Chapter 36: Discussions

Adam found out Sam was in this faction. That gave him a dilemma, Adam rarely thought to far ahead, especially as things rarely turned out as planned. But then before he’d never had a super team of AI assistants to do the work for him.

Should he go after Sam now? Or stay to help? He saw he was needed here to stop, well not everything but maybe some of the mindless violence being directed at humans here. He had talked to the guy who was in charge of the raw recruits, well his batch at any rate, and been told they would be heading out with the week. Apparently something big was going down and they were pulling out early. He wouldn’t tell him any more than that. He told his superior he had some things to sort out, and left to do some more reconnaissance.

There had been no more wanton destructing of humans, that he had heard or seen. He spoke to a few people and they said they had been a regular thing, recently. Even with the Enforcers, here. I had a pretty shrewd idea who that was. What exactly were they enforcing? I would need to go have a word with that guy but first I had other things to sort out.

I headed over to some empty buildings nearer the river and brought the rest of my human team out. I needed to talk with them about what they wanted to do. Maybe they wanted to sign up with some factions too? I wasn’t their keeper after all, though if they wanted to stay with me that wasn’t a problem either. I was responsible for them, after all.

We were in a modern building overlooking the Thames, it had some old world features but all the modern amenities you could want. If that is, there was any electricity or running water. There were neither of these. I noticed it said Kings College around the building, so I guess it was. The children came out and gathered around on the floor, looking a bit apprehensive.

Adam had brought us all out of the ‘room’ to talk to us. We had all looked at each other, then proceeded to speculate on what our benefactor needed to tell us. Was he trying to get rid of us?

We had no idea who this man was. If he even was a man, most thought he was something else.

Some thought god, others that he was a powerful mage and others still one of the godless immortals. Whatever he was, he was powerful. To have what effectively were gods as his minions. And not just one but many. There was Libby but also we had heard talk of others, many others. Having lived in off world place like Relite, we had little experience of the multi-verse. But of course had heard of many stories since the Racin first came to our planet.

Many of the stories struck us with awe, of the many factions and their powers. It wasn’t that we hadn’t heard of powerful god like beings. No there were quite a few stories of these but the people often seemed to be very cruel. And as is the way of the world, had got to be powerful standing on a mountain of bones. Bones of the people they had killed.

But Adam had helped us with seemingly no other ulterior motive. We had never heard of anyone who seemed to wield such power, so freely, in service of others. And he did not appear to be a member of any faction, in fact was supposedly from Earth. Though that could not be right, they didn’t even have magic on earth. It was all just plain weird.

So when he asked to talk with us, a lot of us were fearful that maybe he was a power mad guy, after all. This was the main thought on our minds.

We had been having the time of our life. Sure we were scared at times but to be rescued then thrown into this amazing world. Where we just spent our days doing whatever we wanted. We were given no chores to do and allowed to stay in a place that was magic! Magic can you believe it? Then we got given new clothes it was like living as kings and queens. It was all crazy, an upside down kind of world.

But as far as we were concerned the best part was the hope. Our benefactor had given us hope. Coming from a doomed burnt out planet to here. Could we live a life like him one day? We watched his fights from the safety of our room, over and over, sometimes in slow motion. The littlest of us, Cai and Toki, squealed and hollered, when Adam beat his opponents by punching them.

We had all been considering what weapon or profession we would like to take up, if we could choose anything. But Adam used nothing, just throwing people around like rag dolls and then usually punching them into oblivion, just crazy.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Adam looked at the expectant kids in front of him. Thawain, nodding to give him encouragement, they had spoken briefly earlier.

“I feel I owe you all an apology. We have been here a day or so. And I had many hours queuing when I could have spoken to you but I neglected you, for that I’m sorry. I want to give you the choice and of course it is your choice, as it what you want to do. Now that we are here on earth, you can choose to stay here or go with a faction. Or of course you can stay with me. I’m not sure which will be the least dangerous to do.” Adam finished relieved that he’d said it.

The kids shared glances then a few of the older ones said that they wanted to stay. The younger ones, the two smallest I think they are called Cai and Seria, ran over. They clung to my legs and started crying. That could have gone better, but again I was relieved, they didn't say no.

“In that case, if you’re sure I might have some work for you to do, soon. Training of sorts.” I said hoping they wouldn’t suddenly change their minds. It might have been different if I didn’t have a pocket dimension and Libby. But with Libby as official babysitter, they were really no trouble at all and i'd got kind of fond of most of them.

Libby and I had spoken about what we might do with them. Initially the talk was about keeping them occupied. Libby had told me how much they liked watching the few fights I’d had. I was puzzled to start with only having had a couple of fights and them all being over very quickly. But Libby informed me that she was able to replay all my fights since arriving on the Relite’s planet, even the ones with Ore beasts, embarrassing.

We decided to think about training them due to one other thing. Libby had worked out that in a similar way to the spirit realm having a different rate of time, pocket dimensions were ditto. I questioned that wasn’t that time magic but she said not exactly. Seemingly any pocket dimension could have its laws of physics manipulated and time was just one of those things.

This opened up many possibilities, one of which was having possibly 500 times as much time, in this case to train. Would they age 500 times faster? The answer according to Libby and Huba was most lightly, yes.

Further conversation with anyone and everyone, was halted due to a wave of epic proportions coming down the Thames, past our window, no less. The kids all ran to the window, pressing their noses to the glass.

I zipped them back to their pocket dimension where they could watch in greater safety, the little oikes.

I on the other hand went to investigate.

Klaus had been wondering whether to go back to practise his swing when he felt an energy fast approaching. Beside him on the building a woman materialised from black smoke. She was all dressed in black, apart for her silver ornamentation. She wore a silver kitsune mask, unsurprisingly, for of course she was of the kitsune clan. Klaus had had a multitude of reports about this clan. They were an unexplained anomaly. Cultivators on earth. Cultivators on a planet without magic, WTF. Apparently, not even the Earthlings knew about them until the earth was claimed. Secret clans, usually translated as 'slightly unhinged' from his experience. Surely though they must be the weakest of the weak. It made him curious, curious indeed.

She approached looking at him slyly.

“You are enforcer, Reece are you not?” the Kitsune clan member said, flatly.

Klaus did not like where this was going one bit. The clan member had evidently waited until he’d moved a long ways from the centre of London. To a place where he could think on his own.

The reports he had heard of, were that the Kitsune clan had single-handedly managed to police, the many factions’ affairs. Handing out swift retribution. They seemed to be negotiating for the humans. Negotiating where their governments had failed. Despite their numbers being small, they seemed to be able to get everywhere and anywhere.

She carried on not waiting for a reply.

“Well then enforcer, why have you not saved the innocent? I had a report that 23 innocent were killed at Hyde Park, last night, bringing the total to 115 over the past three days. This is unacceptable and against any and all of our previous agreements.

These activities must be stopped, and the perpetrators must be brought swiftly to justice. That is your job is it not?” She said pausing to look him up and down.

“If you cannot do the job yourself, then let someone capable, relive you of your duty. Give me the names of the perpetrators and I will resolve this matter, personally.” She said derisively.

“Now you know I can’t do that. And you know you have no jurisdiction over any member of any faction, except your own.” Klaus hoped this could be stopped dead. He hoped she could be reasoned with. Well he kind of did, part of him wanted to test her metal a little. He hadn’t had a proper fight in days, weeks even. He was restless.

“I have had words with those involved and can assure you it will not happen again” Klaus continued. She couldn't shame him into doing something, he already felt ashamed enough.

“And will you tell that to the families of these innocents?” said LI, tiring of this nonsense.

Klaus put his hands up to try and placate the clan member.

“My hands are tied, I have been given my orders and can’t act any further.” Klaus confessed.

Li eyed him contemptuously, saying “I see no binding on your hands, enforcer. I think you are no enforcer at all. Just a gutless interloper.”

Then added unsheathing her sword “I could be wrong, maybe you are not gutless, shall we find out, by taking a look see?”

She moved so fast it was an inhuman blur but he was of course fast too.

Klaus raised his weapon, stopping her attack, the blades clashed, with a squealing of steel on steel, that's vibrations broke asunder every window, in a one kilometre radius.