a smile. “I’m sure they will. Thank you for your benevolence.”
With one last, lingering glance, the Red Fairy gave a satisfied nod and then vanished in a flash of red light, leaving behind the 20 mini fairies to begin their patrols.
As soon as she was gone, Atlas let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Well, that was… intense.”
“Hi! Hi! Hi!” said the mini fairies as they excitedly buzzed around their new home.
John nodded, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. “You think? I was sure she was going to blow us up just for the fun of it.”
“Hey, stop ignoring us! Look at me! Look at me!” The mini fairies interrupted them again.
“Go and start your patrols,” said Atlas.
“Yes sir!” The mini fairies scattered into Fort Bone after giving off a cute round of salutes.
Atlas shook his head, still trying to process what had just happened.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of crazy stuff in this world, but she’s on a whole different level.”
“Yeah,” John agreed, still staring at the mini fairies as they began to disperse, each one taking to their new patrol routes. “But you know what? This might actually work out. With these things flying around, we’ll have an extra layer of security that we didn’t have before.”
Atlas nodded slowly. “Yeah, as long as they don’t go rogue or something. But let’s focus on the positives. We’ve got 20 mini fairies on our side now, and they’ll help keep the peace—or at least alert us when things go sideways.”
John chuckled. “And here I thought we were just buying some drones. This is… way more than I expected.”
Atlas clapped him on the back. “Welcome to my world. Nothing’s ever simple around here.”
‘This totally is going to be fine right? Right?‘ Atlas thought, as they both watched the mini fairies settling into their patrols, their tiny forms darting through the air with a surprising level of grace and efficiency.