Classes took on the same frantic pace as they had been the year before, with every instructor attempting to cram as much additional work in as they could. They were truthfully even further ahead than the year before, with more time for additional lessons. Every instructor took it as a personal challenge.
Yaric noted that most of his class would sometimes be talking about the exercises he’d shown them, which had now spread to everyone. No one seemed capable of casting a spell while talking, let alone fighting, but he decided to keep his guard up at the next Solstice Tournament.
Emil also delivered early, teaching Yaric and his friends how to build a fireball that would persist after impact. It was essentially just a carbon shell filled with slightly pressurized liquid, but the demonstration Emil had given them was spectacular. The spell was night and day compared to anything they had ever done before.
Law started becoming somewhat of a history class, as they began covering the origins and intentions of laws that had been passed. High Mage Sniders had always made sure that everyone understood the purpose of various laws, but she now began giving extensive background information that expanded on what they had already learned.
More and more trips were made to the bestiary as well. Several trips included feeding or grooming creatures that they were learning about, and they even made one trip into The Cut as a class. For once, nothing unusual seemed to happen to Yaric.
Even their riding lessons began to change, with students learning to form up together in small groups and move as units, just in case it would be required of them in the future. Still, most preferred the end of the lessons where they could gallop across the fields freely.
The only other change was in Li Na. She came back from a catchup lunch with Sandy with a very sour look on her face. At first Yaric thought she was angry, but it soon became apparent that it was something else, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. Lauren felt the same way, and even Sven seemed concerned, but Li Na just glared whenever someone tried to ask if she was okay. The weirdest part was how she never played any prank on Yaric at all, despite Yaric expecting an avalanche with the mood she was in.
Their very next free combat lesson saw each of them sparring with their assigned partner, but once they were told to mix it up, Li Na shoved Gerrick out of the way and took her place opposite Sven. Sven looked very intimidated for his part, holding back and refusing to commit to any attack. Li Na managed to strike his sword blade directly and follow up with a strike directly at his shield, launching Sven up and out of bounds. Yaric knew full well that Sven could have avoided the strike, but he seemed hesitant to put up a fight.
The next round saw them exchanging blows, with each striking the other, only to be blocked by shields. Unfortunately shields didn’t usually survive blocking Li Na’s strikes, and four rapid blows from her mace were enough the buckle the already damaged shield so much that it was unrecognizable. Li Na marched away without looking back when they were told to switch again.
Lauren shared a glance with Yaric, but neither was challenged by Li Na over the course of the lesson.
Finally, Lauren approached Li Na again during lunch.
“What’s wrong? And don’t tell me nothing, I’m not leaving until you talk.”
“Ask him,” Li Na replied tersely, jerking her head to indicate Sven.
“Me?” he asked, somehow managing to sound like he’d expected it yet still been surprised.
“Yeah, the Council Head was disappointed with your report.”
Lauren was confused. “What?”
“He put my test ride in the report… even though Cornelius said I could and thanked me afterward. Council Head Ivers said I should have shown ‘better judgment’, as if I didn’t judge everything perfectly. The report made it sound like going to find him to ask again was a problem, as if I was pestering him. And he said yes, and he even gave me a push to get me started. But my Sponsor thinks I could have embarrassed her and the Academy, even though I clearly didn't.”
“I didn’t make it seem like anything, I just put it in the report as it happened. I had to.”
“You could have said that he liked my spirit, said I had a wonderful attitude. You could have included how he said his decision to allow me to test it afterall opened his eyes to how many people could potentially learn to drive them, and how it could make his business easier. And afterward he said how happy he was that I tracked him down and kept persisting! You didn’t add that either!”
Li Na looked very frustrated, but Yaric felt that underneath it all she actually seemed hurt. Her excuses for what she had done were flat and emotionless, like even she didn't believe them, but her voice was heated when talking about how the others had reported her actions.
“He could have complained, Lina,” Sven argued. “You aren’t just doing a job, you’re representing Lekton Academy. Your actions reflect on the Academy as a whole.”
“That’s what the Council Head said too,” Li Na replied, narrowing her eyes dangerously.
“Imagine if he did though. It wouldn’t be good, but if he complained about something we didn’t include in the report, it would be so much worse. Don’t forget that he could…” Sven trailed off under Li Na’s furious glare.
Seeing that things were going nowhere, Yaric sat down heavily next to Li Na, bumping her as he did. “Only I’m allowed to make Lina’s life difficult,” he announced, looking at Sven and ignoring her completely.
Li Na didn’t do anything in reply, instead choosing to ignore everyone. She did pause to steal food off Yaric’s plate though, which Yaric counted as a win.
Sven looked troubled. Yaric knew that he wouldn’t back down regarding the report, and both he and Lauren privately agreed with him. Lauren admitted that she’d just assumed he’d included it, while Yaric hadn’t been certain, but he’d felt it would be likely as well.
"I think she understands she acted impulsively and shouldn't have done it," Lauren whispered to Yaric between classes.
"Then why is she so upset?"
"She's not upset about getting into trouble, not really. She's upset that we didn't try and cover for her. Betrayal is too strong a word, but... something like that. She feels like Sven threw her in front of the judge."
"But trying to cover up what she did would have made things worse!"
"You try telling her that," Lauren whispered back, nodding her head to where Li Na strode ahead of them.
Later that evening, Sven ducked into a messenger office with a note in his hand. With everything that had happened recently, Yaric was certain that it had something to do with Li Na, though who he was messaging was anyone’s guess. Sven refused to comment, and Yaric wasn’t sure how a message to Sandy or Cornelius could help things unless he was arranging for Li Na to take the carriage for another ride. Particularly if it included the assembled steam engine, that would certainly be something.
In the end, it turned out to be neither.
They had another awkward day of classes, with Li Na still upset, but when they got back to their dorm rooms that evening, Sven called for everyone’s attention.
“I’ve arranged for a tab to be opened up at The Dancing Keg. Four, actually,” Sven explained, going through the details of each.
“Even the biggest tab is only enough for a few people,” Cormac protested. “What does it have to do with us? And why split them into four, just make one big one.”
“Because they’re intended to be prizes,” Sven replied, starting to smile. There was a lot more interest now.
“Prizes for what?”
“We have a lot more time available now that we’ve finished the lessons for this year. I know we’re still carrying on, but no one is giving us work to complete outside of class. And I couldn’t help but notice that we have eight different tabletop games,” he added, gesturing to the various games behind him.
“You’re challenging us?” Tracy asked.
“I’m setting up our first tournament. Everyone who wants to compete can put their names here,” he said, holding up a sheet of paper. “We will draw names to see who plays against whom, and we will draw to see which game you play as well. The winner gets the big tab, runner up gets the smaller one, and third and fourth place gets the last two tabs. They can share as they want.”
There was some excited murmuring at the prospect of competing against each other; many of Yaric’s classmates felt they were very good. There was also the prospect of randomized game selection, which could completely throw some people and give almost anyone a chance. The rules were sometimes very different, so no one could claim to dominate every single game.
“When do we start?” Anton asked, moving forward to take the paper from Sven.
“Tomorrow. So get your names on the list if you want to compete.”
Yaric was disappointed. He’d assumed Sven was arranging something to fix things with Li Na. Opening a large tab might have helped if he’d given it to her directly, but this tournament meant that everyone had to compete to win, and she could end up with nothing. It felt like a missed opportunity… until he saw the determined look on Li Na’s face.
No one ever wanted to play against her, and now they would have to if they wanted to compete. Sven himself would usually refuse, as he personally found playing against her to be frustrating. But that was the whole point of his competition, to create a steady flow of opponents for Li Na.
Almost fifty students put their names down. The first night was exciting, but many of those not competing were doing their own thing. A significant portion of the class had never even tried the games, and they were completely uninterested. Things changed as the tournament went on, with students taking sides and bets starting to be placed. By the third night, everyone was crowded around the tables, taunting or cheering depending on who they were supporting. Li Na was also back to her usual self.
That night Yaric and Li Na had their names drawn together. Bets were placed supporting both, and Yaric felt he had a very good chance with the game they had drawn. This game gave them starting credits that could be spent on various units, with higher-quality units costing more.
Li Na immediately began buying a ridiculous mix, taking two small units of wizards and two units of heavy cavalry. Most people left the cavalry alone, and no one ever spent their credits on wizards. That was half the total credits on their own. The rest of her army was filled out with levied pikeman, the cheapest and lowest quality unit available. They were so cheap that she had significantly more units than Yaric, despite her initial high-cost spend. Not that it would help, as they were certain to be knocked out quickly.
The large volume and low quality of infantry pushed Yaric to select good-quality infantry as a counter, foregoing ranged troops altogether as they wouldn’t have much impact on such a large volume. His halberdiers could eliminate an entire row of levied troops on a single turn, and even destroy much of a second depending on his roll, all with minimal casualties. Levied pikeman only had eight rows per unit.
Both armies met each other in an unusual formation. Li Na could have used her larger numbers to try and envelop Yaric, even if they were too weak to inflict enough damage for a victory, but she matched Yaric’s line instead and doubled up the depth of her own line, which still left enough troops for a reserve. The only odd spots were where she replaced the levied pikemen in the second row with her wizards, which were in turn backed up by her heavy cavalry. Both were placed a third of the way from the sides, wasting the heavy cavalry’s main advantage.
Yaric knew that Li Na would rely on good dice rolls instead of strategy, but there were too many units in contact. She had no chance of getting enough good rolls that every unit could somehow take on his halberdiers, and he only had to break through once.
The first few rolls went as Yaric expected, though he did note that Li Na had all her double lines on defense, slowing their destruction, while her single units in front of the wizards went on offense, quickly shattering against his far better units.
With the second roll it was clear that Yaric was going to grind right through Li Na’s levied pikeman. Only on the third roll did Li Na’s plan become clearer.
Her attacking pikeman were finally destroyed, only to have her units of wizards behind them devastate Yaric’s halberdiers with a single strike. His only option was to charge them down and overwhelm them, but another roll knocked their strength down to twenty-four and twenty-one percent respectively.
Then they moved to the side, opening the way for her heavy cavalry to charge right through. Yaric’s units were destroyed.
Most of Li Na’s levied troops were one or two turns away from destruction, across the entire line, so Yaric focused on clearing them first. Li Na’s cavalry broke through meanwhile, enabling them to attack from the rear while the wizards moved closer to the gap and struck from range. Both unit types attacked the central third of Yaric’s army, moving in toward the center. Some of Li Na’s reserve levies were brought through as well, where they immediately became a screen for the wizards to hide behind and pummel Yaric’s units. They even received a ridiculous enfilade bonus, eating through his troops at an alarming rate.
Yaric’s center began collapsing rapidly, far too quickly for his halberdiers to finish off the levied troops. All of Li Na’s remaining reserves were moved to her right flank, and once the center had been destroyed, Li Na moved her wizards and cavalry to repeat the maneuver on her left while sending the surviving levies to reinforce the right. The combined forces of both units went through the left flank even more quickly, though her levied troops finally collapsed halfway. It didn’t change much, however, as Li Na was able to chew through his units one at a time. They were still arranged in a line with Li Na on the flank, and moving them down just brought them one at a time, so Yaric tried pulling back instead.
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The cavalry was dispatched to keep hitting individual units as the wizards blew through the damaged halberdiers before they could close and become a threat. Yaric knew it was over when his flank was destroyed while the other was pinned down under a wave of levied troops. He’d still destroy the levies despite their numbers, but they would be able to hold his units in place while Li Na brought up her wizards. Without any way to damage them in turn, the result was a foregone conclusion.
Li Na had brought vast numbers of almost useless troops to battle, outnumbering Yaric almost four to one, then sacrificed almost all of them to allow a small number of extremely powerful troops to continuously wipe out units from safety. It was a ridiculous strategy, but even more shocking, it was a strategy. Yaric had ignored even the possibility of Li Na coming with a thought-out gameplan, and she had outplayed him.
The next night she beat Cormac, and Sven beat Yaric, knocking him out of the tournament. By now everyone rushed to the common room after their last class, pushing to make sure they had a good view of the games.
Then Li Na was matched with Sven, and the craziness started once again. At one point Sven used a far superior force to push Li Na off a strategic height, forcing her down into the ravine below. He gave chase, inflicting massive casualties and all but annihilating her units – at which point he drew a weather event card. Li Na had to roll to determine the outcome, and she rolled a nine, resulting in a flash flood. Units on low ground and flanked by steep hills had a special outcome when caught in a flash flood. All of Li Na’s remaining units were wiped out, along with Sven’s much larger force.
Sven kept catching Li Na despite this, at one point using his command unit and the coordination bonus it gave to surround another group of Li Na’s units. Li Na needed a ten and twelve just to have a chance at breaking out, which she immediately rolled, followed by the twenty she needed for the breakout. Her units broke through the point closest to Sven’s commander, eliminating it and continuing to run while Sven gave chase.
Two hours and many impossible rolls later, Li Na was sieging his base. She broke through over time, pouring all of her remaining units through the gaps. Sven pulled everything back to try and set up a last defense, but Li Na ignored him and destroyed every building along the way instead, even though she knew there was nothing there. Only once Sven was left with nothing but his central keep did Li Na move in to attack his final defenses.
It was touch and go, but Li Na finally broke through and surrounded a large section. The game had no option for surrender, so Sven moved the last of his troops into the open, going back and forth to use up their movement points as a signal that he surrendered. Li Na still cut his troops down mercilessly.
Vanno beat Lauren in the semifinals, pitting him against Li Na in the last game. By now everyone was bringing food to their rooms instead of heating in the hall, and with only one game left, they were all packed close. Li Na consistently made moves that made no sense, and the game was a whitewash.
She beat Vanno in record time, leaving him staring open-mouthed and trying to understand how he lost. Sven just clapped him on the shoulder in silent commiseration. Chaos often flipped strategy on its head in the real world, and once you added Li Na nonsense, anything could happen.
The party at the Dancing Keg was epic. All four tabs were blown through in less than an hour, but no one slowed down in the slightest. People were already planning a follow up tournament, and this time they planned for all who competed to contribute to the pot. Yaric and Lauren both laughed when they saw Sven join Li Na up on stage.
Classes were still continuing, meanwhile. Ivan kept pushing Yaric during his archery lessons, trying to get him to incorporate his new spell.
“Try again and stop drawing your bow until you’re ready. You’re never going to get the spell right if you’re holding the bow like that.”
Yaric took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His arrow was nocked and pointed down in front of him, the bow fully undrawn. It took almost half a minute, but Yaric meticulously created the spell form, anchoring it to his arrow and continuing to channel arcana so it wouldn’t trigger early. Once he was done, Yaric took another deep breath, drew his bow while raising it at the same time, took aim, and released.
The arrow flashed across the range, arcing toward one of the furthest targets. It looked to be a good shot. Then the arrow distorted and streaked ahead for a moment, closing in at three times the speed. The almost perfect shot flew over the target, missing entirely.
“Well done! You managed to warp space for the first time! You’re going to have to practice using the timer though, or you won’t hit anything.”
“But why did it miss like that? You said it wouldn’t actually go faster; it would just appear that way.”
“True, and it doesn’t. This spell doesn’t make your arrow cover the same distance in less time, it shrinks the distance. But you also need to remember, it shrinks the distance. That target was effectively closer than it actually is, but you still treated it as if it wasn’t. You basically just overcompensated for range.”
“So I have to pretend it’s closer? That’s going to be complicated.”
“Why do you think so few arcanists learn this?”
“Because space affinities are rare?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t stop anyone from learning this anyway. The real problem is archery already takes skill, and now you’re adding difficult spells that add extra complexity. That’s one of the reasons your sponsor wanted you to learn this. Imagine the advantages you can get with something so useful, and it’s something that so few ever bother to learn.”
Yaric spent the rest of the lesson diligently practicing. He still struggled to get the spell right, meaning that most of his shots fell far too short, but he was definitely improving. Almost half his attempts ended in a successful spell by the end of his lesson.
The real problem wasn’t the spell or the aim, it was the time it took to cast the spell. Yaric knew that he’d be able to adjust for the change in distance long before he could cast the spell quickly, so he tried to focus on building the spell as quickly as he could.
“Aim will get easier with time,” Ivan assured him when they were done. “Eventually you’ll be able to cut the distance out altogether. Your arrow will leave your bow and hit your target a moment later – you don’t even need to aim if you can effectively portal the arrow right in front of your target.”
Lauren was also being taught special spells for archery, though hers used wind. She had two, one that increased the range of her arrows and one that created odd curves to the flight, which in theory would enable her to send her arrows around corners. In reality it was almost impossible to control, but Yaric was sure that she would be able to get it.
Yaric and his friends were far ahead in most of their classes, but one of the few exceptions was Law, where there was no magic for them to practice.
“Due to recent events within Malvec, I’ve been asked to delve deeper into the laws around arcanists and the restrictions and duties our position brings. You won’t be aware of the events, and they’re hardly relevant,” Zahia added, waving her hand dismissively.
“We’ve discussed the wars and strife that filled our history when arcanists were allowed to rule or run business empires, but we’re going to have a little refresher.
“As you all know, arcanists once filled noble titles. In the beginning there must have been unconnected ruling as well, but we have no record of them. All noble titles were quickly taken over by arcanists. Businesses were not spared either, with trade empires forming and even holding specific territories.
“Now, obviously, the unconnected were never happy with this. They were never going to be able to rise above a certain level of success, and anything innovative was quickly taken over by a powerful arcanist anyway. In many ways, the unconnected were oppressed.
“The real issue at the time was not the unconnected, however. It was other arcanists. Powerful wizards and mages would hold titles for centuries, or control powerful business interests, only to see new arcanists born, educated, and let loose into the kingdom. They wanted a piece of the pie as well. Only, they were locked out by the older, more established arcanists. A one-thousand-year-old High Wizard would never let a Mage muscle in on his trade empire, so what was a Mage to do?
“If we were lucky, there would be hidden battles going on, with warehouses burnt or surprise ambushes launched. When we were unlucky, wars were started. The only way a younger arcanist could establish themselves would be to kill the title holder or destroy the business they wanted to compete with.
“Worse, foreign wars frequently inflicted devastating damage. Invaders were easily motivated, as the easiest way to gain a noble title or establish a new business was to conquer new territory. Arcanists flocked to fight in wars of conquest. Defenders, however, were much the opposite. Why should anyone risk their lives to save some Duke’s land, when they wanted that Duke to fall anyway? When everyone is competing and fighting amongst each other, it’s difficult to see oneself as a loyal citizen of your kingdom. Everyone else is the competition, the enemy, even the king.
“For thousands of years, nothing changed. Wars continued constantly as arcanists scrambled over each other, even compromising the various academies in their attempts to influence the young and gain allies. The Abyssal Fields extended far into the current Kingdoms, unleashing a never-ending tide of dangerous creatures. But what is missing from this story? How can everything be so one-sided?”
High Mage Sniders looked around for a while, until Lauren hesitantly tried to answer.
“Not all people are the same?”
“Not all people are the same, yes! Not everyone has the same level of greed, and there were also many arcanists who were not scrambling for power. It was these people who usually ended the internal strife whenever it started getting out of hand. Many of the fights for power or wealth would become fights to the death, as the challenged couldn’t afford to leave their attacker alive to keep planning and try again. When things got bad, those who were against the constant conflict would rally together and end the fights permanently, usually with low casualties.
“Over time, this group became the most numerous. They also became kingmakers, which split the group several times as some wanted to stop the conflict while others wanted to use their power to control outcomes, becoming corrupted along the way. This would break their numerical superiority and start the whole process again.
“Eventually they had both the numbers and the unity required to put a stop to everything permanently. No one knows what the catalyst was, but my personal belief is that someone simply happened to have the idea while in a position to implement it. You need to keep in mind that this was the status quo for so long that it was just how things worked. Not many people would think of flipping over the board and building something new.
“But that’s what they did. They realized that so long as things like the crown or trade empires were available to arcanists, there would be those who desired it and did whatever it took to get them. Mortal rulers would inherently move on, so there was far less of a problem there, particularly with arcanists watching over the whole thing.
“And so that is the system that was implemented. We were given restrictions and special privileges, which eliminated the conflict by removing the prize. It was self-governing, as no arcanist would allow another to ignore the laws and take what isn’t available to themselves. We were required by law to defend the kingdom in any war, ensuring the kingdom's entire strength was brought to bear. This isn’t even that odious, as many mortals are normally conscripted anyway, and all nobility have the same requirements. Even Dukes are required to fight, so why shouldn’t we? As you also know, we can’t take part in certain business ventures, but there are so many options still open to us, and so many unique options open only to arcanists, that it really has no impact on our lives. It’s no more oppressive than a civilian being prevented from becoming a blacksmith because he didn’t grow up near someone who could teach him.
“Academies were consolidated and established relationships between themselves, studies improved and knowledge advanced. More time was devoted to magical study and hobbies, the population began exploding, and infrastructure expanded far beyond anything we’d had before. New discoveries were made, some of which were found to be rediscoveries of things that had been kept secret, back when arcanists were more concerned with consolidating power.
“Dragons formed their pact with arcanists, establishing the first ambassadors. They helped us to push back the borders of the Abyssal Fields to somewhere close to their current positions. This had the knock-on effect of reducing the number of creatures that spilled out, enabling us to eradicate some of them from our lands and greatly reduce the numbers of others. Everything from kobolds to ogres still get through, but their populations are far lower than they used to be.
“Improvements to innovation and contribution from the unconnected were only realized later, but they have had significant benefits as well. All in all, we’ve never had peace and prosperity like we’ve had under our current laws, and the difference is so obvious that it is undeniable. This is why those who break these restrictions are treated as serious criminals. The damage it could deal should it become widespread doesn’t bear imagining. Never forget how much better things are today due to these laws.”
The rest of the lesson continued normally, but no one was really paying attention anymore. Everyone was far more interested in speculating on what had brought about the rehashing of old lessons, and the very obvious emphasis on not breaking those laws. Yaric felt certain that someone had done something big, and most of his class agreed.
At least it had nothing to do with them.
----------------------------------------
“Good, you’re here,” Sandy said, staying seated while Lloyd entered her office to answer her summons.
“Did something happen?”
“In a manner of speaking. My concern is more about things that have already happened, but I first need to get you up to speed. Here,” Sandy added, pushing a tumbler forward. Lloyd took it gratefully.
“News from abroad is that King Novak is sheltering in Cipia. Their escape through the Abyssal Fields brought tens of thousands of civilians to safety, against all expectations, but their remaining military force took heavy losses. Their Academy was particularly hard hit; the Council is already pushing for their sacrifice to be recognized in some way.”
“I’m surprised they were so successful.”
“As are we all. The King is still set on providing military support for them as well, but he hasn’t made a decision on exactly how he wants to support them. They aren’t fighting anymore.”
“I’m sure you’ll handle that when the time comes. What of the local news? I get the feeling that’s why you called me here.”
Sandy smiled, “First off, you’ll be happy to know that we finally located the queen. It had already established a second nest, but it was far from civilization and our hunters cleared everything. They did mention that it was almost twice the size of the regular skathári though.”
Lloyd failed to repress a shudder at the thought of his student running into the queen. Just a few weeks earlier and things would have been very different.
“There was also no sign of a transporter. We searched twice, but nothing suspicious was found. This looks like it was just a regular incursion from the Abyssal Fields.”
“Perhaps…” Lloyd mused.
“You don’t think it is?” Sandy asked, raising her eyebrows.
“I don’t think anything. There’s no reason to assume this was another attack, but the species does travel great distances. You could search a hundred kilometers in every direction and not find anything because the transporter is still outside your search area.”
“We did think of that, but there haven’t been any other attacks in the region. None that we aren’t certain came from the Abyssal Fields, anyway.”
“Nothing we can do either way.”
“The second thing is the network our students stumbled on. We keep unraveling more and more elements. Every time we think the matter is cleared, someone notices a similarity somewhere else and discovers another network. Worse, there’s some evidence that they are not separate networks but one, Kingdom-wide operation.”
“Any progress on finding who’s responsible?”
“Other than finding extensive evidence of mind magic being used, we still have nothing. As I told you before, we know a Mind Mage is involved, but we don’t know how many other arcanists are involved as well. Right now, it’s a top priority, along with the transporters.”
“Which one are you wanting my help with?”
Sandy sighed and leaned back, pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. “That’s part of the problem. This network we’re investigating bears a lot of similarities with Den Virgo, only it’s far more extensive and far-reaching. Some of our latest findings indicate that there are elements in nearby Kingdoms as well, making it an international enterprise. But…”
Sandy paused again, staring at Lloyd for several moments. “These transporters, they’re a direct attack on the Kingdom, and the King is not happy. Obviously he doesn’t like the attacks, but he also isn’t happy about the possible courses of action. Right now we’re trying to trace the origin point - the most obvious course of action. The problem with that, though, is we’re basically just sitting here while some group launches repeated attacks at their leisure.
“This can’t continue. Five Council Members have been assigned to lead a field task force, using every resource at our disposal. The network we’re investigating is a very serious problem, make no mistake, but it’s already been around for who knows how long. We can afford to divert some resources away from that investigation for now. We can’t afford to take our time responding to these attacks.
“Everything we have will be thrown at finding out who is responsible, and once we do, that’s where you’ll come in.”
“You want me to visit a hostile nation? I know I get on well with some people, but that’s not the kind of diplomacy I’m good at.”
“In this case, it is. Because you misunderstand, we don’t want you to ‘visit’ whoever is responsible. I’ve discussed this with the King, and he’s dead set on one particular response, one we actually agree with. Once we know who’s responsible, you will be leading a strike team. We’re not looking for a diplomatic solution for terrorists, we’re looking for the only real solution to people who sneak deadly creatures into populated areas. For people who target civilians and try to inflict the highest possible casualties on the most vulnerable civilians. And you just so happen to specialize in our solution.
“Overwhelming power.”