June 17, 493 U.C.
I carefully fed magic into a sword to enchant it four hours later. Forming the pattern to boost durability, I made the other to seal it. It went onto a shelf. Then I grabbed a hammer to repeat my enchantment manufacturing process. That was when I got interrupted by a message on my ocular computer.
Raptor: Rescue
I used haste instantly. I didn’t really want someone to die. Though the chore list was now officially impossible. Reaching into my pocket dimension, I swapped amulets and then put on the black and purple dress. Finally, I teleported to the planet Starb.
Starb is a pretty place. A field of grass stood before me, coming up to my waist. A small grove of trees was nearby. A bird flew overhead in the green-tinted sky. I took a deep breath, intending to enjoy the smell of fresh grass. Instead, I smelt an utterly terrible smell. Like a bear that hadn’t washed in a year, the scent of the nearby creatures hit. That identified them instantly. I spun and saw the bear-wolverine thing. It was swatting at some lady five meters away. Can I ride it? No. The smell. I discounted the thought as I looked at the group.
Some guy was yelling or something; he had blood running down his pants. A woman was screaming and shooting fire. So was the other guy. I scowled at them and considered my options since no one was going to die in the next Earth second. There were four of the large bears. They were wrecking the small group of four people. Human and bear blood was splattered on the grass.
I walked forward and summoned my hatchets. Lighting up the enchantment, the hatchets began to glow. Spinning, I slammed one into a skull. Blue blood exploded out as I dashed to the next. Truthfully, they didn’t even know that they needed to run. Every second was over two minutes for me. It wasn’t a fair fight. It was an execution as I beheaded four bears, sending their heads slamming into the ground.
Dropping Haste, I looked to the group and shook my head. The wolbears all crumpled, heralding my arrival with a shower of blood.
“Why are you this far out? You’ll die!” I said in frustration, batting away some of the grass around me.
The man scowled at me. “Escort us. Just help if things get out of control. No more kill stealing.”
“Stay close in case,” the woman said. “Then teleport us if something goes wrong. We need the mana.”
“This is not Viper’s Villainous Valet!” I grabbed my phone with the firm desire to scream at Raptor.
“You’re here. Just escort us. Come on.” A man headed for a grove of large evergreen trees. Their thick needles formed an ominous dark wall.
I scowled and stashed carcasses. I also picked up any mana crystals I found. Then I turned and followed.
“We should get a cut on those,” the woman said with anger in her eyes.
“Talk to Raptor,” I replied and began firing off a message.
“Pay me,” the woman replied.
I turned and headed for the city that was far in the distance. Its wall towered upward. “Bye.”
“No, you will escort us,” the woman yelled.
“Pay me.” I tried to stop my smile as I spun. Her face contorted into anger. It was all that I could not to burst into laughter. She had walked into it.
“Brat,” she snapped back and then strode forward.
I turned focus to my phone.
Me: They are fine. They are trying to use me as an escort since they are way out here. I can’t waste mana and time on this. I cannot keep doing this! Who is in charge of these people?
I waited while I followed. The group pushed through the branches, shoving aside the green needles. I followed, ducking and stepping into sticky sap. A growl rippled through the grove; I groaned along with it. The bear was probably pissed about getting sap on its feet too. Ducking around some branches, I peered out into a strange room that was surrounded by massive tree trunks and pine boughs. A man slammed into one of the trunks, kicking up dust and getting sap all over him.
I patted him on the head and went to hide near one of the trunks, avoiding the bear that was six meters in front of me.
A large, black wolbear that was taller than me swung its massive paw. The man dodged back, avoiding a lethal blow. Blood began leaking down his arm which now had three claw marks ripped in it. Gross!
I sighed and looked back at my phone. Hurry it up! What’s wrong with this guy? Wanting to leave, I heard metal hit claw. The clang pulled my attention back to the strange setting.
Raptor: I’ll log it as abuse and inform them. Are they safe?
The wolbear reared back and swung again. It clipped the woman. She spun and tumbled to the ground, rolling through the mess. I winced. There was blood trickling from her shoulder.
Me: No. They are kilometers from the city. You know what stalks this place. The felines here are lethal.
The woman stood. A burst of fire shot from her hands. It bounced off the wolbear, nearly hitting one of the men. Instead, it lit the dried needles on fire. With a firm desire not to burn a planet down, I used Haste and stomped on it, smashing it under my gross shoes.
Raptor: We need them alive. Escort and send them home.
A boom echoed through the air. Dust scattered, and needles rained down. The man yelled as he pulled himself up from the tree. Blood ran down his face and arm. He downed a potion and charged again. Great, that’s another potion wasted!
Me: It will cost you two dozen enchantments. You know the mana cost.
Yes, I padded it. It was for my sanity. With a huff, I dodged to avoid some flying rocks the bear kicked up.
A man went flying, smashing into a tree trunk. The smell of his blood hit me. He hit it hard. Blood leaked from his mouth. He pulled out a vial with red liquid. Then he drank it. “Shit!”
“Viper!” the woman yelled.
Raptor: Make it up over the next two days.
Jerk! I thought. It was infuriating. I was getting the bill. With a sigh, I used Haste, grabbed my axe, walked forward, and chopped through its neck. I felt its bone shatter. The blade nearly went through it. Dodging, I was only partially hit by the blue, coppery blood that sprayed out into the pine-covered mess.
The wolbear dropped. I dropped haste and sighed at the drops of blood on my dress. “Congratulations,” I said, failing to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I walked forward and sent the bear to the warehouse.
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that! Do you have any idea who I am?” the woman protested with a scowl.
“Have a nice trip home.” I gave her a forced smile and used Teleport on them all. They vanished. With them out of the picture, I went and gathered the mana crystal that had coalesced.
Walking out of the grove, I turned out to the planet. The sky had a green tinge to hit. The sun blazed overhead. Starb had been the first that we’d settled. It was also the only one besides Vuln that had lasted.
Enjoying the ambiance, I strode through the wide-bladed grass, letting it roll over me. A light breeze sent it waving. Like the ocean, it created soft waves through the grass. In the distance, I saw a herd of very large creatures that were like a pig and a hippo had a baby. One looked towards me.
I waved at it, enjoying the tickling grass. Pulling off the Viper amulet, I shifted and enjoyed it as my default self. My platinum hair billowed around my face. A smell like lavender hit, bringing happiness with it.
Some flying birds landed on the hippopigs and began pecking off parasites. Spinning, I turned towards the city, spotting the wall that protected it. A massive towering structure stood nearby; it rose nearly half a kilometer into the air. In theory, those were used to train and grow, not that I believe it then. I don’t believe it now either.
My musings were interrupted as the birds and hippopigs went quiet. Using Haste, I spun and saw the reason.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Pulling out a glaive, I locked eyes with a black and brown striped sabrecat. Like a horrible mix of tiger and wolf, the massive creatures stalked forward. One crouched down. Fear hit me at the same time.
Like lightning, the cats surged forward. I vaulted and slashed. The nimble cat ducked under it. Landing, I spun and lashed out, rapidly swinging.
The cat vaulted back, avoiding my swing. Then I dove, rolling across the grass. A cat passed overhead, claws clipping off pieces of my hair.
Bouncing up, I deflected a strike and felt claws. Time came to a screeching halt. The feeling of claws ripping through your body is horrible. The feeling of claws scraping bone is worse. Tears began rolling down my face as blood rolled down my leg. The metallic scent of my blood hit.
Reaching into my bag, I downed a healing potion and let a bit of time pass so that I could heal. Regret filled me while I did. It wasn’t worth trying to fight them. There were too many of them, and they were smart.
Drying my watering eyes, I appeared in a warehouse and unloaded. After finishing that, I returned home and headed for the shower.
“Back?” Dad asked as I walked into the hall.
“Yes. They tricked me.”
Dad frowned. “I’ll talk to the leaders and get it taken care of.”
“Thanks.” I limped into the bathroom, looking down at my mess of a dress. Claws had shredded parts. Other parts were soaked in blood. I sighed and began taking it off.
“Are you out?” Dad called.
“Yes. I sent the carcasses to the warehouse.” I decided to change the subject. “We got new neighbors.”
“Did you scare them off?”
“No, I was perfectly polite.”
“You should have scared them off. Practice your villainy by doing that. You need the practice.”
“Mean, Dad,” I called loudly, stepping into the shower. “That’s so mean, and there is a girl that looks about my age. I want to be friends.”
Dad groaned. “That’s a horrible idea. You are the worst liar that I know.”
“Mean,” I shouted.
“I think we need a new rule. No friends.”
“That is not a rule!” I yelled and turned on the water. It pounded into me. I enjoyed it, rinsing off the purple mix of blood off my leg. Engaging the air dryer, the water trickled off while it made a mess of my hair. I got out and started brushing it. A small smile crept across my face. Maybe I can finally have a friend again. She seemed nice. My smile grew.
Dad knocked. “I really should get another school exemption. You’re better off working on the projects here.”
Panic grabbed my throat, and my anger bubbled up. “You promised! You promised me for years! I’m going, and you can’t stop me!” This was my chance to be normal. It may have been a sad dream, but it was mine. I was not losing it.
“I don’t like it. Maybe next year.”
“I’m going, Dad,” I yelled. “Even if I have to go to child services!”
Dad went quiet. “Casey, you know the risks,” he said through the door.
“I do. I’m going.” Putting on my bathrobe, I opened the door. “I’m going to go buy uniforms since I’m out of mana.” They weren’t anything fancy; a white blouse, a blue skirt, and tights. But I was still excited to look like the other kids.
“Get second hand.”
“Dad!” I yelled and walked into my room, slamming the door.
“What? You’re still growing.”
“You are mean today,” I shouted and opened my dresser.
“We need more healing potions. The stores are low. So focus those over enchantments.”
I rolled my eyes. We were always out of them. The others drank them constantly, and we had precious few who could make them. I pulled on underwear, a black skirt, and a white tank top. Then I placed in my ocular computer contacts and earbuds. Grabbing a mask, I placed it over my mouth and nose. Purple ribbons snaked out and affixed it. Then I turned and headed for the door.
Walking outside, I shut it and headed up the corridor, passing out of the clunking airlock and out into Vuln. I enjoyed the smell of the forest while walking down the concrete streets.
“Casey! Let me fly!”
“No, Ela.”
“Come on!”
“Nope. You’ll get me into trouble.”
“I won’t.” She clasped her hands and batted her eyes. “Please?”
“You will. Even if you don’t say anything, everyone will know.”
“No fun! Have a quest!”
Quest: Register with Guardian Command! Rewards: 5000 reputation.
“No.”
“Bad Casey!”
“Bad Ela!” I went back to ignoring her while walking up the street.
“Casey?” a voice called.
I spun. A smile spread across my face. “Daniele!”
“Hi. How are you?” Daniele asked. Her hair was all smashed by her mask.
“Fine. Handling the mana alright?” I waved at her mom.
“Hello,” Denise said with a smile. “Where are you headed?”
I slowed and let them catch up. “I’m buying school uniforms.”
“Mind if we join you?” Denise asked.
“Nope.” I fell in stride with them.
“The mana burns a lot,” Daniele said sadly.
I nodded. “You’ll get used to it. But it’ll take a month or two.”
“And you’ve been here for a while?”
“Yes. Four years.” I walked past a group of houses, studying a strange orange plant that I didn’t recognize. Wonder what that is?
“Want to give us a tour?” Denise asked.
“Sure. Your computer can show you things too. The corner shops have basic stuff and some groceries. You can drone in things from the mall. That three-story stone building is the school. The large windowed building next to it is the community center. You can exercise there. They have a pool. But it’s mana rich. They also have community gardens. You can swap or donate.” I pointed at each of the structures ahead of us.
Spinning slightly, I pointed to a large steel and glass building that was five stories tall. “That’s guardian headquarters on Vuln. It’s empty unless there is some event. And they don’t have those often. But you can get tested there. The police and fire department use the other side. It also houses emergency drones for everyone. The hospital is right next door. – You probably knew that.” I giggled and gestured to the nearby large building. Like all of them, metal shutters sat on the outside.
Denise smiled. “That’s where we’ll be working.”
“The metal?” Daniele asked, studying all the shutters.
“Bunker material in case of an invasion. You can get masks and oxygen canisters at each of them.”
“That’s this alarm, right?”
“Yes. AI, air report.”
Oxygen Percentage: 18.2%. Mask advisory in effect.
“Do you get used to the masks?” Daniele asked.
“Yes. And you can change the settings.” I glanced at hers. It was the default white. She was wearing a pink shirt and jeans.
“That’s how you got purple?”
“Yes. Use your AI. It’ll interface. Then you can change the colors.” I giggled as hers shifted to pink.
Daniele giggled back. “Thanks.”
“And the invasions?” Denise asked.
“You’ll know those alarms. If they happen, run to a bunker. Your ocular computer or phone can guide you.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled and walked past the school. A giant cluster of linked buildings stood in front of us. Like everything else, they were covered with solar panels. “That’s the mall, teleporter, government building, and a bunch of other things. It’s nice because it has good shields and breathable air. Behind it is the terraformer.”
The massive building wasn’t spewing steam, air, or anything from its smokestacks. Instead, it was sitting there quietly.
“Restaurants?” Daniele asked.
“The mall has several. The local ones don’t last. They use mana-high food. It’s pretty rough. There are a few in the community center. That’s about it.”
“Is everything in the mall?” Denise asked.
“Most of the big stores, yes. Shared air system.” The door to the community center slid open. I walked inside.
“I see. Do they do anything in the airlocks besides prevent flow?”
“Nope. It’s just to preserve it. They are cramped because of that. Some have multi-chambered. This one is three.” I stepped forward into the next one. The door slid shut. Then we walked into the last. The door opened, and we walked in.
“And we don’t need masks here?”
“No. But keep it nearby. It’s safer. And most places have recharge stations.” I gestured to a shelf next to us. There were cannisters plugged into it. “You can swap with a full one if you plug one in.” I walked over, popped the canister out of my mask, and placed it on the dock. One of the others went green. I plucked up the canister that looked like a small food can with a hole up top. I popped it back in.
“I see. Convenient,” Denise walked forward and did that. “Most have these?”
“Yes. And most of these will let you through to bunker.” I headed into a little clothing shop with them behind me.
A uniformed woman glanced up and smiled. “Hello.”
“Hi. I’m enrolled. Casey Erikson. I need to get uniforms.” My face flushed. I leaned forward. “Second hand, please.”
“Certainly.” The woman triggered something. A drone whirred out and scanned me. Then she walked back to a shelf and grabbed a pile. She placed them in a paper bag and handed them over.
“Thanks.” I took it and stepped back.
Daniele walked forward and did the same. Unlike me, she looked like she’d hit puberty. I flushed a bit.
Turning, I looked at the two. “Feel free to explore. I’m going to go get some studies done. See you sometime, Daniele?”
“Sure. Sounds fun.” Daniele waved. Then she followed her mom towards some other small shops. I turned and headed for the door. There were things to do, entirely too many things.
Current Level 10 Current XP 79.63% Current Max Mana 7349.53 Regen per minute 12.25 Reputation 1000
Tier Skill Cost Tier 10 User Time Dilation (Haste)
- User experiences 256 seconds for 1 earth second.
- Force transference limited to 12.5%. 2 mana per earth second. Tier 6 Pocket Dimension
- 128 cubic meters of pocket space.
- Rapid stash and rapid draw.
- You may tether objects to your pocket space.
- Your pocket space preserves items inside. 32 mana Tier 6 Time Stop
- Caster leaves spacetime. They may remove and place things back in spacetime.
- You may control the flow of time in the demiplane.
- You may summon in willing living creatures.
- This automatically triggers if you take significant damage. 200 mana to cast.
Variable cost to move items in and out. Tier 6 Teleport.
- Teleports the caster or a willing creature.
- You may cast this on an unwilling creature if they are within ten meters.
- You may teleport inside an object, causing the matter to push outward.
200 mana for the caster.
400 mana for a willing creature.
1000 mana for an unwilling creature with no resistance.
- Short range casts cost less mana.
Tier 3 Attire Swap
- Locked to a single outfit. Current outfit set to Magical Girl Uniform.
- Attire cleaned on swap.
- Attire repaired on swap. 20 mana. Tier 3 Enhanced Body
-Caster’s body is enhanced by a factor of eight. 2 mana per caster second. Tier 2 Enchanting.
- Enchantments last twice as long. Variable cost. Tier 2 Potions.
- Potions last twice as long. Variable cost. Tier 1 Free casting
- Cast any spell you can replicate. Variable cost. Penalty of 8x mana. Tier 1 Familiar Manifestation. 20 mana to cast. 1 mana for each additional minute.