Unsure of how to respond Dean mimicked Lady Andromeda and sipped his tea. Not even noticing his cuffs had been removed. The tea was the perfect temperature just warm enough as it passed his lips. The flavors were a medley of fresh fruits. Each fruit its own layer slowly morphing into the next. Swallowing the tea he felt familiar to swallowing a spoonful of honey as the warmth began to radiate through his body. Muscles in his body relaxing a knot in his back he didn’t know he had, unknotting.
“What is this?” Dean asked holding up the cup of tea. He had never felt this calm and wondered if he had been drugged.
“Tea made from fruits from my own garden,” Andromeda said.
Aggie turned to Dean, “Don’t be rude,” then turned back to Andromeda, “I apologize for his impertinence. I have barely brushed the surface of propriety. We mostly worked on control.”
“Yes, something that has brought the young Clavomancer to me,” Andromeda said.
“What is a Clavomancer,” Dean asked.
Andromeda smiled at Dean saying, “We will get to that after I learn what you have learned about magic.”
Aggie deigned to reply for Dean, “I’m training him in sigil magic from the Sisters of Salem. I think that would blend well with his control of nails.”
“The Sisters of Salem were your creators?” Andromeda asked. It seemed the question was more a statement rather than just a question.
“Yes they were my creators but I always saw them as a family,” Aggie replied.
“I’m sorry for that loss even though it is truly belated. But shouldn’t Dean have an understanding of magic before it is chosen for him?” Andromeda replied.
“But his magic has taken a new form,” Aggie replied. “Wouldn’t it be wise to guide it in a way that is known?”
“Even the Sister’s magic was new and unexplored at one point,” Andromeda replied. “Take it from someone who helped shaped how magic worked for another. Your best intentions can have unforeseen reactions on how the power proliferates.”
“Then I will acquiesce to your knowledge Lady Andromeda,” Aggie replied a little stiffly.
Andromeda smiled at Aggie. She then turned to Dean and asked, “May I freely give you a lesson on how magic is formed. So that you could freely form a style that won’t be so detrimental to the Fay.”
Dean just nodded his head dumbly then taking another sip of tea. His cup never becoming any less full no matter how much he drank.
“Magic is not such a rigid construct of rules as most belief. There are universal similarities though. Intent, focus, and the ability to power the spell. Missing any of these three would make any spell fail including my own. What is viewed as intent, focus, and power changes based on how you view magic.”
“For example, there is a sect of Hindu shamans that use a focus similar to your own. The way they commune with their patron and cast spells is by piercing their bodies with needles adorned with symbols. As the needles perforate their skin, they can release their spells,“ Andromeda said.
“So their intent is the spell or prayer to their god. The focus is on the needle and piercing their skin is power?” Dean replied thinking he understood this idea.
“No the power is their belief that it will work. The needles piercing their skin is their foci. The focus of power is not just a physical thing but can be an action. Some Native American’s used chants and dances as their own focuses,” Andromeda replied.
“Ok this is making sense but what does that mean for me?” Dean asked.
“I was just giving you an example of some magic users similar to you,” Andromeda replied. “There are other forms of magic that are so obtuse that explaining them would be more trouble than they it’s worth.”
“There is new magic discovered not that long ago by a man living in Spokane Washington. His power deals with his car and the extent of it is unknown to me. His father in law is a powerful Loa that I do not want to offend,” Andromeda continued.
“I think I know him,” Aggie said. “Mortimer Smith, right?”
Andromeda smiled at Aggie, “Oh that is wonderful news that you know Mortimer. I would love to hear what you know of his magic.”
Aggie replied, “I would love to share if you would get rid of amendment b to our deal.”
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Andromeda pursed her lips at that as if thinking about it.
“I have ridden in his car with him,” Aggie added on.
“Since you have firsthand knowledge, I can accept that if you contribute a treatise on it in writing,” Andromeda said.
“I agree to that,” Aggie replied. “Mortimer has interesting magic that takes its form while in his car. His car becomes the focus of his power and his belief in his ability in driving powers it. The intent is where it gets hard to explain but I feel like it also ties in with his belief. While driving Mortimer’s car becomes virtually indestructible and untouchable to anything. That includes bird shit and bugs on the windshield.”
“When he worked for the MIB he was a courier and driver for us. Similar to Anil for you. The one time I met him was a few years ago when I was sent to a raid in Louisiana. Mort at the time was living there with his wife so he was going to be my chauffeur and bodyguard. At the time I didn’t understand how Mort would guard me as he refused to get out of his car when the raid started.
“I remember sitting in his car watching the house burning. We had interrupted some type of ritual that I never got to investigate like I was supposed to. As the house was burning, we learned that some of our men were trapped in there while stopping the ritual. Firefighters were on their way but we're going to be too late and that the fire was too big to put out magically.
“After hearing this Mortimer turned to me and told me to get out. The car door opened on its own and a force propelled me out as he revved his engine. As I sat there on the ground he peeled out before his wheels gained traction. Rocketing toward the house he smashed through the wall and before we knew it, he was coming back through the hole he made all of our men packed into his car.
His vehicle was spotless as he pulled up. Not a single scratch or ding. When all agents were out of the car, I climbed in. It didn’t even smell like smoke even though some of the agents had some serious burns and still smoking. It just smelled like a new car,” Aggie said as he finished his story of Mortimer's new magic.
Andromeda clapped her hands and said, “What a lovely story but I will need a better analysis of his magic in the treatise.”
“How do you know the car wasn’t magic,” Dean asked.
“Because this was a standard MIB issue vehicle, not his personal one,” Aggie replied. “I have heard his personal vehicle is even more amazing.”
“Well how does all of this affect my magic,” Dean said.
“I’m getting their child,” Andromeda replied.
Dean bristled at the insult of being called a child. But wisely kept his mouth shut as she continued her explanation.
“Magic takes many forms as we have both shared. Dean even though your magic is unique to you it carries similarities to others. What I find most interesting and troubling is that it may be tainted by the metal you choose,” Andromeda said. “But the way you casts spells can also be unique to you or you can follow the path Aggie has set out for you.”
Dean thought about what she said about developing his own spells. But then looked at Aggie and thought of much help he had been. That in such a short time, he had gained a better grasp and control of his powers with Aggie’s help.
“I am the apprentice of Aggadorf the living grimoire and will trust in his wisdom,” Dean said. “If he thinks sigil magic is the best choice for me, I will not question that.
Dean saw Aggie shift a little from the corner of his eye. But Aggie refused to let Dean know how happy he was to hear that.
“That is a right you have but if you will entertain me a little more,” Andromeda said.
Andromeda then reached over to a small butter dish with a lid made of the purest of white porcelain. Lifting the lid Dean saw 3 nails made of the same material as his handcuffs. The same handcuffs he just realized he wasn’t wearing.
Andromeda pushed the dish towards Dean. Letting him know that he had permission to attempt to use them. Opening his mind to the nails he found it surprisingly easy to connect with them. But he also felt the dim connection to a nail in his pocket. One that Ula missed on her pat-down. Quickly shutting down that link instead focus on the three nails in front of him.
The surface of each nail was polished to a mirror finish as it reflected his face. As his power picked them up, he could feel tiny inscriptions along with the shaft pulsing before disappearing. The head of each was imprinted with a perfect pentagram mimicking his iron nails. Letting his magic hold them aloft he gently placed them back onto the butter dish.
“What did those inscriptions do?” Dean asked Andromeda suspiciously.
“They were just a precaution we took if your magic was harmful to me,” Andromeda began. “It was not but it did resonate with the metal those nails were made with.” Andromeda then placed the lid back on the butter dish.
“What type of metal was that?” Dean asked.
Andromeda did not answer but smiled. Not the closed-lip benign smile of earlier. But one a predator would show its prey. Lips curled back to reveal her teeth. Teeth made of the same material as the nails. Metal only gifted to kings and queens in myths. Often by their fairy godmothers. Mithril.
“Oh, I think you figured out what they are and no you may not have them,” Andromeda said after watching the realization on Dean’s face.
Dean’s hopes at gaining a legendary meta were dashed at this but he knew that it was an impossible wish.
“Instead you can use 3 silver nails to use while you are on my lands,” Andromeda said.
Aggie held up his hand as if to stop Dean from speaking, “Is this a gift freely given?”
Andromeda's eyes became slits as she looked at Aggie, “Only if you can return Nameless’s killers to us.”
“We can’t agree to that as it runs counter to a previous agreement,” Aggie replied. “But we should be able to return Nameless to you, alive.”
“She is dead and was set for burial before you broke our link to her home,” Andromeda said looking directly at Dean.
“That was just a facsimile of her body using some clever magic including powerful Fay magic,” Aggie said. “We discovered her hand was real and through divination that she was alive somewhere in the Grimmlands.”
“I abhor that name but I will forgive you for that transgression if you bring Nameless to me,” Andromeda said quickly after Aggie spoke.
“For the silver nails and safe passage on your land for as long as we look for Nameless. Also, we need help with a spell to locate her,” Aggie countered.
“I can agree to that,” Andromeda said as she waved her hand over the table they were sitting at. In its place, an ancient map took its place. “May I see what I will be using to locate her with.”