“Sara is recovering well, talking with Theodor, that man from the government who helped us out, the drug used to knock her out was a standard anesthetic. Though he says the amount described should have killed her,” Lailra chuckled as she reported to Orlan, despite the ease of communication through telepathy it was still easier to report in person. Not only did it save mana, a real concern with the weak aether of this side, but it was more personal.

“Does she remember anything?”

“No, just being hit with darts by shadowy figures,” Lailra shrugged, “the drug apparently messes with memory as well, so it’s unlikely she’ll remember much of the attack.”

“But she’s recovering well?” Orlan asked, seeing Lailra nod before continuing, “good.”

“You need to respond to this,” Lailra said before Orlan could ask another question, “I know you don’t like getting political, but it may be too late for that.”

“Protector Lords aren’t supposed to be political!” Orlan nearly shouted before wincing at himself.

“I know,” Lailra replied, not sounding offended or scared despite his outburst, “but that was on the other side, this side things are… different. There was hundreds of years of history on the other side, working out how Protector Lords are to be treated. Here, they only have your word you don’t want to be political. They see you as a powerful actor, like the king of a small nation with a powerful army.”

“If I’d known they’d be like that I’d have stayed on the other side,” Orlan muttered.

“No you wouldn’t have,” his head knight chuckled, leaning against his shoulder, “you wouldn’t leave people to suffer and die, not when you can do something about it.”

Orland didn’t respond, simply taking a deep breath and gathering himself and thinking. Despite everything the encounter with the magically enhanced soldier had shaken him, more than even the tier nine eye encased in glass if he was being honest. While at first glance the eye seemed the bigger deal, it was possible that it was a relic from the splitting, when the magical and mundane worlds were separated. It was hard to imagine the kind of power such a spell would require, much less that it would be imperfect, but after thinking it was possible.

The magically enhanced soldier, however, was something else. As far as he knew magic had only begun appearing on this side again a bit over a year ago, when the first rift opened. Even if there was some secret society with access to relics like the eye, to think that they could figure out how to imbue not just items, but people to tier two in under a year? That was difficult to grasp, especially when they seemed so intent on refuting his claims of magic entirely.

It was almost like he was dealing with two different groups.

“Think the US is… compromised?” Orlan asked, “infiltrated?”

“Like by some kind of mind controlling parasite?” Lailra asked, cocking her head for a moment, “it’s unlikely, but possible I suppose. None of the recorded rifts had anything like that, but it’s possible there were other rifts they missed.”

“Maybe I should declare the US infiltrated?”

“No, absolutely not,” she shook her head immediately, “not only do we not have proof, but on this side they wouldn’t know what that means. At best they’d see it as some weird magical thing, but more likely they’d see it as you making an excuse to declare war. If we had allies on this side, as well as proof, then maybe, but right now? No.”

“Then, what, just continue as normal?” Orlan asked.

“I think you should stick with your original plan,” she consoled, “get back to the sixth sphere, then the protectorate should be able to travel without worrying about mana. Based on what the seers have been saying it looks like there’s a hot spot in Europe for rifts. There’s likely one here around DC as well but after the last series of rifts it should be quiet for a bit.”

“Any progress on the detection array?”

“You’d have to ask them,” she shrugged, standing and motioning for him to do the same, “come, lets tour your land.”

“I thought I was in charge around here,” Orlan said with a smirk.

“Of course you are,” Lailra replied with a smile, “now do as you’re told.”

\-\-\-\-\-

“The array has a reliable range of around four hundred miles,” the mage responsible for the array explained, gesturing to the mirrored basin in the center of the large room. A grand crystal hung above it, suspended by a dozen chains, light from an unknown source filtering through it down into the basin where a series of irregular, concentric circles moved about the basin. They flowed and warped like water in the sea, seemingly at random, though a handful of mages clustered around it attempting to interpret the movements of the lights.

“And, unfortunately, that’s about as good as it’s going to get,” the mage added, “the aether is simply too weak for anything more on this side. But there is a good thing about this side, while the aether is thin, it’s also calm. While our reliable detection range is limited I believe we can detect possible rifts from further out, for instance we’re seeing the possible precursors of a rift to the South-East right now.”

“Where?” Orlan demanded.

“No idea, we won’t be able to pinpoint it until either it appears or we get closer,” the mage shrugged, “best we can do is give you a direction.”

“The south-east? That’s open ocean,” Orlan said, “there’s not a lot of places it could be.”

“Or it’s an ocean rift,” the mage shrugged, but Orlan wasn’t paying attention.

“Bermuda,” he said, receiving word from Nallia mentally. Rifts were drawn to land, though no one really knew why. Some speculated that the rift was seeking out someplace the creatures within it could survive, while others said that large bodies of water were natural wards against rifts. Regardless islands and coastlines were some of the more dangerous places to live on the other side, since rifts were more likely to appear there. Despite that, the resources and opportunity afforded by a costal location often outweighed the additional risk.

The ground shuttered under them as the Protectorate began moving under Orlan’s orders.

“Are you sure?” Lailra asked.

“Like you said, my job is to protect people, I can’t just let them suffer and die if I’m able to help,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile, “besides there’s almost certainly a mana geyser on or near the island.”

“I just wish I could see what the government was thinking right now,” she smiled in reply.

\-\-\-\-\-

“What do you mean, ‘it’s moving’?” Theo demanded of the poor staffer that’d been chosen to deliver the message.

“J-just as I said, sir,” the young woman stuttered, “observers reported the island began to move again… away from the coast.”

“What direction?”

“South and… and east,” she said hurriedly. Deciding he wasn’t going to get anything more from her Theo dismissed the poor girl and reached for his phone, putting it to his ear as he decided who to call first. In all likelihood the president already knew, if Theo was smart enough to pay someone to sit on a boat off the coast and watch the floating island he knew the military would be well ahead of him. Assuming they hadn’t just left the submarine Orlan had exposed in place anyways.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The same logic applied to his contacts in the FBI and CIA, they’d likely found out before him. No, there was only one group he was best served by contacting.

“Hello?” a somewhat mono-tone voice answered after ringing a few times.

“Lady… Nallia?” Theodor asked, “I’m Theo, I work with congress, I was-.”

“You helped us at the pentagonal building, yes,” the woman said simply, “don’t expect anyone to thank you for that idea.”

“I didn’t think they’d take your Lord to a black site, but that’s not why I’m calling,” he sighed, “I just got word the island is moving again.”

“Correct.”

“Care to tell me why?”

“Because Orlan decided.”

“That’s… please, I’m trying to help,” Theo sighed, resting his face in his palm, “after the events of yesterday this won’t help you out.”

“Yesterday? You mean when your government accused my Lord of violently breaking out of prison?” the woman asked in a monotone.

“Yes, that,” he sighed again, “look, I’m sure he had his reasons, but to move right now makes it look like he’s running away.”

“Because he is,” Nallia said, catching Theo off guard, “he’s running because he has a job to do and doesn’t want to kill people who refuse to let him do that job.”

“If you could just tell me where you’re going?”

“Why should I?”

“I’d like to think I’ve earned some level of good will,” Theo replied desperately, “I was the one who leaked the reason Orlan was arrested to the press.”

“You were also the one to suggest he let himself be arrested.”

“Yes, I’m trying to tell you that I’m not your enemy. I’m trying to help.”

“I’ll inform my lord that you called,” the woman said flatly after a moment before the line went dead. Theo let out a long groan, he didn’t exactly blame them for acting like this. He should have known they wouldn’t put Orlan in a normal prison, that mistake was on him, but he was trying to help.

With another deep breath he reset the phone and prepared to call someone else.

\-\-\-\-\-

“Have you decided what your name is going to be?” Ruby asked, leaning across the table with a conspiratorial smile.

“My name?” Amy asked, looking confused.

“Clearly White hasn’t told her about that tradition yet,” Topaz said, scolding her sister before turning back to Amy, “Protector Lords are required to abandon their past upon becoming a Protector Lord, giving up their family name, any titles, land and everything. Us knights aren’t required to do anything so drastic, but we still can’t hold any land or titles other than that of Protector Knight while we’re bonded with our Lord. So, traditionally, us knights change our names during our time in service to our Lord.”

“You could go by Saphire!” Ruby said excitedly, “after your eyes! You can be our little sister too!”

“Wait, you two aren’t real sisters?” Amy asked.

“We are,” Topaz said, flicking her sister in the forehead, “and no adopting new knights.”

“Aww, but I’ve always wanted a little sister! You grew up with a little sister, it’s no fair!” Ruby pleaded.

“Unfortunately you were my little sister,” Topaz replied dryly, “so we’ll call it even.”

“Rude!” Ruby said, sticking out her tongue.

“In any case, don’t worry about picking a new name,” Topaz said, looking at Amy with an amused smile, “focus on awakening your mana right now.”

“Ya! Any progress?”

“I can feel it now, barely, I think,” Amy admitted after a moment, “it’s… hard to describe, it feels… like a smothering force, covering everything. Like it can be a source of both tension and comfort, a constant companion or what you fear the most. Something so fragile the slightest touch can break it, yet something you don’t want to break despite your fear… I don’t know.”

“It’s fine,” Topaz said with a friendly smile, “it took me months to figure out my mana.”

“I figured mine out in a day!” Ruby said with a proud smile.

“You got lucky,” Topaz countered with a roll of her eyes, “don’t worry, you’ll figure it out before long.”

“I thought most people never figured out their mana?” Amy asked.

“Most people don’t spend enough time thinking about it, or they get confused about what their feeling. There’s a million reasons why someone might not decode their mana.”

“Considering the benefits, you’d think people would spend a lot of time working on it.”

“You don’t see many benefits till you pass the first bottleneck,” Topaz countered, “the first two spheres leave you mostly mortal, not until you reach the third sphere and up that you start seeing real benefits. And most people, seeing the effort it takes them to reach sphere one, give up, deciding the chance of them reaching the third sphere isn’t worth the effort.”

“I’ve heard these bottlenecks mentioned a few times, what are they?” Amy asked.

“They’re points where your body, as it is now, can no longer contain any more power,” Topaz explained, “for most spheres, all you have to do is gather and shape enough mana to form a new sphere, but for the third and sixth a more fundamental change is required.”

“Like having to upgrade to a larger glass if you want to carry more drink,” Ruby added, gesturing with her mug.

“Right,” Topaz said, giving her sister a side-eyed glare, “you’ll get more instruction when you get closer to that point. For now, focus on your mana.”

Amy was about to reply when she sensed movement across the mess hall and instinctively turned to glance. Most of the people she’d interacted with over the last few days had been other knights, all female, though she’d seen some mages and other residents of the island who were a more typical mix of male and female. But the man walking into the hall was different from the farmers or robed mages. He wore a dark colored tunic that barely fit over his broad chest and muscled arms, his gait was casual and strong, seeming to radiate power and confidence.

“Oh, Lord Orlan is back!” Topaz said, following Amy’s gaze.

“That’s Lord Orlan?” Amy asked, “he’s…”

“Dreamy?” Ruby asked in a teasing tone, earning another flick to the forehead from her sister. Before any of them could say anything Orlan turned and met her gaze.

“You must be Amy, right?” he asked after walking over, Amy only able to stare and blush.

“She is, Lord,” Topaz answered for the flustered girl, “I think this is her first time seeing an Ascended person.”

“I suppose even though I’m down to fifth sphere, my body is still Ascendant isn’t it,” Orlan said with an easy laugh, “you and Ruby looking after her?”

“Yes sir,” Ruby said brightly, practically bouncing in her seat, “she’s going to be my little sister!”

“She’ll be no such thing!” Topaz said, smacking her sister on the head playfully, “behave yourself in front of the lord.”

“Glad to see she’s fitting in, I’ll leave you sisters alone then,” Orlan said with a mischievous grin that only grew as Topaz fixed him with a glare before he walked off to rejoin the women who’d accompanied him.

“I-I,” Amy stuttered as she shook herself, nearly collapsing in her seat and covering her face in embarrassment, “what was that?”

“Remember those bottlenecks we were talking about? Each time you go through them it improves your body,” Topaz said with an understand smile.

“I’d seen him on the news before,” Amy replied, “I didn’t stare like a schoolgirl with a crush!”

“You mean on those moving pictures? I doubt they can truly capture his presence.”

“For poor young women like us we’re naught but-,” Ruby started only for Topaz to flick her forehead hard enough to send her falling from her chair with an indignant cry.

“Don’t worry,” Topaz told Amy as Ruby scrambled to her feet, rubbing at her forehead and muttering angrily, “your reaction was quite normal for teens. You should see how some of the young men stare at Lady Lailra in public.”

“Lady White isn’t that beautiful,” Amy commented.

“Sure, she’s only in the Earthly realm, not the Ascendant like Orlan or Lailra,” Topaz shrugged.

“Didn’t she fail to break through a few times?” Ruby asked.

“Do I have to flick you again?” Topaz asked with an amused glare as Ruby shielded her forehead with both hands before smiling, “it’s rude to gossip.”

“But gossip is fun!” Ruby whined, but didn’t press the issue, returning to her meal.

\-\-\-\-\-

“She seems nice,” Lailra commented as Orlan returned to her and Nallia, glancing past him at where Amy sat with Topaz and Ruby.

“I’m more worried about Ruby,” Orlan replied, walking over to the buffet and grabbing a plate, “she can’t help teasing, and if it keeps up Topaz might just throw her off the side of the island.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Lailra replied dryly.

“Is it wise to keep her?” Nallia asked, “I don’t think that Theo fellow would be happy if he learned we had her on board.”

“Frankly I don’t care,” Orlan shrugged as he began to load food onto his plate, “I’m more worried about how our food stocks will hold out. You said they’re replanting the eastern field that was ruined when we entered the rift?”

“The bigger issue is the growing houses,” Nallia replied, “without a good source of imbued glass we can’t easily rebuild them.”

“I saw plenty of glass on the ground,” Lailra replied, “couldn’t we trade for some?”

“Assuming we found someone willing to trade with us, maybe, but the glass here is made differently than we’re used to.”

“So we can’t easily imbue it,” Lailra realized.

“Yes,” Nallia agreed, “I recovered some shards during the last rift, the mages are studying it but we have a lot going on and not enough help.”

“I’m still waiting for them to cast an assay on the eyeball,” Orlan agreed, “so far all they’ve been able to tell me is its aura isn’t actively harmful.”

“Divine Realm objects don’t need to be actively harmful to be dangerous,” Lailra pointed out.

“Trust me, I made sure they know,” replied Orlan, “the issue is to even begin to understand a tier nine item’s powers you need a tier eight spell. At a minimum. And since we don’t have any eighth sphere mages-.”

“They’d need to assemble a few to joint cast,” finished Lailra, “a task made harder by all the other things they need.”

“Never thought I’d say this, but do you think we should have brought more mages?” Orlan asked with a grin.

“Considering how much convincing it took just to let us bring the Grandmaster and his entire spire?” Lailra joked, “we had to leave some for the other side.”

“Ya, ya,” Orlan snorted a laugh out, “maybe I should have learned more about magical theory.”

“When you could have learned about fighting? Nonsense,” Lailra laughed, following him to a table to eat.