I am making magic holy water. I have an audience, as I try to teach ritual magic to Lidija and Stjepan. I am happy to have students again. They are very good students. The issue is linguistics.
P: Ready water is. New eye make I now.
It really works.
P: Both sides you I see now.
They clap as I move the eye around in a figure 8 pattern.
L: Do you move it by telekinesis?
P: No. New might alone eye move. Important is because enemies hear can old might. New eye which fly must they see with own eyes know it in air and I them new eye with see.
I choose to believe that the slight smile I see on her face is in recognition of me using my twentieth ability for the first time.
--
Clufo#1 is doing a last sweep of the apartment. We are becoming vagabonds again. At least we have ample sandwiches and beverages in storage.
P: Are we agreed that pipes for mana are the best option?
Common agreement. And finally I get a solemn mood at the thought of heading into battle through my aura senses. But for my taste there is not enough real fear in it. They seem to fear failure rather than death. I wish I could change that, but I lack that elusive quantity known as leadership or inspiration.
There is nothing left but wait for the EOA.
At least I imagine to know enough about being an officer that I consider it necessary to appear calm and confident. Well, they are too confident already, but calm is probably still a good idea. I start meditating.
--
I am afraid my meditative stunt has done more to impress the EOA people, who arrived to the sight what must have looked to them like a gigantic mantis sitting on the roof of an SF car made from crystal, facing the morning sun, than to calm our own group.
Clufo#1 has returned; Maria has locked the door and returned the keys to the little outdoor safe to be open with a code. Of course I have made copies with [Equip the Army] but I do not wish to test my ability against their magic for locks. At least I am equipped fully for battle now:
Gun: [Tools of the Magister] Special Ability Iron 2 (17%) [Joy of Sustained Fire] Blood Special Attack Iron 1 (27%) [This is my Gun] Myriad Special Attack/Conjuration
Iron 1 (84%)
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
[Chemical Warfare] Defiance Special Attack/Conjuration
Iron 0 (54%)
[Hyperkinetic Cannon] Gun Special Attack/Conjuration Iron 0 (11%) Vast: [Giant Form of the Ancestors] Special Ability Iron 1 (24%) [Immortality] Tree Special Ability Iron 1 (85%) [Nebelwerfer 42] Focus Special Attack/Conjuration Iron 0 (30%) [Arsenal of the Mad Scientist] Magotech Special Ability Iron 1 (35%) [Eldritch Eyes] Water Special Ability & Attack Iron 0 (1%) Dimension: [Teleport] Special Ability Iron 1 (51%) [Dance by my Will] Dance Aura Ability Iron 2 (73%) [Eternal Moment] Reach Special Ability Iron 1 (2%) [Path in Time] Hunt Perception Ability Iron 2 (13%) [Wrath of the Magister] Corruption Special Attack/Spell Iron 1 (30%) Battlefield: [Equip the Army] Special Ability Iron 2 (60%) [Robotic Servant of War] Magotech Special Attack/Conjuration Iron 1 (25%) [Pipes of War] Unity Special Ability Iron 0 (94%) [Cornucopia] Feast Special Ability Iron 0 (22%) [Feast of Decontamination] Light Special Ability Iron 0 (21%)
We are heading northeast in a small convoy.
--
Stjepan has found us the entrance farthest away from the entrance the GDN used.
He also released their car from its storage backpack. They are to stay in the car, only to leave it
when nature inevitably calls. They are equipped with food, unheathy beverages, video games and cell phones to call their grandfather, if the worst were to happen.
I pour out the simple circles for [Pipes of War], while the EOA guys, including five new men with impassive faces clad in identical cargo pants, white t-shirts and combat boots strap small steel breastplates to each other’s chests and don WW2-style steel helmets. Zora hands out a pair of javelins to Lidija and Maria. They look puny compared to the about 2.2 meter long winged spears the EOA fighters without guns are getting out of their van and complement with a short backup sword and a kite shield featuring a transparent inset. Zora and Maria accept steel helmets with a muttered word of thanks. Lidija points to her horns and shakes her head.
My draining staff again goes to Zora, Maria equalizes the ambient magic and one of the EOA guys does the ritual for opening the aperture.
Ordinarily I would have been faster, but, after warning everybody, I have gone into the new hulk form. Still, it is time to go. Dalek-3H follows on my tail.