Standing on the pier, Margarette looked over the horizon. There she spotted her mage’s transport, a Caravel, flying the Northern Tower’s naval flag, a single thick white strip set on a dark blue background.
When the ship came to a stop on the dock and the walkway drew down, Margarette took a knee and stared at the ground. The quiet, but steady steps of her master made its way down the wooden plank, onto the pier and stopped when Margarette could see her black leather boots.
“Raise your head,” she ordered.
And so, she found herself staring into the mage’s hollow, but seductive eyes. It made her heart skip a beat, and she thanked the flow of the world that she had been assigned to her.
“To confirm, is the young mage still alive?”
“Yes, and I’ve made certain that he isn’t consumed by self-deprecating thoughts. He even recently killed a slave to take control of their group. All in all, he is demonstrating proper mage like behaviour. His father’s education and your suggestive magic has worked wonderfully.”
“And where is Mage Brian?”
“He’s in the representative’s headquarters. And he hasn’t come out in—”
“That’s enough. What he does in his spare time is of no concern to me. Stand up and show me the way.”
Margarette did her best not to jump up in excitement. She was finally getting out of this dump after all this time. “Of course, my mage, follow me.” She took the lead. As they passed sailors hauling crates onto their ships, the workers made way for them, spreading great excitement in her heart.
Finding their way out the port, Margarette led her mage through the side streets as the central road was continuously inundated with sleds.
“How many tonnes of crystals do you mine a month?” the mage asked.
Margarette glanced at the passing dogs. “That would be around 9,000 tonnes. But our output could easily be doubled. The commoners are more than incompetent, especially when it comes to management.” She looked back, hoping this extra information would please the mage, but she didn’t care for it.
“We don’t need that many crystals. It would only make it easier for it to be smuggled to the other Towers. Don’t worry yourself about subjects that you aren’t tasked with. Do as you are told, that is the job of an assistant.”
Embarrassed and feeling guilty, Margarette returned to her professional mindset, not letting her mind wander. “Of course, my apologies, I’ll learn from this mistake.”
After a few more minutes, they reached the headquarters. The mage came to a stop next to Margarette. “Is this where you’ve been staying?”
“Yes, for the past half decade.”
“It is a deplorable thing; I can’t believe that the Grenoldine was able to live here for so long. The commoners really are something else. It explains why they were the ones to discover the crystal. No self-respecting mage would come here longer than a day, and that would at most be to confirm the presence of the island.”
The pair stood there, watching the wind rip the sheet of snow on the house's roof layer by layer.
“You said he was a rash man in your letters.”
Margarette nodded. “Other than the fact only a mad man would break one of the Magic Towers' pillars, his mood swings have been getting worse as of late. Perhaps it’s because he feels safe here, but he might also be suffering from mental instability.
He’s always locked up in his room, aimlessly trying to form his second magic type's mana circuit. I’m sure that if you prod at his lack of achievements, or pride, I doubt he would back down from a fight, even if he’s no match for you.”
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“That’s good. A dead mage can’t defend himself in court, after all. Anyhow, let’s move, I have no intentions of staying here anymore.” The mage unbuttoned her robe’s silver buttons. “Go fetch him. Tell him a representative of the tower of law has come.”
“Yes,” answered Margarette before taking quick steps into the building. “Mage Derick, come down here.” Now that his time had come, she’d get back at him as well. Plus, she doubted she’d get the opportunity to talk down to a mage ever again.
Not even a few dozen seconds later, the mage came out of his room, enraged. “Did you just order me around!”
“Yes.”
Stunned, it took a few seconds for him to respond. He frowned. “Has the island made you go mad? You’ve never talked to me like this. What do you want?”
Margarette was halfway surprised he didn’t burst into anger right away; maybe even attacking her. It would have made things much easier. Still, she wouldn’t let up so easily. “The tower of law has sent a representative.”
“A representative!” the mage exclaimed. “Do you not mean a mage of the tower?”
“No, a representative,” she affirmed.
Mage Brian unbuttoned his robe and walked down the steps, coming to a stop next to Margarette. “I’m guessing this was done by the nobles. If only you were as good in governance as you were with insults.” He got closer to Margarette. “Since you were so obedient, I thought you empathized with our struggles. After all, your kids will be of common birth. But it seems you are just an ignorant and immature child, or are the teachings of the tower so great? A chicken that likes omelettes, that is what you are.” He spat on her face. “I’ll be back.” He left.
Disgusting peasants. Margarette cleaned her face with a tissue she kept in her pocket. If only they used their heads and power for anything more than fucking, they’d be welcomed by the nobles. But if they ever touched any positions of power, the Tower would crumble the same day. Hearing the door close behind her, Margarette headed outside as well. She’d be a valuable witness.
Outside, she found Mage Brian already facing her master.
Giving them space, she stepped to the side and headed next to an igloo in case she had to seek cover.
“Mage Brian, as a representative of the tower of law, I have come to inform you of your arrest. You have been accused of enslaving a young mage, the abuse of a young mage, and slandering nobility. You are to be detained before your first appearance in court, which shall be decided by the time, we reach the Tower.
Furthermore, as a mage, you are to be presumed innocent, and you have the right to remain silent.”
Mage Brian’s face turned crimson; he didn’t think they’d be so brazen. To accuse him of such things without proof was insanity. The only mages who visited the island stayed in his residence, never staying overnight. Not to mention all were Grenoldine mages, none of which he thought would betray him.
He looked back, it must have been the assistant, but her words were worth nothing in the courts, even if he was born a commoner. They were just attempting to annoy and insult him. “Although this is a good way to be a pain in the ass, I don’t understand why you’re losing your time with this farce. Shouldn’t you focus your time on other matters? Perhaps I’d have taken this seriously if you were an ordained member of the tower of law, but for you to be a representative is merely an insult. Leave now and I’ll forget about this.” He waved her off.
“Unfortunately, the tower of law is busy with more pressing matters. Now, stop talking and come with me, I am getting tired of this game.” She scowled.
The Mage was holding back quite well, she thought, but surely, he could only hold back for so long. “Clasp your hands together. I will cast restrictive magic on you.”
“No. I’ll come without resisting; you don’t need to do any of that.”
“This is standard policy.”
“Since when? There’s no such law.”
“Ignorance is to be expected from someone exiled to this desolate land, but you have to at least understand that laws can change. Now stop resisting and put your hands together.” She approached the man, pulling out a glyph from a pocket inside her coat.
“I refuse! This is clearly forceful detention. If you take one more step, I will defend myself!” He screamed, trying to scare her off, but her steps were sound and steady.
“Use your eyes, I am a rank higher than yours, if you want to die, then attack me. Not to mention the fact I doubt a commoner like you has the heart of a strong beast.”
“You have no plan on letting me come peacefully, do you!” The mage closed his robes buttons. “Perhaps you think we are all savages, but that’s wrong; I’ve already endured all sorts of humiliation. This is nothing. Anger doesn’t mean a lack of restraint, and you hollowed eyed demons should learn this. And trust that as soon as this farce of a trial ends, I’ll come for you, and no one will find your corpse.”
She walked up to Mage Brian and stuck the glyph on his hand, infusing it with her mana. Ice mana particles flooded his blood, freezing his mana heart. Finally, with ice magic, she shackled his hands. She was disappointed that this didn’t end in a fight, however, sometimes things didn’t go fully according to plan. But at least his threat was recorded on the recording device. It was clear he had no clue of its existence, after all it was still a secret artifact until last year.
“Take him to the port,” she told Margarette. Perhaps being escorted by an assistant would push him over the edge, but even if he could hold back, it would at least send the message to the inhabitants of the city as to who was now in charge.
Now with that dealt with, she now had to go and retrieve the young mage, Nathan de la Cortella.