Chapter 9

Does it still count as a standoff if your opponent wields magic?

After briefly commanding Varialax to hold its fire, the girl shrinks deeper into her corner with wide eyes. Her hands tremble as she grips the crystal like it’s her last hope. The magical circle below her flickers an icy blue but remains lit as jagged breaths leave her mouth.

On the other hand, Variralax keeps an iron grip on the desert eagle, aiming the pistol at her and putting a virtual reticle on her forehead. I breathe heavily as my heart pounds, but after observing her…. There might be a way out of this.

I have a squeaky-clean record of zero kills in my life, and I’d like to keep it that way…

…I’m… I’m not like mom.

Looking ahead, I try to read the girl’s body language. Her whole body is now trembling as she looks back and forth between me and the gun. She may be a magical girl, but judging her body language, I’m guessing she knows what a gun can do.

But at the same time, do I even know what magic can do?

Despite all that’s happening, I can hear the people outside the room walking and talking.

…I think I can de-escalate this. I take a big breath before talking.

“...You hear them too, don’t you?” I start as I motion my head behind me before continuing. “...and I guarantee they’re armed.”

Her face looks up toward mine as I keep talking.

“I don’t know how much noise that crystal will make, but I know my weapon will make a loud ‘bang’ that’ll alert everyone in this building. Assuming we both survive and keep fighting, people with much deadlier weapons than this one will rush in within minutes or even seconds, and we’ll both be finished.” I say in a low but firm voice.

The girl's eyebrows raise as she tightens her grip on her crystal. I hope she understands me…

“I, for one, would like to live. And judging by your body language, you do too. I don’t see a killer’s look in your eyes, and I’d like to think I don’t have one, either. So how about we put away our weapons and not start a battle neither of us will win?” I say, but I don’t actually know her intentions through her eyes; I’m just really hoping I'm getting through to her.

The girl keeps staring at me while she nervously swallows. Her jagged breaths come out soon after as she refuses to move.

…I’m gonna have to make the first move, aren't I?

“Varialax,” I begin whispering. “Can I please have my arms back?”

AUTO ENGAGE (LTD VER.) DISABLED

A few moments of silence go before my limbs, while still armored, begin to listen to me again.

“It’s ok,” I say to the girl as I begin lowering myself to the ground. “I’ll go first.”

I slowly and carefully lower myself to the ground, keeping my eyes locked with hers and not her crystal. Her eyes follow me, but she doesn’t make any sudden movements. I guess that’s a good thing… right?

I finally lower myself enough to place the gun on the ground and slide it away from me sideways. After reaching some distance, the familiar green squares appear around the desert eagle before it vanishes into thin air.

The girl witnessing this doesn’t change her expression and quickly turns her focus toward me. I guess she’s seen a disappearing act before?

I sit down on the floor to keep the same height level as her. I hear animals will sometimes calm down if you lower yourself to their level, but this is a human I’m dealing with… I’m no psychology major, but I need any and every edge I can get right now, or else… yeah, it’s not good.

I patiently sit on the floor while holding my breath. I did my part; now it’s up to her.

After a few seconds of thick air, the girl’s breathing slows down. The crystal loses its luminous glow as she carefully returns it to her pocket. The magical circle grows dimmer and dimmer before dispersing. She maintains distance from me as she brings her knees up to her face and wraps her arms around them, putting herself in a huddle/fetal position while she stares at me with worried eyes.

A “Phew” escapes my mouth just as she finishes. I can’t believe that actually worked. I mentally pat myself on the pack for a performance That would probably raise my GPA if I took psychology.

But…

Now what?

The girl and I sit across from each other, with her staring at me with clearly worried eyes. Neither of us dares to move as the air remains thick in the room. I may have prevented our deaths, but what do I do now? I put my hand on my chin as I plot an angle of attack.

She’s clearly terrified of me, which can be bad considering I don’t know her capabilities. Any wrong moves could make her defensive and, by extension, violent. That’s bad, so I simply won’t move. I’ll keep it all verbal.

Besides… I need to see what information I can get out of her anyways. If she’s from the same place as all those creatures from earlier, I might be on the right track to figuring out this whole mess…

“Hey…” I start while looking at her. “Do… you even know where we are?” She looks at me silently for a moment, likely contemplating her answer. Then, just as slowly as she raises her head, she lowers it before shaking it.

Yeah, I thought so. Although… that wouldn’t explain how she got this deep into a military base by herself undetected. I’ll ask her that later, though. She feels comfortable enough to talk to me right now, and I need to keep it that way, especially if I hope to get more info from her.

I’ll start broad and narrow in.

“Ok… Do you know what nation you’re in now?” I ask her with a gentle voice. She replies by slowly shaking her head.

“You’re in the United States of America right now,” I say, looking into her face for any reaction. But, instead, all she does is stare with the same expression.

“Y-you know, America?” I continue. “Pioneers of the newest technology, strongest military this planet’s ever seen, land of the free with an asterisk at the end of free? You’ve… heard of us, yeah?”

She silently shakes her head once again.

“S-Seriously?!” I exclaim loudly before settling myself down.

“Umm… If you don’t mind me asking…” I begin once again. “What planet are we on right now?” I ask her.

Silence goes by as she sits and stares at me, as if she’s trying to read me. Maybe the question confuses her?

“Sunder.” She says to me while slightly cocking her head.

…I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SUNDER IS, BUT ALL I KNOW IS THAT SHE DIDN’T SAY EARTH. WHY DIDN’T SHE SAY EARTH?!

“Art we not upon the Sunder?” She asks me with her head still tilted. I sigh deeply as I rub my temples and mouth the word ‘Ok’ before continuing.

“...No. We are on a planet called Earth. Located in the Milky Way galaxy.” I say while raising my head toward her.

She looks at me blankly for a moment, then her eyes widen as she gasps. She quickly covers her mouth with her hand before looking down and to her left. Did something just click for her?

“Verily…” She begins muttering to herself. “When they didst speaketh of the promised land, did they meaneth the promised world? Truly, they were not jesting.”

I look down and to the left, trying to piece together what she’s saying, but… I place one hand over my eye and softly groan. Prim would be so much better at this... Well, at least we can understand each oth-

Wait. She’s from a different world, right? So, the odds of her speaking English are abysmally low. So how are we…

“Hey,” I begin while looking at her. “What language are we speaking?”

For a split second, she gasps and looks at me with wide eyes before looking down and to the right. One of her hands slowly moves to cover a shiny light blue ring.

“I-I bethought thou wert speaking Sunderian…” The girl says while looking away from me.

“Hmmm.” I think as I put a hand on my chin. “There’s a chance we could be speaking the same language with two different names. But I’m guessing this has something more to do with that ring of yours, doesn’t it?” I say as I point at her fingers.

“V-verily- I, uhh…” She squeaks right before falling to silent. What a nervous mess. I’ll have to ensure I don’t accidentally break my only source of information.

“Mind telling me about it?” I ask while slightly tilting my head. The only reply I get is silence while she refuses to meet my eyes.

Hmmm… I don’t want her to shut down completely, so…

“Look.” I begin. “If for some reason you can’t-”

“Nay.” She cuts me off. A brief moment of silence goes by as she takes a deep breath. She then looks straight into my eyes.

“Verily, this is thy world, after all. I suppose it is thy right to know who, or rather what hath spoken of thy world. Though I cannot proffer much knowledge.” She says while keeping eye contact.

The middle English is getting a little hard to keep up with, but I think I get the gist.

“I’m all ears,” I say, getting as comfy as possible on the steel floor. The girl raises her eyebrow and tilts her head.“I-It’s a figure of speech.” I elaborate.

“Mmm.” The girl nods before starting. “The national academy did require from me the impossible. A novel kind of magic that not even the great scholars of Wissen could discover. Something beyond the 7 types of magic known.”

I nod while putting my hand on my chin and let out an “mmm hmm.” of confirmation. I have no idea what she’s talking about, but it’s the most she’s ever said since I’ve walked in here, so I won’t stop her. Hopefully, I can put together a few keywords she says. Even if I can’t, just listening to her talk will establish some trust between us.

“Me? A student? Accomplish something not even the great sages have done? Ridiculous.” She says while narrowing her eyes and looking down. “The academy doth know it to be ridiculous. They doth but seek a cause to dismiss me. They hast even encouraged those brutes to heckle me, all to ensure my failure. All for the mere crime of...” She says but lets out an ahem as she stops herself.

And I thought my university was rough for using a lockdown browser.

“That sounds like a total pain and straight-up unfair,” I say. “But, what does that have to do with… everything that’s happening here?”

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

She looks back up at me before continuing. “Should the academy dismiss me, they shall have cause to investigate my dwelling. My family… a-and if they do that…” Her face darkens as her voice starts trembling. “Slavery at best… At worst, harves- em!” She cuts herself off as she looks away from me.

A few more seconds go by before she turns back. After taking a brief moment to compose herself…

“Yes. You. Your world.” She says before meeting my eyes once again. “In my darkest hour… they came.”

“They?” I say while raising an eyebrow.

“Beings clad in unfamiliar garbs and armor... verily, 'tis unlike aught I have ever witnessed before. Not even the heavens of Langit hath garbs such as those.” She says before swallowing a bit.

“They… did offer me a holy grail, a chance to journey to the promised land, a realm of opportunity, replete with unexplored magic and wonders…” She says while looking up.

“Juding by the fact we’re here talking, I assume you went with them.” I interject. “But… why? There’s no way you trusted complete strangers just like that, right?”

She looks down before continuing. “They possessed knowledge of me that surpassed the ordinary bounds. They were privy to secrets they ought not to have known.” Her face begins to darken. “They possessed precisely what I required. But... I was followed..”

I lean in as I listen.

“The hecklers... they did abhor the notion that I was bestowed an opportunity they were not. They did demand to journey with me, all to claim credit for whatsoever I may discover.” She explains in a low voice as she continues. “The strangers had no qualms with this. Nay, they seemed most enthusiastic...”

“Is it safe to assume that they were the ones that sent you here?” I ask as she nods in response. “Then… what happened after you arrived?”

She holds her knees tightly together as she looks down. “Structures that did loom above me, as though they sought to breach the heavens themselves. Then... chaos did ensue,” She says as her breath and voice become jagged. “The men adorned in verdant attire arrived with their rods of steel. Those gleaming bursts of light... though the hecklers were among the most accomplished mages from the academy, they were rent asunder in but fleeting moments. I myself did flee, yet...” Her eyes get wide as her face loses color. “Th-those iron elephants… the s-steel dragons and phoenixes!”

Her words become less coherent as she-

Annnnd, she’s hyperventilating.

“Whoa, hey, hey!” I yell while holding my hands out toward her but keeping my distance. “It’s ok, it’s alright! Y-you don’t need to talk about that right now, ok? You’re safe here! There’s no fighting happening right now, right?”

She places her hand on her chest as she slows down her breathing. Color returns to her face as she tries her best to compose herself.

“...My apologies.” She quietly says while looking away.

“You don’t have to apologize. I made you dig up those memories; it’s my fault.” I say, trying to reassure her. “Let’s drop it, ok?”

“Drop… what?” She asks me while raising an eyebrow.

“It’s a figure of… never mind,” I say, looking down.

I silently berate myself for pushing her like that before looking up at her, only to meet a side-eye.

“Verily,” She begins speaking once again. “Thou hast posed unto me numerous inquiries. Therefore, it is only equitable if I doth pose thee at least one question, is it not so?”

I… think she wants to ask me something.

“I’m all ears,” I say while leaning back.

“But… thou art human, ar-”

“Just ask the question.”

The girl sits herself up before speaking.“Very well then.” She clears her throat before continuing.

“Thy world doth confound me. The magic and inventions of this realm doth make no sense to mine understanding. Thy world is most advanced in the art of magic, yet I cannot discern it by any means. Moreover, no runic circle is employed when thy people doth cast their spells. Pray, tell me, how doth the magic of this world operate?” She asks me while squinting her eyes and tilting her head.

Silence passes as my eyes widen, and my jaw might as well hit the floor. So she thinks we’re using magic? I put my hand on my chin, trying to think of a sufficient response.

“It…. Doesn’t.” I say, looking to the ground and then back up at her.

“...Pardon me?” She asks, dumbfounded. “I prithee, repeat thyself?”

“Umm… There’s no magic here.” I explain.

“In this chamber?”

“On this planet.”

The girl’s hand reaches her mouth before she starts frantically looking around for any explanation, sputtering middle english gibberish before finally settling on one word.

“P-Preposterous!” She stands up and yells while pointing at me. “T-thou jests! Magic is the fundamental cornerstone of every civilization that hath advanced!”

“Whoa- hey! There's still people outside, alright?” I say as I motion to her to calm down and be quiet. “Look, maybe if you show me some ‘magic,’ we might be able to make more sense of things?”

The girl takes a moment to compose herself before looking at me and sighing. “Very well. Yet again, though I cannot proffer much, I shall endeavour to do what I can.”

She then reaches into one of her pockets and pulls out a mysterious citrine crystal. It softly pulses a yellowish light as she holds it up with one hand.

“Observe.” She says as she wields the crystal like a giant pencil. Then, she closes her eyes and whispers something to the crystal.

“May the light shine upon my path and lead me aright.”

My eyes widen as a small yellow circle with unknown symbols forms right below the young mage. The circle begins to spin as my eyes are slowly drawn toward the growing glow of the crystal, to the point where it’s becoming hard to stare at.

I brace myself, but… nothing. The circle remains as the crystal continues to shine at me.

“Pray, doth this bring satisfaction?” She huffs as she rolls her eyes.

“It’s…” I say while squinting. “A Flashlight?”

“Flash…light?” The girl struggles to say then shakes her head. “This be the guiding light spell.”

“Is it a light that lets you see in a dark space whenever you feel like it?” I ask while raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, that is indeed its purpose.” She says while directing her eyes toward me.

So… a flashlight. Or rather a magical flashlight, I guess. Still it’s pretty amazing that I get to witness not only magic, but potentially the laws of thermodynamics being broken before my eyes. The research potential behind this is…

The implications… oh, what physicists would give to be in my shoes right now.

Later. Right now, this girl seems to assume that everything runs on “magic.”

Showing this girl a flashlight could interest her in explaining more about herself and magic.

…Or she may call hearsay and attempt to kill me.

I reach into my pocket but let out a tch as I remember my phone is still in the car.

But… in every military supply closet, there’s always a good chance of there being…

I look to the side of me and scan the rack holding many mundane supplies.

I smile as my target is locked. I stand up and hold up a finger toward the girl, indicating her to wait. I walk over to the rack and grab the flashlight.

With a flat expression, I turn towards the girl as she raises her eyebrow at me.

Let there be light.

I look into her eyes as I witness all understanding she has broken from a single flick of a switch.

“Im-Impossible! How could- Wherefore hath the crystal gone?!” She starts yelling and pointing. “There’s no runes, I… I cannot perceive aught! What manner of magic is this?!”

Who knew all it takes to shatter an entire worldview is a flashlight.

You break my laws of physics; I’ll break yours.

“No magic, I swear~,” I say while holding my hands up in surrender.

Her face looks down to the floor with a dark shadow covering her eyes.

“Thou….Thou lie.” She says with her voice trembling. “Art thou but jesting at my expense? Making a mockery of me perchance?”

“I’m being genuine here.”

“Then how?!” She screams. “Only magic hath the power to bring forth creation from naught and wield dominion over the elemental essence!”

The law of conservation of mass, energy, and frankly the entire periodic table is shaking and crying right now.

“Look, it’s not that complicated. It’s just an LED light. If I remember anything from Physics 2, the electrons inside flow through the semiconductor which releases a bunch of photons. It’s just a little science and technology.”

The only response I get is a blank expression.

“...You didn’t understand a single word I said, did you?” I sigh.

“Regrettably, I am unacquainted with those terms, I must confess.” She says, hanging her head. “What manner of magic is this ‘ee-lek-tron’ and ‘tek-nol-oji?’”

Oh dear.

“Look,” I say, clapping my hands together. “If you promise to teach me about magic, I’ll teach you science and technology.”

The girl’s eyes widen as she releases a small gasp. “Art thou in earnest? Dost thou seek solely this?” She says while putting her hands on her cheeks. “Thou wouldst grant me such knowledge without requesting monetary recompense?”

“Hey,” I say while giving her finger guns. “Anyone interested in the pursuit of knowledge is a good person in my book.”

“Thou maintain a chronicle of good individ-?”

“I’m just saying I think you’re an alright person.”

“To think he wouldst bestow upon me such knowledge without inquiring about mine own or my family's position within the caste system of Wissen.” The girl places her hand on her chin, looking down and to the side as she mutters. “Is he a fool? Or is it that status beareth no necessity in acquiring the knowledge within this realm?”

…I’m not quite sure what she means by all of that, but it seems like her and her family might… not be in such a good situation…

Family, huh?

Family…. PRIM!!

How did I forget AGAIN?! Well, I did meet a mage and literally witnessed magic, but still, I need to find Prim! Now I have much more to ask and tell her than before.

But what do I do about this girl? I can’t just leave her, can I?

“Hey, I JUST realized I have to leave. It’s not that I’m not interested in talking, but I need to find my sister right now.” I explain while turning my attention to the exit.

“Ah. 'Tis a pity indeed. Verily, I find great enjoyment in our discourse.” She says while looking at me with a smile. “But what of me? I cannot depart in the same manner through which I arrived, for the spacial crystal I employed hath now suffered damage.” She says as she digs in her pocket and holds up a golden-colored crystal with a crack.

I’m going to pretend to know what she means by that.

“Ummm… Can you just wait here?” I ask, giving a hopeful look. “Getting spotted may not be the best thing for you right now, and nobody has come in so far. I’ll find my sister and explain everything as I bring her back. She can definitely help us!” I propose.

“Very well.” She says, nodding. “It seems that I have scant options regardless. Though…”

I turn around and look at her as I raise my eyebrow.

“Before thou departs, allow me to address but one more matter.” She says, looking into my eyes. “I believe we hath not yet exchanged introductions…”

…I’ve pointed a gun at this girl, attempted to extract information from her, brought up her past traumas, and potentially broke her understanding of science and magic…

And I didn’t even bother to ask her name.

I hate myself.

“Ah! I’m uhhh… sorry for not asking that earlier.” I say, looking down and rubbing the back of my head. “I feel like a jerk for that.”

I look up at her, and my eyes widen as a slight giggle escapes from her lips.

“Tis well. I sense that we both have traversed a plethora of trials and tribulations this day.” She says with a warm smile. She then walks up to me and proceeds to curtsy.

“I am Jimena, Mage of the House of the Arcane Flora. 'Tis a delight to make thine acquaintance.” She says while holding the curtsy.

Wow. She’s… actually pretty cute, at least when she’s not horrified.

“Monarch Key. House of… well, my parents, I guess,” I say while placing my hand on my chest, which earns me a giggle from Jimena.

“Mmm. Indeed. Well,” She says, turning around and taking a seat on the ground. “I shall await your return, Sir Monarch,” Jimena says, turning towards me and flashing a smile.

Sir Monarch… I could get used to that.

I give a wink and flash a peace sign before turning toward the door. I reach for the handle before a chill causes my body to stop just short of it…

…Somethings wrong. Somethings… missing? My knees become weak as my mind races. It couldn’t possibly be Jimena, she’s still sitting down, and Varialax isn’t doing anything either. The silence starts to become deafening-

Silence… Silence!

There’s no sound coming from the other side. All the hustle and bustle, the sounds of carts rolling by and boots stomping on the ground…

All gone.

I gulp and turn around. I hold a finger up to my lips to signal Jimena.

I slowly twist the handle and gently push; as I position my head to peek outside…

…to see a familiar face staring back!

“Prim!” I yell as I swing open the door with a sigh and a smile.

…Only for it to leave as quickly as it came when the door fully opens.

Next to the still injured Prim stands General Kent with a furrowed look…

…And next to him stands 2 men and 2 women in black suits with sunglasses.

All surrounded by armored guards.

All staring at me.