Chapter 7

Commander Nakamura kept staring at me after deflecting my attempt to change the subject. “I had to talk to the kid about a private matter and it couldn’t wait, commander.” I answer sheeply. “You already gave me that line Art, if I am going to cover for you I need a better excuse. What was so important that you couldn’t walk 20 meters to leave the building”.

Dammit Hanna, can’t you just drop it. “Hanna, we’ve known each other since before the enclave, trust me let this one go.” I try once again.

“I can’t captain, you know why we have a ban on spells on the command center. Lord Firinne will demand to know why a minion of Winter was casting a spell, and Lady Cliodhona will also want to know, fearing it’s part of a game on the Winter court that she is unaware. I need something to give them captain.” Never a good sign when she uses my rank instead of my name, it means she is serious.. Lord Firinne is the summer advisor to the expeditionary forces, and Lady Cliodhona is his winter counterpart.

The reason why there is an advisor from each court is basically the same reason spells are banned on the command center. Both courts can’t trust each other. Even now when they have to work together to survive, the Seelie and the Unseelie still can’t stop trying to oppose each other. For the biggest things, they can work together, the Queens orders to all fae to do so are obeyed, but on the smaller things if any Fae see any chance they can sabotage the other court without direct disobeying orders or getting caught, they will do so.

So due to abuse off magic trying to influence things on the command center, magic was banned. Only the guards, the dwarf and the spriggan can use magic, and only when doing their duties.

So I get why the commander wants to know. Whatever if what I discussed with Johnson was private or not, everybody will assume that is a move by the unseelie to try to gain any kind of advantage on how the expeditionary forces are run. Still it’s not only my secret to share, and I know that just knowing this can create more problems for the commander on the long term. No choice but to go for the big guns.

“Hanna, I swear to you on my magic that we only talked about a personal matter that have great importance to me and private Johnson and it has no relations to the army.” I feel my magic stir as I say it.

“You didn’t have to that Artharian. I believe you.” After a few seconds of silence the commander tells me in a much more subdued tone. Ah, guilt again, I love it, when it’s not me feeling it.

“I know, but now you can tell anyone who ask that I swore on my magic. All Fae should take the hint that no foul play happened. They will still be curious about it, but they won’t be able to force your hand over it.” She nods in agreement.

“Ok, now that dealt with your little stun, give me the mission report.”

So I spent the next 30 minutes recounting the mission and answering questions.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“Losing two sources is bad, Artharian. If it wasn’t for the trouble with the pathway, I would be very tempted risking fighting to retake them.” She tells me somberly. “We still have a good store of magic, but with the expansion plans, growing crops and this damned storm draining our shields this could change quickly.”

Magic is the only thing that allow us to survive on this new world, it allow us to grow crops and raise livestock fast, and in great quantities, it gives us weapon and shields to protect ourselves against the hordes of mutations that exist out there. But it also one of the biggest dangers for us. Wild magic storms is a new phenomenon that came to be with the end of the world. They are surges of uncontrolled magic that can destroy and change things on their path.

There has been a powerful one raging against our shields for the past month. Forcing the courts to commit most of their magic to the shields, and that everything else, need to be maintained with whatever magic we can collect from the wells.

Magic wells are points where the magic from the ley lines leaks to the surface, and we can use crystals to collect it. The magic from the ley lines is, lacking a better world, neutral and we can use to power our spells and artifacts. While the current magic that is on the atmosphere has basically no life to stabilize it exists on chaotic state. Plus the corruption from all the outsider entities roaming our world now make it impossible to garner and use it.

Hold on, backup a second, are you saying that life stabilizes magic? Yes, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Think about it, what is the common element on all gods, religions myth and legend on all cultures across the world? We, mankind. From the greek gods to, native american ancestors spirits to amateratsu to the hindu mythology and all between. We are on the stories, they tell about those beings interactions with mankind. And it’s also why any gods that is hell bent on destroying life is usually ganked up by everyone else on those stories and defeated. Life generates and balances magic.

It’s also the main reason why the Fae helped create and protect the enclave. We are their rainforest, sucking up carbon-dioxide and releasing oxygen.

True is, all life do it at an extense, but humans do it the best, I don’t know why, there were many mages studying it before the end, but if they ever found a final answer, I don’t know. It also explain why the magic world was so big before the end, the more there were of us, more magic was generated. And why the power that be at the time started losing control. Too many new magicians were born, too much magic attracting beings from other universes.

This is also the principle of faith magic. If enough people believe something, the magic the course through them makes it real and why sacrificial magic works.

“Do the Fae have any estimation when the storm is going pass us?” I ask the commander, since not only it drains our shields, but also stops all non portal expeditions.

“Both their diviners and ours can’t say.” She answers. “But from our experience, it can’t last much longer, it’s already the longest we seen.”

Now she is being hopeful, only because none we seen so far last this long, does not mean this one can’t last much longer. It’s not like wild magic storms are a long documented phenomenon

“Anyway, I should get going commander, I’m really in need of some rest.” She nods to me as I get up and moves to the door.

“Captain.” She call to me as I open the door. As I turn to her again, I noticed she has a smile full of mischief on her face and I realize right away that I’m in trouble. “We haven’t talked about your punishment yet.” Oh crap, here it comes. The Guard has asked us to help on an investigation.” Oh no, this is bad. “There has been a series of disappearances on the special district, and they asked for someone who could help them deal with the locals. I had just started thinking on who would be best to help after finishing my last meeting, and then you showed up, it must be a signal.”

Oh no, I didn’t just throw the cross on the stones, on my past life, I might have thrown gasoline on it and set it on fire as well. “I will let they know they can expect you there the day after tomorrow.” I’m so going to you kill for this Johnson.