In The Shadows of Silverspire(Fantasy HFY): Book 2 of the Aether Cycle

[jldew93]

Author's Note: This is the second book in a series. If you haven't read book one, you might be a little lost.

Novitiate Aether Stephen Andrews

December 21st, 1930 Through the Mirror.

As soon as we exited the mirror, Reg was on the move. His wand was in his hand. He began whirling through the rune motions that would conjure a spectral message. I began to do the same. A wispy raven coalesced into existence, and it settled on my shoulder. I whispered my message and it leapt into the air. The raven circled the clearing a couple of times before it vanished.

I frowned and pulled a mirror from my pocket. I traced the combination of six Norse runes that would connect me to Bethany, my adopted mother. The mirror fogged and then cleared again. That meant I was out of range of the entire mirror network. If there was a mirror obelisk within a few miles of me, that code would have broadcast a high priority message. It paid dividends to have a rich inventor for a mother. Reginald had already done the same, and Emily had fished her own mirror from her pocket.

"Call Amy. If that doesn't work, Eli. I'll call Vince." I told her, even as I was tracing his runic code across the surface of my mirror. The fingerprints erased themselves as I swiped across the mirror.

"I'm already on it." Emily muttered. I ignored the urge to mutter something back here. It wasn't the time for childish banter. I had the same result.

"Well then," I said.

"Stephen, has Bethany trained you in non-Euclidean spatial navigation yet?" Reginald asked.

"I know how to break a space." I said, flashing briefly to that lesson this summer.

"Should we start mapping this?" He asked. I was suddenly aware of the cold silver bell burned into my wrist with magical ink.

"We'll take care of it in a moment, I want to try my Heir Ring first." I replied.

"I'll try mine as well. If my Gram is in the same hemisphere as us, she'll feel my summons." He said, I nodded.

I held out my ring. The ring had gained a new potency ever since my bloodline adoption. I could feel Power from the Family Fount deep neath the townhouse, although connection was dim here. As long as I lived, and wore that ring, I would forever be the Heir of House Andrews.

"Bethany Andrew, Mum, Bethany Andrews, Teacher, Bethany Andrews, Lady of Her House, come forth!" I shouted. The wind swirled around me in an emerald haze, and my ring didn't even glimmer. I didn't feel so much as a single thaum call out to the void.

Wherever we were, we were far out of range of any Andrews holdings. I shook my head. Emily didn't even bother trying hers. I held the Heir ring, hers was simply a ring designating her as a member of our house.

Reginald took off his ring. Where our Coat of Arms was an hourglass above a crossed wand and a sword, the Coldwood coat of arms was a sturdy oak tree, stars were hanging from it's branches, and the words From Coldest Morn in silver engraving around the edge.

He grabbed his black-handled athame from his belt. This was the knife meant for sacrifice and direction. The black-handled knife was a foci to cut through magic and direct your own out into the world. He pricked his finger with the blade, brushed the face of his ring with his bloody finger, and buried the totem in a mound of dirt.

"Agatha Coldwood, Grandmother, Agatha Coldwood, Mistress, Agatha Coldwood, Lady of Her House, here the call of the son of your line." A yellow pop of light flared, I felt a pulse of energy shoot under my feet under the guise of lowly rumbling earth, and then Reg shook his head and frowned. He looked at me. I saw fear in his eyes as he dug his ring out of the dirt.

"Wherever we are, my gram can't find us."

"Stephen. We should check to see if our rings still work with each other," Emily said.

Emily had a scrawny look about her. She was around my 5'6 and had aurically colored purple hair down in a short bob. It was the longest her hair had been since I'd known her. Like the rest of us, she was dressed in pajamas. Despite it being daytime wherever we were, it had been near the witching hour back home.

"Why?"

"Well, you have it within your power to grant them rings, they're all vassals. If the rings are still working, then we'll at least be able-" She was interrupted by a sudden teary voice.

"This is because of me, isn't it?" Cassandra sniffled. She had long black hair and pale sharp features trademark to the Lowe kids, the height of an adult mage, and none of the grace. I took another look around the clearing, anywhere but at her teary face.

Cassandra was a Tremisimancer, a mage who could control diamonds. Even one with rudimentary skill could produce diamonds that could be sold for enormous amounts of currency. She had a target on her head that would not go away until she could defend herself or found someone to defend her. We had offered her vassalage and tutelage, and that contract had been signed. If they were ever under threat, we were honor bound to defend them in exchange for their loyalty and access to her talents.

Wherever, or whenever, we were, we were far out of range of magical communication. There was asphalt on the ground, and a tree holding the ancient remnants of a mundane airliner, and the more I tried to contact mum, the more worried I became. If we were nearly anywhere on Earth, Bethany would have felt my summons.

"No, it's not," William said, "it's because of Stephen." He growled and gave me a dirty look.

His icy-blue eyes flashed with anger, and short sparks of magic popped from his matching bangs. He'd gotten his growth spurt, and while we were about the same size in width, he did have three or four inches on me. Mages, as a rule, usually grew to be tall.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"This is your trial, we're here because of you," he replied, and I returned his dirty look with one of my own. That sentence was dangerously close to Breaking the Oath he had sworn when he became our vassal.

Normally, William wasn't confrontational. Last summer, Cassandra had begun manifesting her magical talents, and he had asked me for help. They had chosen to spend the Yule Holidays with us. The Lowe siblings, all four of them, along with my adopted sister, Emily, and our friend from school, Reginald, had all been caught in a sudden attack from Vampires, and our enemies, the Thorne Family.

"Vampires attacked my home because your sister was there." I growled.

"Because you offered us vassalage, which you failed at, by the way." He hissed in reply. I drew my wand. He was insulting my House, and that just wasn't done.

"Take that back," I said.

"I won't." He said, and drew his own, dusty icy blue motes of light swirled around the tips of his fingers on his wand hand.

"I wouldn't try that, Lowe." A voice behind us said. Emily had drawn her own wand, and she had pointed her wand at him, sapphire-purple aura aglow, pentacle alight.

"Two on one, really, York?" He asked.

"It's Andrews now," she replied.

"York, Andrews, you're still a tricksy little bitch," he replied. William and Emily didn't exactly like each other, but he was far too proper to insult her like that. I'd only heard him swear once before, but this whole incident had us all stressed. However, he was still acting like a prat, and I would put an end to it.

"That's my sister you're talking about." I snarled and raised my wand. Emerald light lit its tip, and a blanket of magical static settled on my skin.

Grass ripped its way up from the ground and wrapped around our hands and wrists. I burned it to bits. I sensed Reg's Power at work. It grew back just as fast, and soon, Emily, William and I were nearly cocooned. Everything except my mouth and nose were tightly bound in grass.

Then I was introduced from the Merry-Go-Round from hell as the world spun for the next few years, or seconds, and any thought of burning my way out was lost. I was fuzzy on the details of what came next. Words like "up" and "down" became things that I was only loosely acquainted with. The hot chocolate I'd consumed earlier threatened to make a second appearance. As soon as it began, it stopped.

"Reg! I swear to the Gods!" I yelled.

"When you all calm the fuck down, I'll tell the grass to behave." He called. He was the largest of all of us in height and mass. He was like a baby bear cub. All undeveloped muscle and potential, a little bit of a growl to his voice. Shaggy not quite at his shoulder's hair, and the barest hint of peach fuzz on his upper lip.

"I thought roller coasters hadn't been invented yet." Voice muttered. I had a little passenger in my head. He helped me; I gave him a brain. It was complicated.

"I'm calm. I swear. Now let me go so I can catch you on fire." I replied nicely. He gave me a look that told me he wasn't buying my bullshit. Fortunately whatever weird biomancy he'd performed ended with the universe in its proper orientation.

"The three of you need to behave. We're in a strange place. We have no way to know what's going on back at your house, and-" He looked up at the sun.

"Judging from the sun, and the season, we've got about five hours on sunlight left before we're in a strange woods in the dark. We need to tap leys, top up and then find shelter," he said.

"How are you so calm?" Evie asked. She looked like a younger version of Cassandra, much like Edward looked like a younger version of Will. Reg gave her a look.

"I'm the child of two Hunters. Running through a strange mirror and ending up in some odd version of the future is Tuesday," he replied. Then he looked at us.

"Are you calm?" He asked.

"I'm calm," I said.

"I'm annoyed," Emily said.

"I'm fine." William said.

Reg shot Emily a look. I caught a blush, of all things, briefly coloring her cheeks. What was that about? Then again, I looked at Will, and even though anger colored my thoughts, I was too aware of those little moments when our hands touched, or words failed each other in the others presence. There was certainly a spark of something, but uncertainty was fine.

"Annoyed is your default state of being, so I'll take that as calm," he replied. With a wave of his hand, the grass receded. I immediately put my hand to my neck and thought.

"Comms, Bethany." There was a pause, and then something flashed across my vision. It was a cherry red exclamation point inside a triangle. Below that, a message flashed.

USER NOT FOUND

"Kid, try contacting Emily as proof that the new communicator is working." Voice said. Emily had a voice as well, Oh-Em, short for Other Emily.

"Comm, Emily, Emily can you hear me?" I thought.

"Yes, why are you using this instead of telepathy?" She sent in reply.

"I'm checking to see if these bloody things work right. It won't let me contact mum." I sent. Emily frowned and tapped the side of her own neck. After a moment she shook her head.

"Would you care to share with the rest of the class what you are doing?" Cassandra asked.

"Bethany gave us an emergency way of contacting her. That way isn't working," Emily said. and Cassandra nodded, though I saw a look of swift curiosity flash across her carefully schooled features. We it not for my empathic abilities, Lowes could be bloody unreadable at times.

"Cass, you said that you spent time here, right?" William, and Cassandra nodded.

"I spent a few hours here. It's not like I moved here for an extended stay." She snarked.

"Could you show us where your friend is?" He asked, and she frowned and thought for a moment.

"I think I remember the way," she said.

"Stephen, before we go, do you think we should arm ourselves a little better?" Emily asked.

"The case mum gave us, or the weapons out of the trunk?" I sent back.

"I was thinking about the case, and perhaps we should call our demons as well."

"That would be giving them away." I replied.

"Kid, I don't think we're in a very good position to be holding secrets. It's best if everything is on the table. Will and Reg have seen the imps before." Voice sent.

"I agree with the Untouched." A fourth voice, Oh-Em, Emily's own secret voice, sent. She sounded like Emily if you added ten years in the future and a pack a day of Luckies. I sent Emily the psychic equivalent of, I'm game if you are, and she sent me a mental nod back.

"Before we go anywhere. There's a couple of things we need to tell you." I said

"Oh, what now?" William asked.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked.

"We were just almost killed by vampires!" He replied.

"I didn't see you doing much during that," Emily said.

"Gents, and Emily." Reg's voice was hard. I sighed.

I looked at Emily, and as one, we shook our wrists. The consecrated silver summoning bells for our imps released themselves from their binding of ink on our flesh and jingled merrily.

"Io!" I said, just as Emily intoned,

"Gany!" a raven and a kitten appeared.

"I wish my parents would let me have an imp." Reginald gushed.

"Imps, like demons?" William asked and made a face.

"Yes, like demons. Honestly, you knew about them, Lowe," Emily said, and he gave her a glare.

"Demons?" Cassandra asked.

"William, I was fine with the magic issue, but you said nothing about demons." A revolting look crossed Cassandra's face.

"Imps are damn useful," I said. Aside from being a pack mule, I hadn't found another use for the infernal conjuration bound in my flesh.

"Which direction would you say that house is in?" Reg said, desperately trying to head off another argument.

"That way," Cassandra said. She was pointing in a direction that was vaguely northeast.

"Emily and Stephen, can you have your imps scout ahead?" Reg asked us. We looked at each other, that was a good idea. Emily scowled, and I gave her a look, and then I made the same face as I came to the same realization she did.

"Io, can you assume the form of a standard imp that looks similar to my mother's?"

"Which mother?" She purred.

"You fucking-" I raised my wand.

"Stephen." Reg said evenly. I let out a breath, he would know about mothers. I'd never met his, but I'd heard rumors about her.

"I would like for you to appear like Phobos, the bound Imp of Bethany Andrews. I command you to no longer speak of things that would cause me mental detriment or emotional distress. If you do not obey the letter, rule, and spirit of any command I give you, you will strangle yourself on your own tongue and I will summon a new fucking imp." I snarled. I didn't have time for this shit.

Io gave me a long piercing look. One that dared me to look away. Emerald met pitch black for an endless eternity, and she blinked. She shifted and she resembled Phobos. The pug like head. The body of a capuchin, two bat like wings, and a long furry tale that ended in a fork. Unlike Phobos, who had the coloring of a capuchin, she was pitch black from head to toe. Her eyes took on a green glow until they matched my aura.

"Yes master," she said softly.

"Io, take to the skies, look for anything that resembles a house or any sort of habitation, occupied or abandoned. Do not let yourself be seen or draw attention to yourself in any way," I said.

"As you wish, master." Io murmured. I had lived in the magical world for almost five years at this point, and I still got a shiver down my spine from the creaky door-voice all imps had. Io took to the skies. Emily looked at Ganymede, and the Imp shivered suddenly. His form changed, and he shifted. His fur was a deep sapphire-purple, and his eyes were a bright pink.

"Ganymede, prowl ahead. You have the same mission and stipulations as Io," Emily said. The imp leapt to the ground and prowled off in the opposite direction of Io.

"And we need clothes that aren't just pajamas," Reg said. His hand went to his neck, there was a soft click as the clasp was undone, and he put his shrunken trunk on the ground. He tapped his wand on the trunk and it grew to full size.

From the outside, it appeared to be a dark blue leather wardrobe. He tapped the door of the wardrobe with a sharp click of lacquered wood against a metal name plate. There was a deep clunk from somewhere inside, and the door swung open.

Instead of a closet, a list of a list of rooms appeared as plates on the wall. He tapped the one labeled "apartment" and walked inside. This easily put my trunk to shame. I was honestly a little bit jealous. The door held several labels such as "Alchemy Lab" and "Greenhouse." Emily, Will and I unshrunk our trunks. Well, Emily and I had trunks. William had a suitcase.

I handed Will his suitcase. William opened his and took three mundane suitcases from the top. He handed these to his siblings without a word. Someone had been spending the gold we'd had pilfered from Merlin's room.

"Vocare, Coventry outfit!" William said, pointing his wand inside his own suitcase, as the three of us did the same. Emily and I performed the spell silently.

Our school uniforms flew out of our respective trunks and hovered in front of each of us. With quick switching spells, we were dressed, and our pajamas were in our trunks. I could understand why he'd want to wear Coventry robes instead of play clothes. They were moderately enchanted to deflect some spells.

His siblings quickly grabbed clothes out of their suitcases. William, Reg and I each performed the spell once more on his siblings and put everything back where it had been.

"Emily, give me one of those pistols." I stated. Bethany had given us a pair of silver pistols mere hours before. She took the case out of the silver bell hanging from her wrist and opened it. She handed me one of the pistols, and after ensuring that the safety was engaged, I dropped the pistol into my uniform jacket's pocket.

"Do you have a spare pistol?" William asked.

"You know how to shoot?" I asked. Bethany had taught me to shoot, and Emily had picked that up somewhere.

"We all do. Our father taught us," he replied, I nodded at that.

"Reg, do you want one as well?" I said and he scoffed.

"I'm the son of two Hunters, like I don't have my own hidden armory," he replied, and I shrugged.

"Will, do you have anything squirreled away?" Reg asked, and Will shook his head.

"The way you duel, and how you direct your spells, you'd probably be good with a gladius. I can grab one of those and a metal scuto if you want?" He asked.

"Thanks mate, but is this a gift, or a deal?" He asked. I smiled. Will was learning. Good for him.

"It's a loan with no interest." Reg replied.

"I'll take your loan with thanks." Will replied. Reg nodded. Reg was part fae, and even if he was entirely altruistic, an open-ended deal with a fae could be bad. We didn't know the rules of this land yet. Emily had flipped open the lid of her trunk, and was climbing down into.

"Io." I said, and she popped back into existence.

"Can you lay a ward around my trunk and continue your patrol?"

"Yes Master." Io purred.

"Do so and return immediately if any of the trunks are disturbed." I ordered. Io spun her hands together, and I felt the anti-intrusion wards shift into life. It didn't feel like regular magic. Magic came into existence. It felt like a piece of fabric on a loom. I didn't feel any drain on my magic, but I caught a small sulphuric whiff of brimstone.

I unshrunk my trunk again. Then I climbed down the ladder and walked through the halls until I came to the room that was a defacto armory.

On my left, there was the shelf that held the firearms I'd spirited away from the townhouse armory. A couple of Thompsons, enchanted by Amy and Bethany with cooling spells, runed drums that conjured.45 ammo on demand, and silencing spells via a series of runes that covered the barrel. A half dozen Colt M1911s had these same enchantments. On a shelf next to the rack of guns, my implements for the conjuration of demons and spirits sat wrapped in a bundle of lamb's skin. My leather armor rested on a mannequin next to that. The small collection of bladed weapons I'd been given the past five years under the tutelage of my master and adopted mother was to the right.

Finally, in another room that was locked by a set of double doors, there was the entire freaking armory that we had found in the ancient catacombs that lay beneath Coventry, the school we attended. These were joined by the half dozen lodestones I'd stolen from my house. I had a lab down here, along with an apartment and library. This trunk was like a home away from home.

I took four of the pistols, grateful that I didn't have to rely on a small ammo dump living by my heart. These and their belts joined my pistol in the enlarged pocket in my jacket. I grabbed my own belt that held an empty holster along with a pair of throwing knives and quickly put that on. I had a pair of push daggers strapped to my wrist already. I put my pistol in the holster. I buckled a pair of smaller Japanese daggers- I think Bethany called them kunai- to each ankle. Then I retraced my steps and climbed the ladder back out of the trunk.

I handed each of the Lowe siblings a pistol, and they secured them beneath their thick woolen clothes. I placed cooling spells on the Lowe siblings after explaining to them what I was about to do. Then I explained about the gun.

"Those aren't going to have recoil, and they've got a lighter weight than regular pistols. You don't need to adjust for drop or drift. Just aim in the direction of enemy, make sure they're in the crosshairs, and fire," I said. Will nodded. I could feel his emotions beneath the surface of his mind. He was still angry. Wonderful.

In the few moments I had been in the trunk, my imp had returned, and was perched on a tree branch. As soon as I set foot on the ground, Io flew and landed on my shoulder.

"There is a home carved into a mountain not far from here. There appears to have been a scuffle," she whispered into my ear.

"What did your imp say?" Reg asked, and I told him. He had taken that opportunity to arm and armor himself. These weren't the dueling leathers Emily and I usually wore. This was Fae-spun armor that resembled frosted glass and shone with purple-blue-green runes. He also carried a pair of small axes, a revolver with a bandolier of ammo on his chest, and a machete. Finally, there was a small square pouch secured to his waist that had the symbol of a red cross painted on the side. He was slowly loading bullets into a small pistol. Judging from the fact his weapons required ammo, I assumed the rounds he was carrying were enchanted, and were likely Hunter rounds.

Emily and I ordered our imps to take the field again, the four of us trained in magic cast out our senses and tapped a ley-line. Mages could run off ambient magical energy if they needed, but the best way to recharge our Power was to tap the metaphysical energy channels that coursed beneath the earth.

I was still running high on magical energy, but when I opened myself to the leylines around me, I was astounded by how freely magic poured into my core. Usually, magic was like a faucet. It steadily filled my core and chakral nodes, and then I was able to easily cut the flow off. This was like diving headfirst into an ocean. It was a torrent of magic and Power that soaked into my core.

I let out an unsteady breath as endless Power soaked into me. My core adjusted to the sudden influx of magic and grew as Power like I'd never known filled me. I cut the flow when I felt that my core was reaching its maximum limit and broke the metaphysical anchor that tied my consciousness to the stream of magic. I immediately felt a headrush and wanted nothing more to bath myself in magic once again.

"These Ley lines are like nothing I've felt before," Reg said with a frown.

"Yeah, it's like they're supercharged." William said. That done, we began our trek.

Reg took the point position. He was Winterborne, a mage with Winter Fae in his blood. However, his skill as a biomancer gave him an edge in navigating the overgrown growth we had to trek through. We carved our way through the tall grass for some time. Reg had a machete that he used to blaze the trail. I took up the rear. Emily was in the middle, and Evie and Edward were between us. William walked between them. I noticed as we walked through the mess of brush and grass, that it seemed to grow almost as fast as we chopped and burned it down. The clearing and forest eventually gave way to rock until we came to a plateau of sorts.

In front of us, there was a narrow mountain path in front of us. To our left, there was a clearing. Two great cliffs met, and there was a stone door thrown onto the ground. A shattered creature that resembled a wolf lay on the ground. It was covered in what looked like silvery, shimmery metal armor. It's metal guts had been torn out, and it was missing a leg. Instead of flesh, blood and bone, wires, bits of metal, and some strange blue fluid lay strewn and spattered around the corpse. Another wolf-like thing was on the other side of the clearing. The leg from the other wolf was stuck in this one's chest.

We went into the house. What had once been a nice home had been destroyed. Furniture and dishes were smashed. Books had been ripped from shelves and torn in two. There were burn marks on the walls, and I felt the presence of magic, faded to thin traces of spent aura, from those spots. Cassandra wandered around the home, a look of shock on her face. Tears were on her cheeks.

A fae knight dressed in dark dueling leathers lay on the floor, his head looked like it had been crushed by a boot. Whoever this metal man Cassandra had befriended was, he hadn't gone quietly. "What happened here?" Edward whispered. He had a conflicted look on his face. Aside from the wreckage, there were no clues about what had happened.

"I'm not sure," Reg said, "but there's a way I can find out," he said.

"How?" I asked.

"It's Hunter magic," he said. Then Reg drew his wand, held it in the air, and carved Ansuz and Kenaz in the air with his offhand while chanting a spell under his breath.

His eyes glowed the green yellow of his aura, his magic flared and soared through the air, and time rewound itself around us.

Moving images showed the door being blown off the hinges by the fae knight. A man, who looked like half his body had been dipped in metal leapt out of an armchair and unleashed a rippling ball of magic that the fae knight blocked.

The fae knight threw a fireball that snuffed itself out on a stone wall. The metal man leapt forward, grabbed the fae knight by his neck, slammed him to the ground, and stomped hard on his head. Bone, blood and brain flew up and covered him in a spray of gore. We followed him out of his house. The wolves, if that's what they are, had eyes that glowed blue campfire on a summer's night and had cavernous maws for mouths. One of the wolves rushed towards the man. He grabbed the wolf by a leg, flipped it around, and ripped the limb off in a shower of sparks. He threw the limb like a spear and struck true. The light faded from that one's eyes. With a spell, he ripped open the other wolf's side, and the light faded from that one as well.

The wolves and fae knight weren't alone, and three more fae strode into the woods. Under the onslaught of those, and the half dozen wolves that flanked them, the man was swiftly bound. Reg ended the spell with a slashing motion of his wand.

"What were those things?" He asked.

"Servitor. Construct. Destroy!" a voice hissed in the back of my head. I didn't recognize the voice, but it might have been Oh-Em's. Were the mental barriers between Emily and I bleeding that thin? Did however they communicate weaken our defenses that much?

"Emily, get your voice, out of my head." I sent, combing the message with a feelings of anger and annoyance.

"She's not," she replied. Well, that was alarming. I pushed that down. I'd figure that out later.

"We need to establish defenses," Reg said.

"Defenses against those?" I asked.

He looked around the clearing, and back towards the house carved into the stone cliffs.

"We could create a runic barrier, carve it into the stone above the door, and on the threshold. It's a rudimentary ward, but it would hold if any fae came back," Emily said.

"Those aren't Fae." Reg said, half a snarl in his voice, and for a moment, his aura had the feeling of something Other about it.

"How do you know?" William asked.

"No self-respecting fae would use cold iron to fasten their armor, or man's metal in their blades." He said, and he blinked, and blinked again. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Fae, and most of magekind use Mythril. Having iron in the presence of a Fae is a grave insult." He hissed. The Other around him faded away.

"Sorry." He said, and after a moment, in a quiet voice,

"Those are elves." The word "elves" could have been profanity.

"There are elves?" I asked.

"There are. They shouldn't be anywhere near civilization, but one's fucking corpse is in plain view." He said, and I felt an eddy of Power flaring against my skin. The air dropped a couple of degrees.

"They look just like fae to me." Edward muttered. Frost billowed off his breath.

"What would you know you craw-" He was caught off by a sudden movement, and William's wand was suddenly digging into his throat, icy aura dripping, eyes aglow with Power called to bare. He had moved at a speed that I'd only seen him exhibit in duels. Emily, sighed, drew her wand, and covered him. He was our vassal, and we were bound to stand with him.

"Finish that word, Coldwood, and it will be your last." William said. Something nagged at me. Reg would never use that word, and William would never draw a wand one of his best friends.

We had all been acting out of sorts since we had arrived here. I thought it was stress, but this was something else. I closed my eyes and cast out my senses. There, there it was. The spell was a fine mist against my skin, but potent nonetheless. I cast my senses out in a wider net. Whatever this mist was, it was covering all of us. I closed my eyes, centered myself in my magic, and wrapped my Power around that fine mist.

"Magicae, Magicae Fractae!" I snarled, and my emerald aura coalesced and sparked, my magic soared, and the mist was destroyed. Reginald and William suddenly blinked.

"What was that?" They both asked.

"It was a compulsion. I think it came from the mirror we traveled through. It should be gone now, at least I think."

"How did you know?" Cassandra asked.

"Reg would never use the "c" word, and I've never seen him lose his temper." I replied. That was when someone cleared their throat behind us.

"Well, if y'all have stopped fighting. We need to be moving'." A woman said, and we turned as one to look at the speaker.

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[jldew93]

Author's Note: If you're reading this, thank you for the support.

. You can read the prequel here.

Through the Mirror

She was half woman, and half cat. Or perhaps she was half cat and half woman. I wasn't quite sure. Someone obviously mangled a transmogrification. She had the lean looking grace of a cat, and calico fur rippled down her skin. Her eyes were pointed, and tapered, and a tail wrapped around a suit of brown-green metal armor. This wasn't too different from the armor the wolves had.

On second look, it did appear to be painted metal. The armor failed to fully cover her body.

The important bits, the chest, sections of the arms and legs, were protected and where the armor didn't cover the skin, there was a simple black tunic and pants that was made of sturdy cloth.

The fur nearly vanished around her face and along her hands. She held a silver rifle in the crook of her arm. This hung from one black strap on her shoulder. I could see a pair of daggers hanging from her belt that felt enchanted to my senses.

"What are you?" Emily said with a sneer, that appraising look she had on her face when she was about to duel an opponent clear. I sent her a mental warning.

"You're the stranger here, not me, hairless one." She said, flashing a grin that was all cat's teeth, and I saw amusement in her slitted eyes. Her voice had a low amused purr to it, and her tail unwrapped itself from her armor. Her voice had a distinct American drawl to it.

Reginald offered his wand and she took a step back. She raised her gun.

"I'd suggest putting that thing back where you had it, mister," she said.

"I take it it's not customary to tap wands here?"

"That's right. Waving' your wand at someone isn't polite."

"May I at least ask your name?"

"Fiona Badgerton." She said the last part with a small bow.

"But you're a cat."

"Aye, and my in-law was a badger. You're point?" Fiona said with a smirk, and Emily dragged her hand down her face.

"Oh gods, we've gone to a world where biology doesn't make sense." She said, as if that explained everything about our current predicament.

"Light's fadin'fading' we need to be movin'."

She said, and turned into the stone house. The bookcase in the back had been slid to the side, and there was a stone staircase leading deep into the earth. I could see small glowing runes every few feet. She walked down into the tunnel, and when she noticed we weren't following her, frowned, and flicked her tail.

"You can come with me, or you can deal with more of the and wolves Vinar when she sends a squad to figure out why her spells were broken. It's entirely up to you," she replied.

"Who's she?" I asked, and she looked around.

"Not here. Not so close to the edge of her wards. If I go down any further, that door is gonna close, and you're gonna be left behind."

We hurried after her.

"I'm going to be killed by a talking cat." Emily muttered. We heard a thud as the door shut behind us. Every few feet, once we were past a point, Fiona would stop, and murmur a word. Then the runes in front of us would lights up and the ones behind us would extinguish themselves

I knew the Futhark, all mages needed to learn those to use spells, but these were different. These weren't the sure lines of the Futhark. These runes flowed and swirled. Where the Futhark were solid lines, these runes were curved and graceful. These swirling runes of graceful Power washed against my senses, and I felt their subtle magics at the tips of my fingers.

As we walked through this warren of tunnels, I found myself behind Reg. Emily had taken up the rear. Once, I would have been wary of turning my back to her. Now, there were very few people that I would have had behind me.

"How did you know those elves were carrying iron?" I asked Reg.

"I have Winter in my blood. Those with Fae ancestry, no matter how little, can sense that, and I have much more than most," he replied, and he was silent.

"My mother is a scion." He said finally and I nodded. A scion was someone who had a parent that was fully fae.

"And your father?" I asked. I didn't know much about his parents. But the Coldwood family had deep ties to the Winter Court of the Fae. I knew House Andrews had ties to them as well, but I was sure those ties weren't as deep.

"He's a mage," he replied, mostly-true, and I nodded again even though he couldn't see my head bob.

"Reg, will iron hurt you like it does the rest of the Fae?" I asked.

"If I'm cut by the Bane, it will burn. It will definitely get infected, but it won't be as painful as it would if a regular Fae was struck by it."

"So, are you compelled to tell the truth like the rest of the fae?" I asked. He stopped suddenly, spun on his heel and faced me. I caught a glint of blue-purple fae light in his eyes, and I realized that he was using fae magic to see. His eyes had changed, and they looked catlike in the gloom.

"I'm as human as you are, Heir Andrews," he replied and turned back to the path.

I frowned. I ignored the shiver that rippled down my spine, and the way the skin on the back of my neck prickled at those words.

"This is something else Bethany hasn't told us about, isn't it?" I asked Voice, and received a mental nod in return.

As we walked, I felt Emily calling up spells and releasing them into the void.

From the feel of them, they were diagnostic spells designed to scan and analyze the runes we were passing.

"Any idea what these runes are?" I sent.

"No, Oh-Em says they're familiar, but she can't quite place them," Half -truth, my senses told me, and I gave Emily a look.

"Need I remind you of certain oaths, Emily?" I asked.

"Just because I'm allowing you to keep secrets, doesn't mean I have to share them, Stephen," she said.

I sighed and turned my head back. Emily was like a sister to me, but she was good at keeping her secrets. I glanced at a few as I passed them by. I know I'd seen them somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place them.

"Voice, do you know what these are?" I asked the Voice in my head mentally. He had been silent while walking down the hallway.

"No, kid, I don't recognize or remember them. Whatever these runes are, they're completely foreign to me." he replied.

Will stopped, and almost tripped over his own feet.

"Fine." He hissed suddenly.

"They're the Runes of High Koralis. They're warding glyphs. The reclaimers built these tunnels after the Days of Steel." William said, and his eyes widened.

"Will, how do you know that? What are the Days of Steel?" I asked him. Through the eerie gloom of the rune-lit stone hallway, I could see a look of confusion on his face. Like he didn't know why he'd just said that. He frowned.

"I'm not sure," he replied and began walking again.

"Well, I'm glad double-standards apply across universes. Your boyfriend can use that excuse, but I can't," Emily said. I instantly stopped, and I could feel my face suddenly flash.

"Emily." I growled, just as Will said,

"What's that supposed to mean, Andrews?"

"Will." Reg said sternly. William stopped suddenly again. I ran into the back of him, and my face flushed again. I stammered a quick apology and backed off a reasonable distance.

"Reginald, I'd thank you to remind yourself that you are not my father, or anyone I've sworn any sorts of oaths to. I can fight my own battles, and I don't need you to mediate for me," he replied, and we were silent for the rest of the walk.

We walked down this hallway filled with mysterious runes for at least an hour. Finally we came to an enormous square cavern identical to one of the mundane subway platforms I'd seen in New York City. If you expanded the meaning of identical to include the ancient remains of one of those platforms and a ceiling so wide it must have been carved from the mountain above.

The ceiling contained a crisscrossing mesh of catwalks that winged beings of all sorts walked and flew between. There was an entire settlement of small wood-walled shelters, and I could see skylights here and there that added to the light being produced by strands of bioluminescent ferns and vines. These spectral plants grew throughout the city, trailing from the walls of each cavern, covering the floor in a fine wispy carpet that glowed a soft blue.

There were five or six balconies carved from the walls, opening into wide arches. If you sat at those balconies, you'd have an eagle-eyed view of the city from above.

There were doors covered out of the mountain, along the walls. These openings were dark and covered with sturdy wood doors. Metal bars were placed across shuttered windows. Some of those grates may have been large enough to fit a wand through.

"Or a gun." Voice whispered.

Some of the doors were warded, and I did feel presences beyond the doors, so I assumed these were homes.

The tunnels at the far end of the cavern had waterfalls that fell in a cascade of foamy mist. The river was wide enough to fit four boats abreast with plenty of room between.

The ships on the river were ugly rectangular things with a small house dropped on top. Four squat walls, sharp triangular roofs, and painted every color of the rainbow and some in between. Fans made of giant propellors in metal cages zipped these boats up and down the river. I could feel that each boat was enchanted, but the enchantments felt muddled to my senses. The area was filled with stalls and stone buildings that advertised weapons, and goods. There was a tavern at the far end where the music of pipes and string instruments, along with the voices of already drunken patrons filled the air.

The tunnel held a cool humidity that I muttered spells to stop.

Men and women milled around the cavern. , between the stalls and in and out of the buildings. Vendors called out wares, the smell of cooking meat and softly spiced food filled the air. and if I closed my eyes I was in the Concourse in London. I opened my eyes and let out a soft sigh.

Some of them looked normal. Their skin had odd strands of silver running down their face, or their eyes glowed an electric blue. They lacked the pale, ethereal quality most mages had. The skin that didn't have those odd bits of silver looked like mundane flesh; not the half-translucent look mages had about them when not under glamour.

Then there were those who looked almost half animal. A couple of them even had dark blue or hawkish brown or even downy white wings sprouting from their back. There were some with the wide unsettling eyes and straight twitchy ears of a hare. A few had long snouts and sharp looking taloned nails on their hands that reminded me of a wolf.

A great many of them looked like Fiona. A few of this wide menagerie I recognized as fauns, and satyrs. A couple I knew were centaurs, and still more I recognized as minotaurs.

There were even a couple of gnolls, the half hyena men that the dwarves used to guard their bank back home. There were also regular animals that scurried back and forth. Animals that spoke. I saw a chipmunk get into a squeak and chirp filled screaming match with a robin.

All of these were dressed in the green-brown painted steel armor that Fiona wore. Every single one carried at least one kind of weapon. I saw swords, oddly carved knives and axes, spears, bows, and even a couple of blocky silver guns hanging from a few belts.

As we passed them by, they nodded at her respectfully, and some of them stepped aside when they crossed our path. I realized that with this many creatures, we had to be in deep Faerie. Judging from the asphalt we found hours earlier in the clearing, this was some post-humankind or post-industrial-apocalypse aspect of the Nether, the realm that lay adjacent to Earth.

If it was a construct of some kind, some type of mental trap that vampires had sprung, it must have been taking an insane amount of magic and concentration to Power it. I had limited experience with those, but it would explain why I was unable to contact Bethany.

Fiona took us through a door carved into the rock, and this led us to a series of hallways. We followed this to a door carved out of the rock. Fiona knocked thrice on the door, and the plate on the door swung open. A man eyed her, and he swung the door open.

"You weren't followed?" He asked. A fae. Then I saw the buckles on his belt, and amended that thought. This was an elf. He wore a set of cloth robes embroidered in gold thread with what looked like hundreds of runes and metamath formulae. Beside him, a circle carefully engraved in the ground with golden wire hummed with power A staff hung on his back, and a pair of short swords hung from his hips along with a trio of pouches.

"No," she replied.

In the back of the room there a circle engraved in the ground with golden wire. The wire was heavily enchanted.

"Fiona,you've got them safe then." He said, looking at us. There was a bit of a Scottish burr to his voice, but it was nice to hear someone who sounded like us.

"Barely. My tripwires were being picked as we were fleeing. Ferro's is gone, Rhince," she said.

"I'll tell Kalidas and the rest of command." Rhince said. She nodded.

"Are you taking this lot to Badgerton then?" Rhince asked, and she nodded.

"Well, into the circle. You know the drill." Rhince said, and she stepped inside a circle.

"Oh no. I'm not going into a strange circle," I said.

If I were to walk into that circle, my magic would be trapped inside of it with me. If this elf was trying to capture us, then we would be at his mercy. I wouldn't be bound by anyone. Old memories stirred themselves. I had been captured by vampires a few years ago, and were it not for Voice and Bethany's intervention, and my quick thinking, I would have been killed.

"If it helps, young mage, I'll swear an oath not to harm you," he said.

"And my companions?" I asked.

"That goes without saying," he replied.

"Not with your kind," Reg growled. The elf gave him a look.

"I haven't seen one of you in quite some time. I didn't realize any Winterborne still walked this world." Rhince said. His voice had just a trace of a sneer. Reg snarled and brought up his wand.

"Where I'm from, Elfkine, you're the endangered species." Reg said softly, pentacle gleaming off-yellow light. I felt a soft pull of magic from the elf. It wasn't enough to worry me, but he was ready to defend himself.

"Reg." I said, and he ignored me.

"Do you have the latitude and longitude of the location?" Emily asked, and Fiona gave us a look.

"The geographic location of the circle's destination," she clarified, and the elf nodded.

That broke the tension. Reg ground his power away in a shower of pale sparks and tucked his wand back in the inner pocket of his jacket. I could still feel a whisper of magic coming from Reg, and I knew that he was still ready to cast a spell if he needed.

Emily produced a piece of paper and pen, and the elf quickly sketched the coordinates. Reg never took his eyes off the elf, and I wondered if we would have to deal with this every time we interacted with them.

Emily looked at the coordinates. Then she did something I had never seen before. She took a deep breath, and her eyes glowed softly. Then her fingers began twitching and flying, almost like she was writing on an invisible blackboard. In a few moments she was done. She sketched down another series of numbers and metamathical formulae.

"Stephen, have you learned how to translocate yet?" She asked, and I shook my head no. Bethany still refused, and had purged the library. She frowned.

"Can we translocate from here?" She asked the elf.

"What is translocation?" He asked.

"It's a magical form of transportation. If you have any wards that prevent that, we'll be hurt badly if we attempt it here," she said.

"I had no idea wards could stop that. I didn't even know that was possible to do without a circle," The elf said. The four of us that had attended Coventry shared looks.

What kind of half-taught magicians or elves were they if they were unable to do something as trivial as block intruders from their homes? Unless their wards were only good against offensive spells or battle magic. Those were spells meant to harm the ones that wards had been set by. That would be an insane advantage.

"They can't. It's a secret only our school knows, and we are sworn to only use it in emergencies." I quickly said.

"I could only take three of you with me at a time. Any more than that, and I'll be overexerting myself," Emily said.

"I'll take the circle." Fiona said. She stepped inside. Rhince carefully sketched a Rhaido, the Futhark Rune for Travel, and I felt the ley line beneath us trickle into the circle. There was a second's pause, and then the circle flared gold. When the energies of whatever spell he invoked faded away, Fiona was gone.

"Take my siblings first, and Reg and I will stay with Stephen." William said.

"I'm definitely going second. I don't want anyone stabbing us in the back while we wait for you to return," Reg said. He never took his eyes off the elf, and I noticed his hand was still in his jacket-pocket. Emily gathered the three siblings in a huddle, and they faded away like an after image.

"Reg, we're guests among these people. You do realize that, right?" I asked. I frowned.

"I was never offered guest rights," he replied.

"Don't you think having someone under wand-point is poor form, for a guest," I replied, continuing.

"I'd say so," Rhince said."According to

"Per the Underhill Treaties, we are exempt from treating your kind as guests or giving them hospitality," Reg spat out. I could almost feel the cold and frost coming from whatever icy spell he had prepared.

William was silent during this exchange. I wish I could communicate with him telepathically, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to do that.

I felt my face flush from the mere thought of the two of us, of our minds, of our very selves, in that close of proximity. Emily faded back into existence.

"Any issues?" I asked carefully. Keeping an eye on Reg and the elf.

"None at all. What about here?" She asked, taking stock of the situation.

"Nothing of note." I replied evenly.

Had Reg attacked the elf, or the elf had struck first, it would have been a grim battle. The three of us were powerful, but against someone of the elf's strength, or the crowd outside? At least one of us would have been wounded, if not killed, and Emily would have translocated into a war zone.

"Well boys," she said. William walked over to Reg. It was clear he wasn't moving any time soon, and I stood by him.

Emily grabbed Reg and I by the shoulder. William grabbed my hand, and we vanished.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

A second later.

We arrived at another stone house, and another elf guarding the circle engraved on the floor. Reg never released his hold on his magic, which would have taken a great deal of concentration from the head rush of the translocation.

"Reg, I'm asking you as a Friend of House Coldhollow, please, release your spell, and put your wand down," I said.

He glared at me, and I returned that look. I didn't want to cross wands with him. He needed to calm down, or be bound until he was calm. It might have been a slight desire for revenge on my part.

"It definitely is." Voice chimed in, and I gave him a mental glare.

Reg took a breath. Then he made a flicking gesture with his hand to interrupt the auric channels of his power. His spell scattered to so many sparks, and he placed the wand in it's holster.

We left the stone hut, and we were led through the forest to a great wooden house. The house was made of logs that had been polished and lacquered until they gleam. Fiona walked up the stairs of the deck, and swung the door open. There wasn't a foyer, instead there were two rooms separated by an arch. There was a staircase off to the left. The house was wide, and had an open floor plan. The room we were in fed directly into a large sitting room. The house looked clean, and well loved, but it was a far cry from the townhouse.

"Freida, I'm home darling!"

"Mommy!" A trio of mewling voices yelled. I saw two calico and a Russian blue furred cat-children come rushing from three separate directions. One of the calico leapt into her arms first, and they nuzzled cheeks affectionately. Fiona groomed the top of her fur lovingly, and she let the child down.

She didn't lower her to the floor, shedropped her. The child dropped to the floor, feet first, and the next one jumped into her arms. She repeated this gesture twice more. As she dropped the last cat-child unto the floor, a female Russian blue walked into the room.

She bowed to us.

"Welcome to our home, human." she said. We all returned the bows, and then Fiona greeted her the same way she had her children, minus the sudden leap into the arms.

Cassandra stepped forward, just before I did.

"On behalf of my friends, and my family, thank you for welcoming us." She said with a smile, and extended her hand. Fiona quickly shook it.

"Follow us." Fiona said.

We followed them into a sitting room. I subtly cast out my senses. While it wasn't quite mage-sight, that was difficult under the most optimal situations, I could gain a solid sense of what magic was at work. Aside from our auras, there wasn't much magic in this house. At all. I doubled down, flicking away my mental surroundings, the background noise, and focused solely on the magic around me.

The adults didn't have magic at all. The gun Fiona had was enchanted. I could feel a few threads, which were probably spells that had been cast around them, or on them, but they were Untouched.

The children, however, did have some sort of the gift. I wondered if that was the status quo of our new world. We had only been here a few hours, and aside from those strange runes in the tunnel, and that transportation circle, it seemed like this was a world that while inherently magical, lacked the easy magic we had been privy to back home.

"Dinner will be done in a few moments, if you like, I can answer any questions you may have, or I can wait until after. Whatever you prefer." Fiona said. We all traded looks.

"I think we'd like to wait until after dinner, Ma'am." Cassandra said. Fiona nodded, and flicked her tail.

"I'll leave you be." She said, and left the room. Reg immediately turned to us.

"Andrews, I need both of you. I need to talk about matters of Fae, without the mundane-born hearing," he said.

"What's your problem mate?" William asked.

"Will, forgive me. But this is a matter for the Court. I'm bound to a higher Power by an Incorporate Oath to only speak about these matters to those who are similarly allied with Winter."

William frowned and looked at his siblings. Reg, as a member of The Winter Court, could have taken their oaths on behalf of his Queen. William knew that swearing these oaths was tantamount to swearing fealty to a foreign Power you had no knowledge about.

He recognized that, and herded his family backwards. Reg drew a square on the floor with his wand, and used that as a frame to layer a suite of silencing and secrecy wards. He nodded to us, and we added our own to the mix.

"What do you know about elves?" He asked us.

"Nothing except how much you despise them." Emily replied.

"Do you have any idea why I hate elves? You're a child of Winter as sure as I am."

"No, we're not. Bethany has kept us out of the dealings with the Fae," I said.

"And I've barely been an Andrews for a year." Emily chimed in.

"How?!" Reg said, he had a look of complete shock on his face.

"The December Prince is her sworn ally! She has the audience and eye of the Frozen Queen! She was responsible for the takeover! How do you not know your own stature in the Winter Court?"

"Who is the December Prince?" Voice asked, and I repeated that question just before Emily spoke.

"So when she invited you last summer to my adoption party?" She asked.

Reg breathed, and looked up to the ceiling.

"I expected that I was being called as Heir of My House to a Council of War. The fact that she killed, and don't give me that look, everyone knows what happened last summer, the Master Vampire of London dying during the Nadir of Winter?

The statement of power you gave when you killed Hernan Cortés should have been enough. The entire world has held its breath these past few months. Do you know how many banners were called because of that? How many old families of Summer and Vassals of Winter sent their artificers to work?" He gave us a blank look.

"You're telling me that the Heirs of House Andrew know nothing about the affairs of Winter? Stephen, your own actions nearly sent the Courts to War," He said, and let out a laugh that was more bark and bite than actual mirth.

I closed my eyes. I had killed the Master Vampire of Rio nearly six years ago when he tried to kidnap me. It had been an accident. But he hadn't survived the attempt. That night still haunted my dreams.

"Kid, you cast to kill." Voice said. I ignored that, even though I knew I had.

There had been other options, and looking back, I had done what I'd thought was right at the time.

"You fools. You are the right hand of Winter, and you don't even know the forces you can bring to bear. I need to fill you in on the policies of Winter, or force your guardian to as soon as possible." he said, and shook his head.

"We're getting off track here. Winter hates the Elves as much as any Fae does. They're vultures. They break into where they wish, steal what they want, and give it to who they will," Reg said.

"We have wards for that reason." Emily said, and Reg laughed again. This was the same bark like laugh, void of joy or anything resembling actual amusement.

"Wards apply to them as much as the Someone Else's Problem spell affect us. Whatever mancery they use, it's beyond us.

During the first world war, the elves sided with Encausse, and they helped Robespierre gain Power. The elves lead a legion into the Heart of Winter. They don't care about political boundaries, or guest rights. They care not for the subtleties of our society. They invade, and they take what they want, and they leave nothing but death and broken homes in their wake.

They were the ones that helped enact the Peril of Sapphic unto my line. The elves are forever sworn enemies of our Queen, and House Coldwood."

"She's not my queen, I'm beholden to no one." I said, and Reg recoiled like I had just smacked him upside the head.

"Those are words tantamount to treason, Heir Andrews," he said.

"I have sworn no oaths to anyone."

"Except your oaths to your family," he replied.

"As Heir, you are beholden to any debt you carry, or oaths you have sworn. Including the ones your Head of House has sworn."

"You never answered my question, Reg, who is the December Prince?"

"Saying that name again would be folly, even without a way to get home. Don't call it again."

"Tell me who he is then," I said.

"The slender that you called forth as Emily's second."

"That's just-" I started and he stopped me with a raised hand.

"One of the most powerful Slender in her Kingdom. You are sadly, scarily, uninformed." He said, and there was a knock on the door.Reg broke his privacy spells as Fiona knocked on the door again. Fiona entered just as quickly.

William and his siblings had sat on the couch, and I was struck by how similar they all looked. They all would have had the same bright blue eyes were it not for their various auras coloring them. Their hair would have all been jet black if it wasn't slowly being colored by their aura. William's complexion had the thin ethereal look of a mage, but he shared the pale base tone, and the refined and sharp features they all had.

"Dinner is ready." She said with a small smile.

"That sounds lovely." I replied. William gave me a look and quirked his head. I gave a minute shake of my own. We followed Fiona into the dining room. A dinner of lightly seasoned salmon and a salad with lots of mint followed.

When it was over, we helped her clear dishes. As one, we cleared the table. With a gesture, I neatly stacked each dish, and made a small pyramid of the silverware, which was placed on the top plate. With a flick of my wand, a soap bubble suddenly appeared around the dishes. The bubble quickly scrubbed and sterilized the dishes and polished the silverware until it shown.

William flicked his wand hand with practiced wandless and nonverbal ease, and the table suddenly gleamed like it was freshly varnished. Apparently, someone had been getting their practice in with domestic chores.

Emily made two gestures with her wand, and the linens became a whirling, dueling orb. Then suddenly they flattened and froze, and fell to the table crisp, clean, and looked like they were freshly bleached and ironed.

With a loud *snap* of his fingers, Reg had the table reset and the dishes arranged themselves on the table.

Fiona gasped.

"Surely y'all have something better to use your magic on then us, and those spells look complicated," she said.

"These are spells every mage is taught. It's our thank you for dinner." William remarked, bowing slightly. He was cute when he acted chivalrous. My expression carefully froze, and I swiftly dismissed that thought. Right now, if ever, I didn't have time for that kind of distraction.

Fiona let out a small laugh, then she leaned in closer.

"How are y'all with gutters?" She said,and laughed.

"I could probably muddle through cleaning a gutter, my lady." William said, with an ease of grace and a charm I didn't know he had.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered that William was the son of a Royal Navy Captain, the eldest son at that. He was probably used to these kinds of dinners.

"There's going to be a meeting in an hour or so. If you want answers about everything you've seen today, I'll answer any questions you have then." She," she said.

"What would you have us do for an hour, My Lady?" Cassandra asked. Well, she'd certainly turned on the charm. I wondered what that was about. I fought the urge to sigh. I was ready to go home, and that would be a long time coming, if ever.

"If you want to return to the dining room, I have tea available. Relax for a moment. Y'all have had a long day, and there's nothing you can do right now." Fiona said.

We all wandered back into the sitting room and spent the next hour decompressing from the day we' had.

In an hour's time there was a sharp knock at the door. Soon the sitting room was filled with over a dozen people, including us and the two cat women. An aged dwarf, who looked as old as my banker, Wraithgrip had before he had himself deaged, seemed to be the leader. There was a centaur, and the elf from earlier, Rhince. There was a man who looked to be half lizard, and six otwo dwarves. The last were cat people, like Fiona. They had the same strands of metal that I'd seen earlier threaded throughout their bodies.

There were even a couple that looked like regular men, but they had white feathery wings sprouting from their back. Everyone sat and talked, and then after about a half hour, they found seats. The dwarf gave each of us appraising looks.

"So these are them?" He asked Fiona, who nodded, and he scoffed.

"We needed saviors, and leaders, and He sent us half-grown whelps." He said, with a scoff and shook his head.

"Half grown mages." I replied with a sneer, and he gave me a look, a half grin on his face.

"Half a dozen of one, six of the other. Although, this would be seven of the other, wouldn't it?" He said with a smirk.

"Well, Fiona, what have you told them?"

"Nothing yet," she replied evenly. He nodded.

"Rhince, if you'd be kind enough to put up a couple spells, to prevent any eavesdropping, I'd appreciate it." He said, and the elf nodded.

"I'll do it." Reg said firmly, and the elf gave him a look.

"Reginald." Emily said with a sigh.

"Yes, Emily?" He asked. The dwarf looked at the two of them, and then the elf.

"Son, I'm not sure what your issue is with the Vinar, but Rhince is good people. He's saved my ass more than once, and I trust his magic more than I trust yours. He'll place the spells." The dwarf said.

"Sir Dwarf, I apologize for my friend's behavior. His kind doesn't get along well with Elfkine." I said with a placating gesture. The dwarf shook his head and let out another snort.

"That's fine, not many do, although, you've got an elvish look about you, so I'm not sure where the hostility is coming from."

What happened next almost caused a fight to break in the sitting room. Reg sprang to his feet in a blur, raising his wand as he did. Three of them drew their weapons just as fast, and I heard whines as whatever powered the weapons charged.

"Call me an elf again, you overgrown gnome, and I'll separate your head from body. I'm winter fae, not some-" Reg snarled, and was abruptly cut off.

In the time it took Reg to speak, the dwarf moved with a grace and speed that I didn't know someone so old could have. As suddenly as it began, Reg was in his seat, and the dwarf was standing on his lap. He had a push dagger's tip pressed against Reg's throat, even as Reg flicked a derringer in his palm and held it directly against the dwarf's head.

"What did you call me, boy?" The dwarf snarled.

"Enough!" I called, even as I prepared to fight my way out of this mess my friend had caused. I'd have to take down the dwarf first,and readied myself to send my daggers hurling toward him. I'd have to take down the elf next, and bind the centaur.

"Get ready to shield." I sent to Emily, who replied with grim determination through our psionic bond.

There was a long tense moment filled with the static charge of rising auras and William spoke.

"I believe my friend said to stop." He said, his magic adding an extra edge to his voice. This wasn't a statement, it was a proclamation, and that was all it took. Reg and the Dwarf broke apart, and their hidden weapons vanished from wherever they had them stowed.

"More spells are better than none, and I don't wish for my sitting room to become a charnel house. Let the mage do what he will," Fiona said firmly.

We quickly set up a series of privacy spells that Rhince added his own touch to, and then we sat.

"Now that that bit of unpleasantry is dealt with, can we please begin this meeting?" Frieda asked. The dwarf nodded.

"Kalidas?" He said, and the Centaur whinnied and nodded.

"She has her forces on the move, and our scouts have detected portals opening at Man's Folly. The Northern Twilit Woods are filled with reports of servitors massing on that location."

"Where are these places?" Emily asked.

"We're on the southern edge of the Twilit woods. Man's folly is about three hundred miles north of here." Fiona noted, and Emily nodded.

"Now that the humans are caught up, we've detected her forces building there for the last few days. From Man's folly, we think she'll either march west to Aisley's End, or north towards Kathar." The centaur said, and the cat people all muttered to themselves.

"And what about her ships?" The elf asked.

"Thanks to those bombs your people planted, her air force is temporarily grounded. We've also managed to place layered wards on the edge of Aisley's End. Once the reports die down, and with the human's help, we can lead an assault and box them all in.

They'll be under siege. We can launch bombing runs with the help of the Griffins and the winged beings that volunteer.

Finally, we have ten raccoon gazes, and a dozen squirrel drays that have agreed to help with sabotage and guerilla assaults.

The Twilit Cheshire Pride will help with transportation. When they're worn down enough, we lead a charge and pick off the survivors. We have about two legions of warriors, a legion of gunners, and half a legion of mages we can use during the assault. Not including the Woodland Rebellion. We've begun assembling our forces at Aisley's End. Old Aisley's tower still stands, and we'll use that to oversee our operations. With portals, we should be assembled in two day's time."

"Then what do you need us for?"

Cassandra asked, and the dwarf gave her a look.

"You never filled them in?" The dwarf asked Fiona.

"Haven't had the time, Wilhelm," she said, and he nodded.

"Fine, but this information doesn't leave this room," he said. and there was a series of nods.

"We agree," Cassandra said, speaking for her family.

"Can your spells stop an invocation?" The dwarf asked us.

"An Invocation?" I assumed he meant a spell, but it never hurt to clarify.

"An utterance of someone's Name, so they don't detect it." Wilhelm asked. We all traded looks.

"I think I could place a ward like that," I said.

"Do you know how she hears it?" William asked.

"She's woven a scry net across the country." Rhince said.

"And if a place suddenly wouldn't allow scrying?" I asked.

"Then she would notice a blank-spot and come calling." The dwarf asked.

"So we're going to need a way to loop the vision she sees," Emily replied.

I was already fishing for paper and pencil. I handed a sheet and a pen to those of us that had attended Coventry. We started creating a formula that we could translate into Latin. Privacy wards were a matter of course in our society. You never knew who was attempting to watch or listen to you.

"Would it be better to use oculus divertem, or speculum imaginem?" William asked. Reg looked up from his paper.

"I'd use visus Falsum for the diversion," he said and went back to his paper.

"But we can't use any of those for a Scry negation." I replied.

"We're not trying to divert the spell. Whoever she is would know something was amiss." Emily said, and I nodded.

Thanks Emily. I already knew that.

"What medium is she using to scry?" I asked.

"Crystal balls." Rhince said.

"The evil queens usually do." Voice chimed in.

"I agree. Use Orbis Alteram as the base spell." Oh-Em stated.

I frowned. That would work, but only if she didn't sense the magic altering her crystal ball.

"What if we used Orbis Falsum?" Emily asked. I had to pull out a Latin compendium to determine what that spell did. I determined that the spell would send a false reading to a crystal ball.

"That would work, but that spell only lasts an hour or so. With the four of us casting it, it might have enough thaum output to last eight hours or so." Reg replied, and I looked at him.

"Hunters use it all the time," he replied. Emily and Reg quickly taught us the spell, and we called forth that magic. Then the dwarf begin to speak.

"Her name is Brigid. She had a last name once, but she's performed ritauls so that her Name can't be used against her.

She's performed other spells, and death instantly befalls anyone who uses the name she was born with, which I won't say." Wilhelm said. I didn't know that kind of magic existed.

"Not many know this, but Brigid grew up on the Four Sisters, the islands west of Castle Silverspire. Her upbringing was simple. She was a village girl. On her sixteenth birthday, as was custom on the fourth sister, she approached the village priestess and found out that she had the Gift.

She was escorted across the ocean by the mayor's son, Henry, who had been accepted into the squire program at Silverspire at the Academy of War and Magic. They arrived at Silverspire, and began their training.

Two years passed by, and Brigid quickly became known as a prodigy. She was one of the greatest mages ever to grace the castle's halls, and had things gone differently, she would have become the Grand Sorcerer of the castle.

Her power and aptitude for magic was equal to none. That's not to say there were golden children, or saints. Brigid was known for her temper, her drive to succeed, and her almost endless thirst to acquire new knowledge.

She was a prodigy, and her teacher took these as just signs of eccentricity from a sharp mind and a skilled mage. Henry had an attraction to the girls that played in the bars, and the boys in the Koralian navy, but he was as gifted with a blade as Brigid was gifted with the wand. His tutors turned a blind-eye to his indiscretions. Princess Ellana, or Ella as she preffered, was turning sixteen, and the day before her birthday ball, tragedy struck.

She was kidnapped by a dark mage, Lord Aisley. He sought to sacrifice the young princess in a ritual to summon a demon. He would have succeeded had Brigid and Henry not found him in the knick of time. The dark mage vanished, andBrigid and Henry were sent to find him. To hunt him down and prevent him from summoning the demon.

Princess Ella had learned the art of the paladin and joined their little party. One of the king's eyes, a young rogue named Zeke, came along to report on their progress. Even then, there were sparks of romance between Ella and Henry, and Henry and Brigid.

They traveled throughout the land, an Brigid learned from every mage enclave they came across. From the Vedran Pyromancers and the Dwarven Earth Priests. From the Priestess Healers. From the Kathar Witches, and the Vinar Elf dream-seers. Every enclave they came across, she passed their tests, and gained knowledge from their libraries.

Midway through their journey, they hired me, and rescued Dietrich," he pointed at the old looking lizard man, "from the Vedran Coliseum in exchange for his tutelage in shape changing.

When their journey was nearly done, well, what happened was what led to the end of all things. Zeke... They fed Zeke to asuccubae. It had an artifact they needed to imprison the dark mage, and she wanted a life in exchange. No one was willing to make that sacrifice. So Brigid bound him with her magic, which had grown strong. Strong enough that any mage at the castle would be hard-pressed to stop her, and they fed him to her.

He didn't die quick, or clean. The succubus made us watch, and took her sweet time as she did." The dwarf stopped for a long moment and let out a shaky breath.

"I'll remember his dying screams until my last breath." He said finally.

"Like I'd been saying. I think Brigid always walked a razor's edge of sanity, and I think Zeke is what finally pushed her over. She was different after that. Darker. More prone to magic that was violent.

Magic was different then, and the Academy taught the same magic you seven know. Magic of words instead motions and single phrases, and she had learned much more. After months of searching, we had finally found the fortress the dark mage was cooped up in. We caught a bloody swath through the fortress. When we finally reached the room he had set-up to summon a demon again. It was nearly too late.

The girl Aisley had kidnapped this time was already dead when we found them. Brigid did something then. I'm still not sure what. But when it was over, The ritual had been stopped, and she had ripped the knowledge of everything he knew about magic from his head. He was a gibbering wreck. He couldn't even speak. He just gurgled.

We dragged him back to Silverspire, and he was publicly executed. For about three months. Everything was well. Then Henry and Ella announced their engagement." The Dwarf paused, and frowned, and took a long swig from his metal mug.

"Do you know what happens when a mage is taught all her instructors know? A mage who can beat her instructors on her bad days, a mage that rip secrets from the minds of anyone, has her heart broken? That muchpower, knowledge and heartbreak could drive any sane mage mad, and Brigid always walked that razor's edge.

If Henry had not married Princess Ella, had he marriedBrigid instead? Koralis would still be standing today. Now, Koralis was not a perfect kingdom, and there was some unrest. The dwarves, the talking animals, even the animalia like you Fiona, were treated like a lower class to an extent. There was no outright hostility, for the King's Men and Guards would have put paid to that quite quickly, but there was a definite level of prejudice. In the end it was heartbreak. Heartbreak and dissatisfaction that lead to our uprising. The dwarves, the smart animals. The changelings. We'd been treated like second class citizens. Of course, Ella had pledged to stop the inequalities. Idle sentences are empty promises. Time passed, and Ella and Henry were happy to live out their happy ending. Their quest was done, and they wanted to enjoy their storybook romance.

While campaigning for change in public, Brigid began raising an army in secret. The parades and fanfares faded to memory, and no change came. Then, the day came. Brigid began a rebellion, and began attacking settlements.

Everyone "normal" was killed, and those that weren't were put in work camps." The dwarf stopped for a moment.

"I lead the charge on Castle Silverspire myself, along withBrigid. The Queen had seen this coming, and whatever magic her mages worked that night sealed the Castle and expelled us from the boundaries.

So,Brigid chose the Winter Castle for her keep. Once she took over the throne, she began pursuing more Power. More methods of commanding her forces and ensuring their loyalty.

She pillaged the Metal Scars, and took whatever she found there. Soon, wolves were joined by their metallic counterpart and eventually only the metal ones remained.

These were joined by skeletal soldiers that had burning eyes that glowed with blue fire, and swift bird-like creatures that could become invisible. Her reign, once cemented, was eternal, and her magical power is unmatched.

She even worked some magic in the sky that made it eternally summer, so time would seem to pass slowly," he said, and let out a sigh.

"Why did you leave then?" Cassandra asked.

He gave her a look. A look of guilt, and shame, and anger.

"After she was done with Koralis. She wasn't satisfied. The Academy of War and Magic was sealed behind wards along with the city. The King's Mages were all killed, but she wanted control of all magic.

She knew the neighboring human country was magically powerful, and so she used an ancient artifact, from before the Days of Metal, to turn the whole place to stone. Then she tried to turn the other mages to her side. She began with the priestess temples.

The priestesses specialized in healing magic and were peaceful. They refused to surrender, and so she killed them all. Brigid didn't care about how young or how old someone was. If they defied her. She killed them." The dwarf paused for a moment, before continuing.

"One of the last remaining priestesses spoke a prophecy before Brigid burned her at the stake.

The lowborn children shall come, winter will guide them-" The dwarf began speaking.

"Stop!" I said, my voice too loud. To shrill, my heart suddenly pounding in my ears like a drum.

"Calm down kid." Voice said.

"How. How do you know that prophecy?" I asked. The dwarf gave me a look.

"The children of space and time will hide them.

The queen of summer will find them, and the golden kingdom will bind them." I finished.

"Right?" I asked, my voice must have had a frantic tone to it. Because I felt frantic. The world spun around me. How the hell had he known that prophecy.

The dwarf nodded.

"I spoke that very prophecy four years ago, during a ritual." I replied. The dwarf gave me a look, a long soul searching look. Then he nodded.

"That explains why you seem to be in charge, eh green eyes?"

"So, the Prophecy caused you to defect?" Cassandra asked, and she gave me a look that seemed to say, we will talk about this later.

I'd really like to know who she thinks put her in charge.

"No, what happened after the prophecy is what caused us to defect," he replied.

"After the priestesses Brigid's paranoia and her fear that someone would overthrow her rose to a whole new level. She struck against any enclave of magicians that were in the land. Including the dwarves. I had joined in her rebellion. But I was different after the massacres. I was sick of the violence, the deaths. The senseless slaughter. I was an outlier among my people, who were content to stick to their mines and their fisheries and enjoy life. She ordered them to swear fealty to her, or be destroyed. The dwarves were proud, and they refused, and she killed them all.

I had stood by and watched her slaughter innocents. I had stood by and acquiesced to her demands. Her paranoia. Her insistence on detaining or executing anyone who dared disobey or speak against her.

Once again, she was merciless. She killed anyone who fought against her, and many who surrendered.

The dwarven tunnels run deep beneath this land, deeper than the metal vaults, or the Icy Hell, and most of my people were safe. They collapsed the tunnels leading to the surface, but those who lived close enough to the surface to trade with men and changelings all died. Dietrich and I left, and began a guerilla war against her. Now, thanks to our efforts, Her army is pulled half a dozen different directions, and the time is ripe to take back our land.

You children might be leading the final charge, but I recruited the ones dead and laying in mass graves. If it weren't for the death of a thousand dwarves, I'd never have laid a finger against her."

"It took the death of your own to enter into a fight? That sounds like cowardice to me. You abandoned her in her time of need." Edward sneered, and the dwarf turned to him. Eyes ablaze with anger.

"Don't speak to me about cowardice. Don't you dare, boy. You, who are half grown. Keep in mind I only need you to kill her. Then you lot can fuck right off to wherever you came from," he said.

"Wilhelm!" Fiona yelled.

"I'm only speaking the truth. You know they aren't the first lot that thought they were the subjects of prophecy."

"I'm willing to prove that," I said.

"Kid.." Voice warned.

"Oh?" The Dwarf asked.

"Yes." I said, getting to my feet.

"Emily, I need your help." I sent. She sent back a mental nod in return, and stood.

"I am Stephen Andrews, Heir to House Andrews, Heir to the Popularis of Londinum, and Heir to all the artifices of Space and Time, Spatium and Tempus.

I have spun time back around for the sack of knowledge. I have sent more than one foe hurling through space at the end of my wand, and I confirm we are the subjects of the Prophecy. Gravitare." I snarled, wand in hand, aura aglow.

Gravity lifted us into the air, Emily sending me strength through our link. I'd only read about this, and Bethany would have me bound if she knew I was practicing such powerful magic without absolute mastery of the spell. I slowly lowered myself and the rest to the ground.

Emily took one of flowers of the vase with a showy bit of telekinesis, and levitated it in front of us. She muttered something under her breath, and the flower slowly withered to a husk in front of us. Then she muttered another spell and the flower returned to full bloom.

"Are there any other questions?" I asked. If they saw how wide the grin was instead of how sharp it was, that was their problem. The dwarf let out a small laugh.

"Power, attitude, tongues sharp enough to cut through steel. They'll do." He said, and I realized that this whole evening had been an audition. Then he turned to Evie, and walked up to her.

"Except this one, haven't heard so much as a peep," he said. She looked at him, and swiftly kicked him between the legs. He dropped to the ground. He recovered in a few minutes.

"I apologize Mr. Dwarf. My parents taught me not to pick on my elders. But they also said I should defend myself should the need arise." She said, and the dwarf took a step back. He nodded his approval with a laugh.

"On behalf of the Dwarves, they have my approval. When you face her, you'll have us by your sides," he said finally.

"Just a question though, you mentioned something called the Metal Scars. What exactly are those?" I asked.

"Ancient history from the days of metal. History that should have been forgotten. It's where we've learned how to forge our weapons, and where Brigid learned the dark magics that let her turn men and animals alike into the machines that do her bidding. There are places where we were never meant to walk."

"Is that what the silver is?" Cassandra asked, and he nodded.

"Aye, those that displease her are turned in her dungeons." He said, and a shiver went down my spine.

"I have a feeling our weapons and magic will be tested if we face her. We'll need weapons, a long gun and a pistol each," Reg said.

"And armor. All we own is leather." Emily chimed in.

"Unfortunately, we have lack of access to extra weaponry. Most of our gear is salvaged." Fiona said.

"That's fair." I replied.

"If you give us one of them, we can duplicate it with magic." William said carefully. That wasn't necessarily the truth. If it was magic, we'd have to figure out how the power source worked. But there were only four of us that had trained as mages. Edward and Cassandra didn't have enough magic to train as mages, and Evie was technically too young.

"I want to see what these lot are capable of combat wise. I'll be sending a squad around to test them." Rhince said.

"I'll duel you myself." Reg said, and the elf shook his head.

"I'll meet your challenge Winterborne." Rhince replied with a smirk.

"Well, that covers it. This is our last meeting. In a week's time, we'll assemble at Aisley's End." Wilhelm said, and the meeting was dismissed.

Fiona showed us to our quarters soon afterward. It was plain compared to the townhouse, but comfy. The girls shared one room, and we shared the other. Before bed, they met us in our room.

"William, what have you gotten us into?" Cassandra asked him.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, William Lowe. There's a Prophecy about us? When were you going to tell us?" She asked.

"That's news to me as well," he replied, giving me a look.

"I was going to tell you," I said.

"Oh? Before or after you told me about a trial?" He replied. I winced. That stung.

"Is there anything else you forgot to tell us?" He said, and I schooled my features in a blank mask.

"Oh, don't classroom face me, Stephen. I know what that means." William said, and I sighed.

"Fine. Yes, there is one thing I have left to tell you, but it's personal, and it can wait until we deal with the situation we're in now."

"No, you'll explain now." He said, and I gave him a look. He stood fast.

"Fine," I said.

"Well, we're waiting." He said, and I told them. I told them about Voice, and part of my time at the orphanage.

"There's a voice in your head telling you to do things? And you locked a bunch of nuns up?" Cassandra asked.

"To be fair, they locked me up first." I retorted.

"It doesn't matter. They're the servants of God! You must have a demon in yo-" Several things happened in the span of that sentence. I heard a door slam, smelt an extinguished candle, and I leapt to my feet, flew across the room, and then my wand was pointed at Cassandra. It was right at her throat.

William drew his own, and he was met by a disarming spell from Emily, followed by a binder and a silencer, three blue-purple spells like darts in the air. The other two Lowe children were pinned to their own seats by a spare thought, and Voice was instantly yelling my name.

"Stephen! Stephen!"

"You fucking dare!? After everything my family has done? We've ensure your safety. Vampires attacked my family because of you. The only reason I didn't stay to fight beside them was to make sure you and your family were safe!" I screamed in her face.

I ignored the small wind picking up. Ignored Emily's sudden shout, and all I could see were Cassandra's eyes, suddenly glowing with purple, her own Power called up. Damn the prophecy. I was Stephen Fucking Andrews, and no one would ever speak to me like that again.

"Go ahead, try your trick. I'll give you a free shot," I said. I felt the wind buffet against me, and scoffed.

"I've been playing with tricks of the wind since before you knew magic existed little girl." I heard another voice whisper, just as I heard Voice yell again,

"Stephen Oliver Andrews. She is a child!"

That sentece stopped me from dooming us all with a ready spell. That wasn't Voice. That wasn't me. That voice, it sounded completely familiar, and utterly arrogant, and it stopped me in my tracks. I was suddenly aware of what I was doing, and I ran. Gods help me. I ran. Out of the room, down the steps, and out the door until I was in the woods, sobbing against a tree.

I wasn't aware of anything else for a few moments except my ragged breath, and snot filled nose.

"Breath kid. Just breath." Voice said. I could feel his own emotions through whatever tied us together. He was as tired and shocked as I was. I let out a shaky breath, and I was dimly aware of a sudden presence. Emily.

"Stephen?" She asked, taking a step forward. I sank to the base of the tree, and leaned my head against the bark, and closed my eyes. It was rough, and still warm from the summer heat.

I heard her sit down next to me, and put her head on my shoulder.

"I want to go home."," I said. Completely aware of how I looked, and how childish I sounded. All too aware of each hot tear coursing down my cheek.

"I know love." She said, and she wrapped her arm around me. We sat like that for a time.

"I had no idea the orphanage was that bad. Don't get me wrong, mine was bloody awful, but I didn't-" She stopped herself.

She had gone through a similar hell. She knew that saying sorry was pity, and pity was the last thing I wanted at that moment. Instead, she handed me a conjured handkerchief, and I accepted it without a word. I blew my nose, and dried my tears. I heard her snap her fingers, then I heard the sudden crackle of dried paper, and smelt the acrid scent of burning tobacco. I gave her a look.

"Mum would kill you." I said, Emily smiled, took a drag, and handed me the Lucky. I shook my head.

"I've got one left, if you want it?" She said.

"I think Bethany is the least of our worries." She said, and I nodded silently. She smoked the cigarette, and I sat there. Neither of us talked. We both needed the peace of a summer night, not idle talk.

I noticed how dark it was getting, and I activated the light enchanted into my pentacle.

"Did you free Will?" I asked finally. Emily shrugged.

"Reg'll figure it out. It's nothing a Coventry grad couldn't fix," she replied.

"You're going to tell me how you know spells that are so advanced," I said.

"Only if you tell me what stopped you," she replied. I didn't answer, and after a moment, she spoke again.

"Stephen. I know you. I've seen you like that once before. The night we first got to Coventry. You had me. I'd have lost that duel, and you stopped just short of firing off whatever spell you were going to use on me. I saw the same look on your face before you left the house. What happened?" She asked. I didn't reply for a second.

"Sometimes, sometimes things set me off. I get a flashback, and I lose control of my actions. I can't control it when it happens. It just does. I never know what's going to get me. That night. The last time I'd been cornered like that. Hernan Cortés almost killed me, and I killed him, and I would have killed you if Voice hadn't stopped me," I said.

"And tonight?"

"She called me a demon. But this time another voice stopped me." I said simply, and Emily nodded.

"Me?" She asked after a moment.

"Emily, there's a third voice in my head," I said. I hope she didn't hear the way my voice broke.

"I noticed it a couple years ago, when I heard you talk to Oh-Em. And a few hours ago, when we encountered the metal creatures. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"It happens to me too. The flashbacks. I see a flash of red, or sometimes a musty smell, and I think I'm back in the house you and Beth saved me from. It happened the day we dueled Thorne and his cronies in the hallway. I understand the Other Voice thing," she said.

"Oh?"

"Sometimes. I'll get flashes, and memories. They aren't Oh-Em's, but they're somebody's."

"What do you see?" I asked.

"I see ships flying through space. Some are burning, and some are whole. They're fighting off an enemy, and I'd know her if I saw her, but I can't remember her.

In another memory, I'm facing down an army of metal soldiers. I think they're chessmen, or some sort of golem. You're there, and William is there, and so is Bethany." She said, and for one brief second, in what must have been a trick of the light, I swear I saw a flash of emerald in her purple-blue eyes.

"We're standing in a hanger, or a tunnel of some kind." I said, and she nodded.

"William is on your left. I'm behind you. Bethany is between us, and the city is burning." I said, and she nodded once again.

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"I had that vision when I first bound my wand. Emily, I've never told anyone about that vision, and it's different in places than yours. But it's the same."

"Are we both crazy?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. Stephen, there's one more thing. I think Oh-Em, I think she's been here before. I think she's fought this battle we're facing. I'm not sure how. I just, I can feel it. She's being cagey, and only happens when she's done something she thinks I'd disapprove of."

"Has she done a lot of things like that?" I asked, and I saw a flash of fear in her eyes. It was gone just as quickly. She nodded.

"We've all done things we aren't proud of." Voice said.

"We need to go back inside." Emily stated.

"I know."

"We need to fix this mess," she said.

"I know." I replied, but we sat there for a few more moments. Finally, I stood up and we walked inside the house.

"Is everything okay?" Fiona asked, and I nodded my head, and I went upstairs.

When I opened the door, I heard their whispers suddenly stop, and I fought the tremble in my hand. Reg had undid the spells binding William, and both of them stood as I walked in the door.

"Had a nice cry, did we?" Cassandra asked.

Well, I was going to be nice.

"Cassandra Lowe, on behalf of myself and my house, I apologize for my behavior." I said stiffly.

"That's all? You hold me under wandpoint, bind my brother, and all I get is an apology?" She asked, and then Reginald of all people sighed.

"Cassandra, I've got a question." He asked.

"Oh?" She asked.

"What is your main issue here? Is it the fact Stephen uses an imp, that he held you under wandpoint, or that he locked up servants of your supposed god?" He asked her.

"Supposed god?" She asked.

"I'll get back to that in a moment. Tell me, did you read the contract your parents signed when they became vassals?" He asked, all four of the Lowe children shook their heads.

"Stephen, was it the standard vassalage contract, or the Wilberforce amendment?" He asked me.

"I'm fairly certain it was the standard contract." I replied, and he nodded.

"By signing that contract, your parents agreed to a period of suzerainty. Essentially, until the contract expires, your family is completely beholden to House Andrews. You're a family of mundane bornsborn. Under the law, you're property. If Madam Andrews wanted to, once you're trained to her satisfaction, she can hire you out to whoever she wishes, for whatever service she likes.

You insulted the Heir of the House holding your contract. If we were back home, Stephen would be well within his rights to demand a weregild for that insult at the very least."

"That's barbaric. Slavery is illegal!" Cassandra said, and Reg laughed.

"Tell me, Cassandra, have any members of House Andrews made any untoward advances on you, or any of your family members?" He asked.

"Well, no," she replied, and he nodded.

"And Andrews Artificing warded your house for you, without asking for payment?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Then House Andrews has performed the duties detailed in a standard vassalage contract in an exemplary fashion, especially since you are Tremisimancer.

Any other house, mine included, would have your entire family under lock and key. Your siblings would have had their magic stilled, and your parents would be dead. You would be forced into oaths so thick they may as well be chains and dosed to the gills on compliance potion.

You got extremely lucky, and you should be grateful they've treated you as well as you have." he said.

"That has to be illegal," she said flatly, and he laughed.

"Cassandra, you don't understand. Your gift only comes around once every twenty years or so. Tremisimancers are the cornerstone of our society's financial structure. All your siblings have a form of mancery, and there are targets on your heads. Our legal system is separated from the Mundane via the Treaty of Perdition, and we both have people in the other's legal system. Tremisimancers are not people. They're property," he said.

As he spoke, her face grew pale, until it was almost bone white. I hadn't known that. I knew that magical society was completely different than mundane, but I didn't know the differences were that vast.

"Now, about the imps. It's not like he's summoning greater demons in downtown London and causing another Great Fire. Almost every member of magical society gets an imp at some point, and our Ungifted use them to navigate magical places. I knew that mundanes get their noses tweaked about their religion, but honestly. Imps are nothing. If I'd been adopted by House Coldwood, and I was found to be abused, my mom would have fed the mundane to her plants. The fact that there are even orphanages and abuse happening in mundane society is barbaric." He," he said.

"That doesn't change the fact that imps are servants of the devil." Cassandra said.

"There is no devil, or heaven and hell. There are places in the Nether that so alien to us, they may as well be those places, but from what I know, the afterlife doesn't exist. When we die, we go back into magic." Reg said, and after a pause, he continued. "Don't get me wrong, there might be a God out there. But for all our power, and according to our mediums and those that have passed, there isn't a great light or some other world. There is just here and now."

"I don't believe that." Cassandra said.

"Believe it, or not, there's no proof of a higher power or an afterlife. That's the world we live in."

"There's also no scientific proof for different worlds or the abilities to make diamonds out of thin air, but here we are," she replied.

"Chatwin's Theory of Parallel Worlds and Mohs Treatise on Tremisimancy say differently." Reginald said with a grin.

"Magic and science are completely different." Cassandra said.

"Yes, but sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science. This has been proven time and time again." Reg replied, and Cassandra gave him a look.

"So you're saying that religion, and the church, as we know it, are wrong?"

"To an extent, yes." Reg said, he yawned then he continued.

"As entertaining as this conversation about high metaphysics is, I think I can speak for all of us when I say I'm exhausted. If you'd like, we can continue this conversation in the morning." He told her.

"I'm not sure I would." She said. I wondered how many other mundane born had their entire worldview shaken to the core. The truth was their family had beaten the odds. Most mundane born mages lacked power, and if they stayed in the magical world after adulthood, usually served as workers in the enchantment and artificing labs, or a shop assistant, or half a hundred other different low-paid jobs. Reg look around the room.

"It's a nice night out, I'm going to go sleep under the stars, would anyone like to join me?" He asked, and he left the room. The girls took that as a cue to leave. A short time later, Emily sent me a message. We turned out the lights. It was hot up there. The summer heat had risen, and it was almost stifling with no form of temperature control.

"Stephen, I'm performing a Binding tonight." Emily sent.

"Is that wise?" I replied. A binding was the ritual to conjure and bind a demon to a sanctified silver bell. It was how we'd bound our imps.

"I think we'll need the extra firepower."

"Let me know when you're done." I replied, and she sent the mental equivalent of a nod.

I placed cooling spells on myself and laid on top of the covers, using my jacket as a makeshift blanket. I didn't want to get too comfortable. I was in a strange place, and at that point, I really didn't trust anyone aside from Emily. Sleep was difficult to find that night.

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[jldew93]

December 21st-December 22nd, 1930.
Badgerton, Koralis
Through the Mirror.

Later that night, I heard the door creak. I looked up, expecting to see Reg walk in. I was surprised to see Edward leaving. I made myself invisible with a bit of magic and followed him. He walked down the stairs, and out the door, and soon reached the edge of the woods. He fumbled in his pocket for something, and I saw him pull a shimmering metal bird that clicked to life when he cupped it in his hands.

"You were right. There is a rebellion. What should I do?" He whispered, and the bird took flight. I caught it in a mental cage.

"Edward, who are you talking to?" I asked, and he turned around suddenly. Without hesitation, he threw a jet of bright orange-hazel flame that I negated. His form was awful. I scoffed. Bethany had been training me in pyromancy for almost a year at that point. It was foolish to even think of trying to use fire against a pyromancer. I sent a mental call of help towards Emily and Reg. He threw a fireball towards me. I starved it of oxygen and sent the telekinetic equivalent of a punch towards his midsection. The spell came out stronger than I intended, and I had to ground out my own magic. I didn't want to kill him. His next spell was another jet of flame, a poorly constructed one, but one that I easily blocked.

Suddenly, the grass shot up, and took his legs out from under him, and pinned him to the ground. I took that opportunity to sketch a merkstave Raidho with my wand. Then I spoke.

"Ignis Prohibere." My wand flashed emerald, and the null-fire ward washed over Edward. The spell would temporarily block his pyromancy. I hadn't realized that the Lowe siblings had trained so much in the few months I'd known about their gifts. I looked in the direction I'd felt the magic come from, Reg was running towards us, pentacle alight with yellow-green sparks. I sent a telepathic message to William, and that must have woken him up, because I felt his sleepy confusion.

"There's trouble with your brother. Bring your sisters, and be quick." I sent again and received a muted psionic nod. Emily chose that moment to appear, dropping the spell that made her invisible.

"What happened here?" She asked, looking between Edward and the bird still trying to escape my mental cage.

"He tried to kill me, and he was talking to that thing." I said, gesturing at Edward. She drew a dagger.

"What do you think happened?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. Let's wait for Will and the girls. Then we'll figure that out." I replied, even as Edward scrambled against his bindings.

"I'm going to burn you all alive." He said softly. I snorted. I was learning pyromancy from a master at her craft. I doubt there was anything he could throw against me that I wouldn't see coming. Soon, William and his sisters joined us, along with Fiona.

"Why is he bound?" Cassandra asked.

"Your brother tried to burn me alive." I replied. Fiona's voice had a careful tone when she spoke.

"Has your brother ever been to Koralis before?" She asked. There was a long pause before Cassandra nodded.

"We came through the mirror before, and we were separated. But we were only here for a few hours," she said.

"That's all the time she needed. She has rooms in her castle where time is different. Where days stretch to years, and hours stretch to weeks. She probably has him under a compulsion spell. She's done that before." Fiona said. Immediately, Emily raised her wand.

"Mens revelare." She said and made a tossing gesture with her off hand. The small ball of blue-purple light hit Edward, and his aura flared. There, centered on his head, in the shape of a crown of thorns, there was the glow of a wispy red light.

"Bugger," she said.

"Can you break it?" William asked. I shared a look with Emily. Of the seven of us. We were the ones gifted with the Mind Arts.

"I'm not sure. I've never broken a compulsion before. We'd have to be delicate," she said.

"Emily, this is all on you. I'm not good with subtle magics." I replied. I could place a compulsion. But that was like putting a fresh coat of paint on a wall. Compulsions didn't need to be subtle, they just needed to work. To break one, if I used too much power, Edward's brain could quite literally fry.

"We could trap him in a circle," Reg said.

"That's a temporary solution to a permanent problem, at best," William said. I agreed with that.

"Hmm. Give me a moment. Let me see if I can at least isolate her auric presence from his," Emily said. Then she jabbed her wand again, and his aura faded away, leaving her red aura glowing on his forehead.

"I might not be able to break it, but I might be able to subsume the spell. Then I can just stop it like any other. Reg, Stephen, do you happen to have any salt on you? I used all mine." I shook my head. Salt wasn't something I'd thought to bring.

"What if we changed the compulsion's anchor? We could transfer it to an animal." I asked. She jabbed her wand once more,and let out a muttered curse as the full depth of the spell made itself known. The spikes traveled down his face, and wrapped themselves around his throat. From there, they traveled down his wrists, and wrapped around them as well.

"She's got him completely under her thrall. Unless I do a ritual, there's nothing I can do except to lull the compulsion into dormancy. It's so deep, I'm not sure how long that would at last, and I'd be feeding my magic into the spell constantly to ensure it would work. I'd be useless for spell casting," Emily said.

"What kind of ritual? There's four of us. That's enough to call quarters at the very least." William asked.

"I don't know." Emily said, and I blinked. Emily admitting not to know something was like the sky suddenly turning orange, or the grass being purple. I never thought I'd hear those words from her mouth.

"I need time to look through the books I have with me. For now, the most we can do is put him in a containment circle and hope it holds."

"I have something that should be able to hold him, but I'm reluctant to use it." Reg said quietly.

"What do you have?" I asked.

"It's called a breigh. It's an enchanted silver chain Hunters use to bind their captures," he replied.

"Will he be in pain?" William asked. Reg shook his head.

"It will put him in a deep sleep until I release him."

"There has to be another way," Evie said.

"Bind his magic and place him in stasis until we figure out how to break the compulsion," Reg said.

"Is that difficult to do?" I asked.

"With you or Emily? It'd be a bloody nightmare. You two are more powerful than Will and I. But with him? Judging from how bright of an aura he has, and how much magic I felt when you two were dueling? He's probably got the strength of a normal mage. It wouldn't really be much to overpower his innate defenses. His core would still flush the stasis and binding spells after a day or so," Reg said.

"Not necessarily," Emily said, and William gave her a look.

"We aren't using dark magic on my brother." He said, and she nodded.

"What about grey?" I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Can you petrify him?" I asked. William was a geomancer. He shook his head.

"Merlin never got around to teaching me that. I can, but I'm not sure I'd be able to reverse it."

"Well, we can't exactly leave him like this." Cassandra said.

"William, could you turn something else to stone, like rope?" Emily asked, he nodded.

"Fiona, do you have a room we can keep him in?" I asked.

"We could use my study. I never use it, and it's mostly empty. There's just a desk." Fiona said.

"What kind of floor is in there?" She asked.

"It's wood," she said.

"So, we sit him in a chair. Bind him with the breigh, tie him to it with rope, and turn the rope to stone. Then we carve the floor with every binding spell formulae and rune we know." It was a bit extreme, but it was the best idea I had.

"That's a little extreme." Cassandra said.

"I'd dose him to the gills with Thorny Apple if it were me," Reg said.

"We aren't using potions on him either," William said.

"Reg, can you carry him like that?" Emily asked. Reg nodded. The grass tying Edward to the ground ripped from the ground and hovered in front of us. A nimbus of yellow-green light surrounded it.

"Fiona, lead us to that room," I said, and she did.

We took the office chair, and William turned that to stone with a touch and a whispered word.

We freed his hands, and Reg produced a thin silver chain that I could feel practically hummed with binding magic. We bound his hands together and sat him in the chair. Then Reg dropped the chain onto his wrists. The chain curled around them like a snake, and unleashed a pull of magic. Edward slumped in the chair and closed his eyes. I conjured ropes, and William bound him by turning the rope to stone with a touch and a flare of icy blue aura. Then we all produced white-handled Athames, and we went to work. First, we carved a deep circle around him. On the outer edge of this, we filled the perimeter with runes and mathematical formulae that represented binding spells. One of the first things I'd learned was how to control fire, spells centered around the Water Rune, Laguz, ensured that his pyromancy was grounded out.

It took almost an hour, and when we were done, my lack of sleep was starting to get to me. Judging from the office's window, it was almost dawn. I'd have to make do with an energy elixir. Before we left, we placed alarm spells on the doors and window.


The squad sent to test us had arrived, and we quickly helped make breakfast. Well. I learned how to scramble eggs and cook them until they were fluffy. Fiona, Reg and Cassandra did most of the cooking. I passed out energy elixirs to everyone who had gotten drawn into the previous night's shenanigans, and we quickly ate. Everything was different. The bread was brown, and had a sour note the bread back home didn't have, and the tea was almost floral tasting. It wasn't the proper black breakfast tea served at Coventry and was like a spicier version of earl grey. Even the sausage was spicier than the breakfasts at home.
After breakfast, we helped clean up and went outside. Including the family of cat people, and the seven of us, there were almost thirty people present. I didn't recognize anything, except some pudgy mix of bird and rodent.

We assembled in the giant clearing behind the Badgerton house and went to work. For the first part of the day, we'd duel other members of the Koralis army. I got the first duel by luck of the draw.

My opponent was an odd creature. It looked like someone had blended a racoon and a raven. It had the wings of a raven, but they looked large enough to support its weight. The rest of the body looked entirely like a racoon. The creature stood on two legs, and gave me a smirk. I didn't even sense magic from this thing. We circled each other slowly. I had ordered Io to set on Emily's shoulder and watch the proceedings. Ganymede rested on her other shoulder. I had no plans on losing my duel, but I wanted to make sure I won in on my own standing.

"So, Rhince tells me your lot is powerful." It was apparently a male.

"What even are you?" I asked. I was dumbfounded that this fur covered football was even able to hover in the air.

"I'm a griffin." The creature said.

"No. You're not. A griffin is part lion and part eagle. You're part fat rodent and part magpie." I said, and the "griffin" smirked.

"Okay, so metaphysically we're chimaeras. But we're griffins." The racoon said.

"Are you going to talk it into submission?" William asked with a smirk, and I raised my hand in a rude gesture. That's when the "griffin" made its move.
Fifty pounds of fur and feathers launched toward me, and I just barely dodged. Somehow. The "griffin" ended up on my head. He covered my eyes, and I reached up to pull him off. But he was already on the move. Springing up in the air and causing me to over balance. I felt him hurling into my back, and I fell face down into the grass. The next thing I knew, there was the sharp point of a bladed weapon digging into the back of my neck.

"Fuckin trash pandas." Voice said with a groan.

"Do you yield, Human?" The griffin asked. If this had been an actual fight, I would have unleashed a pulse of force. I didn't know how durable the
"griffin" was, and I respected his speed and quick dagger work.

"I yield," I said. He jumped off my back,and offered me his hand. I took the peace offering for what it was.

"My name is Rodney, of the Rascal Gaze. It's a pleasure to kick your ass," he said.

"Stephen Andrews, and I won't be caught off guard next time." I said, and the griffin snickered.

The next test was Reginald and Rhince. While I understood Reg's issues with the elf, I still didn't think he had to be so hostile.
They stared the other down. Rhince drew two swords,and twirled them with his wrists. They were long, thin, slightly curved blades forged entirely from one piece of blue-silver metal. Bolts of black silky cloth were wrapped around each sword as a shoddy hilt. After a long moment, Reg unleashed a ball of green-yellow energy that the elf blocked with one blade, while slashing with his other. I felt an eddy of magic off the cloth. Reg blocked that blow with a shield from his pentacle and jumped back. They circled each other. I could feel the tension in the air. Reg unleashed a dozen shards of razor -sharp ice that the elf blocked with swift swordcraft, and Reg set into a pattern any Coventry student would know. It was a trio of cutting spells, Sli, Di, Jul.

The Elf blocked these, instead of deflecting the spectral blades off the sword in his off hand. The duel was off to a boring start. I knew they were fighting until the other yielded instead of trying to kill each other, but Reg knew better spells than that, and Rhince hadn't gone on the offensive. The elf threw a sword towards Reg, and Reg dodged the blow, and the blade stuck into the ground. With a smirk, the elf made a pulling gesture, and vanished, only to reappear where the blade was. He grabbed it and would have swung it down on Reg's arm if a vine hadn't suddenly grown from the ground and wrapped around his wrist. Rhince hissed in pain as the vine tore into his skin and yanked the sword from his grip as Reg spun around to face him.

Reg made a throwing gesture with his off hand, and the sword was flung out of ther ing. Then Reg really went on the offensive. He flicked his off hand, and a second wand appeared. Then he unleashed a barrage of thorns that hissed and sizzled where they bounced off Rhince' s shield. The elf summoned a gout of flame and Reg dodged the blast of fire. Then Rhince threw his other sword, and it stuck in a wall of hastily conjured ice. He vanished, appeared on top of the sword, and then the ice engulfed his arm. By the time he had freed himself with pyromancy, grass had encased his legs and most of his upper body.

"I yield." The elf said.

"The match was over as soon as those vines touched your skin. They contained a mild toxin that puts their target to sleep," Reg said.

"I know. I've been fighting its effects for a few seconds. Well met Winterbourne." The elf said.

"Well met, Elfkine." Reg said, and handed him a vial of yellow liquid that the Elf swallowed with a grimace.
The next sparring match was between Emily and one of the cat people. Before they even had a chance to draw a weapon, Emily had unleashed a volley of spells, and the being was swiftly disarmed, bound, and completely incapacitated.

"You can use nonlethal force!" William said with a laugh. Emily broke the spells she had just placed on her opponent and gave him a look. Suddenly, the illusion vanished, and something slammed into Emily from behind, knocking her head over ass. She came to a shaky stand,and shielded from an arrow. Ganymede shifted, and let out a soft murmur.

I knew that if I unleashed him, then that would end the duel. Emily should be able to take care of herself. She unleashed a swirling haze of sensory magic, found whatever she was searched for, and unleashed a purple-blue bolt of electricity.

"Piss off, Lowe." She said, William glared at her and shot me the same look.

William and Dietrich the lizard man sparred next. Judging from how leathery his skin was, and the pale milky look in his eye, Dietrich was old, but proved capable. He used some sort of magic to change into different shapes. A tiger. A wolf, and even a small dragon. The magic couldn't have been that advanced, because he kept roughly the same mass. I needed to figure out how that was done.
William and his geomancy gave him a run for his money, but when your opponent can fly and move at insane speeds, it's hard to beat him.

"Great job, mate." I called as he bound his opponent, he ignored me. I frowned.

"Well, this lot is well prepared. Now, what about the other three?" Wilhelm asked. The four of us traded looks.

"Do you mind if we raise a privacy spell?" I asked. The dwarf nodded, and we repeated the spell from last night.

"What are we going to do?" William asked as soon as the spells were raised.

"We could call it crystalline geomancy?" I asked. Emily snorted, and Cassandra spoke.

"How do we even know they value Tremisimancy?" She asked. Reg got a shifty look on his face.

"Are you registered?" He asked carefully.

Emily and I shared looks, and then we both looked at Will. Cassandra gave us all an exasperated look.

"I don't believe so." Cassandra said.

"That explains so much." He breathed.

"What does it explain?" I asked. He looked at me, a long look, and then he shook his head in shock.

"Stephen, after we survive whatever, this is, you and I are sitting down and have a long talk about what your guardian should and shouldn't have educated you about. For now, how advanced are you in your manceries?" He asked. I bit my lip and made a mental survey of all the magic I'd learned in my half decade in the magical world.

"I could probably pass the Journeyman Entrance Exams for four schools of elemental manipulation."

"Fucking Aethers." Reg muttered.

"That's fine." He said, and gave Emily and William looks.

"We need to establish a baseline for what abilities we all have, and I'm taking command of us while we're training."

"What makes you so qualified?" Emily sneered.

"To answer your question? I've trained with Hunter Squads in the summer since I was ten. Emily, I adore when you're a catty bitch. Right now. I need
you to shut up." He said with a smile.

"William, I know your strengths, but what about your sisters?" Reg asked

"In addition to her Tremisimancy, Cassandra is capable of Aeromancy, Evie is capable of Hydromancy, and Edward is a pyromancer-"

"We have a pyromancer bound in&mldr; wood?" Reg asked.

"I placed enchantments to bind that aspect of his magic until we break the circle, we've imprisoned him in. Nothing is going to happen," I said.

"We need to figure out a permanent solution to him as soon as possible," Reginald said.

"We need time to figure out what we're doing in general." Cassandra said. She was right. Since arriving in Koralis, we'd barely had time to breath and were running on bad ideas and fumes.

"First we'll figure out your training. I know the theory of Hydromancy; my sister has talents in that area. So we'll start with that. Will, you and Stephen both know Geomancy, so teach Cassandra that first."

"How is geomancy going to help with Tremisimancy?" I asked.
Reg gained another shifty look, there was something he wasn't telling us, but stones and glass houses.

"Do any of you know how to conjure Tremissis?" Cassandra asked. The four of us that were magically educated shared looks.

"No, we don't." I said finally.

"Cassandra, how well can you use your aeromancy?" I asked.

"I can pick up a ball or a small rock and throw it across a field at a decent speed," she said.

"We could practice using her aeromancy like telekinesis. I can teach her that. Emily, do you want to look up the rituals we'll need to fix Edward?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Emily said.

"You're carrying most of the books, if there isn't anything in your library, we can go through mine. Reg, do you have any books about that subject?"

"My talents don't run remotely close to the mind arts," he said. That didn't answer my question, but I understood the non-answer.
I wouldn't tell them about the preparations Emily, and I had made until we had a chance to use them. That was a basic tenant of being a mage.

"Emily, maybe you can do that thing you do where you pull a spell out of your ass that no-one else knows about." William said, and she shot him a look.

"Your boy-"

"Emily, don't finish that sentence." I barked, my voice cold, and maybe slightly shriller than usual. She broke our privacy spells. Then Emily gave me a look, and gave him one, and flashed us both a grin. Then she walked off.

"York, you and me in a duel. Right now," Will said. I went to intervene, but Reg grabbed my wrist. I shot him a look, and he gave me one in return. Emily made a come and get me motion towards Will, and they swiftly formed a circle.

"Miss Lowe, if you could go with your sister and see if we can get a few targets setup, please?" Reg asked Cassandra.

"No problem," she replied smoothly, and walked away. William and Emily were slowly circling each other. They had both come a long way from being two first forms in a dueling ring, and I wondered which of them would win. They began trading blows, just small spells. It hadn't erupted into a full-on duel yet.

"Stephen, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want a completely truthful answer from you." I looked at him, saw the serious look in his face, and spoke

"What's your question, Heir Coldwood?" I asked carefully and turned my attention back to the duel. They were still testing each other with schoolyard spells. It hadn't progressed to using their respective elements, or conjuration yet, so I didn't need to worry about either of them so far.

"First, cut the code of conduct malarkey. This is a conversation between friends. Between you and me. We aren't forging the next great alliance or establishing a dynasty. We're two friends talking. Can you do that?" He asked. I shot him another look.

"I think I can."

"Good, now, tell me, why are Emily and William fighting over you?" It was phrased as a statement, and I felt like an instructor had just asked me a very important question, and I couldn't even fathom the answer.

"They're fighting over me?" I asked. He shot me a look that was part horror, and part disbelief.

"God's blood. I didn't know you were that socially inept," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Stephen, I'm going to be blunt, and I'm going to use a word I hate to say, but you are one of the most socially retarded people, I have ever met. I always thought the aloof stranger in a strange land air you cultivate is a mask, but that's really you isn't it?" He asked. I felt attacked somehow.

"About time somebody said it." Voice muttered.

"Stephen, they're fighting over you, because they care about you," he said.

"What." I stated.

"Let me try to explain this in a way you can understand. Bethany adopted Emily this past summer. Right? That makes her, for better or worse, your sister. She's family, and you'd do anything to protect her, right?"

"Absolutely." I breathed, without even thinking about it.

"You'd ride to hell with a smile on your face, and a spell on your lips because you're her brother, and hell and heaven help anyone who even thinks about harming her, right?"

"Where are you going with this?" I asked.

"Stephen, she would do the same for you. Emily is capable of a cold cruelty that I've rarely seen, but that cold isn't always hostile. The ice can crack, and you can see the person she can become underneath. At the end of the day, her methods might be darker than you'd prefer, but she'd still save your ass." We looked back to the duel. Emily had launched into her preferred method of dueling. An intricate dance of defense, and sudden barbs of spell fire. William was holding his own easily.

"Okay," I said.

"William cares about you, in a way I think you reciprocate-"

"Reg, you're our main source of knowledge on magical society." I said suddenly, desperate hoping for a momentary change of conversation.

"It's not like I was raised in the magical world or anything, but go on," he replied with a cocky grin. I frowned. I stopped.

"Earth to Stephen." Reg said, and waved his hand in my face when I didn't respond.

"How-" I stopped, considering my words, looking off into the distance where Emily and William were trading spectral arrows and blades.

"Stephen, are you okay?" Reg asked. Fuck it. There was exactly one way to handle this.

"How does the magical society deal with people who like their own gender?" I said in a rush.

"Okay, now say that slower so I can understand you," he replied. I put both hands on my forehead and swept them down, like I was washing my face. The motion calmed me down.

"How does the magical world react when a male likes another male?" I asked softly. I know what the scriptures said, the nuns had crammed that horse shite down my throat enough. I despised religion, and I had an idea, I needed confirmation.

"Stephen, while I'm flattered, and I'm not gonna say you wouldn't be a catch, I like women." Reg replied, a half grin on his face. He looked over his shoulder just as Emily bent down - I punched him in the shoulder. Hard. It hurt me more than it hurt him, judging from the smile that flashed across his face.

"That's my sister!" I hissed. He held up both hands.

"She'll eat you alive, mate." I replied.

"Yeah, I know." He smirked again, and I rolled my eyes at the dopey grin on his face.

"In all seriousness, magical society doesn't care about that. There is no shortage of mages that have simply done their family duty or favored the same end of the wand, if you catch my drift. No one cares." He stated with a shrug. I felt relief.

"Who do you fancy?" He asked.

"What? No one, it's just a question." I replied.

"Stephen. There is no such thing as just a question with you. You and Will have been mooning over each other since you first met," he replied. He was forcing this conversation.

"I don't moon!" I shouted, and everyone in the clearing looked at me. I ignored the sudden heat flashing across my face. Everyone returned to their training.

"I mean, the moon's okay. I guess." I said after a long pause. Reg shook his head.

"What are your intentions toward my sister?" I asked in a lower tone of voice.

"Oh no. We aren't talking about my disfunction," he replied, giving me a Look that would have made mum proud.

"I'm glad one of you finally pulled your head out your ass. We had a betting pool going."

"Who's we?" I asked.

"Me, Emily, and Calem." He nearly whispered. Calem had been our friend once, all through First Form, and I know they had gotten close.

"How much?" I asked.

"A few drachmae." He said with a shrug. Pocket change, then.

"So, are you going to ask him out?" He asked.

"What? No!" I almost shouted again.

"Volume control is your friend, Stephen."," Reg said.

"Why not?" He asked

"Because. It's complicated."," I said.

"Is this about your betrothal contract?" He asked.

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

"Everyone who is anyone knows what the other important families are up to. House Andrews is a rising star in magical society, and the contract made the first page of the London Eye when it was signed."

"Why?" I asked. Voice, who had checked out of the conversation, was curious about this.

"House Brennan, an Ancient Family, pledging their first -born daughter to a new House? It's not done. I'm sure a consort clause could be written into it. You'd have to ask Madam Andrews, but it's been done before," he replied softly.

I looked back over his shoulder. At Will, who was proving what a geomancer was capable as the very battlefield was turned against Emily. He had made a series of fortifications across the field, along with the golems. This allowed him to jump between the different barriers and take a pot shot at Emily. She had conjured a shield of purple light, but between the two golems and whatever arcane fuckery William threw out, she was slowly losing.
His hair was almost longer than hers at some point, although that wasn't saying much.

"Stephen the point I'm making is that Emily wants to make sure that whoever you're with can defend you if you need it." We had turned our attention back to the duel. William had formed the earth around him into an ad-hoc fortification, and a golem was slowly closing on Emily. As she knocked off bits and pieces of the golem, it drew more mass from the earth. William was smart. He was boxing her in.

"I can take care of that just fine." I growled.

"I'm not saying you can't, but she wants to make sure that your partner can defend themselves, and Will wants to prove that he can do just that. Stephen-" He stopped.

"What?" I asked.

"This is something that I shouldn't be talking to you about. It's something Madame Andrews should have told you about. All I'll say is that there is more than one Prophecy about your line, and the world held its breath when she adopted you." He said finally. I gave him an appraising look. He had grown in the year and a half I'd known him. He was coming into his full height, which would easily put him over my scrawny 5'6. The pudge he had when I'd met him had shifted, and I could almost see the muscles under his shirt.

"So what about you?" I asked. William's golem had grabbed Emily at this point, and held her by her wrists. She wouldn't yield.

"What about me?" He replied.

"Do you have what it takes to defend my sister, and fight beside her?" I said carefully. A look flashed in his eyes, a vibrant flash of green briefly lit his eyes, and I felt his Power unmasked. Where my magic was like a sudden storm, a whiff of ozone, and a roaring wind, his magic was like the Earth. Sure and steadfast, filled with slow moving Power that could be just as destructive and awe inspiring as mine.

"Stephen, I have a feeling if we truly dueled, there wouldn't be much of a forest left," he said carefully. If we went all out? What happens when a hurricane meets an earthquake? When a wave hits a cliff? Something breaks.

I nodded, and the moment passed. I noticed Cassandra was working her way back through the practicing men and women, and other beings.
Reg looked at me.

"Just talk to him. Please." He pleaded.

"Talk to her." I said, and he nodded.

Cassandra escorted us to the range. A trio of targets had been set up.

"Reg, I know you know the basics of hydromancy, so if I walked Evie through basic glaciomancy, do you think you could instruct her through the theory if she had any questions?"

"I'm sure I could." He said, I nodded. I instructed Evie in the basics of wandless Glaciomancy. Elemental manipulation was easier without a wand. I supervised her through the initial creation of an icy javelin. Usually an experienced mage would be able to bleed the heat off the transmutation and use that to create fire, but that was something I'd teach her later. After I was sure she could do such a task, I looked at Cassandra.

"Can you reach for your element for me?" I asked.

"Sure," she said. She closed her eyes,and called her Power. I resisted the urge to use a stinging spell on her, but on second thought.

"What was that for?" She yelped.

"You should be aware of your surroundings at all times, if you close your eyes in battle you're dead. My guardian binds my eyelids open. I'm treating you with kid gloves."

"That's barbaric," she said.

"I get the same treatment." Reg said, not looking away from Evie's practice.

"Honestly, some instructors break limbs and rip your eyelids off." He said, and I nodded.

"That sounds painful," Evie said. She was a natural at glaciomancy. She'd progressed from one javelin to several smaller ones. Her hands had gained a blue-white glow as she immersed herself in her element and magic.

"Do it again and keep your eyes open." I told Cassandra. She frowned in concentration and called forth her Power. A soft deep purple haze suffused her skin. I cast out my senses, attempting to trace the energy. It was all around me. In my lungs, traveling through my body and across my skin. I could feel every pound per square inch of air in the clearing. If I let go of the earth, I could fly. I knew it, knew it like I knew how to see or smell. I resisted that urge, but I longed to surrender to it.

"Is this how your magic always feels?" I asked.

"I wouldn't call it magic, but yes." Cassandra said with a frown.

"Release your Power," I said. She did.

"Now, call your Power, and as you do, say the phrase aero invocare," I said.

"Stephen-"

"Reg, I had barely a day's training when I invented Iactus. She has Power," I said.
She twisted her wrist, called her magic, and intoned,

"Aero Invocare!" Her aura flashed like a purple sun, and left after images across my retina. I felt Magic and Air around me rise and soar and smiled as that Power blossomed against my skin. A small cyclone of air hovered in Cassandra's palm. She released the spell after a long moment, and her already purple eyes had a familiar lamplight glow to them. I drew a dagger, and walked around her so that she was between me and a target.

"Deflect this." I said, and mentally threw the dagger. It would zip past and around her head and hit the bullseye, unless she deflected it, then it would drop to the ground. She threw it back at me and I sent it back to its holster.

"That was aimed for my head," she snarled.

"No it wasn't," I replied.

"It probably wasn't," Reg chimed in, and we looked at him. He shrugged.

"I've seen Stephen hit a target blind from a hundred yards. I'd say throwing weapons are one of his specialties," he said. I frowned. I wasn't entirely sure of that. It was just a skill Bethany had drilled into my head.

"Could you handle two?" I asked.

"I could handle six." Cassandra challenged. So I threw four at her. She grabbed them all and threw them back at me. I grabbed them all.

"Next time hit the target." I said, then I threw them back at her. She caught them all, and one by one, threw them at each of the targets we'd been given. She didn't even turn to look at them.

"How the fuck?" I said just as Voice whispered the same sentence.

"The targets are displacing air. I threw the knives where the air isn't."

"That's brilliant." I replied.
We continued like that for some time, until the sun was high in the sky. After about twenty minutes of teaching the girls about their newfound magical abilities, William and Emily joined us from their duel.

They surveyed the girls' practice; I noticed the look in William's face. He seemed angry that we were teaching the girls these skills. I understood his frustration. There were certainly better things to teach them to use their magic for, but my main goal was their survival in any hostilities to come.
When I first began my training Bethany told me something similar. Her own master taught her similar spells to ensure she survived whatever hostilities she grew up in. She had taught me under the same guise of self-protection, and I wondered if I was just using the excuse she did.

Her teachings had saved my life on more than one occasion, and I was eternally grateful for that. Cassandra and Evelyn needed to learn these spells. They needed to learn how to harness their magic in these ways. I sighed. I would talk to him before dinner.
We paused for a brief lunch of sandwiches and resumed our training. The afternoon was much like the morning. Our training continued until the sun sank low in the sky. The squad left, we returned the clearing to rights, and we got ready for dinner. We let our imps go hunting but ordered them to avoid killing anything sapient.

I found William washing up in the bathroom. He had seemed sullen throughout the day, he'd barely said two words to me over breakfast, and ignored me completely during lunch. As we washed up for dinner, and I decided to break the ice as it were.

"Will, what did I do wrong?" I asked. Those words alone, to anyone else, made me want to fold myself into a ball. I hated admitting when I was wrong, and hated more than anything asking what I did wrong.

"You don't know?" He asked, giving me a look of shock, and I shook my head. He laughed.

"Friends wouldn't keep secrets from each other like you have. You say you're my friend, but I learned last night that we're slaves. My sisters spent today being taught by you how to kill with her magic. My brother has apparently been mind-raped, and was almost murdered by my other best friend. This all happened because we came to your house. I know that we're your vassals, but you should have apologized at the minimum. Stephen.
If you had just told me about the trial, I would have fought tooth and nail to keep them home. I can defend myself. I've just spent the last two years learning how to throw out deadly force when provoked. I've fought by your side, and I thought we were best friends. I thought I-" He stopped himself suddenly, face suddenly aflush, and he splashed cold water on himself.

"You act like you've never had friends before, and we're just tools." He said, and I let out a breath. I knew the next few words I'd say were critical for our future. I took a deep breath to steady my heart rate. It had never even occurred to me to apologize. That wasn't in my nature. They should have just known that I was sorry for dragging them into this whole mess.

"Kid, you need to use your words." Voice said. I knew that. Part of me, the same part that was still the scared little boy locked in a closet, the half-starved scared kid that Bethany Andrews had pulled from a rundown orphanage was convinced that William would toss me aside. That I was just a freaky little orphan. The other half knew that William was my friend, maybe more, and that he would stand by my side come what may.

"It didn't occur to me to apologize, and you're right. I've never had friends before."

"What?" He asked. I steadied myself again, and somehow, he knew to take my hand in his.

"You, and Reg, and Calem, and Emily. You were my first friends. I didn't have any at the orphanage because of my magic, and living with Bethany is like Coventry, except none of the fun and twice the coursework. Will, I am sorry this happened. This wasn't what I imagined our winter holiday to be like." I said, and he looked into my eyes. Light blue met emerald green, and for a golden eternity, we stared into each other's eyes.
Then there was a sudden knock at the door. We broke apart suddenly, Reg was standing there. He had a small grin on his face, and he quirked an eyebrow.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked. Voice cackled.

"No. Uh-" I said, and Will cut me off.

"Stephen was just helping me wash-" He said, and blushed.

"What he means to say is that he needed me to cool the water off." I said with a smirk, and splashed some water in Reg's face with a flick of my hand. He laughed, and the two of us left for dinner. We came to a mutual agreement to leave Edward until after dinner. The binding he was under would put him under temporary stasis until we dealt with whatever was going on in his mind. We ate a dinner of fish, which I was quickly learning to hate. Then went up to the study where Edward was being kept. Emily had found a ritual in one of our books and we hoped that would help him.

Reg undid the Breigh binding his magic, but we were careful not to break the circle we had carved around him. As soon as the Breigh left his skin, Edward woke up and gave us all looks.

"Will, what's going on?" He asked softly, almost in tears.

"Edward, you're going to be okay. You've had a spell cast on you, you'll be fine. We just need to break it." William murmured.

"Can you let me go?" He asked.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." William replied carefully. As soon as those words left his mouth, Edward's entire demeanor changed. He glared at William and then shot me and Emily both looks of sheer loathing.

"Let me go, Will." He snarled. His aura flared, but he didn't have the sheer strength to overcome the four sets of spells and enchantments that we had woven into the circle.

"He's doing this, don't you see? He's trying to separate me from the rest of you. He hates me!" Edward cried, looking at me.

"Mate, I don't know you." I replied.

That was true, I didn't really know the Lowe siblings. Honestly, aside from William, I hadn't really interacted with any of them. This little misadventure we found ourselves was the first time I had spent any time around them at all.

"Emily is this the compulsion or is this is normal behavior?" I asked her.

"This is the compulsion." Evie said, "Edward isn't whiny, and isn't one to pass judgment like that." Will nodded, Cass had a hurt look on her face.
Emily waved her wand once and compulsion sprang back into existence. The red thorns had tightened around his throat slightly.

"We need to move him into another circle or the runes will interfere with the ritual," she said.

"Is this really a wise choice?" Reg asked, and gave Emily a searching look.

"I couldn't find any other alternative," she replied. He nodded.

"I can't say I agree with that," he said.

"Emily, what about those little boxes Bethany gave us?" I asked.

"What about them?" She asked back.

"What if they have something in them that would let us break compulsions?" I rebutted.

"If Madame Andrews has something like that up her sleeve, the whole world should know about it." Reg said firmly.

"I doubt she has anything like that, but it was worth a shot." Emily snarked.

"Emily grab that container," I said.

She snapped her fingers and produced the small box Bethany gave us before we left the Townhouse. I flipped open the lid grabbed the diminutive rectangular silver box out of its cradle. The box didn't have a clasp, and I flipped it open. This doubled the boxes length but halved its thickness. In the interior of the box there were two panes of glass.

They were clear and I could see the innards of the box. Strange crystal lines arranged in odd patterns coursed beneath the surface of the box and I can feel the magic of the device's enchantments. This was different than other magic I'd experienced. This felt cold, metallic even. Whatever strange enchantments powered the box,; I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt they were beyond my ability to re-create. Every spell felt different. Every element felt different. The enchantments powering this box felt like nothing I'd ever experienced before. The closest thing I could approximate to was Fulminomancy.

"I'll be fucked." Voice muttered.

"Voice, do you know what this is?" I asked.

"Yes, but it should be impossible to have one of these in this time."Voice replied, his tone awed was of all things.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's a phone. I know that much. You'l be able to take pictures with and if we were in range of a certain type of communications array called a tower, you would likely be able to call someone with it, and browse a communications network that I was fairly certain wasn't invented yet. Actually, I know it wasn't invented yet."

"So how do we use it?" I asked.

"There should be a button or something along the side of it or on the back of it that will-"- " He stopped suddenly.

"Voice?" I asked.

"There should be a button or something along side of it that will turn it on or activate the spells powering it." He said softly. I searched the edges of the box carefully, but I couldn't find any sort of switch or stud that would turn the artifact on. Finally I smacked the screen exasperation. The moment my fingers touched the glass panel, the glass began to glow. Then a small round ball of light appeared in the center of the panels.

"How may I help you?" The box asked, it spoke in a male monotone voice, and sounded slightly garbled like static.

"What are you?" I asked.

"This unit was designed to work off the database stored in the Andrews Family archives. My purpose is to act as a field guide for Andrews Family operatives while they are on maneuvers. I have a full sensor array of both technological and magical means. I can assist the operator with anything that exists in my database."

"Bloody buggering fuck. Of course she has a tricorder." Voice muttered.

"Voice you aren't helping." I spoke. That absolutely wasn't a whine.

"Do you have a name?" I asked the device.

"This unit does not currently possess a designation, but you can give me one, would you like to?" The unit asked. We all shared looks. Finally, I spoke again.

We all shared looks. Finally, I spoke again.

"I'll call you Merlin."," I said.

"Designation accepted." Merlin stated.

"Merlin, do you have any information on compulsion?" I asked.

"I have several dozen known compulsions in my database, would you like me to perform a scan of the environment for any known spells of that type?"

"Yes, I would," I said.

"Scanning, please wait." The device let out a low and the orb in the center pulsed once or twice before Merlin left out a beep.

"I detected three compulsions; would you like to know which ones they were?"

"Yes." I said firmly.

"I detected the Thorny Rose Compulsion, a vassalage compulsion, and a minor loyalty compulsion."

"Could you pinpoint the location of these compulsions?" I asked.

"Yes, would you like me to display them on the screen or would you like me to project locations in holographic form?"

"Voice, what is a hologram?"

"It's a type of phosphomantic construct." He stated carefully.

"Are they dark or dangerous?"

"They can be but that doesn't mean they are."

"Oh." I said aloud.

"What?" William asked.

"Nothing." I said quickly. I turned my attention back to Merlin.

"Please use the holograms." I told it. The device hummed softly and then Edward was coated with a soft white glow, as were the rest of the Lowe siblings, and Emily and I.

That was our House leaving it's mark on our psyche.

"Merlin, is there any way you can stop projecting the lesser compulsions and focus on the Thorny Rose compulsion?" The device hummed again and only Edward glowed white.

"What information do you have about the Thorny Rose compulsion?" I asked.

"This compulsion is anchored in the subject's nervous system and allows the caster to control and view their surroundings remotely." I looked around the room. I saw the looks of shock on everyone's faces and I realized that we might be in more danger than I thought.

"Is this compulsion always active?" I asked.

"No, if the caster is remote viewing the subject's eyes will glow with the color of their aura. However, the caster may be able to passively eavesdrop on the victim."

"Do you think the wards we cast will protect us from eavesdropping?" William asked softly.
Reg, Emily and I traded looks.

"Maybe?" I said finally.

"Define 'maybe'. Cassandra said firmly.

"Well, it all depends on what kind of spells she can use," Reg said, his tone careful,

"Every mage has their own spells and tricks that no other mage knows, and from what I've been told of this woman we've been drafted to fight she's had years to perfect her craft. We have no idea what kind of spells or incantations or enchantments were dealing with. Until we've had a chance to plunder her grimoire or analyze her magic, for all I know she could translocate right next to us and kill us all. We cast wards for the meeting and in this room. Unless you know where we can get lodestones from, we aren't going to be able to craft proper wards." He stated. I hoped he ignored the sudden look in my eye.

"Oh," Cassandra muttered.

"Merlin, can you analyze the Thorny Rose compulsion and produce a counter spell?"

"The Thorny Rose compulsion requires an auric purge before the victim is guaranteed to be free of the compulsion."

"So how will the victim behave if we don't purge compulsion from his aura?"

"The victim will be inherently loyal to whoever cast the spell on him."

"Is there a spell that will put the compulsion into dormancy?"

"The only way to fix this compulsion is to perform an auric purge or having the caster break the spell. I have an example of an auric purge. Would you like to see it?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, I would love to," I replied. The orb flashed once and then a ritual flashed across my vision.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"I detected an augmented reality display on your body. This display allows me to convey information that would take too long to explain verbally."

"Kid, that little bandage Bethany gave you. She said it allowed you to contact her. I would bet money that does much more than just that."
I raised my hand to the spot on my neck where I'd placed a cool, clear bandage after we'd arrived home from Coventry. This was before the vampire attack.

I ignored all that for now and looked at the ritual in front of me. I recognized the ritual from last summer when we rescued Emily from a blood house. She'd been kidnapped before the summer Duel Championships in London. Amy had used the ritual to save a Hunter that was almost dead from being tortured at the hands of vampires. I knew that when she performed the ritual. She'd called on Ley Lines and Magic to restore the Hunter's connection to magic.

I had no idea where we would get the reagents for such a ritual though. It called for several precious gemstones that we simply did not have. Even with the vast wealth we had plundered from deep beneath Coventry, and despite all the preparations Emily and I had made last summer to ensure my safety during whatever prophesized Trial I would face; such a set of implements were beyond our finances. Okay, that was a lie. The ritual was so exotic that Emily and I never foresaw us needing the reagents necessary to perform the ritual. I didn't even know what the ritual was until Merlin had told me. That was apparently a fuck up on both our parts.

"Reg, you know any way to do quick and dirty auric purge? Because the ritual is calling for a precious gemstone for each of his chakral nodes,"

Reg let out a bark of laughter.

"Never half ass anything to do with your aura," he said.

"Fucking great." I muttered.

"So, what do we do with him in the meantime?" Cassondra asked.

"We put the breigh back on him and pray to the Gods that it holds," Reg said.

"It could fail?" I asked.

"If you pour enough power into it, sure, but I don't see that happening." He said evenly.

"It would take a Lord to break a breigh. The four of us could do it, if we can overcome the sleeping spells and channel enough magic into it. It would melt on our skin or explode, and we need to heal ourselves immediately after, but there aren't a lot of binding spells that could hold one of us."

"Then Edward isn't nearly powerful enough to break a breigh. He only scored a one on the Rosen-Weller scale." William said.
That was a magical aptitude test that we needed to take before beginning their education at Coventry. The most you could score on the test was a seven, anyone with even a touch of magic would score 1. Edward had hardly any magic at his command, so the breigh would be nearly impossible for him to break.

"So we replace the breigh and leave him until we can get the reagents to perform an auric purge. We can ask Fiona if their mages have access to those. Have any of you performed this ritual before?" Evie spoke suddenly.

"Emily and I have seen it done once." I demurred.

"Now that we know what ritual were dealing with, I've read the theory behind it, but I never seen it practiced," Reg said.

"William, I'd prefer it if we didn't go poking at our brother's consciousness with a recipe," Cassandra said stiffly.

"I agree," Evie said. William looked at each of the sisters and then turned his head back towards me.

"They're right mate, he's still my brother. I don't want anything to happen to him." I nodded, and put my hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find a way." I gave him a smile.

"I know you will," he replied.

"For now, just put him back under the breigh." Will murmured.

Reg placed the silver chain back on Edward's wrists and he fell back into his enchanted slumber. We added a new ring of wards to prevent scrying. Then we left the room.


<BR>

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[jldew93]

Later that night.

That night, I stole out of the house. The night was cool despite the day's heat. I could feel the chill of the temperature control charms from my jacket on my skin, and was grateful for them.

"Comms, Bethany."," I said. An error message appeared in the middle of my vision.

"Comms, Amy or Vincent, or Eli" I said. Once again, an error appeared.I flipped the small box open.

"Kid, ask if it has something called a GPS." Voice said. He was from about a hundred years in earth's future. In the future they had technology that was in some ways, much more advanced than magic. I knew Bethany was from the future as well. I had a suspicion all the "family magic" she used was some form of advanced technology.

"Do you have a GPS function?" I asked the scanner.

"There are no Global Positioning Satellites or Qi Links within range." The device said.

"Can you make a map of our surrounding location?" It was quiet for a second, then it beeped.

"Map compiled based on accelerometer, pedometer and LIDAR from tactical comm." Then it projected the map.

It showed the route we had taken from where we had left the mirror, down the stairs, deep beneath the ground. It was basically a straight path. and there was a 3D map of our general surroundings.

"Can a map be scanned and extrapolated to add to this database?"

"Affirmative."

"Interesting. Save this map and name it Stephen 1."

"Operation complete."

"Kid, say exactly what I say." Voice said. Usually these kind of sentences got the best result, so I went along with him.

"Keep recording my surroundings. Alert me about anything odd."

"Define, Odd."

"Anything that is a tech level above Earth, 1930. Anything that seems anomalous to magical scans in accordance with any established libraries we have."

"Parameters set. Passive scanning active." I knew spells like that would need constant energy, and I wondered if this technology needed the same.

"How do you regain energy?" I asked the scanner.

"This unit charges via a combination of ambient etheric energy and static electricity."

"Interesting."," I said.

"Ask that thing if it has a schematic for that. That could be useful." Voice jabbered.

"Do you have schematics for those?"

"All schematics for Tier 2 technology has been redacted by administrator Bethany Andrews."

"Can you get me back to London?"

"Current location is London."

"Then explain the map."

"Current location is unknown."

"Voice, is there anything you want to ask Merlin?" I asked. I was suddenly aware of all the proper nouns I'd interacted with today.

"No, that should do it."

"Does this device have recording capability?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Begin recording. Archive all recordings. Attempt to send once a day," I said. Merlin leapt off my hand of his own accord and settled in front of me. I recorded our adventure thus far. The tromp through the grass. Our visit to the metal man's house Cassandra had befriended. A secret world hidden in a mirror sounded like one of Alice's adventures. Instead it was a grim reality.

As I detailed the last two days. I realized I was exhausted.

"Mum, wherever I am at, or whenever I am, communications are not working. I-" I stopped for a second to collect my thoughts and stop the tears.

"I miss you, mum. I miss our house. I miss Amy and Vincent and even Eli. If you're receiving these transmissions, that mirror is treacherous. Let me know when you get these messages. We're safe for now. I love you. End Recording." I said, and wiped hot tears from my face.

William chose that moment to appear out of the house. He was followed by Emily and Reg. I closed the scanner. He walked over to me,and stood by my side . Emily settled on my left side, and Reg stood behind us. Our imps had returned from their hunt, and we'd recalled them to our bells. Emily fished a weatherworn pack out of her pocket, and flick it open, revealing a quartet of Luckies.

"I've got one for each of us. So, if you want to start, now's the perfect time." She said and flashed a grin. I shrugged and summoned one to my hand. I offered it to Will, who made a
"fuck" it gesture with his head, and took it. I grabbed one more for myself, and Reg grabbed one out of the pack. Emily lit them all wandlessly, and I took a drag. Immediately I wanted to die, but in a moment's time the nicotine started working and brought me relief I didn't know I needed. We sat there, smoking and looking at the stars above.

These stars didn't match the stars from home. Polaris didn't rule this sky. There was no Big Dipper or bright light to guide us home from whatever strange land we found ourselves in. It was us against the world.

"What are you thinking?" I asked Will.

"We're alone out here. Aren't we?" He asked.

"If they had been successful against the intruders, Bethany would have sent a message by now." I replied.

"Unless it's a dilation." Emily said, and we turned.

"It could be something like the Room." She said, referring to the secret chamber we found that contained Coventry's defunct Genius Loci.

"The Power needed for this would be incalculable." William said.

"Not necessarily," Emily said.

"If you divide the area of the room at its maximum dimension by three, then determine the area of the sphere or plane we're on by that, you'll be able to determine the magical power demands of this area."

"Except this place has a higher magical saturation than earth, and non-Euclidean spaces don't get this big. Even the Void Market has a radius of about ten miles," Reginald said. Tapping that ley had been euphoric and terrifying. I wasn't sure about non-Euclidean spaces.

"I can feel the magic of the trees. Of Nature around us. It's like nothing I've ever felt. Including the time I've spent in Faerie," he said.

"How will we know how much stronger the ambient magic is?" I asked. Emily spoke. Her tone was careful, and I could tell she was reciting whatever Oh-Em was telling her.

"We'd need to cast a spell with a known duration. Like a warming spell, or a floating orb of light. However long that lasts, we divide that by the known half -life of the spell according to earth. A lux orbis lasts two hours. If lasts six hours here, then there's three times the amount of ambient being produced." She said and stopped her careful diction and resumed speaking in her usual city accent.

"It's something to figure out after we deal with the evil queen thing," she said.

"We're going to see battle, aren't we?" William asked after a few minutes.

"It's likely," I said.

"Do you think we'll survive?" He asked. That question gave me pause. Emily and I had both seen battles before, in real life. Outside of the simulations that Merlin put us through. It was intense. A blur of magic and death that I'd been lucky to escape from. That gunshot hadn't cured clean, and I had a small, puckered scar on my shoulder from where that vampire had shot me.

"I think that if a battle starts going poorly, you and Reg need to take your siblings and leave. Emily and I will be the vanguard, us, and our imps will cover your escape," I said. Emily nodded grimly.

"What about you two?" He asked.

"Stephen, you're my best friend. I can't leave you to die!" He said.

"But, it's not us she wants. It's you." I replied.

"William, you and your siblings are the subject of the prophecy. Without you four the entire plan falls apart. Sometimes the important pieces must be sacrificed. We have our part to play, and you have yours. You'll be hidden by the children of space and time, and our part in the prophecy will be fulfilled," Emily said.

"That's an awfully defeatist attitude for you, Emily," he replied.

There was a sudden crash, and the sound of broken glass filled the air. We saw Edward land in a nimbus of light, glass from the window was scattered around him. The Breigh had been stripped of magic, and hung limply from his wrist.

"Edward, where are you going?" William asked, and then his brother broke into a run.

"He's going to warn her!" Frieda yelled, barreling out of the house. The fur on her should looked singed.

I raised my hand, pulled the earth up around the boy, and encased him in stone. I marveled at how little that much geomancy took from my core.

"Oh no you don't!" I called

"Let me go!" He yelled. A hazel glow shone across his skin, and then the stone exploded and hurled towards me in a shower of molten stone. Emily covered me with a telekinetic shield that stopped me from being skewered. Then Edward made a twisting gesture with his hand. A bracelet appeared on his wrist. He turned to smoke and was gone in the wind. More of the smoke billowed out and covered us in a haze.

"Magicae Fractae!" I heard Reginald yell, his aura flared, and the smoke vanished. At once I went to work. We needed wards. We should have placed them earlier.

"Frieda, where's the perimeter of your property. I need a focal point, and you need to warn your neighbors." The cat woman nodded.

"He just used magic to fly. He's probably already at her castle. How far away is it?"

"Two hundred miles to the East.""Fuck.

"Emily, Reg, William. Wards."

"How could he? Reg, you said his magic wasn't powerful enough to break the breigh." William said.

"William, now is not the time. We need to set up protections. Then we need to leave. If you can't help with the wards, get your sisters and warn Fiona," Emily said.

He nodded and went inside the house.

"Now, Frieda, your property lines." I said, already fishing in my belt pouch for a couple of the rune pouches that I had taken from the armory.

"We need two of them. A border, and the highest point."

"The end of the path, and the top of the house," she said.

"Do we have a path out of here?" I said.

"Aye, lad. I've got a portal tunnel built for such an occasion. Everyone does. It'll drop us a day from the rallying point."

I threw a pouch to Emily.

"Shields, stop teleportation. I should have done this when we got," I said.

"None of us thought about it, mate. Don't beat yourself up. Let's just get these wards setup," Reg said, and I nodded.

"Don't beat yourself up kid. None of us are perfect." Voice chimed in.

I left for the property line. I had thought of wards, I just wasn't quick enough to place them.

I had a thought, and pulled out my mirror.

I thought of Reg, and my mirror fogged, and then he was looking at me.

"Ask Fiona what way her forces will take to capture the house."

He asked, and I heard the gruff voice of Frieda.

"Down the path! It's the only route out of here aside from my tunnel! She won't come through the town." She yelled, and I smiled.

"Tell her thanks." I said, and closed the connection. I went to work. The house was in a circular clearing, and the only way to destroy the runes was to break the runestones. Or overpower them. To do that, they'd need a mage. They might have one with them. I'd need to lay a few traps.

I called up my aura, and caused the path to slope down into the earth.

Then I drew the water from the humid air. I soaked the ground, and drew up all the heat, layering the path in frictionless ice.

I split the heat into an illusion. Anyone approaching would see a plain path seemed like the best option to travel down. I used those last few thaumic dregs to power a bit of geomancy. I sunk the ground at the deep end of my paths, and caused jagged spears of earth to grow from the bedrock. Good luck to whoever fell in that pit.

Finally, on each edge of the pit, I anchored two tripwire grenades.

The first was a standard bit of shrapnel. The second was a magical variant that exploded in a spray of acid. Bethany would have murdered me if she knew the extent of everything Emily and I had pilfered.

I floated to the far side of the path I'd just created and laid the rune stones that would activate the necessary protections. It wasn't as strong as casting the spells myself, but it would hold until we escaped.

Soon, the runes took on a yellow-green glow, and I knew that Reg had laid his set. I forced the earth to swallow mine a foot deep and whispered Activus. I saw a deep emerald glow. Then I murmured a few spells. These wouldn't affect the strength of the wards but would highlight alleged weaknesses. When they broke the portal, they would run headlong into my trap. What I knew about wards was that it was easier taking a small section down instead of the full gamut. Unless the wards were refactored while you're inside them, then you'd have to reforge a path. I floated back to the other side. I ran back to the house.

Then I looked up and felt the wards ripple. That would be a portal being negated. In the distance, towards the town. I could see the orange-red glow of fire, and I frowned. That wasn't good. I walked into a furious storm of packing. I was already packed, and my trunk was shrunk and placed on my pentacle.

"Frieda, how long would it take for her forces to get to us?"

"She'd be sending a wolf pack, and her sorcerers. We'd have a few minutes yet." I nodded.

I grabbed a leather knapsack that was sitting on the corner. A few incantations, and it was turned into a traveler's purse. Another woven enchantment defended it the best I could.

"Get the kids in this. That will make carrying them easier." I said, tossing the pack to Freida. She nodded, and yelled for her kids to get into the bag. There was a sudden howl and then a yelp.

"That was one of my traps! They're here!" I said. There was a boom. My grenade.

"How long will the wards hold?" Emily asked. Another bag hovered in front of her, she was making a concentrated effort to pack the entire home into the traveler's purse she'd enchanted.

"They might already be breaking." I replied,

"It depends on how powerful the mage she's sending is. Where's this tunnel?"

"Behind the curio cabinet." Fiona said.

"Clear the path." I said, and everyone stepped out of the way. With a twisting gesture of my hand, the curio cabinet sprang open, and the plates began spinning through the air and into Emily's bag. The curio cabinet slammed against the door. William raised his hand, his aura flashed, and the earth twisted, and engulfed the cabinet and the door. He escorted the rest of his siblings and Reg inside. By now the room was empty, and the kids were on Frieda's back.

By now the room was empty, and the kids were on Frieda's back.

"In you get." She told her, motioning to the tunnel. Fiona had grabbed what appeared to be a blocky shotgun in her arms. She had never taken the armor off from practice earlier in the day.

"Oh no you don't, Frieda. I'm not one to run while you're in danger," she said.

"Fi-"

"Don't you "Fi" me, we know who the better fighter is, now get in that tunnel!" She said and racked the shotgun.

There was a dull whine of energy. I realized that the gun didn't throw slugs. She backed into the tunnel. Emily tossed her the bag with the contents of their house, and she caught it.

"I'm laying enchantments before we leave," she said. Emily drew her wand. Her aura flared, and her eyes glowed. She jabbed her wand, and a wave of purple-sapphire light flared and coated the walls of the house in magic. Formula and runes flashed in the air, and it all settled on the walls. I gave her an appraising look. I recognized some of them. It would take a gifted mage to pick those wards. She nodded.

Then we ran. We made good time through the tunnel, until we came to the exit. The door was blackened, and I could see smoke curling away from it. With a gesture I surrounded us in a bubble of clean air held in by telekinesis. We emerged into a massacre. A half a dozen small wooden homes were ablaze. Beings were nailed to stakes in front of them. Some of them dripped metal to the ground. I heard a muffled gasp from Fiona, and a sobbed ripped its way out of Frieda's mouth. Fiona sunk to her knees.

"What happened here?" William asked.

"This is what happens to the enemies of the Crown." A low voice said from the shadows, and strange cat appeared. He flickered between visibility and transparency. His amethyst eyes were the only thing that always stayed fully visible at all times, and his mouth was formed in a perpetual grin.

"These, these were homes. The rest of the village has been given a similar treatment. I received word moments ago. The beings you see impaled on the outside are the husbands and wives. The children were inside." He said, his voice was almost mournful. He sat, and licked his paw. He stood up, and then he walked over and curled around Evie's legs. She was softly crying. He butted her head, and she absent mindedly began petting him. It seemed to have a calming effect on her.

"I'd made all haste, but her forces are out tonight. I'm not the only Cheshire in this land, and she certainly has my kin among her own numbers," he said.

"This, this is because of us, isn't it?" Cassandra said.

"Oh child, you are the cure to madness, not its cause," he said. There was a spark in the air then. A twinge of magic.

"Portal." Reginald breathed. I cast out my magic,and wrapped us in a blanket of fractured light and silence. This was augmented by a quick and dirty bit of psionics from Emily, as we combined our magics together to hide us all. Before, that sort of magic would leave me useless. With the extra ambient magic, it came to me easily, like water flowing through a faucet. The Cheshire stayed visible.

A dozen metal wolves the size of small ponies trotted into the clearing, flanked by a pointy eared mage dressed in cloth armor. The wolves' eyes all glowed an eerie bright blue. I cast out my senses. I could see the elf, through my magic. The wolves felt like the device that was in my pocket. A small alert popped up in my vision and I dismissed it with a mental gesture.

Emily was on the other side of the village, and I saw her dip her hand into her coat.

"Don't." I sent. Fiona had her gun raised, and I held her back. We were slightly outnumbered even with our imps and the cat.

"Where are they, Cheshire?" The mage asked. He held a wand in his hand. His voice was almost melodious.

"I'm not quite sure who you're speaking of Elfkine. As you can see, there's no one here but us."

The wolves began circling the Cheshire, one of them spoke, and it was harsh, almost guttural, with an edge of static hiss. The Cheshire let out a hiss. He could vanish, why wouldn't he. I realized absently he was buying time for us.

"We're not here to play games, Cheshire. I've already lost five tonight. The human brats. Where are they?" The wolf growled, one of his number darted forward. Reality twisted around the Cheshire, and he vanished away from one of the wolves, only to be caught in a silver-blue spectral cage. He tried vanishing half a dozen times, to no avail.

The mage brought the orb up, his wand aglow, and brought it closer.

"You don't think that my mistress knows your true allegiance?" The mage said.

"I'm sure she'd let me dissect you. Her army is strong enough." The Cheshire hissed, and the orb of light began closing around him. Emily had the pistol raised, and had a bead on the mage. I noticed that Reg had his own wand out. I hated bullies. Hated them with a passion, this. This wouldn't stand.

"Imps first." I told Emily, and she nodded. We ordered them to strike simultaneously, and two wolves vanished into the shadows.

I raised my hand, and hell was unleashed upon the clearing. Emily's pistol whined, a beam of red light shot from her gun and the mage's shoulder exploded in a shower of gore and bone. The spell holding the Cheshire burst, and he vanished. He appeared on top of one of the wolves a moment later, a flurry of purple black hair and claws dashing against metal. The two vanished. I threw out a lance of flame followed by a wave of force toward one of the wolves. Io appeared and dragged one wolf into the shadows, and Ganymede jumped on another and begin ripping metal pieces off the canine's hide.

My fire spell washed off an enchantment. The force spell broke whatever ward was protecting the wolf and I heard the satisfying screech of metal. The wolf went limp, and I aimed a blasting spell at the mage. He must have sensed the magic rushing forward and raised a silver blue shield. Emily fired her gun twice more and caught one of the wolves in the side. It fell and didn't rise again.

William had unleashed a lance of flame at one of the wolves and followed it up with a cutting spell. That cut its head clean off, coating the soot-stained grass bright blue. Fiona had blown one's head off with a wide bloom of liquid light from her shotgun. They snarled and howled in confusion at their unseen foes.

Reg bound one in vines, and William encased another's feet and legs in stone. Evie surprised us all by conjuring a spear of ice and impaling the last. The mage swiftly fell to a vine from Reg. I dropped my glamours and strode forward. He was hogtied on the ground and gagged with the vine. I flipped him up with a bit of telekinesis, and motioned for Reg to unbind him. He also unbound the wolf's muzzle. The last was letting out a steady stream of growls.

"You dare attack me!" The mage howled in fury. I noticed his shoulder was already beginning to heal. I saw bone growing, and muscle binding the half -ruined limb back together.

"Let me go, human spawn, and I'll kill you quickly." The wolf said, the other just snarled wordlessly.

"Dare and done, Elfkine," Emily said, and kicked him onto his back.

"Emily, we don't play with our food, be nice," I chided playfully. She glared at me.

"Ever hear the term good cop, bad cop?" I sent. She nodded minutely.

"So, mage, you have three choices. You swear a binding oath to me, of allegiance, and I'll have my friend unbind you. You can flee, and I'll give you a head start, but I will find you, and kill you. Or we can leave you here until your master decides to bring her dogs back home."

He spat in my face. I caught the spit mid-air, turned into a sharp dagger of ice, and threw it back into his bad shoulder. He screamed in pain. Fuck being the good cop.

"Reg, unbind him," I said.

"Stephen, are you sure?" Reg asked.

"Oh, I'm positive."

The second the mage was unbound. I picked him up telekinetically. I summoned his wand to my hand.

"Tell me nether spawn, has your mistress ever taught you wandless casting?"

"Of course she has. I know true wandless." He sneered.

"Good." I said, and broke his wand in two. He screeched in fury.

"How much wandless casting do you know?" I asked.

"Enough to burn you and the rest of these vermin to cinders," he said.

"What about healing. I'm sure you know some wandless magic to aid your recovery," I said.

"Of course I do." The mage said.

"Good," I said. With another gesture I broke the metacarpals in both his hands. He let out a broken sob.

"Oh, dear. I'm sure the magic she taught you deals with how wand motions translate into gestures. I guess those would be hard to do without working hands. I'm sorry." I said with a grin. True Wandless was something few mages learned.

"I'm sure you'll heal in time. But for now, run along back to that bitch you call a queen. Tell her that Child of Space and Time have no patience for those who harm the innocent. For those who bully the small. Tell her from this night forward, unless the white flag of treatise is raised, and surrender is offered, no quarter will be given to those who owe their allegiance to her. Do you understand?" I asked. He nodded limply.

Then I leaned down, and whispered softly into his ear.

"Tell her that the children of space and time, and all that entails have arrived to claim what is theirs." I said, my voice a low hiss. I saw fear in his eyes. Good.

"What about my wolves?"

"Pick one." He pointed to the one who was still encased in stone.

"Fiona, he burned your friends alive. I'd say that in this case, an eye for an eye is appropriate, wouldn't you?" I asked, turning my head. There was a dangerous gleam in the cat-woman's eye.

"I'd say that's fair." She," she said.

I snapped my fingers, and the wolf burst into flame. The stench of burning wire and melting plastic met the smell of cooked meat, and I fought an urge not to purge my dinner.

"Reg, release the other one," I said.

"Steph-"

"Now, Reg!" I barked. He looked cowed and released the other wolf.

I threw the elf hard into the forest.

"Fetch doggy," I said. The wolf glared at me and ran off toward the elf.

We traveled for another hour or so and made a camp. We layered the defensive enchantments around it thickly. Four casters, each with their own set of tricks and approaches to magical defenses, along with a cloak of silence and light, made for a well defended camp. We were practically removed from reality. Nonetheless, William and I chose the first watch. Emily and Fiona would take second. Reg and Cassandra would take the third. Things had been subdued after the fight, and we traveled in relative silence. We sat back-to-back next to the fire. I'd tried checking the time using a spell, but I had received the magical equivalent of static.

"Stephen, why did you take charge earlier?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Emily was going to shoot that mage. Fiona was going to kill the other. You held them back. Then when you decided to interrogate that mage, and you burned that wolf thing alive."

I turned around to face him.

"I don't know. I just did. I didn't plan it like that."

"I know, but I'm supposed to be the one in charge. My siblings and I are the ones destined to rule." I stiffened.I stiffened.

"Destined to rule?" I breathed, the anger in my voice clear.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Well, it stands to reason that you Reginald and Emily have the job to protect us. Whatever this golden kingdom is, we will be the ones ruling it."

"William, need I remind you that this is in fact my trial, not yours or your siblings. The prophecy only states the Golden Kingdom will bind them. It doesn't say who the fuck will rule them. If you're the one that's destined to rule. Then what about Reg, Emily and I? What, we're supposed to fade into the background?" I asked and stood.

"I'm not saying that at all, mate. I'm just saying that maybe, you should let one of us take the lead," he said. I felt a flash of frustration and irritation, tinged with just a hint of betrayal. I wasn't sure if betrayal was from the fact that William did not want me as his king, or the implication that I wasn't good enough to rule.

"Then next time, your highness, you can use your magic to cloak us from being slaughtered by a lot of wolves. You can use your guns and imps for the element of surprise, and you can stick your crown up your bloody arse!" I said and stood. I cloaked myself with silence and invisibility and walked away.

"Mate!" He called. I ignored the hurt in his voice.

I ignored him, and walked to the edge of the camp. I hadn't wanted to go to this miserable hellhole. I certainly didn't want to be stuck Gods knew where, far from home, and with no idea whether my family lived or died. His mother and father were safe. His siblings, save for Edward, were safe in a tent. Bethany and Amy could be dead for all I knew.

I stood for a long time, alone with the night and my thoughts and a mid-summer chill. Suddenly, the Cheshire appeared in the woods in front of me in a flurry of shadows and purple smoke.

He strode forward and I raised my wand, ready to strike unseen. The Cheshire jumped up unto my shoulder and butted against my head. I was glad Io was in her bell.

"Honestly, child, a little bit of shadow magic would do well in turning your enemy's eyes away from your camp and yourself." The cat said with a playful purr.

"What did you do with the wolf?" I asked.

"Dropped him off on the castle of course." He said,and leapt from my shoulder. His ear twitched once.

"Dropped him off at the castle?" I replied.

"I meant what I said." The Cheshire said, giving me a too-wide grin that was all ivory white pointed teeth. I lapsed back into silence.

"Tell me child, what is your problem?"

"What do you mean."

"Your downcast expression, and stiff demeanor usually mean annoyance for humans. What annoys you?"

I told him of the brief argument I had with William.

"So, you are fighting over who's in charge?" The cat said, twining its way around my legs. It spotted a particularly interesting leaf that it teleported away to inspect, and then came back.

"Essentially."

"Why? Are you wolves?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you wild dogs squabbling over the carcass of some animal found in the woods?"

"No." He gave a weird sneezing hack that I realized was the cat equivalent of a laugh.

"Go back to your mate, earth-son, and make amends," he said.

"What do you mean mate?" I asked, but Cheshire was gone.

I sighed and turned away.

"Oh, and earth-son?"

I turned back around.

"Your adopted aunts are fine, and you will see them again." He said, and then he vanished, leaving nothing but a too-wide grin and a shiver down my spine. My aunts? Bethany could be considered my aunt. Her brother was my father, and her mentor was my mother. Who was the other one?

I dropped my cloak of magic and walked back into the camp. William turned around as I entered the camp.

"Have a good sulk, did we?" He asked.

"I'm sorry I was an arse. I shouldn't have exploded like that."

"No, you shouldn't have," he replied coolly.

"William, I'm sorry. Forgive me. I overreacted. We're alone out here. I think Bethany is fine, if that cat is telling the truth."

"I heard that." The Cheshire said, suddenly appearing between the two of us, only to vanish again.

"He helped me realize that the last thing we need is conflict between us. It's the seven of us against the world. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Stephen, I'm your friend. I was a jerk. I think I let the stress of this whole thing get the best of me. You, Reg and Emily have more training than I do, and I think I'll need that training before it's over. I don't want to lead you. I want you to be by my side. Are you with me?"

"Until the very end." I replied. We were silent for a moment and stood together for a time.

"I think it's time we woke Emily and Fiona," he said. We woke them and William went to sleep.

I recorded my day with the scanner and fell into my bed. Sleep was slow to come again.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

December 23rd, 1930

Koralis.

I woke to William shaking me awake. My senses were instantly cast out. My wand was in my hand before my eyes were open. I pointed it in the general direction of the entrance of the tent.

"We're fine, it's dawn. We need you to help break the enchantments. Emily and I can't break your phosphomancy. Plus, there's breakfast," he whispered. Well, I was hungry.

"Tell me there's coffee," I muttered.

"Emily does in fact have coffee," he replied. I groaned in relief. It was an American habit, but one I'd taken to.

I rolled out of bed and stretched. The bed was horrible.

I walked out. Emily had grabbed fresh eggs from her supplies, along with some bacon and bread. The smell of the bacon sizzling in the pan she'd taken from Fiona's bag made my stomach grumble. There was a small mountain of food.

Cassandra and Frieda were cooking breakfast. Reg was busy walking the perimeter of the camp. From the occasional yellow flashes that looked like panes of glass shattering and then vanishing, I knew he was taking down the wards he'd placed the night before.

"Is that wise to do before we're ready to leave?" Emily asked.

"We'll be leaving shortly after breakfast." Freida said.

She nodded.

Evie wandered out of one of the tents. Followed by Fiona and the trio of children. Now that everyone was up, I broke my wards before settling down for breakfast. I did pour myself coffee. As I walked along the ward line broke the spell placed before, I slowly sipped the black brew. I understood the need for cream and sugar, but I just wanted coffee. I returned to camp.

Emily fixed me a plate, and was keeping it warm under spells. I broke the spell and started eating breakfast. The four of us who had used magic last night all had second helpings. After we had finished eating and broke the campsite down using magic, we packed all the tents away and got ready to leave the temporary site.

"Now that everyone is awake, I've got gifts," Emily said.

"Gifts?" I asked blearily.

"Stephen, it is Christmas," she said. It was on earth. Or would be in two days.

"I don't have wrapping paper, so I apologize for that. I do, however, have enough gifts for everyone," Emily said.

First, she began taking suits of armor out of the bag. The leather armor from the armory.

"Each of you get a suit of armor," she said.

"Emily, I can't take this," Reg said.

"Reginald Coldwood, you will too. We are going to be at war shortly. If you die because you refused to wear perfectly good armor, I will be very annoyed." She said, and that was the end of that.

"Fiona, Frieda. There are sets for each of you as well."

"Oh, this would put anything my Pa made to shame." Fiona gushed; she began putting the armor on. As she did, it began conforming to her body. We all quickly put on the armor over our clothes.

The armor protected everything except our heads. Emily pulled more out of the pouch.

First, came a duo of swords, the gladius the magical world preferred, and two bracers.

"Stephen, William. These are for you. The swords will always return to you and have been keyed to your aura. Don't lose them, that spell was a right bitch to work. They're also enchanted to be self -cleaning, and permanently sharpened. Pull them from the scabbard," she said. We did, they gleamed a rippling silver blue. The crossguard was simple, but the pommel had an emerald in mine, and a sapphire in his.

"Ooo, shiny." Voice said.

"Merlin said they're made of Mythril. Now, when you're fighting with them, I know it's bad form to use the edge of your blade to parry, but these swords are more likely to cut through an opponent's blade than anything."

"The bracers?"

"Flick your arm." We strapped them to our forearm and did. A shield spun out of the bracer. These were forged from mythril as well.

"The shields have a small shield enchantment. It will cover your body. I tried modifying the diameter of the spell, but I wasn't successful." She pulled a crystal bow out of her bag and handed it to Cassandra.

"Cassandra, this bow is powerful. You can use normal arrows with it, but it's not needed. Simply draw the bow back, aim, and fire. The enchantments will take care of the rest." She also gave her a pair of daggers on a belt.

"These daggers are spelled with a disintegration curse. One nick of the blade, and your enemies will fall eventually. I can key them to your aura if you'd like. I know you each have a gun, but, you can never be too prepared," she said.

"What am I supposed to do with these?" Cassandra asked.

"I expect you to fight of course," Emily said.

"What do you mean fight, I can't. I'm a girl!" Cassandra yelled.

"As am I, but I will be by my brother's side in this coming conflict. Morgan was a woman, as was Vivienne and Leanna, and Tituba and thousands of other powerful mages. With your gift, you will need to learn the art of the wand or the blade at some point. You may as well start now," Emily said. Cassandra nodded hesitantly.

"Shouldn't the bow be unstrung?" Reginald asked.

"I tried; it's all woven from one piece of crystal."," Emily said.

"How does it pull back?" He replied.

"If I'd designed the bow and enchanted it, you would be the first to know." She said with a small smile that promised violence. She pulled out two more weapons from the bag, twin axes. These were closer to hatchets than anything. She tossed them to Reg.

"I know you've trained with these." He nodded.

"The first has a desiccation curse on the blade. The second, well the second is interesting. Apparently, it's some sort of vine spell."

"Vine spells?"

"According to Merlin, it's called the Woodman's Bane. Strike it in the earth, and a tree will sprout."

"Wicked," Reg said. He replaced the axes he had been carrying with these.

Finally she pulled another dagger out of her pouch along with a silver rod engraved with a snake along its length.

"Evie, I'm certain your brother will object to this, but the dagger is a versatile tool. Not only is it a weapon for offense, but it is also one that is easily hidden. This rod is for times of peace and recovery. It's called a Rod of Asclepius, it's a rod of healing and it's extremely rare. Use it with a care, simply wave the wand over the wound, and it should heal the wound." Evie nodded solemnly.

Reginald looked at the rod and then one of his axes. He held out the axe that had a desiccation curse on it and offered it to Evie.

"I'll trade you." He offered, and looked at Emily.

"If that's okay?"

"I just want the poppet to be safe." Emily muttered, looking away suddenly. Were those tears in her eyes?

"Why would you one trade an axe for a first aid kit?" Evie asked in disbelief.

"Because I'm trained in healing magic and that Rod is a focus for that magic. You don't have the talents necessary to wield it. I do and I can train you with that axe."

Evie paused for a moment to contemplate the trade and then she accepted. She took the axe and gave him the rod. He gave her one of the holsters and showed her the best place to snap it to her gun belt.

"How long have you been planning these gifts?" I sent.

"Since we found the room. I'll let you decide which one." Emily sent, and flashed me a knowing grin.

I shook my head. Emily, despite the bonds and oaths we swore to each other to keep each other's secrets, and the trust we had, was still a mystery wrapped in questions.

"I left all the presents I had for you lot back home," I said.

"Same here, mate," Reginald said.

"Our parents gave us gifts before we went, but I left yours in London as well," William said.

"How close are we to Aisley's End?" I asked Fiona.

"A few miles. The portal brought us close. We should be there by sundown if we hurry."

"You'll never make it." A voice said from the wood. The mage from last night appeared, he was flanked by the same wolf from the night before. This time a trio of elven archers were with him, each of them had an arrow notched in their bows, and the arrows glowed with a shimmer of magic.

"Her majesty has lost her patience.with these children. Kill them." He said, and the archers fired.

A few things happened in quick succession. A trio of arrows flew toward us, along with a bolt of purple-red flame from the mage.

The wolf barreled toward us. From the trees, three gnolls also rushed toward us. Followed by four wolves, and a massive lumbering humanoid bull that had to be a minotaur. Sapphire-purple light grabbed the arrows and threw them back at their targets. They dodged the arrows easily and fired again. I looked, Emily had one hand raised, it was glowing with her aura. The elf drew two daggers and ran forward, straight toward Evie.

Then, there was a high clear sound, and an arrow of light caught the elven mage in the chest. He stumbled. Cassandra Lowe stood, bow raised, another spectral arrow on the string, and let fly. It caught one of the wolves in the head. I made a quick yank of my wrist, a silver bell appeared in my hand, and I rang it loudly.

"Stay the fuck away from my sister." She said. She looked every inch a warrior queen. She was already drawing another arrow.

"Io, attack!" I screamed out. Io eflew from her bell, and the battle was joined. I threw out my daggers with a mental command toward one of the wolves, summoned a gout of emerald flame, and unleashed hell on the closest wolf. It caught aflame and stumbled. I heard a sudden yelp and watched as Io literally tore a horse size wolf in half down the middle.

The bellow of the Minotaur brought me back to my sense. For something so large, it could move quickly. I rolled out of the way, and nearly into the jaws of a wolf. My newfound armor was the only thing that stopped it from ripping my throat out. I splayed my hand, called up magic and telekinesis, and yelled.

"Iactus!" The wolf's head exploded in a shower of metal shards and blue fluid. I was already on the move. The mage was being dragged away by the one remaining archer. Apparently, Cassandra's shot hadn't killed him, but I noticed a trail of blood. He maintained a steady barrage of spell fire that Reg had been trapped into blocking.

Just before the archer threw down a crystal bead, my dagger struck the fallen mage.

The archer and the dead mage vanished in a flash of light.

Fiona Badgerton stood in front of her children, facing down a metal wolf four times her size. A mace dripping blue in one hand. A snarl on her face. She sprang forward in arc, and was on top of the wolf, and began bashing its skull in.

William had engaged the Minotaur and was holding his own. The gnolls were closing in on him. Emily had engaged one of them in combat. A slender rapier in her hand. Conjured from who knows where. She was almost dancing around the gnolls, slowly wearing them down with a series of quick jabs and slices.

"Sagitta Veroxous!" Reg yelled. He unleashed an arrow of yellow light. One of the gnolls died screaming, and another died to an arrow from Cassandra's bow. Then the Minotaur picked William up and threw him into a tree. Will slid to the ground and rolled away from the heavy blow of the Minotaur's war axe. The axe lodged in a tree with a solid thunk. The minotaur yanked the axe out of the tree. He swung at William twice more. One blow was blocked by his new shield, and he narrowly dodged the second. Debris rained down on him. Cassandra aimed again, and shot the minotaur in the eye, then the other one, and a third time in the skull. It let out one last bellow and died.

"I had it in hand," William said. He got up from the ground and cleaned himself with a spell.

"I'm sure you did," Cassandra said.

"So, why did you kill it?"

"Because I fancied a bit of target practice," she said. He glared at her.

"Because my brother was about to be chopped to bits by a cow-man thing!" She shrieked.

"I was fine," William said,

"You were one misstep away from being impaled. You were not fine, William Lowe," she said.

"I'm a future king. I don't need your help," He sneered. This was a side of William I'd never seen before. He just gotten pummeled by that Minotaur and was acting like he had it on the ropes.

"Why do you keep saying that?" I asked. Even as Cassandra lit into him.

"Right now, you're just a stupid boy with dirt on your nose. I don't care if they crown you emperor of the entire bloody world, you are my brother, and you are acting like an ass!" Cassandra said, and turned away from him, she began down the trail.

"Cassandra, get back here!" He said.

She made a rude gesture with her hand and continued walking.

"I won't tell you again." He said, and she turned to look at him. There was murder in her eyes.

"Understand this, William Lowe. I am your sister. I am not your subject. I am not some lowborn crawler for you to boss around because you've got Power. Now, if you excuse me, your grace, we need to start walking," she said.

"Don't speak to me like that!" Will screamed back, crossing his arms.

She walked up to him and smacked him upside the head. I frowned and cringed backward.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" He asked.

"I'm hoping to smack some common sense into you. Let me know if it worked." She said, and walked away.

<BR>

As always, thank you for reading. Upvotes, likes, and comments make my day

If you like what you've read, and want to read ahead, Patreons get new chapters two weeks in advance, or you can purchase in the Shadows of Silverspire on Amazon and read it all at once. If you'd like to contact me, you can follow my Linktree or contact me via DM on Reddit.

Shadows updates every Tuesday on all platforms. Please boost Shadows on Top Web Fiction.

 

[jldew93]

Later that day

We walked down the forest trail for three or four hours based on how the sun passed across the trees. The forest was familiar to the ones at home. On the surface. It was filled with the same leafy green trees I loved in England, the same flowers bloomed, the same scents filled the air, but there was stillness that was almost creepy. It seemed like the section of the forest had been completely stripped of any animals whatsoever. The only sounds in the air were our footsteps on the trail. We traveled through this lifeless expanse for another hour or so until we came to a clearing that held a settlement that looked like it'd been abandoned long, long ago. The stone buildings were crumbling around us. It felt like walking through a crypt.

"What happened here?" Evie asked.

Fiona paused, but continued walking.

"Long ago, when my Pa was a kit, this was a thriving trading village. It was filled with men and women, human men and women. When she heard of the prophecy and determined that it involved humans; she went out of her way to kill every human settlement she came across. This village defied the kill orders and defied the squads she sent to burn it to the ground. They help fund the initial Woodland Rebellion. When Brigid finally found out about this bit of treason, she stormed the village and put every man woman and child here to the sword. This was know as Aisley's Redoubt. "Now this region is known as Man's Folly. We'll only be traveling through the outskirts, but the forest has claimed a town that used to stretch as long as the eye could see." The kits were walking beside us. Each of them looked to be familiar with the area.

Fiona let them walk through the ruins. Io and Ganymede leapt from tree to tree, harassing the occasional small bird or rodent.

We walked through the ancient town for another twenty minutes before the woods cleared and we realize we were on a small mountain.

Judging from the sun, it was around noon. Below us, there was a lush green plain. In the distance a great stone tower rose from the ground in defiance of the flatness around it. The tower had to be at least hundred feet tall.

Around the tower there was a sea of canvas tents. I could hear the cling clang of blacksmiths at work. I saw people in the distance so flyers in the air. Griffin swooped by winged humanoid figures and small around objects. I assumedu those to be what the raccoon things that lived on this world. I refused to call them griffins.

The tower had certainly seen better days. At some point something had knocked the roof off and left the top open to the elements. I could see the roof in the distance in the spot it had fallen. I wondered if we could use geomancy to fix that.

"Welcome to Aisley's End." Fiona said, turning around and looking us.

"Is this a tent city?" Voice asked.

"Who are all those people?" Cassandra asked."All those people are. Every

"This is every single warrior, mage, smith, and soldier we could scrounge up. Their families are in those tents. They brought them here and they know that if we fail, their families will be the next to die. For most of these people, these beings, this is a last-ditch effort. AryaBrigid does not forgive or forget. Once you become her enemy you die. She does not believe in diplomacy, nor does she expect it of others. If the Rebellion fails here, it fails forever."

"No pressure?" Evie muttered.

"None at all." Cassandra drawled.

"Do you have cloaks? We are trying to keep the camp as quiet as possible. We do have children in school and babies." Fiona asked.

"No, but we have glamours. Those will allow us to blend in."," I said. Fiona nodded and I drew my wand.

"Well

"Will, do you know how to cast the spell?" I askedhim. He nodded his head. I applied a glamour to myself and grimaced at the waxy feeling suddenly on my skin. That was the worst part of glamours. I hated that feeling. Emily and Reg waved their wands and their features shifted and blurred. All trace of their auras vanished. I felt my gaze slide away from their faces. William placed his own glamour. We helped him up apply the spells to his siblings.

Then we walked down the hill, across the plain and through the camp. That was a bustling mess of beings. Frieda and the kits left us to find tent-space. There was absolutely no organization to the camp until we got to the inner ring. This was laid out in a sane and well-organized set of tents that were all dark blue in color. The soldiers we passed were dressed in armor that while it was scavenged; it was clear that it was well taken care of. This was painted to match the tents. The weapons all shone silver, and some of the soldiers saluted us as we passed by. Judging from their posture, I could tell they were well trained. The crisp movements of their salutes would not have been out of place in a Mage Corps parade. Someone had spent time training these troops. That was certainly clear.

Fiona led us to the tower that the camp was centered around. On the ground floor of the tower there was a large wooden circular table that surrounded by some of the same beings from yesterday. There was a map on the table. On the map, there were blue and red figurines. I knew this was a war map of some kind. There were targets marked with red pins, and in some marked by blue. These were probably what Bethany referred to as 'hard'hard-targets'. These were fortifications that would require heavy firepower to overcome. A placed marked Aisley's End had a blue figurine of a tower.

In the woods to the east, there were several dozen red figurines. One of the centaurs greeted us first. I recognized him as Kaliedas. Kalidas. We dropped our glamours. I could hear the whispers start already. Aside from the table, there were maps penned to the canvas walls on every side of us. There were two guards posted on the inside and the outside of the tent two Minotaur's and two cat-people.

"Fiona, I heard about BadgertownBadgerton. I'm sorry." He said with a soft whinny.

"That isn't the only settlement she struck last night. I received reports all along the east and along the southern mountains theirabout troops were out in force."

"She's trying to draw us out. Isn't she?" Fiona asked flatly. The centaur nodded, and he gave us a look.

"Shouldn't there be seven humans, not six?" He asked.

"He was suborned." Fiona growled.

"Then there's no hope for him. He's lost to us." KaliedasKalidas said softly.

"Like hell!" That was William. The centaur gave William a long searching look.

"Son, your brother is gone." He," he said.

"We have a ritual that should be able to save him." Cassandra stated.

"Oh?" The centaur asked.

"We'll need several precious gemstones. But we would be able to reverse whatever compulsion she placed on him."

"Can you perform this ritual as needed, or will the gemstones be consumed by it?" He asked. I pulled the ritual back up. That was as easy as thinking about it and popping into my field of view.

"The gemstones can be reused." I spoke.

"We have quite a few victims of Arya'sBrigid's mental manipulations locked away in the Cold Hell. If you can free them, you would be doing a grand service to Koralis and the Woodland Rebellion. Our contacts among the dwarves would be likely willing to front the cost of such gemstones could bring their loved ones back to them."

"For now, Sir Knight, we would like to focus on the matters at hand." I said smoothly. Voice whispered that thought through my head.

"Define matters at hand, young mage." He whinnied.

"I believe what my fellow mage is trying to say, as we are not asking what Koralis can do for us what we can do for Koralis." Cassandra said with a wide smile. I didn't notice the wideness of the smile, but I did notice the razor-sharp edge. The centaur smiled and I frowned.

"Fiona, you didn't tell me one of the human children was a politician. Don't play that game with me, little girl. I was a foal when my father was killed in one of the games AryaBrigid plays at court., and I won't be victim to such manipulations. The Timetime for diplomacy has passed. As it is, AryaBrigid has assembled foureight legions of elves, chimaera and any conscripted forces that she can get her hands on. They are currently inhabiting the forest to the east. That is an area known as the Twilit Woods. Our spies have determined the general location of her camp. Tonight we plan on striking under the cover of darkness. With any luck we may end this battle before we have to fight it."

"I know a fair few stealth spells that I could use to hide your party." Once again, that was Voice telling me what to say. I wasn't sure why telling meI was being told to offer my services and possibly get myself killed. But voiceVoice was usually right on the money when came to these decisions. Not listening to him is what got me in trouble. The centaur gave me a look, and he nodded.

"One of them is also a rogue. Fiona, you're good at picking up strays."

"It's a gift." She muttered.

"I assume I'll be joining you in this little raid. If the humans are coming along."

""Well, someone needs to babysit the fresh meat." A voice from the back called. The elf we had met in the stone room, Rhince, said, stepping forward.

"I'm coming as well."," Emily said.

"Well, I'm not staying here." William said. Oh sure Will, let's bring your sisters too.

"Absolutely not." The Centaur said, "the little rogue can come, but the rest of you are liabilities. I won't have a bunch of kids with far to few years behind them ruin my plan or get us all killed."

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"We leave after nightfall, where as dark as clothes as you can. I'm assuming you have weapons squirreled away on your person?" He asked. I nodded.

"That'll give you time to find a place to pitch a tent. Meet me back here at sundown." The centaur told us. We nodded, and we left the tower to find a place to set-up our camp.

We settled on a spot on the outskirts. Emily had given the CatsBadgertons a spare tent. That left us with two. Fortunately, these were mage tents. Each of our tents contained three bedrooms and a bathroom along with a kitchen. They each had a small parlor off the kitchen. Since they conjured water and vanished sewage on demand we could live in these tents. If we needed to do so. By mutual agreement, the girls would stay in one tent and the guys would stay in another. Edward and William would share a room.

After we rescued him. I took the opportunity to grab a shower. We made a quick lunch.

Then we spent the rest of the time preparing for that night. I closed the door to my bedroom. I'd grabbed a second pistol from my armory, and a Gladius. I layered my various holsters over my armor so that they were well distributed across my body. It didn't really matter where they were. I could call them into my hand at any time. I checked each of the weapons in turn, and I made sure the gun was clean and well oiled. Magic took care of this for the most part, but Bethany had taught me to do it manually. I strapped the daggers to the small of my back, each of my ankles, and strapped my push daggers to the insides of my wrist. I strapped my bracer to my off-hand's forearm. Then I called out Io.

"Io, could you translocate me away if I'm in trouble?"

"I could." She," she said.

"I need you to remain invisible unless I tell you to make yourself known. If at any time, I am captured I want to return to Emily. If you can prevent me from being captured, then translocate me to Emily's location."

"Master, I have a suggestion. If I may be so bold." Io purred.

"Oh?"

"Give me the permission to kill and I will be able to dispatch any obstacles in your way."

"Remain unseen while you do this. Do not kill anyone unless you are certain they mean to harm me. Do not harm anyone who I consider a family member or friend or ally. You must seek final permission from me before you kill anyone." I ordered.

"As you wish."

"What other spells can you use?"

"My talents are varied, Master, but I tend towards the subtle and the elemental. If you release me from the silver bell, I promise you spells beyond your wildest imagination." She purred seductively.

"Io, if you tempt me again, I will order you to remain silent unless spoken to. If you continue stupid, I will order you to rip out your tongue. Am I clear?" I said coldly.

"Yes, Master."

"Good, now, you have my permission to use any novitiate battle magic you may know while defending me. You may translocate as you wish. But you may not cause me trouble. I am further enforcing that you may not act against me through word, act, or omission of either."

"Very Well, Master." Then Emily strode into my room and closed the door behind her. This room was smaller than the one in the trunk and the one in the townhouse, but it was still large enough to fit three or four people at once.

"Stephen, I'm going to loan you Ganymede for the night."," Emily said. Her tone was firm.

"Well hello Emily, it's so nice of you to knock." I replied, without turning around.

"Don't be an arse." She remarked. She'd changed into a pair of trousers and shirt. She flopped on my bed, and I gave her a look. She knew how much I hated people going into my things. Or laying on them without my permission. I think she did it just to piss me off.

"Did you steal that shirt from me?" I asked.

"Umm, No?" I shot her a dirty look.

"You absolutely stole my shirt."," I said.

"Anyhow, I'm loaning you Ganymede." She shook her wrist. The black ribbon tattooed on her wrist, along with the silver bell appeared. A second bell had been attached to the first.

"Who's the new demon?" I asked.

"It's not necessarily a demon. It's an aspect of a phoenix named Suzaku. We needed firepower. I read the lore wrong lore, and he's only really good for flight. Like a big, dumb, flying pony, except he's a giant bird." That sentence made my head hurt.

"Emily, one day I shall have a big dumb flying pony that's actually a pony." I muttered, double checking my gear. There was a sudden knock at my door.

"Stephen, it's Will, can I come in?"

"Speaking of something you want to ride." Emily purred.

"Emily, get the fuck out. Please." I told her.

"Come in, Will." Will walked into the room. Emily summoned Ganymede.

"Gany, watch Stephen tonight. Protect him as you would me."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Have fun!" She called as she left. With that, she left.

William made a rude gesture with his hand as soon as the door closed.

"What do you need, mate?" I asked him.

William looked around the room for a moment. We shared a dormitory and a pair of bunkbeds in Coventry first long as we attended there. So this wasn't the first time he'd been in my bedroom. This was, however, the first time he'd been in a bedroom that was solely mine. I ignored the sudden heat in my cheeks.

"Can I sit?" He asked.

"O-Of course."," I said. He took a seat next to me on the bed. I was fully dressed in armor, but I said asked him. Armor was not made to be sat in.

"So, Stephen. I don't know where to begin." There was a long pause and it stretched into an uncomfortable silence.

"I like you." He said finally.

"I like you too." I replied.

"No you don't understand. Stephen-" There was a sudden tightness in my throat. Suddenly, I really wasn't sure if this was okay. I was broken, no one would like or love me. I understood that Bethany loved me. But the affection that I felt for William was raw and fragile. It was something that eclipsed all reason, but I wasn't sure if I could express that.

"You like me how you like someone you'd like to date. You like me so much it hurts. I meant it when I said I like you too, Will." He smiled and grabbed my hand and I immediately yanked it away. I saw the hurt look in his eyes, and I immediately felt horrible.

"Will, when I was at the orphanage, things happened to me. Bad things. Things that I don't want to talk about right now. I'm broken. I don't know if I could ever be even remotely physically close to someone."

"Stephen, we're all broken. Everyone has chips and cracks and breaks. None of it matters. I want you for you. If that means just sitting next to you. I'll be perfectly fine with that. I love you just the way you are." William said, and his eyes immediately widened, and he put his hand over his mouth. I was speechless. I did not know how to process that last sentence. It was like my mind suddenly went completely blank. I left the room. I left the tent. I ran.

In the distance I heard Emily's voice. I ignored it completely. I ran until the tents were small and all the background noise was just gone. Merciful silence filled my ears. Then I curled into a ball and hyperventilated for a few moments. When I came to, Emily was sitting about ten feet away. She was picking at the grass around her. She looked up at me.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what, exactly? My useless bitch of a birth mother and the hellhole she left me in? Or the fact that I'm fundamentally broken, and the first time that someone even looks at me with something resembling affection, I run away?" I knew my tone of voice was an octave shy of shrill, I knew my thudding heart and short breath meant I was seconds away from a second panic attack. I wasn't even thinking about the tears

I was sudden aware of Emily's arms around me.

"Breathe, luv, just breathe." She murmured. I sank to the ground, and she went with me. I rocked back and forth, and she held me. I wasn't sure we long we were like this.

"I don't know if I can do this." I said, my voice was muffled by her jacket.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Whatever it is I'm supposed to do, whatever trial-" I stopped again, and pushed away from her. Deliberating calming myself. I didn't have time for this.

"Oh, Stephen." Emily breathed.

"You aren't broken. You saved me."

"I've killed, Emily. I broke a boy's leg. I murdered almost a thousand vampires."

"Did you mean to do that?"

I thought back, were there other ways I could have dealt with Tommy?

Could I have found a way to escape from CortesCortés without killing him, and by extension, his entire line?

When I rescued Emily, was I trying to do good or was I just rushing into danger?

The question that haunted me and drove me crazy was the question of whether not this was just another disaster waiting to happen. Is that all good deeds were? Was this just another cobblestone on the path to hell?"?

Tommy, I wanted him to hurt. I owed him pain for the way he tormented me. CortesCortés had captured me. His henchwoman had tortured me. They locked me in a cage and were likely going to murder me. I had done nothing to deserve that. Had I meant to harm or kill Cortés? Absolutely. Did I know that I was going to kill almost a thousand vampires when his death spread throughout the familial link all vampires had between progeny and creator? Absolutely not.

"Stephen, I know exactly where you're coming from. All that anger you have inside you, at yourself, is pointed like an arrow at your soul. You need to let it go."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I was slowly rebuilding my mask. I did not have the time to deal with an emotional breakdown right now.

"I can hear it. Stephen, when you're in a war with yourself, you'll always lose. For your sake and his, lay your armor down. No one is perfect, and we've all been broken. Being broken doesn't matter, it's pulling yourself back together after is when we start to heal. Just give him a chance. Please." I had never heard that tone in her voice before. Emily was many things. A beggar was not one of them. I could hear the plea in her voice. I nodded slowly.

William was had found us. He was at the top of the hill. I could see the sun reflecting off the icy blue streaks in his hair. If you squinted, it was almost like a silver circlet on his head. In that moment, the boy I knew was gone, a prince of silver and ice blue was in his place, and I felt my breath catch in my chest. I felt a sudden elbow in my side. I let out the breath I forgot I was holding.

I felt a sudden elbow in my side. I let out the breath I forgot I was holding.

"Breathe, dummy." Emily hissed.

"You need me to referee or are you good?"

"I-I'm good." She looked at me, and looked at Will.

"Bloody morons. Gany, stay with Stephen." Her imp briefly materialized, nodded, and vanished.

"Oh Emily, since you gotten so good at relationships, why don't you have a chat with Reginald?"

"Prat!" She called without looking back.

"Bitch!" I yelled back. Will passed Emily, and she walked over to him. She whispered something in his ear. He paled, which I hadn't thought possible. Then he looked back at me and back at her. She flashed him a scary grin and he shook his head.

"She's a piece of work." He muttered.

"Yeah, I know." I said with a fond sigh.

"So, I realize that I may have been a bit forthcoming with you." He said matter-of-factly.

"Will, I care about you. I really do. I just need time to process it."

"How much time?" He asked softly.

"Let's survive this first. Then we can discuss our future."

We walked back to the camp. Emily had taken up my bed and she had produced her ribbon with her bells. She was sewing something into the hem.

"What are you are you doing?" I asked.

"I've got an idea. If we use a linking spell from the mirrors, we can link two bells together. This should allow you and me access to our mutalmutual imps on demand, and it will give you access to IxionSuzaku." She was silent for another moment."

"Tonight, after you leave, I'm Binding one more demon."

"Emily, you need to slow down."

"No. I need more firepower." She," she said.

"Wait until I come back. I'll help you with the ritual."," I said.

The apartment pretending to be a tent had a window to the west, and the sun was starting to sink low in the sky.

"I probably have to get to the briefing."

"I'm coming with you." That was William. I looked at him and nodded. We walked out of our tent. Io followed me from above.

We walked back through the camp, and I'm not sure if it was the fact that mages, aside from elves, seemed to be rare. Maybe our pale skin and lamplit eyes were oddities. Where we walked, the crowd parted before us, and whispers followed. We arrived at the tower. The centaur, elf, dwarf, and Fiona were all present. Another map domintateddominated the table. This was of the woods, and there was a small box with the label Man's Folly in black letters on the bottom corner. A sea of red filled the forest. Their focus was directed at a camp in the middle. Just east of the camp, a small X had been marked.

"Our plan is to approach her camp from behind via a portal. We'll breach the wall, and then free our compatriots. Afterwards, we'll fire-bomb the camp and flee." KaliedasKalidas said. William was looking oddly at the map, there was a knowing glint in his eyes, one swiftly followed by confusion.

"That's not a good idea." Will said firmly.

"Why not?" The Centaur said, there was a patronizing tone in his voice that I disliked.

"Because, if I was hereher, I'd make sure my flank was well protected, and I have a feeling that way would cause more death, and give her more prisoners for the Icy Deeps."

"How do you know about those?" The centaur asked.

"I'm not sure. It just sprang to mind." William said softly. I narrowed my eyes. That was a bald-faced lie.

"What are those?" I asked.

"A discussion for another time. So then, what approach do you propose?"

"We approach from the north. It's the least defended."

"How would you know that?"

"Because of the forest density. There's a clearing." William scribbled down coordinates. Portal Coordinates. Something William didn't know how to calculate. What was going on?

The centaur looked at the coordinates and passed them to Rhince.

"They'll do." Rhince said. I looked at the map and watched as they moved a blue- token to a spot north of her camp.

"I'm going with you." Will said, even as I reached for the token, some sudden drive pushing me to touch it.

A dozen bloody visions passed through my mind, a dozen different ways I died, or Will or Emily, endless possibilities ending in death. Visions, I never wish to recount. I strained to get control of the vision and end it.

I threw my Will and Power around the visions, wrangling them under my control. Something broke in my magic, like a wall of ice under a spring flood. I forced the visions out of my head and forced one into existence that would allow me to see what I needed to do, and how. I let out a sudden gasp. Reality returned. Up was up again, and down was under my feet, where it belonged.

"Are you okay?" William asked. I nodded and listened with half an ear as they discussed the plan. I wasn't quite sure what was happening. I needed to get through this night first, and then I would explore what exactly I'd just experienced.

<BR>

As always, thank you for reading. Upvotes, likes and comments make my day.

If you like what you've read, and want to read ahead, Patreons get new chapters two weeks in advance, or you can purchase in the Shadows of Silverspire on Amazon and read it all at once. If you'd like to contact me, you can follow my Linktree or contact me via DM on Reddit.

Shadows updates every Tuesday on all platforms. Please boost Shadows on Top Web Fiction.

 

[jldew93]

We arrived at the clearing via elf-portal and the squad of soldiers began checking their gear one last time. Rhince was staying on the other side to keep the portal open.

William was going to kill me. I knew what I had to do. That vision that flashed before my eyes would never come to pass. That grisly future would not stand.

"Sorry Will," I muttered.

"Stephen, what are you doing?"

"I have to do this," I said.

"Do what?"

I leaned close to him and embraced him. Then I whispered in his ear.

"Tell Emily that I'm giving Brigid the same gift Gertrude gave us, but I need her to deliver it," Then I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and stepped away.

"Stephen-" He began, but I was quicker.

"Io, take him back to camp, and keep him away from Emily as long as possible. Don't harm anyone. " I said. Then I did something stupid. I stepped forward, gave him a peck on the cheek, and stepped back. The imp grabbed him, translocated him away, and returned in less than a second.

I turned to the rest of the party.

"I'm going on alone." I spoke. I was taking a gamble here. I needed Will and Emily to be predictable. I only had ten or fifteen minutes before she'd come in, guns firing, and that's if Ganymede hadn't already vanished.

"Why?" An elf, his name escapes me, asked. I conjured a white handkerchief and added mass until it was the size of a flag. Then I ordered it to float above my head.

"I'm not ordering you to do anything, but I'm getting Edward and your men back with a minimum of bloodshed. On our side. I fully intend on trading my life for theirs. Stay here, and when my sister arrives, tell her that I'm doing the Stephen thing. After your prisoners get here, leave."

"I'm not going to listen to you."

"You've got less than ten minutes before this clearing hosts the arrival of a pissed off magician who has command of a Phoenix. Don't say I didn't warn you," I said. I wrapped a cloak of fractured light and silence to hide from sight and begin walking. This time, I did add a touch of shadow magic. I began walking deeper into the forest, and began a meditation. I had an inkling about what the next few days, and possibly the next few hours would entail. So I took the parts of me that sobbed when he killed a vampire, or showed reluctance at any magic I might need. All those pesky emotions and parts that asked questions about the magics I was going to wield got locked behind a door in my head that was blocked with psionic wood and mental nails. I'd worry about those parts of me surviving after the rest of me lived. I walked farther into the woods until I came to a large outpost deep in the gloom.

"Io." I whispered. The imp suddenly appeared on my shoulder.

"Cause mischief in her camps. Don't kill them, or permanently harm them, but I want to make sure they suffer." Io flashed me a quick grin and then she was gone.

I followed the path and strolled up to the northern gate of the outpost. It was being guarded by a pair of gnolls, and a metal wolf. The gnolls each carried a rifle and ugly looking axes on their back.

I magically amplified my voice.

"Queen Brigid, my name is Stephen Andrews, Heir of House Andrews. I am a Child of Space and Time, under the white flag of parlay, I have come to discuss the terms of my surrender," I said. I forced my voice to carry across the outpost.

Suddenly, Voice let out a groggy sound.

"Did we get hit by a Lorry?" He muttered.

"What?" I asked, even as I walked towards the camp. I could see someone walking up the middle of it, an elf. He reached the exit of the camp, and looked out into the woods.

"Oh, is this one of those weird dream sequences?" Voice asked.

"Voice, what are you talking about? I'm followiny your plan!"

"What plan? Where are we, Stephen?"

"What are you playing at? We're in the middle of the bloody woods, about to surrender to some dark lady because you told me it was a good idea!"

"The last thing I remember is seeing the scanner in Fiona's house."Voice said. Those words chilled me to the bone.

"So who have I been talking to for the last day?" I asked. An elf was looking around the woods. Fuck, I had to do this.

I dropped my cloak, and approached the elf. He raised his hand, and I felt magic pooling up. I held up my own in the universal symbol for peace.

"Beats me." Voice said with a mental shrug.

"Are you the brat that's trying to surrender?"

"Someone who wants you dead, apparently."

"Do you see anyone else in this clearing?" I asked.

"No need to get snotty about it," The elf said and held up a familiar silver chain. A breigh.

"I won't be bound, Elfkine. Take me to your mistress. This is a meeting to discuss the terms of my surrender, I will not be treated like chattel." I growled.

"You expect to keep all your weapons then, don't you?"

"You bet your ass I do." I said, I pushed passed the elf, and the wolf was quick to step into your path.

"Oh, good, if I kill one more of you, I'll have enough scrap metal to build an alarm clock. Get the fuck out of my way, dog." I said and moved him out my way with nary a look.

As I walked into the camp, I noticed it was like ours, except we didn't have kennels for our prisoners. There must have been a hundred in these, and I noticed at least three or four more scattered throughout the camp. According to the map, there must have been dozens of these camps scattered through the woods.

That was when I caught my first real glimpse of her. I recognized her hair from a vision I had, and the pieces to that were all starting to click together. William would never ride a unicorn and I would never fight a dragon on earth, but in this world? Well, the woman in front of me was dream made reality.

She was tall, taller than Reginald, and nearly taller than Eli. She had to be seven feet. Her hair was a fiery mane of red and orange curls that seemed to soak in the torchlight. She was dressed in a simple black dress, beneath a collection of armor pieces that could be defined as a suit, in the loosest of terms. She held a staff in her hand, and a simple circlet around her brow. The staff, armor, and circlet all seemed to be made of the same material. A matte looking white that looked like it was some type of ceramic.

"So this is one of the children of time, you don't seem like much."

She said, giving me a slow up and down motion of her hand. I slapped the mental probe she sent my way with a negligible amount of will.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you." I muttered in reply, sending my own jolt of psychic energy towards her. Two could play at the game, I managed to skim the surface of her thoughts before she kicked me out. Her mental shields needed work, but I caught a whisper of her power.

"Would you like to hear my terms?" I asked.

"Your terms?" She asked and she let out a laugh.

"You. Who walks into my camp like you own it? Who assaulted my guard, and insulted me? You should be asking for mercy, not negotiating."

"Oh, you see. I have leverage." I replied.

"You do?" She asked.

"I do." I replied. Then I snapped my fingers. When I was younger, when I got angry, and my magic lashed out, it would conjure swirling wind around me. At this point in my life, I had almost six years to practice wanded magic, and nearly a decade of wandless. Conjuring a swirling emerald wind around us was a measure of thought and an act of will. Brigid sneered, and let out a soft laugh.

"I've been playing tricks with the wind since before your siblings were a bad taste on your mother's mouth." She said and flicked her hand. My spell didn't fracture, and she glared at me.

With a motionless act of will, emerald wind exploded into eldritch fire. She took a step back away from me, fear shooting across her face.

Coventry would eat you alive.

"What are you? What sort of gifts do you have at your command that you control the world around us with such ease?" She asked.

"A gift wrapped up in a shiny green bow. Here's the deal. You let every member of the woodland rebellion and Edward lose. You break any methods of control you have over them, and then you let them all go with amnesty. In exchange, I submit myself to your custody, and I won't try to escape," I said.

"And those are your terms?"

"The contract stipulates that long as I'm in your custody, I won't try to kill you, or attack you. Train me to be your attack dog, or turn me into your pet alchemist. I'm sure you can find some use for me. Once the contract is signed, I'm all yours." She gave me a look. I could practically see her thoughts.

"I even have a contract, see?" I conjured a piece of paper. I'd need to burn it quickly, but I handed it to her. She read it over,and yanked it away from me. The terms were exactly what I said, and the contract wouldn't matter unless I signed it.

"I'll even swear a magical oath to behave like the contract exists until it's signed or I'm released." She gave me another look. Emily signaled her arrival with a brush against my mind, and an image of her, Will, Reg and Ganymede, ready to strike.

Not yet, sister dearest. I sent.

"Why?" She asked, and I thought back to the story we were told. The fire would muffle the sound, and no one else would hear.

"I'm in love with his older brother, I'd rather Edward be free and William happy, than have him in my arms." I said finally. That was something I'd never said aloud, but every grand lie needs a small truth.

"Love has been the downfall of many a mage." She muttered.

"Well?"

"Much as I'd like to see a green-haired creature like you under my control, there is that pesky matter of the prophecy." She was going to die slow for that comment.

"Right, let's examine that prophecy. Winterborne will guide them. My friend Reg guided us through the woods. He's winter fae."

"Low-born, well that was a typo on the case of the whoever transcribed it. Edward's last name is-" She held up a hand.

"L-O-W-E. Yes, I can spell, and I know the prophecy."

"Well, we hid them in the woods last night. The child of space and time have ended their part of the prophecy. My sister is working on a way home, and she'll take the winterbourne with her."

"And what about the golden kingdom binding them?"

"That could mean anything."

"and the ring on Edward's hand, and the hair on your head?" She asked. What odd questions.

"What ring?" I asked, in a confused tone of voice.

"This ring." She said and tossed it at my hand. I recognized this, this was a staff ring, a direct way into our wards, and it certainly wasn't Edwards. I looked on each side of it. There was a caduceus carved unto one side of it, and a rose with thirteen thorns surrounding it in a ring on the other. The ring's face held my family's coat of arms. Whoever had worn this ring was a member of our staff, and a vassal for House Thorne.

"I'm not sure how this ring came into Edward's possession, but it appears to be a ring worn by a member of my staff. The Lowe boy is a vassal of my house, but he's not been issued any sort of heraldry to denotate that. I'd like reclaim my property."

"Your house?" She asked. Then I flashed my Heir Ring. Hourglass, Wand and Blade on it's surface, Fortes Fortuna Iuvat scrawled beneath it, glowing gold despite the emerald haze covering my hand. Instantly there was a knife at my throat, and a pale white hand wrapped around it. I was looking at her from eye level and was suddenly aware that I was dangling off the ground. I wrapped my hands around the arm that was attempting to suffocate me and attempted to pry her hand away. She had an iron grip around my throat.

"You're a surviving royal." She hissed. Her eyes staring daggers, glancing at me like I was a dangerous animal. That was the moment the predator became my prey. She knew that. The sudden shift in her demeanor made that obvious.

"Where you from? The Orcs? Vedra? Is this a Kathar plot?" She asked, a rapid-fire salvo of hissed questions laced with paranoia. I could see just a glint of madness in her eyes.

"A royal that just pledged himself to your cause if you let your prisoners go, and refrain from stabbing him!" That brought her to her senses. The knife vanished, and she set me on the ground.

"If you drop your fire, I'll agree to your terms."

"I'm trusting you not to double-cross me." I said, letting fear and worry flash across my words. I let my hand tremble just a touch and saw the look of a wolf stuck on a knife, and licking its own blood. Of a predator that thought they had caught their prey.

"I'll release your prisoners unharmed," she said.

"And you won't hunt them down."

"You're talking us in circle little boy I-" She stopped because I gave myself away. She was expecting a double-cross. So I flashed a quick grin and filled with my aura with something approaching glee. And any mage with a modicum of magical sensitivity would have felt that.

"Cute play, little boy. I guess we'll both have to trust each other." she said. I didn't trust her for a minute.

I dropped my fire.

"Assemble all of the Woodland Rebellion prisoners and bring me Edward Lowe," she said. One of her soldiers nodded, and soon the entire yard of the outpost was filled with beings. He brought Edward over to us.

"Stephen? What are you doing here? Did she finally convince you to join us? Is Will here?" He was bubbly. His aura had colored his hair, and magic had started stripping out any trace of color from his cheeks and skin. He'd been pale to begin with, but he looked more like a mage than a mundane now.

She slammed her staff into the ground. Edward's eyes flashed pure red, and then he stumbled in place. As did all of the other prisoners. Edward looked around, and then looked at me.

"Stephen? I almost killed you! Oh god, Stephen! I'm sorry mate! I'm so sorry! I didn't-" I grabbed the boy in a tight hug, wrapping him in my power, covering him with comfort, and warmth. I gave Brigid a glare.

"It's alright. You'll see William soon."

"Io, I want Edward back at the tent as soon as he leaves these walls. Then hurry back, because I'm going to need you." I sent, while listening to her spiel. Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to slam a dagger right into this bitch's throat.

"These are all the prisoners captured in the last week. I have all the other prisoners have stored at my castle. I'll release them upon our return," she said.

"Excellent." I said, and then I raised my voice.

"Beings of Koralis! I come here, not as a conquering hero, or a questing king. I am setting you free because it is the right thing to do. It is the just thing to do! Leave, run down that path until you meet the soldiers. They'll guide you back to my camp, and help you find your families."

Then I looked at her.

"He was a fucking child, and you twisted his mind. You're a monster."

"Oh, monster I am, but I'm also good at breaking monsters, and dogs." She certainly was a female one.

"Stephen, do you know what the worst part of owning an attack dog is?" I had a feeling I knew where this was going and wondered if I had time to take a pain potion.

The former prisoners began walking, then jogging, and then ran out of the camp.

Edward hesitated for a moment.

"Sometimes you have to break them in." No. No, I did not.

"Edward, go!" I shouted, just as Brigid backhanded me with a slap so vicious it made stars flash across my eyes. I felt my neck pop. I tasted copper and knew she had split my lip. She grabbed me by the shirt and tossed me like a rag doll.

A shield caught my fall, but that was still going to bruise. theThe prisoners, save two wolfwomen, had fled. One of them was younger than the other, but not by much. They looked torn between attempting to rescue me and running for their lives. Then one of the gnolls raised his gun at the younger one, and the older quite savagely, caught the other gnoll from behind, and ripped his weapon away.

She pulled the trigger twice. Two blue balls of light exploded from the barrel of the gun and obliterated the gnoll's head. It fell to the ground, and she dropped to the ground with it, using the body as cover fire. The other screamed and ran towards the outpost full of soldiers.

Edward moved to walk forward.

"Edward, leave, just walk out of that gate, and leave. Please." I called. Brigid picked me up again, and then she slammed me against a wooden wall, and I let out a whoof as the air was knocked out of my lungs. She punched me hard in the gut then, and dropped me to the ground, and drove a pointed boot into my midsection. I spat blood, and hoped Reg would be able to fix whatever damage she was doing. I saw the look in Edward's eyes, and the sparks on his fingertips. The older wolf had sent the younger towards the exit. She was walking towards me, and I wasn't going to get three kids killed. I held up a hand toward them.

"If they aren't born obedient, you need to beat it into them." She had zero originality, I thought, as her fist connected to my face twice and I tasted copper again. She dropped me, and I curled into myself to protect myself from the worst of the blows that followed.

There was something wiggling on the bottom part of my jaw, but I was pretty sure nothing had been broken. At least that I could tell. I was quite done with being a human punching bag. She raised her hand, scarlet light glowing in her palm. Then a blast of hazel-orange fire broke her concentration. She looked at Edward, raised her hand again. I felt her draw up power as she prepared to unleash a spell. Then I kicked her hard in the stomach. She doubled over.

"And sometimes the dog bites back. Io, Knock her the fuckout." I spat. A winged infernal terror swept down from the sky, ripped Brigid off me and swung her by her hair into the ground in an almost complete arc.

Then Io slammed her head into the ground twice more. Brigid stood up long enough to get rammed in back by a wave of telekinetic force that shot her across the outpost yard and through the wooden wall on the other side. Her soldiers began closing in on me. I heard a scream, a shrill primal thing filled with rage that sent a shiver down my spine. Io had just pissed her off. Lovely.

"Emily, whatever fuckery you're planning, do it now!" I sent out in a psychic pulse. There was a scream in the distance, before red aura coated a portion of the wall, ripped it away, and caught it on fire. Then she threw it at my imp. I saw red, and then I went to war.

I caught it in my grip and acting on instinct and my magic to guide me through, ripped the fire away from the door, sent that back at in her an emerald lance as thick as my wrist, and sent the door after.

I pulled the heat from the air with a spin of my hand, chased the door with another blast of emerald fire, and sent spears of ice in its wake.

"Ro! Bo! Sli! Di! Jul!" I didn't bother with my wand. Words of power flew off my lips. Explosive force and a line of cutting spells mingled together and flew towards her.

Then nature turned on the camp. Vines as thick as a stout tree trunk shot out from the ground and began slamming down on the walls around us. Men and beings were thrown by great vines, and they begin spreading throughout the camp, destroying buildings and fortifications, and throwing beings. It was like watching a large child destroy an army of toy soldiers. I could feel Reg's power. I could smell wheat and honey, and felt the wild edge of his fae heritage against my skin.

Ganymede appeared, dropped grenades into two separate clusters of men, and vanished again.

Edward and the older wolfwoman were fighting back-to-back. He was unleashing blasts of fully orange flame, and she held two rifles now, and was firing alternating clusters of blue weapon's fire. She was an excellent shot and most of her shots struck the center mass of whoever approached her. The younger one was hunkered down, trying to stay out of the fight.

I shielded against a blast of energy, and then two more, and then half a dozen. We needed to leave.

"Get Edward and the wolf-women home." I sent to Io. She popped away from the soldier she was mauling, grabbed the pyromancer and his wolfy friend, and popped back. Brigid walked back into the camp, and as her aura flared, I caught the first taste of her power.

She certainly had it in spare. I felt the hot fire of her magic, and I felt the spell hurtling toward me. There was a subtle wrongness to her power that unsettled me. I could understand why a spell caster of her power would be feared in a land where their magical abilities were so undeveloped. Her spell was a wall of telekinetic force that rushed towards me in a purple blur.

The spell's construction was simplistic. To be nice. To be honest, any novice with half a brain and the barest minimal skill of metamath could have torn her simplistic sorcery into so many auric shreds. I did just that. Then I sent Iactus screaming towards her.

I'd refined Iactus since the days of accidental tsunamis and exploding vampires. Now as soon as it struck a target or any object in its path, it would strike the target with the gathered kinetic energy, and then explode. The spell would grow in power as it traveled.

The maximum distance I had thrown Iactus was about a dozen yards. That had detonated a small boulder. Bethany had made me promise to never use the spell on a target at a greater distance unless it was an emergency. I think this qualified. My spell struck her at about twice that distance. Or it would have.

Instead, Brigid smirked, flicked her wrist, and ripped my spell to shreds. She lashed out with a whip of red light that cut through one shield, and I was only saved by my hastily raised bracer. The shield unfurled and blocked the whip, a second whip flashed into her other hand, this one made of fire, and wrapped around the arm with the bracer. I heard the hiss, and instantly felt the bracer grow hotter.

Then Emily, Reg, and William appeared. Emily flicked her hand and unleashed a blasting spell.

Reginald jerked his wand, and one of the great vines that had sprouted up into the camp slammed down on top of Brigid, and she blocked with the shield. William drew his sword and slashed the whip. His sword hummed with his magic, and the icy blue of his aura, and it slashed down through the whip with a shower of icy blue and scarlet sparks.

Io appeared on my shoulder. Brigid held up the contract. A bloody fist, mostly my blood, wrapped around a piece of paper. My blood spattered across the camp, on the walls, across the yard. A scarlet trail of her making.

"Stephen Andrews, if you leave, you'll be breaking your word," she said. I could sense the eddies of the power she poured into the spell. I could feel the call and compulsion layered around her invocation of my name, the adoration and the subtle promise of great power.

If I stayed, I could have it all. All of magic would be mine to explore. All of this land mine to conquer. I'd be an emerald god reigning over an eternally sunny kingdom. Some part of my brain saw her sharp satisfied smile, and that gave me pause. I'd been bloodied, and beaten. I'd thrown magic out against this woman and was found wanting, and her siren song tempted me.

If this had been four years ago, if this had been the scared and scarred little boy who had just wanted a place to lay his head and enough food in his stomach, I would have joined her without counting the cost. I would have chained myself to her command and been her faithful hound or loyal falcon. But I had grown up a little bit.

I'd felt the molten iron covered in ice of Bethany Andrew's will as it slammed against my own in the same-such invocation. I beheld the power of a strong mother and a wounded sister. I had felt love, and happiness, and I'd found a home and a family to chase away the nightmares, and I learned what having a family meant. Family is a subtle magic. The first happy gurgles of a babe. The smell of your favorite meal cooked by a mother's careful hand. Family are the ones that scare the shadows out from under your bed and fight the monsters in your dreams. They're the ones to hold you in their arms as your world breaks around you. The magic, that Power, is what make men and women take up a sword, or a gun, or a wand and rage at that final good night with their last breath.

My family, Emily, Will, Reg. They are what stood beside me that night, and all the dark nights that would follow. I felt their Power, their worry, their love and that is what I used to break the spell she had over me and my Name.

I ripped apart the compulsion with a fierceness that my mother would be proud of. I felt something deep inside me crumble away as that spell broke. I felt the feral grin curl my lips as I smiled through the tears of pain and belonging.

"Greater queens than you have tried. Sanguinem Ignis." I snarled, and willed the blood not in, near, or on my body to combust.

Her hand, and the blood-spotted contract erupted into flame and the rest of my blood swiftly followed, engulfing the yard and the wall into eldritch fire the shade of grass after a summer storm. Brigid screamed. Io leapt to my shoulder, I grabbed Emily's hand. Reg grabbed hers, and William grabbed my other, and we left, leaving emerald hell in our wake.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

A few moments later

We arrived back at the camp. I immediately dropped to the wood floor of my tent and fought the wave of spinning light that threatened to sweep across my sight, and the wave of vertigo that conspired to render me unconsciousness.

"Stephen!" Reg called. Everything was foggy, but I had to stand up. Emily and William helped me to my feet, and I steadied myself.

"Io, fetch me a phial of Amy's emergency elixir." I muttered. Io popped away. She returned a moment later with a small bottle wrapped in wax and stamped with the House Andrew seal.
I pointed my wand at the seal and spoke.

"Upon restriction of wand use, I hereby certify that this is an emergency and I need access to the potion regimen." I slurred. The wax fell away, I popped the cork on the phial, and slugged back the contents.

"Every four hours, Io." I said, and my imp nodded.

"What was that?" Reginald asked, he had a suspicious look on his face.

"It's a compound potion. It will knit anything that breaks and is broken and stop things that shouldn't be bleeding. Then it will replace the blood. It'll
kill the pain while it's doing all this, so I'll be fine."

"And what's the downside?" Reg asked.

"I have between twenty-four and forty-eight hours until I crash. On the bright side until I do I won't need to sleep."

"I still need to check you out, Stephen."," Reg said.

"I know, but after."

"After what?" He asked.

"After I win this fucking war. I'm going to the tower and reporting on our success," I said. The potion had done it's work. I was feeling better. I didn't even need to lean on a wall anymore.

"Kid, Reg's right. You need to rest." Voice said. I ignored him. I ignored my body telling me that I needed to sleep. The pain was gone. I'd been hurt worse before. A few physical blows didn't match the pain of vampire's torture curse.
I went to walk out of the tent. Cassandra and Evelyn were already in the small clearing that separated our two tents. Edward or one of the girls had fixed him up a dinner plate. Whatever stew they had been cooking smelled delicious. I would eat later.

"Spend time with your brother. When you're done, meet us at the tower." I whispered into Will's ear, nodding with my head towards the kid looking towards us. I could feel fear and trepidation coming from him, a nervousness that I couldn't see on his face.

"You need me." He murmured.

"They need you more." I whispered back.
William looked at me, and then back at Edward and his sisters. I gave him a small push and he walked over to his brother. Their little family embraced, and I smiled. Emily stood on my other side.

"We're going to need him in a few," she said.
I nodded. She already knew what I was about to do. At times, the three of us had a thought process that was eerily familiar.

"Reg, I'm going to need you too. What kind of Druidry can you conjure on an open field?"

"More than you'd know," he said.

"Well, get to thinking," I said. He nodded. Emily and I went to walk out of our smaller camp.

"Where are you two going?" He asked.

"I'm going to see a centaur and a dwarf and report my success. Then I'm going to end this war," I said.

"I'm going with you." Reginald said. I nodded and we walked silently through the camp. This time, we didn't place glamours around us. There wasn't a waxy film obscuring our features. Murmurs and whispers followed in our path, and I realized that I hadn't cleaned the blood off my face yet. It was slowly drying into a sticky mess on my face. I pushed that thought, and the whispers out of my mind. The crowds parted for us as we walked, and soon we had reached the enormous tower dominating the landscape. We walked into the room. Kalidas and Wilhelm, along with Rhince and the not-griffin waited for us. They were in a hurried, furious discussion.

A map was unrolled on the table, the same from early. Now however, it appeared that half of the red pins from earlier had been pushed off the map. They looked up as the three of us entered the tower. Instantly the centaur was striding toward me. Anger flashed in his eyes.
"What did you do?" He bellowed at me. He had the lower body of a quarter horse and the upper body of a well -muscled man of about thirty. Because of the combined height of his horse and his man body, he towered above me.

"What are you referring to?" I asked carefully. He glared at me. It was a glare of loathing and disregard and I wanted to smack it off his face.

"Half of her camps are burning, and another half, according to our spies, have been severely poisoned. The camp that we know she was commanding her forces from has been burned to ash. She is rallying her troops and plans to attack at tomorrow's dawn. I will ask you one more time, Man-son What. Did. You. Do?" I gave Emily a look.

"Don't pass this blame to me. I'm innocent," she said.

"For once." Reginald muttered.

"None of my friends have any responsibility for the events that occurred this evening." I said carefully, and clearly.

"Her outposts caught aflame of their own accord. Her troops poisoned themselves?"

"Have you met her? I'd do the same." I replied.

"Don't be glib. My spies saw your familiar at two of the camps." Odd, that was a lie. The centaur snarled. My mind whirled. Io was currently at my camp.

"Io, appear please," I said. My imp appeared.

"Io, are you responsible for events outside my knowledge that may or may not have been detrimental to our enemies?"

"Master, are you asking me if I poisoned the water, rotted their food, and burned the oppositions camps?" She asked.

"Did you break my orders?" I asked.

"I cannot break your orders, Master, you know this." She," she replied in a polite tone of voice, and she continued.

"Poison and fire do not permanently harm or kill anyone. All the poisons I placed in their water have antidotes. If they visited a healer in time they would survive."

"And the fire?"

"I made sure the armories were empty before I put to their weapons to flame." I gave her a look. While those actions were not breaking the letter of my commands, they were certainly breaking the spirit of them. I would be fighting against her army, and those actions meant one less foe for me to face.

"Your imp struck every camp Brigid had between here and Man's folly, and a few beyond that. What she did was malicious, and it is my opinion that you should exorcise the demon."

"It's my opinion that you mind your own fucking buisness. I faced Brigid in combat, and I left her body and camp in ruins. What have you done for the rebellion I've been unwillingly dragged into?" I snarled, instantly on the offensive, and the centaur shook his head.

"You can't even control your temper, but you expect to be king?" He asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I replied.

"Don't play dumb with me, mageling. You said it yourself, you spoke the prophecy. The fire tonight. The hair on your head. The color of your magic, and you expect me to disbelieve that you are making an active bid to become King of Koralis? Don't make me laugh." He said with a smirk.

"Some of the old laws do apply, you know. As a Duke of Koralis. I do have a role in your kingship. Making enemies of your generals won't play well when it comes to protecting your kingdom. Instead of playing soldier, maybe you should try a bit of civility." He said, his mouth turned up into a sneer.

"No part of the prophecy speaks of my hair color, or what magic I used."

"Does it not?" The elf muttered suddenly.

"I don't believe it does."

"Lad, have you heard the second stanza of the prophecy or the third?" The dwarf asked.

"There's a second and third stanza?" I asked.

The dwarf nodded.

"I neglected to recite the whole thing the other night, I figured if you knew part of the prophecy, you knew the whole thing." he said.

"Sir dwarf, could you please recite the entirety of the prophecy to me?"

"Certainly, lad." He said, and spoke.

"The lowborn children shall come, winter will guide them.
The children of space and time will hide them.
The queen of summer will find them, and the golden kingdom will bind them.
Emerald-green baring hour-glass ring shall be the end of the traitor queen.
Her past he'll learn, her hand will burn. By seven as one, the king will come.

Worlds away, worlds away, our savior comes without delay.
By fire of creation, thrice and one and one more will be three. King's trial be done, united again, father, mother and son."

As he begin speaking the second and third stanza, I froze. I remembered speaking those words, that cadence.
Something twigged in the back of my mind, something that felt like Eli, a colleague of Bethany's. A sudden frost, a note of sour whisky, a hint of cedar cologne. Had my memories been manipulated somehow? What else was locked behind snow and cedar? As the words settled in my brain, I mulled them over.

Emerald-green baring hour-glass was obviously me. I had learned of her past, and I'd caught her hand aflame not an hour ago. Seven as one was self-explanatory. There were seven of us, And there could only be one king. I shook my head at the trick of fate I'd caught myself in. I didn't want to rule. I didn't even know how.

I didn't understand that next part. I wasn't even remotely sure what the fire of creation could be. The next part didn't make sense either. Thrice, and one and one more would be five, not three. The last part, the last part interested me the most. King's trial be done, united again, father, mother and son.

Whatever the Fire of Creation was, I'd need whatever spell or artifact that was to complete my trial.

When I completed my trial, a father, mother and son would be united. I wondered if that meant I would be able to meet my birth parents, Stephen and Alexis. Stephen had died in battle before I was born. Alexis had dropped me at a mundane orphanage and promptly vanished. Despite the vast resources Bethany had at her disposal, no trace of Alexis had ever been found. I'd never seen a picture or painting of them. I knew they existed, but I also knew that their death and disappearance had wounded Bethany, and some wounds never heal, and so I'd never asked.

"Son, when you prophesied this, how many times did you repeat it?"

"I didn't."," I said.

"Interesting." The dwarf said and stroked his beard.

"Why?"

"I've witnessed two prophecies in my time. First was the one I just spoke, and second was something bold an old cutter told me years ago. Both of those times, the prophecy was spoken thrice before they quit talking' and they had no memory of the prophecy."

"We don't have time for woolly philosophy. We have a battle to plan. She's suffered severe losses, and I estimate that a quarter of her troops were killed in the devilry your familiar unleashed. I understand that it's close to your bedtime, but I was wondering if you'd be able to help us." Kalidas said. I had really reached my fill for backhanded compliments.

"We wouldn't want you to get colicky, would we?" I asked, and he let out a soft whinny. He walked back over to the map, his tail flicked back and forth irritably. I looked at it. Her troops, what were left of them anyways, were congregated in the woods to the east. They were camped not too far from the river, but I had a feeling they'd be crossing that as soon as possible.
She'd seen me use glaciomancy. If I was in her position, I'd automatically assume I would be capable of hydromancy as well.
Between the tower and the river there was a grand plain, and aside from scattered trees, and a large vaguely horseshoe shaped rock in the middle. Hmm. That had potential. I pointed at the rocky formation.

"What's this?"

"That's Horseshoe Ridge, It's a giant hill shaped like a horseshoe. It's about hundred feet high at the top."

"How large is it?"

"It's about a quarter mile deep, and a mile or so wide." I did the mental math in my head to convert that to metric, cursing whatever colonial bastard that had given this world the imperial system.

"And it slopes down on every side?"

"Up and down on the back side. The interior is a solid drop on every side. It leads into a cave."

"Where does the cave lead?"

"Doesn't lead anywhere. Just a weird bit of the geography. It comes to a solid wall and just stops."
After this was done, and if I followed my first instincts, the place would be void of visitors for years to come. I could see the trap in my head. The runes I'd need, where I need to place them, even a few of the spells I would need to cast over the carved runes to ensure I got the right result. It felt like I' done this before. Multiple times before. I took those feelings from my head and surveyed the rest of the battlefield. I pointed at the horseshoe. Then, I took one of the blue pieces that it congregated around the tower and placed it at the mouth of the strange formation.

"I want her army here." I stated.

"Why?" Rodney asked suddenly.

"Because If I'm the king your prophecy speaks so highly of, I am leading this army and they will go here."

"How are her forces arranged?" Reginald spoke quickly, and assuredly. This was when William walked into the tower. He looked at us.

"What battle is this?"

"The one we're fighting in tomorrow," Emily said dryly.

"Ah, continue please," William replied.

"Her mages will be in back along with her heavy artillery. This is composed of onagers and all the mages capable of using defensive magic."

"What is her ward schema like, and her obelisks? What about Ether cannons or mortars?"

"Winterborne, you are speaking gibberish." Rhince muttered.

"Just because your magic is millennia behind doesn't mean ours is." Emily snarled.

"Don't." I said, pushing a thread of Power into my voice. We didn't have time for this nonsense.

"Mortars are cannons that fire a shot at a long distance and follow a preset trajectory. They explode upon impact. Ether cannons shoot a powerful beam of energy that destroy anything in their path." Reg explained calmly.

"Brigid has nothing like that." Rhince muttered.

"Wards are permanent magical defenses that are anchored to lodestones buried deep into the ground. An obelisk serves the same purpose, except it's portable."

"Her magical defenses are tied to the energy of her mages. If they tire her defenses will fall."

"Small mercies." Reg muttered. I did have a few lodestones in storage. They had taken me a lot of work to get, and Bethany still wasn't aware they were gone. It was pre-charged and all I'd need to do is incant the spells I wanted to use, for a maximum of seven. A lodestone could outlast multiple mages. Once the incantations were placed, I'd activate the schema, and the security runes would engage. At that point, she'd have to overpower the lodestone, or pick our wards. I wished her the best of luck in that endeavor. Many had tried to break Andrews Family wards, and none had succeeded.

"How do her mages recharge?" Emily asked.

"What do you mean?"

"When your magic runs low, how do you recharge your Power?"

"Our power naturally recharges, in a pinch, we can take a mana potion."

"What's a mana potion?" Reg asked suspiciously. The elf pulled a small corked glass phial from a pouch on his belt.

"And it restores your magic?" He asked.

"Quickly." Rhince replied.

"Do you mind?" Reg asked, taking the phial. The elf shook his head. Reg tapped the phial experimentally. The liquid sloshed around. He tapped it with his wand, and it took on the glow of his aura. His eyes flashed once, and then the light show ended.

"Interesting." Reg muttered.

"What?"

"It's filtered liquid ether, and it's cut with some sort of restorative draught and spring water. What's the maximum daily dose?" He asked the elf.

"No more than three a day."

"How many do you have available?" Reg asked.

"I have a few spare phials available. Are you proposing a deal, Winterbourne?" He purred.

"It is of my nature." Reg replied. I realized that the plans for the battle had given way to the first time an Elf and Fae had been civil to each other in recorded history. I was currently between the two. I slid a step back and readied my wand in case this went sour. I saw Emily and Will do the same. The centaur and the dwarf had taken a step back, and Rodney had left the tent.

"What would the nature of the deal be?"

"An exchange of currency for a score of these mana potions."

"I'd say two hundred circlets would work," he said.

"Circlets?" Reg asked. The elf reached into a pouch on his and withdrew a silver coin. The front face of the coin had a wand, and the back face held a circlet. Reg withdrew a drachma with a snap of his fingers, and the elf closely inspected it. He nodded.

"I'd be amenable to these terms," Reginald said.

"Then we have a bargain. I'll see them delivered to your tent before dawn." The elf said crisply. Reg nodded. William had been surveying the map.

"Why won't she cross at the bridge?" He asked.

"We blew it last night. Since it's the only bridge in the entire country, she'll have to boat or ford across it. We have gained the favor of the Grand River Naiad, so that journey will be precarious." Rhince said, and Reginald's face gained a sudden eagerness.

"Are there dryads in the trees?" He asked.

"Only in the Silver Woods, my Lord." The elf replied.

"So, the naiad is only allowing her to cross in one place?" Will asked, and the centaur nodded.

"Could she sailed up the coast and flank us?" He asked.

"No one marches through the Silverwood and lives. Since the Royal Family fell, that woods has been hostile to visitors." William went to work. He looked at the map.

"What's the range of the silver rifles you prefer?"

"If aiming carefully, a good gunner can hit a target at a few hundred yards." The dwarf said.

"Fortunately, we are seeking quantity over quantity," Will said.

"Well, if that's the case, just under a thousand yards." Fiona replied, strolling into the tower.

"Merry Meet, Madam Badgerton." I said with a smile, she returned the grin with one of her own.
William nodded. Then he moved the tokens representing gunners to the front.

"Do you mind if I duplicate this map?" He asked, and they all shook their head no. He used the spell for permanent duplication, and a second copy hovered above the first.
Then he summoned a pack of colored pencils, and began drawing on the map.

"Will, what are you doing?"

"She's chosen the battlefield, so we're choosing the composition of it." He said. He drew a red line that bisected the field in half. Following that, there was a yellow line, followed by a purple, then a green, and finally a blue line.

"We can place defenses along those lines." He said, the four of us shared looks.

"If I bury a lodestone here, it will cover the entire field of battle." I said, taking a green pencil and drawing an 'X' in the center of our field.

"Will, how do you know all this?" Emily asked. Will gave her a look.

"Some kids get toys for their birthdays. I got books on military history. My father may be a bit of a fanatic. But, it's coming in handy."

"You have a lodestone?" Reg asked in awe.

"How come you didn't tell me you had a lodestone?" Emily questioned. William looked gleeful.

"Technically I don't own it. I'm temporarily borrowing it from the Family armory."

"So you stole a lodestone?" Emily replied.

"It's not theft if you intend to return or replace it." I ground out.

"Are you capable of doing that?" Reg asked suddenly.

"No, I'm not." I replied.

"So, we place the lodestone here. That holds our line," William drew a series of small hills along his line. He nibbled his lip.

"Much space do we have to work with?" Reg asked.

"I'd say the width of the battlefield and a hectare in length," Will said. I let the devious part of my mind free. I had a few ideas, and I had a plan for the horseshoe. Then Will started placing tokens.

"Put the gunners behind my line."

"Does your magic have a certain range or do your spells keep flying until it hits a target?" I asked.

"Our spells will fly until they hit an enemy or an object in their path."

"And what are your troops like?" I asked.

"We have five cohorts of centaurs, and the rest are regular beings. Although we do have a legion and five cohorts of foot soldiers, a quarter of them are trained in phalanx tactics, those are mostly whatever forces that have defected from Brigid. The rest of them are just brawlers. The rest of our forces will be involved in the calvary charge."

"What calvary charge?" Will asked just as Reginald said.

"She uses phalanx tactics?"

"Pair the foot soldiers who are untrained with a gunner. Give them each a large shield and deploy them in a shield formation." William said.

"We could use the calvary as a flanking or pincer maneuver. They're composed of my people, and we are trained in those tactics." Kalidas suggested. He took the black pencil out of William's hand and drew two lines that begin on either side of the grass plain we'd do battle on. Then he drew careful arcs looping from their initial points and converging with the line demarcating the middle of the field.
William nodded slightly.

"What are your plans for my gunners?"

"Ideally? Turn the field into a maze of trenches, place Lewis guns at strategic points, and let them see how a real army fights a war. Unfortunately, I don't think we have that many machine guns if we have any." Will stated.

"We have two, and we also don't have time," Emily said.

"What is a Lewis gun?" Fiona asked.

"It's a gun that shoots rounds at the rate of around five hundred per minute," Will said. Fiona looked shocked.

"What world do you come from where you must use such force?" She asked.

"A world where men still kill each other over petty things like land and food," Will muttered.

"Well, how else would you do this?" I asked. Will looked at the map.

"Do you have any razor wire?" He asked me, and I shook my head. He looked at the map.

"You guys have any ideas?" He asked us. Emily was looking at the map.

"I have a fair few," Emily said.

"I'm sure you do." Will muttered. I'd rather them snip at one another than snip at me.

"Rhince, can your mages permanently duplicate items?" I asked.

"Yes, but only those with a wand, and only those highly skilled in transmutation, it takes a lot of power, concentration, and time to do such a thing." I frowned. It didn't take that much effort to duplicate something. Permanent duplications were not permanent. It was a misnomer to call them as such. The longest a permanent object would last be until the next sunrise or sunset, whichever was farthest away. Then the item would dissolve into ectoplasm.

"It's a ritual to duplicate items or is it a spell?"

"Why would there be a spell for that? Why would anyone need to store a spell like that?" Was he talking about storing a spell? I mean, I suppose if one needed to, they could inscribe a spell on to a scroll later and unleashed it. But that was impractical when the spell was just a run and a couple of syllables.

"Can your mages all use a wand?"

"How else would we store a shared spell?" He asked in a confused tone.

"Rhince, if we survive, I want to a very long discussion about magic with you. I'm fairly certain we're working with two completely different magic systems," I said. The elf nodded.

"I'd like that, Stephen."
I drew my wand.

"I'm about to teach you a spell, pay close attention." I asked, and he nodded.

"Duplica permeas," I said, internally wincing at how poor that Latin was. After invoking the spell, I quickly sketched the Fehurune in the air as I intoned the spell. It resembled an F, except the arm and the tie were jutting upward at a diagonal. I let the rune hover in the air, and let the elf exam it, even as the map duplicated itself a second time.

"You simply invoked the spell like that?" He muttered, looking between me and the map, and shook his head.
He grabbed the stave off his back, it was made of black wood. The entire length was engraved with runes and various symbols that I didn't work know. The magic in the staff was intoxicating. Foci as a rule didn't normally contain magic. They were usually bound to the will of the user, and magic was versatile enough that your only limitation was the knowledge you had in the Art, your creativity and the Power in your core. Honestly, magic stored in a foci would enhance the Power of the spells as long as they did not oppose whatever was being cast.

"Each of these runes are a spell. When I use my magic, I invoke a spell stored inside the staff and it is unleashed."

"So, you need to store your magic before you can use it?"

"Well, yes, obviously, or else the alignment of the spell would be off."

"Define alignment," I said.

"Spells require a caster to figure in the phase of the moon, and the position of the stars and planets, or else it's difficult to cast. Honestly, this is elementary magic." The elf said. The four of us shared looks, surely their magical abilities did not rely solely on rituals and evocation.

"Can we have the discussion on your sorcery after we survive?" I asked, and the elf nodded.

"How long will it teach your mages to learn that spell?" Reg asked.

"An hour or so? I've ensured all are fully trained, and that their foci are charged," he said.

"Good. When they've learned it, duplicate this," I said. Then I unclipped a charm on my pentacle and enlarged it.

The charm was silver. There was an Algiz on one side, and an Eihwaz on the other. The charm would act like a house key through the wards I would place on the battlefield. The security spells on this were identical to the one on my trunk, and would let anyone through my wards.
"Duplicate a copy this for every soldier we have, and issue them out. No one reaches the battle without one, or they're dead. My defenses may kill them. I want the original back. Return it after the battle," I said. The original didn't matter at this point. I'd be re-factoring my personal schema, and that key would be useless.

We had half a legion of mages, it would be trivial for even a quarter of the mages to quickly duplicate enough charms for the entire camp.

"Tomorrow the mages are going to be our rearguard. I want them to act as artillery. The ones with the most best area spells are to station themselves on the horseshoe along with a guard. As soon as her defenses are gone, they're to unleash hell into her ranks." Reginald said, and William nodded.

"Assemble the remaining foot soldiers along the line, and issue them all handguns. We're going to avoid getting into hand-to-hand combat range if possible. Do the rifles your gunners carry have bayonets?"

"Bayonets?" Fiona asked.

"A little pointy bit on the end of their guns. Something to stab someone if they come to close." Will explained.

"Most of my gunners are also hunters. They all carry small knives or something on them. Where do you want the archers?"

"Archers?" Will asked.

"Aye, about a quarter of our gunners have bows." The cat replied, and Will rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Place them with the gunners. Order them to stagger their fire, and conserve ammo until the enemies are close enough for them to see their eyes."," Reg said. For a moment, Will looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't. I gave him a look, and he shook his head slightly. He'd tell me later.

"Can you issue them guns?" Will blurted out. Fiona looked at me.

"Most of our forces have brought their own weaponry and equipment. We lack the means to arm them. We're providing them food, and a place to sleep, and we're paying them in script."

"Script?"

"Aye, however, soldiers have been promised payment out of Brigid's Treasury and the bounty from Silverspire at a one-to-one ratio to circlets."

"What bounty?"

"It is rumored that a mountain of diamonds resides in the bowels of the castle. Legend has it that spiders that spins silk by the bolt, and beetles that roll gold once existed, and that the castle has samples of all creation in the Deep Vault."

"The Deep Vault?" I asked.

"A Reservoir of Life beneath the castle. There are other such things in this land, but that is the most extensive." She," she said. I dismissed it as a legend. It may have been viable, but I needed more than whispers to guide my path. If I survived long enough to see this allegedly magnificent castle I'd investigate such rumors. Until then, I just shrug it off as mythos from a bygone age.

"So who owes the money?"

"That remains to be seen, there are quite a few soldiers who given up their entire livelihood to come here. The smaller villages scattered across the land do accept this script, and their families rely on this money to buy their bread and keep a roof over their head.

"Villages like the one we saw burning." I murmured, and she nodded.

"So, gunners behind William's line, soldiers guarding them. Mages up top, with soldiers guarding them. In earlier discussions, you said that you had about two legions of fighters. That leaves you five cohorts, unless my maths are wrong?" Reg asked.

"That seems accurate." The centaur said.

"Then have the remaining forces engage in a flanking maneuver. Focus on their siege weapons." Reg said, and the centaur nodded.

"Now that we've figured out the composition of the battlefield, should we go establish our defenses?" Emily asked.

"What spells are you placing?" The elf said. We shared looks, then forced them to swear secrecy oaths and filled them in. As I finished, I saw the blood running from their face, and the shock in their eyes.

"Violent problems require violent solutions." Rhince said finally, and I gave him a nod. I didn't relish what my plan was, but I knew what I'd need to do.

"How long will it take you to place these wards?" Kalidas asked.

"An hour or so," I said. It wouldn't take long. Magic wasn't slow to cast, and with the new level of Power we'd all found since arriving in this new land, it was easy to cast as well. Magic came with an ease that I would have killed to have on earth.

"We'll leave you to it then. We'll be approaching the battlefield around midnight to perform a ritual of our own. If you'd like to observe, you may." Fiona said. I nodded. The Koralians left the tent, and we left soon after to prepare for the coming battle.



<BR>

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[jldew93]

Notes; I don't do this very often, but if you want background music while you read this chapter, listen to this while you read.

December 23rd to December 24th 1930
Koralis.

We gathered William's siblings. Then we grabbed a rug from somewhere (my trunk's study) and lashed that between two brooms. We rode that to the battlefield and landed in the mid-point.

At the horseshoe and middle of the battle line, I placed a pair of runes that anchored an illusion at each end. This was a small perception filter that would block the Power we were about to call up. I met the others in the middle of the field. The individual spells they'd cast tonight would tied into the Lodestone.

Then I produced the Lodestone. It was a diamond orb, aglow in the blue-white light of pure magic. It was about the diameter of a bowling ball. This Lodestone was already in covered spells and runes that I was only starting to learn. These were the Security Spells of House Andrews. The enchantments ensured that only the heirs and vassals of our line could activate the initial runic circuits that kicked the whole thing to life. They would also ensure that only we could deactivate the spells once they activated.

"There are seven of us. This lodestone can hold seven spells. William, Emily, Reg, I know we're each planning a layer of defenses, but I think it's crucial
for each of us to contribute to the wards." The three of them nodded. The Lodestone hovered in front of us, those of us with wands touched them to the diamond orb. William's sisters placed their hands on the stone. Edward gave me a worried look.

"I meant it. Everyone." I said, giving him a nod. He placed his hand on the Lodestone.

"Emily, I'd like you to go first." I said, and she nodded.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Emily asked, and we did. This might be the last night we had alive, and we would spend it to annihilate that possibility. Any idiots who wait until the enemy is charging to throw out their defenses need to die.

"Defendarius Activus. Incatorum." That was entirely doggerel Latin, but the password didn't matter. As soon as she spoke the password, I felt the latent magical energy of the lodestone spin-up, and our auras spiked. We called forth our magic, and Power, and will in quantities I'd never seen before, and only marveled in a few times since.
As our auras flared and our magic soared like seven stars. Emerald and icy blue mixed with yellow-green and streaks of blue-purple. White-blue mixed with purple-blue and hazel, and I could hear my family's magic like seven voices in my head, speaking as one.
I felt the earth rumble and the grass shift. The sudden static and chill of our magic formed clouds in the air as we drew heat from our surroundings. Emily begin our cadence, our call to the gods, and all our voices joined soon.

"Hecate, Mother Moon, Sister Silver, I call you! I call your Power! By Bethany Andrews and Audrey Coldhollow! By Elaine Lowe!-" She froze and looked at me, and I unleashed a subtle thrum of psychic Power that wove around the spell.

"By Alexis Bonaparte! Mothers All, Mothers we call, Mother magic heed us, protects us!"
Wytchfyre, silver and gleaming, tinted purple, emerald and bright pink sprang into existence, like a silver gleaming sword falling to the sky. I rubbed my eyes and the subtle illusion of shifting light was gone.

A dark cloud covered the moon, the wind howled, and from the silver sword, eldritch purple fire flared out in a conflagration that settled in a horizontal arch in front of us. Just as quickly, my illusions captured that, winking it away.

I heard voices speak on that eerie wind. A chord of high laughter, a raging ocean, and a roaring animal. I saw Words that had been written on long destroyed walls. Rowan woodsmoke filled my nostrils, and I threw myself into the magic we were calling up.
William's almost deep voice brought me to my senses.

"Reveal what has been hidden and hide what wishes to be! Terris Lux!" His aura flared, and flashed, and I felt his spell amplify through his geomancy and settling around the lodestone like a loamy cloak. I could feel his contribution settle into the spell as Reginald called up the energies he needed. I could feel his Power gathering and set it swirling around him in a cloud of yellow-green light.

"Somnus sagacitas." Reg whispered, only unleashing a trickle of the energy he had called, but it was enough Power to anchor his magic into the lodestone. Yellow-green dust covered the battlefield and settled into the grass.

Cassandra was next. I felt her magic, and her uncertainty, and touched my hand to her shoulder.

"Call what comes to mind. Think of your family, think of your need to protect them, your need to defend yourself. Think of all that, and then let Magic guide you." I said softly. She nodded. I heard the hesitation as she began to speak, but by the time her spell was done, her voice was full of conviction.

"I call upon the Anemoi! I call upon the four gods of the four winds. Boreas, Notos, Euros, Zephyrus! Stop the arrows which threaten our kingdom. Stop the birds that circle our dead! Aero Solidatuar!"

Purple aura flared, sparks leapt from her hand, and the air all around us shimmered before the spell settled on the wind. Evie was next.

"I call upon water, upon the naiad, Aquae invocare. Lend our movements grace and keep us calm." Blue-almost white light glowed and pulsed, and the spell settled into a ward schema.
Edward was next.

"Helios, God of the Sun, protect us, Aegis Flammare." His voice, almost identical to Will's, echoed through the clearing. Orange flames spun all around us, flashed to white, and vanished.

My spell was last. I needed something powerful, but even as I was calling up Power to unleash, I had other plans for it.

"Fortuna, guide our paths, steady wands, and protect us from those who wish us harm. Aegis Rhombus!" An emerald dome of light flickered and flashed into existence. Then I finished the ritual.

"Incatorum Inscribium!" The lodestone pulsed once, and then it dove, deep into the earth, so deep I could only faintly feel the raw Power. That was not what usually happened when a lodestone activated. I gave Will a look.

"We were so focused on protecting us, none of us thought about protecting the lodestone. My spell was designed to protect it by driving it deep into the earth and holding it there." He stated.

"Good thinking." I murmured.

"Let's finish the defenses," I said. They all nodded. I laid mine first. I'd like to think I was creative, and I'd found a passion in runes, and our adventures in the catacombs deep beneath our school had inspired me. In my free time, I'd designed all kinds of nasty little traps. Bethany encouraged this behavior. When I had a home of my own, I'd refine these traps for my own defenses. Each one I'd designed was written in a notebook along with the runes I'd need to invoke to disable them.
I concentrated, and summoned the pouch these traps were contained in. Then, I opened the pouch, and hundreds of rune traps about the size of bookmark, all carved in thin stone, flew out of the pouch and settled themselves in equidistant portions of the field. All these traps were enchantments I had personally carved and occasionally bled over. These were spells that were intrinsically linked to me, and thus, with an effort of Will, I activated them. The runic minefield slowly glowed once before my illusion hide them away.
Emily was the next to lay down Power.

"Somnum exterreri solebat venti!" She cried, drawing a trio of runes in the air. Her aura spiked, and ran up and down her body, toward her wand-arm and coalescing into a ball on the tip of her wand. The runes on either side of her expanse of the field lit in a wash of purple flame.
A flowing purple-blue smoke poured out of Emily's wand and hovered between her two anchor runes. I saw shapes dance in that sorcerous fog. Skulls and shapes that swirled and danced in the gloom. Her line was behind mine.

"What does your spell do?" I asked.

"It makes them believe their dreams, and nightmares are real. Every fantasy and horror they've conceived will dance in their vision, fill their ears, and tangle their senses. Every trauma and victory they've lived through will replay itself over and over, they'll wander aimlessly until they're out of the spell or exhaust themselves. The spell will burn out in about half a week."

"That's kind of horrible." I replied. She gave me a look, and I felt like a bit of hypocrite.

"Yeah, well, it was one of Oh-Em's go-tos." Emily said dryly.
Reginald placed two runic anchors at opposite ends of the long stretch of land he had chosen.
The anchors would power the spells and allow our forces safe passage. Emily had produced some obscure spell, and I used my enchanting, I knew Reginald had different magic than us. His fae heritage and his training in biomancy had given him a unique outlook on the Art.
Reginald drew his black handled blade and pricked his finger. Then he took a seed from a phial and dug a careful mound of earth up with the bloodied dagger, then he planted the seed. With his finger that still dripped blood, he carved a careful circle in the earth around the seed.

"Sanguinem Consecrae, Sanguinem Fidelachius, Maid and Mother, Matron, Gaia, Hecate, Persephone! Morrigan and Maat, Shakti and Freya! I call thee! I am a disciple of the Green Hand! Mother Magic, Fill my soul, fill this seed with your Power! Protect your children, protect your son, I raise you up oh great goddesses of earth and creation! With bloodied palm and wounded limb, Blood to blood! Sanguinem Invocare!"

I felt the magic rise out of the earth and surround him. Blue, white, and silver wrapped around his yellow-green aura and then he took a step back and pointed his wand at the mound of earth. The next part was more of a chant or prayer than the declaration the las part was. I saw Reg's soft smile and heard words spin from his lips. As he half-sung, half spoke, I felt all that power he'd call up pour into the earth. It spread in a fine yellow-green mist that covered the battlefield.

"Merry meet daughter of spinning stars, hail three moon mother, and be welcome oh wise crescent-crone. Accept my Yule offering and my prayer. Use my sacrifice as thou wilt so long as none of mine shall come to harm." Then, Reginald took off his shirt, and as we watched, a triquetra appeared in blue woad on his back. The triquetra flashed blue-white, and then spinning silver, and finally yellow-green before vanishing. Even as the taste of honey flashed across my tongue, I swore I head a storm in the distance.

The seed sprouted then, shooting into sky. It was a lean and scraggly thing, and I swore I saw flashes of silver as vines shot from the seed and slithered across the clearing. Soon that entire section of the clearing had vines slithering across the ground and curling into the air in thorny corkscrews. The vines settled into the ground, and Reg nodded.

"Will, throw a stone into them." Reg said, and William did. The rock flew in an arc and had nearly touched the ground when one of the vines shot into the air and constricted itself around the rock, which exploded into dust. We all gave Reginald a look.

"That was terrifying," William said.

Will laid his next. This was a series of stony spike filled pits under a thin layer of sod. Just beyond that, a series of stone barricades had been erected that would provide cover for the gunners. His stretch of land overlooked the others. The enemy would emerge from the acres of runes, and thorns, and magical mist and emerge into a fusillade of weapons fire. I still had some Power ready and willing to be used, and I threw most of that into that enchantments Reg and I worked in the horseshoe. It was nearing midnight when we were done, I'd planned on returning to the camp and working one last spell before meditating until dawn. We saw a steady stream of torches heading towards us.

We waited, and soon the field was filled with mages, each of them wearing one of my runes on their bracelets. Rhince the elf walked toward us.

"What is all this?" I asked.

"Tonight, my lords, we dance, in the circle you've prepared."

"The circle?"

"Your magical dome is a perfect circle, and we will form into a circle inside of it and perform one of the Dances Quatre."

"What are those?"

"It was a tradition before she took power. Every Quarter, we danced. We dance for Koralis, for the World. For the Great Bear. For Magic Herself. The Dance of Spring was to Bless our fields, and ensure our crops were healthy. The Summer Dance celebrates the abundance of our crops to come. The Dance of Fall is for abundant crops, and fruitful harvests. The winter one, and our first one, is celebrating the earth at rest, it's an entreaty to magic. A petition for spring to surge forward, and the way to balance the scales.

They're old, oh so old magic, a renewal of our bond with the earth. Would you like to dance, tonight, my Lords and Ladies?" Rhince asked. We looked around at each other. His small speech had sparked something in me. A longing, like news of an old friend returning to town. I nodded. I looked around, and I could see from the gleams in their eyes, that my family agreed with me.

"We will," I said.

"Now, I must warn you, these dances have a way of taking hold of you once they start. It's not a compulsion, or anything like that. It's just old magic. That kind of magic has a habit of taking on a life of it's own," he said. There was an odd fae feel about this, not of danger, but of caution and warning.
We each found a partner, and they showed us the few initial steps. The dance was simple, but that was part of the appeal. They walked us through the dance, and soon, we were dancing without music, slowly drifting through the night. Then a trio of fauns began playing their pan pipes, and a couple of minotaur added their drums. I heard the strings of a violin add their soft whine to the medley, and the dance gained an edge as the music washed over us. I could feel the magic rising in me as the tempo of the dance increased. Then the small fae joined with a swirling show of lights.
This wasn't just a dance to call magic forward and awaken from its slumber, or lull it to blissful rest. This was a dance of community, of friendship. It was a Binding.

The music built, and spun, and I found myself tumbling into Will's arms, and we lost ourself in a heady rush of magic and Power and I fought against my instincts to do something foolish. As we danced, we bound ourselves to our new world, and it bound itself to us. This dance was the magic of Koralis welcoming us to a home we never knew. One I'd defend to my dying breath.

The soft heat of this dance, and the sweat dripping off our bodies was our offer. This surge of welcoming magic was the gift of the earth. We danced far into the night, and into the early rays of dawn.

At the peak of the Dance and the wild magic that flew into my veins, I felt my magic spark, and an emerald glow suffused my skin.
I saw the others alight, and then the rest of the mages in the clearing shone like stars around my emerald sun even as the true dawn rose from the sky to greet us.

This was a dance of renewal, and when it reach it's crescendo, I could feel my aching muscles from the day's event ease away and it felt like I was completely rested and at full health. I felt the inspiration of magic and dance take hold, and join with the magic the ritual I'd worked a few months previously. I cast a spell, hastily anchoring it to my pentacle with a swirl of runecraft. This would allow the spells on the pentacle to siphon the energy pouring into me from the day instead of drawing on my core. I wasn't consciously casting at this point. It was will and magic feeding into my need to protect myself.

My next spell ordered my Pentacle's shield to detect incoming energy, heat and kinetic force and concentrate its shield on impact.
A small hover spell fed by aeromancy and a wind rune resulted in a limited flight ability. Soon a soft emerald sheen covered the pentacle, and I knew my enchantments were active. I had other ideas, but I didn't know how to implement them. So with an exercise of will, I created a literal mental to do list. A spell that could absorb and project kinetic force to bleed off energy from the reservoir and to act as a directed weapon. I'd need to build some sort of-

I ripped myself away from the fugue that threatened to overwhelm me as the energies in my body made me slap happy. I didn't have time for that.
Somehow, we all wound up in the same place, in the center of the circle, staring at the sky. The soft not-yet pink in the sky sobered me. Dawn was coming, and I had a battle to fight.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

The Battle of Aisley's End
December 24th, 1930
Koralis

Our troops assembled while dawn was coloring the horizon.
Our gunners and archers were defended by a line of spear men wielding reforged farm tools, and squarish shields that were composed of salvaged metal. Fiona was leading the gunners. Frieda was at her side. One armed with a gun, one with a bow, standing for a brighter future. The gunners, like the rest of the army, lacked standard weapons and armor.
Even now, the gunners were huddling in front of the barricades, waiting for the order to open fire.
Behind the gunner line, what troops that hadn't been used for our flanking maneuvers were stationed with another line of salvaged shields and homespun weapons.

The mages more suited to hand-hand combat had been placed in the rear.
On the top of the horseshoe, the rest of the mages stood ready. As soon as her troops charged, we would order them to fire.
Finally, settled just beyond the horseshoe, all the winged beings under the banner of the Woodland Rebellion had gathered and were being issued a few surprises.

The seven of us stood on the horseshoe over-looking the battle. A last moment discussion had yielded a means to communicate with our troops. The wards had shimmered into invisibility. Even as the dew burned off the ground in foggy funeral pyres of yesterday, I could see her army approach. Her army, despite the carnage we'd wrought the night before, it seemed larger than ours. We heard them before they saw us.
The large basso of drums and brutal roars of her horde were the bass of a symphonic mockery. The clash as metal creatures moved created an unholy chorus of metal pieces shifting and move within their bodies. This was accompanied by the soft hum of the motors and servos each creature possesed. Giants stood on each side of her front line. What used to be a giant. The creature was a minimum of twelve feet tall and looked bulky enough to shoulder aside a lorry. Each giant held a giant club that had been a massive tree until a few hours before, and were covered in metal plates. The front third of her line was composed of a horde of metal creatures composed of beings that used to be men and women. There were even a few small metal bodies that could only be children.

We'd decimated her ranks, but these unexplained reinforcements had brought us back to equal strength.
The rear of those lines was composed of her larger creatures. There were minotaurs, and a few things I thought may have been ogres or trolls. They were riding strange creatures with the head of a dog and the body of a cat, and the coat of a hyena. Behind them were more mechanized parodies of big cats, wolves, bears and other woodland creatures, all clad in metal, their eyes aglow with cold orange fire. Following them were men made almost entirely of silver metal. These men carried swords and rifles, and the expression on the ones with faces were stony. Some of these soldiers seemed aware of themselves to an extent and they must have been Brigid's battle mages because they all held focci that shimmered with unspent power.
Behind them, mages escorted her siege engines. These were a dozen trebuchets in all. Each tore through the forest and left a trail through the grassy plain. Mages and operators escorted the siege engines. I could see the runes glowing and engraved into the piles of ammo.


She rode at the head of her army. Her chariot was made of white metal, much like the armor she wore. The chariot was being pulled by a unicorn the size of a Clydesdale. The unicorn was the pure white of snow in any ice blue sky. It's mane was made of silver. Stars had been captured and spun into silky strands. Its horn was made from the same swirling material. The unicorn seemed to glow with an inner brilliance. I felt a profound sadness that made something in me hurt.

The unicorn had been brought low by the sleek black harness that wrapped around it. The harness was black, not black like the chitinous metal armor Bethany's guards favorited, or the black of a dark night. This was a black that sucked in the light. This harness was a tear in the world around it. The enchantments on the harness seemed foul. While it wrapped around the magnificent creature, the focus of the spell-harnass was a pinpoint of black light that swung from her wrist. I needed to break whatever spell bound the Unicorn to her hand. That was going to be one of my first priorities.

Her army reached the middle of the field, and her chariot continued until she was almost in front of our lines. She was flanked by two soldiers, a slim elf and a hulking minotaur. With an idle snap and twist of her wrist, white sparks shot into the air, formed a flag of white light, and vanished. She looked toward us, and despite our wards, she locked eyes with me and nodded.

"I'm assuming she wants to talk." I said flatly.

"I'd agree." Emily replied in the same tone of voice.

"Well, let's see what she has to say." William remarked. I twined my fingers in his, grabbed Emily, and mentally ordered Io to translocate us.

Her shoulders were bare, leaving swirls of tattoos that ran down to her wrist. The black bell hung from her off hand. Her only weapon was that staff. This was wrapped around a gloved hand. I could see the angry red blotches running up and down that hand. There were scars from the spell I'd used hours before.

"Come to surrender, have you?" I said with a sneer. I was through with being polite.

"Those are brave words for a boy with a rag-tag army. I'm giving you one last chance to put all this foolishness behind us. Surrender, and you'll live like a prince. I won't show you and yours quarter. There won't be any prisoners taken. I'll kill everyone, you, that simpleton I ensnared. I've always wondered what imp tastes like." She demanded.

"If all you've come to do is monologue, let's skip the unnecessary steps. Fuck off and come at us," I snarled. She reeled back like I'd slapped her. Cold fury crossed her features, and swiftly vanished.

"War it shall be. Earth child." She snarled, she turned to leave.

"Io, steal." I hissed, my imp vanished, appeared on her wrist, ripped the bell off her arm, and appeared at my side. She dropped the bell in my hand, and there was a loud bang as a gun barked. Emily was holding Reginald's derringer in her hand.
When the bell hit my palm, I sent the mental command flying towards the unicorn in a burst of information. Save and serve me for this battle, and I'd set them free at the soonest opportunity. I felt acceptance thrum through the bond.

The unicorn charged at Brigid. It's horn glowed silver white, dawn danced on its hide like camp fire sparks and it flew forward her in a blur.
She sidestepped the creature and it stumbled. She shot me a glare and called up Power. She began spinning and twisting her hands in a blur of sharp precise movements. I sent a spin of mental messages, to Io, and to Emily to get us back to the ridge. To William and the Unicorn, telling them to run to the wards. The unicorn ran towards William, and he mounted the stallion. There was a quick flash of a grin. Then a glimmer of icy blue as he called up Power to bridge the chasm he'd created. Dawn splashed against his black armor, and then he was gone, flying across the plain and up the ridge.
Even as a silver blur carried William to safety, Io was translocating me back to the horseshoe. Ganymede arrived a second later, Emily in tow. I suddenly knew what I had to say.

I took a deep breath and spoke. These were my words, and my voice. My aura flared and mingled with the dawn, and my magic carried the words for all to hear. This was a speech I had heard before, or I had said, ages ago. Words danced on my tongue like a forgotten song.
Those soldiers had been dressed in armor that could hold up to a god. These were men and women. These were teenagers and elders. These were people who had seen never seen the bleak winter, or bright spring, or marveled at a crisp fall day. Their armor and weapons were forged from scraps and were stolen and scavenged. In that moment, with William on my left, and Emily on my right. With my aura flared, and my magic called. It did not matter.

"We are unbent, we are unbroken! Though our shields will splinter, and our spears will shake. Our aim will be true, and our magic will shine!"
The sound that reached us was like a roar, in the same way a storm is like a breeze. The sound echoed across the plains, and across my soul. The sound of armored hands pounding against shields. The sounds of cheers and roar of determination. I amplified this sound, and let it crash against Brigid's forces. Her spell was almost done, lines of red magical and alchemical symbols spun through the air, blending and blurring into an orb of scarlet death.

"For Koralis!" My soldiers roared.

"We march for freedom! We fight for our families! We fight against the wolves at the door so our children can sleep in peace! Today is the day we
prove by the sweat of our brow and the breath of our lungs that we will not be conquered!"

"For the King!" Kalidas called, and the sound was echoed across the field.

"Our blood will flow across this plain like a river, but we will spill an ocean in response. This is a battle without quarter. Without mercy. We fight for today, we fight for tomorrow, and we fight for our kingdom! Fight today, soldiers of Koralis and soldiers of the crown, and show this tyrant that we will rage at the dying of the day! Andrews Family, to me!"

Brigid had finished whatever spell she was calling, and a small sphere of light was surrounded by geometry and magic formulae.
She let that orb of magic fly and I felt it slam against my wards. They stood, barely, and there was a fracture where that spell had struck our abjurations. I saw blood freely running down her arm. I didn't let it deter me from my words.

"Hail Koralis! Hail King Stephen!" The crowd screamed.
I looked at William and Emily, I looked at the hope and fear in their eyes.
In William's face, I saw the promise of another dawn. I saw a future, and everything that it could be. In Emily's. I saw the girl, now the woman, that had fought by my side against bullies and vampires. I saw someone who had been subjected to the same tortures I had. I saw how that torture had broken her, and us, and reforged us into weapons that would lay Brigid to waste.

Brigid called up more Power, another twisting gesture of her hands and arms, and a trio of magical orbs flew from held up hands, and popped against my shield.

"Emily, I think you pissed her off," I said.

"Shame, I was aiming for her heart." Emily replied. Brigid threw out lighting, and the wards bled the energy off.

"Stephen, no matter what-" William begin.

"After the battle." I murmured.

I nodded. It was time. I pointed my wand towards them. They produced theirs, and we touched the tips of them together. As we did, my emerald sun was joined by one of purple and another of icy-blue, and our mages opened fire. Brigid snarled, jump aboard her chariot, and Animated it to drive to the back of her lines. This was another bit of the strange wandless magic she'd just performed. A wave of her hand, and sparks shot into the air, her own magical defenses snapped to life, and our magic thundered against the mage Powered spells protecting her forces.
There was silence for a few moments, and then electric blue beams of energy shot from Brigid's gunners and began pinging off the wards. William shot blue sparks out of his wand, and our gunners opened fire, splashing against her own defenses, for the next ten or fifteen minutes, this exchange of beams and sparks light up the morning sky as blue clashed against clear shields, and produced swirls of multicolored sparks.
Then, her trebuchets opened fire. Orbs of glass filled with swirling liquid and twisting lights slammed against the dome. I felt the magic of those orbs break and burst against the wards and felt the promise of destruction each of those orbs represented. Our defenses would hold for the moment, but each orb breaking against the wards sent a cold tingle of airy nothingness down my spine.

Well, I knew what my second objective was going to be.

"Any suggestions on how we could get to the siege engines?" I asked.

"If you can get me there, I can cause the grass to grow over them. I'll need someone to guard my back," Reg said.

"I'll do it."

"You aren't doing it alone," Emily said.

"Have our imps transport us over there," I replied. Emily closed her eyes, and splayed her off-hand.

"That should work," she replied.
I offered my hand to William, who grabbed it.

"Are you with me?" I asked.

"Until the very end," he replied, and Io translocated us into hell.

We arrived at the rear of her formation, and almost immediately came under fire. Merlin had trained us to work in squad tactics. We were down a member, Calem, but were still able to function effectively.

I threw out my throwing daggers while throwing up a Clypeo, Emily opened fire, fired off her gun twice, and caught a spell on her pentacle's shield.
William raised a circle of earth around us, and his magic activated the circle. A magic circle would block just about any creature or construct.
Skeletal golems began clawing themselves out of the ground. Their hands appeared first, followed by their heads and the rest of their bodies.
Their bodies were made of the red clay under foot, but their skulls shone with an icy blue light and struck the enemy. I saw William. His wand was held in the air.
My daggers danced and darted around the enemy spell casters like vicious metal birds, drawing blood and spinning away.

"Reg, how much time do need?" I asked. My fingers on my offhand was twitching by themselves as I subconsciously controlled the daggers.

"A few moments," he said.

"You've got it."

"Will, disperse the circle, than get us some cover. Emily, over or under?" I barked. In response, Emily conjured a horizontal shield. Will and I flicked our bracers, and our shields spun out. Will released the magic of the construct, and then shifted the earth, dragging it out of the ground and provide a half-wall for us to hide behind. I threw out a force spell. Emerald energy struck one of the trebuchet and broke the lever. Ammo fell to the ground uselessly. I could hear Reginald chanting from behind me, a low musical working that was quickly increasing in tempo.

I struck down an enemy griffin that swept down on me. I unleashed a blast of force that sent it bowling backward, a flare of light followed by a pulse of force slammed against my shield, and suddenly things were hell. I lost track of Emily and William and was caught in a flurry of gun and spellwork.
A wolf servitor died to Iactus. Some sort of lizard-creature with a mage staff in one hand, and a book in the other, shot a bolt of lightning towards me.
I ground the lightning away and responded with a lance of emerald flame. I dodged a blast of scarlet fire, and heard Io screech, and leap unto the mage who sent it, claws aglow with light. Io savaged the elf's throat, sending crimson ichor into the air.

I threw that urge to puke and scream and sob into the box and pressed on. Six thrown blades, and three dead opponents later, a mage clipped my armor, and I was thankful for the protections woven into the leather.

I traded spell for spell without thinking, each burst of arcane energy or conjured flame sent my way was blocked or deflected, and then was met with my own battle magic. Bethany's training, and Eli's tutelage saved my life that day. I lost myself for some time in that dance of death a beauty, trading blow for blow, spell for spell, an endless macabre dance.

A lance of pain cutting across my shoulder, one that missed my ear by scant inches, brought me to my senses. I hadn't left the makeshift barricade, and I felt Reg's Power sparking and hissing. The earth itself seemed to soak in his power, and aura, and then it rumbled, and groaned, and a full fucking oak tree grew thrust up out of the ground in the middle of the trebuchets. Three exploded into the air, flipping end over end, slamming into others. In a few scant seconds, carnage had been wrought on the battlefield and the number of siege engines had been reduced by half. Less than half a dozen remained, and those were growing silent as their operators ran for safety.

A wooden branch swept around, breaking mages and trebuchets in equal measure. A few of the remaining mages tried throwing balls of fire and lances of flame at the quasi-sentient tree and met hardened bark. The oak tree made quick work of the rest of the trebuchets, and with it, most of her mages. Those not directly under her thrall fell to her knees, cast aside their foci and weapons and begged us for mercy.

"Run to the forest, perhaps if I'm in a giving mood after, I won't hunt you down." I called. Mages and those in the rear ran, and the dissent ran up her ranks as the tree began throwing siege ammunition into her troops, limbs and beings flew up in gory showers, and I fought the urge to wretch once more. I felt the defenses around us flicker, and then a white cloaked mage ran past, followed by half a dozen others. Her wards came crashing down, and I flashed a feral grin. I ordered Io to bring us back to the Horseshoe.

Her troops were undefended, the wards were down, and so our next step began. In the clouds above the battlefield, our own winged beings dove. Each of them had a collar that had a shield spell engraved in it. In each of their talons, or hands they held a vial of explosive potion, the magical equivalent of nitroglycerin. We had about a dozen of those vials, and they rained down from the heavens, cutting a deadly swath of explosive magic through her ranks. The rest of our griffins held rocks enchanted with explosion spells. Fortunately, one of the vials hit a giant, showering her troops in blue fluid and metal skull fragments. Her forces were in disarray, but the army of metal continued the charge toward our line. After the griffin's run was complete, they flew off to safety. Some of the winged humans swept down and begin striking specific targets with blasts from their guns, and or falling on their enemy with small blades, and springing to the next before swooping away.

Then, Brigid raised her staff, called up Power, and unleashed a pulse of energy that slammed against my wards in a bloom of energy and aura. Then she balled her hand in a fist and ripped away a section of my wards. Her soldiers charged through the opening, and into the runic minefield field that I placed.

The other giant succumbed to the vines, fell down and spattering the field with explosive bursts of blue and silver. These vines and the nightmare field beyond held until she approached. She pulled my runic traps out of the ground and exploded them all in mid-air. She combined all that energy and Power into a single orb and sent it hurling toward me. I raised my strongest shield and felt the impact as the energies of the spell washed against my defense.

She cleansed the air around her as she passed through Emily's smoke. Reginald's vines were burned to cinders in her wake. She reached the trench William made. With a clenched fist, Brigid simply erased the trench he had created, shifting the earth and closing it over even as I signaled them to retreat. Brigid unleashed a spell, and a wave of flame flew towards our gunners, they reached the spear line, and it held. Then she fell among the gunners, slaughtering those around her with flaming spears, and raw uncolored force that cut them down in a wide arch. Our spear-line broke under another wave of force. It was time to meet her in the field. I activated the hover spell and my pentacle glimmered with light.

"Not a good idea kid." Voice said. I ignored him.
I rose into the air slightly, and I was shaky at first until I learned to use jets of telekinesis from my fingers to propel myself up or down.
I was surprised that my flight system worked. My control was shaky, but I was flying.
I threw down fire and force at my enemies and followed that up with spears of ice and spell that I had no outlet to practice until now.
I tried my hand at lightning for first time and relished the sizzling burn as it dropped from the sky and struck my enemies in flares of emerald light. My joy turned to confusion, and then terror as I was rapidly assaulted on all sides.

This was nothing like all the runs at Coventry or the endless drills I'd been coached through. My pentacles shield was the only thing stopping me from being obliterated by the various spells and weapons fired on me. There was an elegance to dueling that didn't exist on a battlefield. There wasn't a carefully chosen target, or boundary lines, or bowing, there was just an endless swarm of opponents that wanted you dead, and only your wand and shield could keep you safe. I poured the urge to keep me safe into my pentacle, and to keep the flight spell powered, and for a moment, emerald lights sparked off my pentacle and the topaz inside took on a odd-gleam.
Absentmindedly- I was too busy trying to survive to pay the thought much attention- I concluded that I may have made a slight tactical error.

"I'm not gonna say I told you so, but I fuckin did!" Voice called. That was the final straw on the control I had over the enchantment. My entire body jerked, and my pentacle bucked, and I had the strangest sensation that I was suddenly tied to the back of a large untamed animal.
Then my pentacle attempted to dive. I acted on impulse and surrendered my body to its control. My pentacle guided me through a merry chase, spell fire danced off the emerald light of my shield; it was impossible to dodge at this low of altitude.
I drew my pistol in one hand, and my wand with the other and I began alternating blasts of pistol fire and blasting spells. I swept by Emily, and I threw two remaining daggers into the necks of elvish mages that were firing on her from behind. I came to a brief landing, long enough to launch a gout of flame that William narrowly avoided which caught a minotaur on fire. Then my pentacle urged me to into the air once more, and I was flying, flying, flying.

I twisted through the air, barely avoiding a harpy, and unleashing a blast of emerald force that sent a small flock of metal birds flying down into the ground, hitting other enemies with the force of small grenades. My pentacle sent me diving on an attack run, and as I unleashed my magic, I let out a small whoop of joy at the Power flooding and flowing through my veins. I had never felt more alive.
I saw Brigid, her chariot glowing with Power, the staff held in her hand, alit with magic, and the wound from Emily bleeding freely, and I came to a halt in the air. She glared and me and unleashed another blast of uncolored force that struck my shield with a loud thud. I dodged easily.
The trio of follow-up javelins were a bit harder to block. I threw one back at her in a spray of rocky jagged daggers, and I swallowed hard when I felt the force spell slam into me.

Instead of knocking me down or sideways, which I could've easily compensated for- the spell knocked me into a tumble - and down in arc. By the time I regained control of my flight path, I was fifty feet from the ground, and knew there was no way I could stop myself. So I didn't. I redirected the kinetic energy of my fall into a pulse of telekinetic energy that sent me in the reverse direction.

I had perfect control of this flight path. I landed briefly, recharged my core, downed a mana potion and shot back into the sky. I sent out a wide summoning spell that would call any weapons not in a holster or someone's hand to just in front of me. This was wild raw magic, only half incantation, and the rest willpower and rage.
This meteor of swords, and lances and daggers, was joined by a small army of rifles and pistols. I formed a fist, and the swords whirled around it, and then I threw a punch towards Brigid, releasing my mental hold on the weapons as I did so. They flew true, and directly toward their target.

I followed this up with a fusillade of weapons fire. I banished all those guns to a spare room in the trunk and surveyed the destruction. Brigid stood in a perfect ring of molten metal.

"Little prince, do you really want to play this game?" She called.

"Thrice and done, Iactus!" I called from the air. Brigid shifted the molten metal into a ten-foot-long viper that hissed flame and launched it towards me.

Iactus caught the construct, and I made the spell explode. Molten metal rained down on her troops, and screams filled the battlefield.

A pillar of earth shot up towards me and exploded into a shower of earthen daggers. This was answered with a spray of icy shards, and that was met by a cloud of conjured poison spores. I fractured the poison spells, and dodged a jet of flame, spinning around on my heel to avoid the trio of cutting spells headed my way.

Then she raised her staff and stepped off her chariot. Io appeared, and attempted to grab the staff. Brigid ripped her off and flung her to the ground.
That gave me enough time to transmute and feed a gout of true fire that I sent hurling towards her. She tried fracturing the fire, since true fire was immune to magical counter measures, that didn't work.

Brigid dove into her chariot, and it hurled forward. I guided the fire, and it slammed into her from behind. I let out a satisfactory grin, and that was when an unseen force sent me tumbling back across our ward line. I regained my footing, spun around, searching for my target, and was almost incinerated by a ball of red fire that I cut to magical shreds with a furious slash of my wand and a screamed Magicae Fractae.
I returned a geyser of emerald flames and repeated my trick with the weapons. They impaled everything in their path, until they came to her.

She flashed me a feral grin and began chanting low. The metal began shifting and turning and flaring with red light. A great metal wolf the size of a large horse flashed into existence and let out a low, chilling howl and Brigid leapt unto the great beast. I tried calling up magic to fracture the constructs animated it, but I found that this was some form of true transmutation.

The only way to get rid of the wolf was to kill it. The wolf charged into me and slammed into our ward line. Then the impossible happened. A sheen of frost covered the wolf's paw, and it slammed into our ward line, and an entire section of magical defenses shattered. I felt that part of spell tear its way out of my soul and let out a gasp.

The wolf stalked forward, and let out a static filled growl, I saw it's jaws open, and it sprang forward just as Brigid leapt down from it's back.
Something told me that magic wasn't going to protect me if he struck, and I didn't have time to counter. I unfolded my bracer, hunkered around the shield, and took the blow.

I don't remember much of those next few seconds. I remember the wolf launching me into the air like I was a toy, and then leaping with me. I remember pouring all the energy from the shield and my pentacle behind me, and thinking a steady stream of shield spells so I didn't pulverize myself on impact. I slammed into the ground. I felt something in my pentacle snap, and felt a sudden flash of hot metal against my skin before I instinctively called all the heat and metal away from my chest, and into formed it into dagger. The smell of burned meat was an after-thought.

"Blood freely given, flesh freely offered, mucare sanguine!" I poured magic into that spell. Then the battle suddenly caught up to me. The world sounded hollow. I tapped a ley-line, and instantly refilled my core. My nerves felt like jagged glass even as I absorbed Power and sent the dagger spinning towards wolf. That had been my pentacle. That had been one of the first gifts I'd ever been given, and this wolf and his master would die. Brigid was content to watch the show. There was a satisfied smile on her face, and a phoenix surging towards me.

The dagger slammed into the wolf's back. He let out a furious pained howl and spun towards me. He ran forward just as William dropped from the sky from the back of Suzaku, and conjured a spear of earth that sent the wolf tumbling even as the spear ripped a long blue gash along it's side and stopped William's fall. He fell to the ground and landed in a crouch. We shared a nod. Emily was already swooping back around.

"I'm assuming that she's going to grab us with that," I said.
With a thought, I threw a grenade into the exposed section of the wolf, and it exploded.
I banished the head to my storage chest on a whim and sent the rest of the body careening towards Brigid. Emily swooped in.

"Io, steal," I said. My imp reappeared by my side and produced the powder she had gouged out of Brigid's staff. Then switched the powder with the actual staff. I saw the look of pure murder in her eyes.

"Emily!"

"Suzaku, fly high!" Emily screamed. Metal javelins sang in the air as they soared toward us like deadly falcons. I unleashed a pulse of emerald light. Then I used one to parry the other, and hastily formed that one into a staff, under the cover of my temporary sun, I glamoured this to look like her staff, and stuffed a tiny bit of Power into the metal.
Then I used Audiomancy and telepathy to amplify my voice and addressed my troops.

"Soldiers of Koralis fall back to the rallying point! Fall back!" The general infantry began falling back, and Brigid began gaining ground.
Then my next trap activated. The runes carved into the earth glowed, and the lines of spike traps activated. Our mages and snipers went to work. Soldiers were impaled, and ripped in two, or caught in a spell. Beyond that, our lines met.

Brigid began prioritizing using the fully metal creatures over the partially and fully organic ones, and this was our second to last line of defense. We had her on the ropes, and I could sense her anger when we winged back to canyon, and I dropped her "staff" halfway.
I set an explosive rune that would trigger when it sensed a living person touch the staff. We swooped back to the canyon. We landed. Immediately Reg and Emily begin throwing their magic into the fray.

"Ready the kill boxes!" I heard William yell. He flicked his wand, and a flash of red light shot into the air, and there was a pop, and a sudden crackle. He looked down at his wand with a frown.

I looked at the staff in my hand, and I could feel the Power coming through it, I could feel the magic pouring from the gem in its center. I stared into that gem for what felt like an eternity. It was a swirling orb, that flashed between green, and red and white. Ones and zeros filled the air like sigils and charms. These numbers promised information that I could use to turn her army to my own age and usher a golden rule that Brigid only dream of. Information that I would have complete mastery if only I reached out-

"STEPHEN OLIVER ANDREWS." I heard Voice and Emily call, and I threw strength into my mental wards. I could feel the corruption, the darkness contained within that orb. But I could also feel hope, and knowledge, and something that felt like home. If I could purify this staff, I'd love to explore the knowledge within. But I had to brave the corruption. I threw my will into the staff, and I called upon every hour spent learning about my craft and the spells Bethany had taught me, I called my knowledge of magic and the faith of the energies around me and deep beneath the earth.

I called all that was or would be of my Power, I felt eternity spin and unravel and reform brighter and more glorious than before.
Every failed plan and half-truth, ever glimmer of hope and shred of endurance. Every idea of victory, I spun those from my soldiers, and my magic, and I felt everything. Koralis was ancient, and weary, and young and naïve.

She, for the land I stood on had an absolute air of femininity, healed the wounds of her children, metal and organic alike. Reality flashed back and forth.

Two worlds spun around me, and time froze.

In one- which was the plane I believed my body was in- was normal. For all that, an armies locked into a death spiral can look normal.
The other world was a jealous after-image of the first. The sky was a cloudy purple, and the grass was stripped of all color. A moon in the distance looked a pale purple in the haze. I looked around me. This world felt pure, but cold. I had a feeling it was bare of life. Not the land, but the whole world. In the distance, Brigid was a towering woman dressed in armor made of chains that wrapped around her in a tortuous cocoon. Chains made of light and metal swirled around her, linking her to her soldiers, and forcing them to submit to her control.

She looked at me across the field of battle, and she charged. Her aura flared and sparked, and the giant metal wolf came back into existence.

I held up my hand, and drew my wand.

"I call you chain breaker. I call you forth." I called magic. I had a feeling that whatever spiral of fae and forget we were in was fully capable of effecting the base reality my body was in.

"I see your corruption, I see the misuse, be cleansed chain breaker. By cleansed, oh great Aeon of the ancients." I called, the words sliding off my tongue in a cadence I couldn't control. The wolf was closing even now.

"Harm none, and do what ye will, be unchained, be unbroken, and never be helpless again! I call you forth Koralis, I call you forth Freedom, Iactus, I bid thee, come forth!" I screamed. The staff and the wand both flashed a brilliant emerald green, and I felt my wand buzz. The corruption deep inside the staff burned away like fog meeting summer sun.

For one moment, a cloaked solitary figure, ten feet tall if he was an inch, shimmered into existence. A spear flashed, even as I held up the staff, and impaled the wolf through it's throat. The figure turned to me, I caught a flash of a silver-grey beard, a shimmer of electric blue, and a quick grin and then he vanished. I returned to the real world, even as I felt the spells spin away. I felt each soldier under her geas, each machine under her control, and I broke those chains and forced the fully machine into a deep slumber only I could only wake them from.
Then I opened my eyes and projected my voice.

"Soldiers and Citizens of Koralis. I offer you a choice. Turn away now, and you will be shown mercy. Walk away and drop all ill will you have towards us. Forget her cause and come to our banner. We will welcome you with open arms and freedom. I offer no quarter to those who march to death alongside her."

"A million circlets for his head!" She screamed, and I smiled. Let them come. I felt more powerful than ever before. I could feel all the energy she had stored in this staff, and claimed it for my own, using the knowledge in the staff to rip away the safeguards.

I conjured a shield that stopped the bombardment of spells with an easy grace and floated back down to the ground.
The quarry, which was using the word loosely, was a horse-shoe shaped wall at Aisley's Plain. It was the perfect place for a final attack. I resolved to rename all this shit if I survived.

Her army was dropping in droves, and she had about a tenth of the forces she had at the beginning of the battle, while ours had only been depleted by about a quarter. Were it not for the endless onslaught of traps, and this ploy, we would have been shredded by superior forces. I'd learned to duel and fight with an air of well-heeled gentlemen. I had also been taught how to fight and duel dirty and use every trick and underhanded maneuver you had to make sure you lived. What I was about to do, fell into the category of both dirty and inhumane.

I was about to give the order that would haunt me. All was fair in war, and examples needed to be made. My troops flowed up the hills, and across the plain. A quarter of them were pikemen. They stood on the walls. On the far end of the quarry, where the earth rose into a wall, Emmy and Reginald stood on the ledge, Lewis guns in hand.

In the end, this had been the last trap we laid, and now I felt that it wasn't even needed. Every single weapon I had available was in the hands of the crew of gunners on that cliff. Brigid walked down into the horseshoe, her troops trailed behind her, and we followed them for quite some time from the eyes of an invisible imp.

"The enemy is in position." Ganymede's voice said in my ear. I sent the mental signal to Emily. I felt Reginald's Power instantly rising from the earth and start growing the vines on the exterior of the horseshoe until they were lush leafy mass that nothing could cut through. I felt his magic flare, felt his Power coalesce into mass of biomancy.

I committed the energies of the spells to memory, there were growth and animation spells, and a teeth conjuration spell. All of these synchronized with the grass spell he was weaving and was going to result in carnivorous vine that would be a complete nightmare to deal with.
Brigid must have felt the sudden shift in the air as the spell coalesce. I felt my illusions break and sent the next mental signal to Brigid. Then I reached down deep and conjured as much conjured and true fire I could manage, and a pillar of emerald flame flared into existence, just as Edward unleashed an arm thick gout of flame and screamed his rage into the world. There was a crackle, and a pop, and my wand bucked once. I felt fragments bounce off my armor.

Near silent gunfire sprang to life, and my fire hit the ground that had been soaked in water that had been used to act as material to conjure oil. You needed mass for conjuration. Usually this was drawn from the air and elements around you. But some conjurations needed a base material. Petrol's base material was water, and the Coldwood family had earned part of their name and fortune creating water transmutation arrays.

These had soaked the ground in oil, it was temporary, and once you burned it, it would revert to steam, but until then, it behaved just like oil.
Conjured and true fire can both catch anything on fire.

Hell was unleashed for Brigid and her remaining horde as the horseshoe caught fire, and her troops followed suit. Soaked in oil, and on and under constant fire for as long as endless ammo drums held out, and I believed we were done here.

I smirked and dismissed the staff back to my nether pocket. Then I took several steps away, just as I heard a scream from the fire below. Finally, she was dead. Then a flaming humanoid mass shot from the fiery pit below, and shifted and spun, unfurling a pair of scaled wings. She slammed into me, and I heard Io screech.

"I'll rip your fucking wings off you little pest!" I heard Brigid scream as I shambled to my feet.

"Lorry?" Voice muttered.

"Fucking bitch." I muttered in response. Brigid ceased chasing my imp and turned her gaze to me.
She dove toward me, I raised my hand high, and Emily, flying on Suzaku, crashed into Brigid, and they tumbled to a heap a few feet in front of me.
Emily tumbled away from her demon, even as she recalled it to her bell, and fired in Brigid's direction. Ganymede appeared with William and Reginald, and Io brought us Cassandra and Evie, a second before Ganymede returned with Edward.

I searched my person. I didn't want to use that staff against Brigid. I didn't trust my wand. My pentacle was gone, and a pistol and almost all my blades had been lost. That left me my pistol, and my kunai. Brigid attempted to leap in the air and found that Cassandra had shattered something in her wing. With a sneer she rushed at Emily, and the grass tripped her.

"I forgot they had a druid with them. Didn't I already kill your kind, Winterborne?" She snarled.

"We're alive and well, unlike you." Reg said, with a feral grin.

Even as our imps converged on her, and Emily threw out a spell I recognized from our practice duels. The carnage spell sheared off her tail. Brigid let out another scream as purple-blue fire with red streaks flew towards Emily.

I blocked the fire and William and Evelyn unleashed spears of ice and earth, and angry spear of orange fire from Edward. The seven of us converged on Brigid. She snarled and unleashed a wave of force I redirected back at her. We'd push her back into hell.
Brigid dodged the lance of ice Evie sent hurling toward her. Then she used William's spear to block the gout of flame Edward sent flying.

"My, three Paxian spawn in the same family, and what's your gift?"
Brigid asked Cassandra. In response, a whip of sharp purple air flashed from Cassandra's hand, and Brigid blocked it by adjusting my thrown kunai. Then she sent this toward me. I caught it, in my shoulder, and I held back a scream.

"All the classic elements." Brigid purred. She idly twirled her fingers, and caught a storm of thorns from Reg. She caught those aflame and sent the remnants back at Edward. Who dodged the fire with a yelp.

"Not much of a pyromancer, are you Edward?" She called playfully and dodged another spear from William. I took aim and fired with my pistol. I met her gaze as she dodged the flashing blue orb of explosive energy.

"Honestly, I'm disappointed in all of you. Four elementalists, a druid, a warlock, and whatever Stephen is, and yet none of you are even remotely trained." In response I threw out a wave of force that she ground away in shower of mostly blue sparks.

A spray of acid shot from her fingertips toward Emily and was blocked by a boulder William sent into its path. Even as she walked toward me, and effortlessly cut through all the spells that they knew, everything in me told me to run. There was a part of me that screamed at me to take what I had, whether it was magic or rocks or my fingers and make her fight for every single inch of ground. This was my kingdom, and I strode forward, and she stopped, and smiled, and let out a laugh.

"Not many have your daring." She said, in a suddenly low growl. Suddenly she had me by my wrist and was clinching her hand around mine.

"Son of Space and Time, this is repayment for hurting one of mine." She snarled, and I felt my hand crack. I would have screamed. I would have fainted, but I had tasted the kind of pain that made you lose time and forget to exist. A broken hand was nothing.

"Tell me Sorceress, what do you know about Manticore venom?" Emily said, Brigid froze for a second and unleashed a wave of force toward Cassandra. She dropped me, and I hurried away from her. Cassandra dodged the wave of force, took aim, and fired her bow. It was blocked by a shimmering shield.

Her speed was so great and her control was so fine, that she could block and return spells from each and every one of us at once. We needed to trip her up, and Reginald had the same idea.

"That was my gun, witch." Reg said, throwing a dozen thorny darts towards our foe. One hit her side and the rest were spun away.

"That was soaked with Mordred's breath. Can you feel your blood starting to burn in your veins?" Emily asked. A look of fear crossed Brigid's face, and it turned to anger. She threw out a gout of purple flame that hit Emily. It was stopped by her armor's shield. Cassandra fired again, and a shield appeared in front of Brigid with an offhand flick of her wand.

"You're blood is already starting to necrotize. I can already see the veins blackening." I called. Feral gleam in my eye, Iactus once more on my lips.

"S-stop it!" She screamed. Dodging my spell, hurling red fire blocked by blue-white water.

"Honestly, school yard bullies can fight better than you. It shows how worthless an untrained novitiate crawler is." Will drawled. She turned to Will. Scarlet sigils glowed in the air and began to coalesce into a ball.
Then a ball of orange fire smacked into her cheek and a vine grew out of the ground and threatened to ensnare her. She burned it to ash and narrowly avoided the jagged rocky spear William sent spiraling toward her. I noticed a tremble in her leg, and the Edward's last jet of flame signed her shoulder. Evie unleashed a small barrage of ice, and one managed to get past her defenses, spearing her shoulder.

I had no other options. My weapons were gone. My wand was barely reacting and could feel the burn as my body begin burning itself away to power my magic.

"Serve me one, this last time." I murmured to my wand. I gathered up my will and threw out a sphere of Psionic force.
Brigid raised her off hand and the ball of emerald light glanced off her bracer. I picked up a boulder and tossed it in her direction.

A wave of red force reduced the boulder to sand, and I gathered that together and called forth fire, screaming even as it forced the sand to glass. I threw the javelin back toward her, and she made a throwing gesture. With a flick of my wrist. I caught the javelin she sent spinning back towards me and broken into a dozen smaller pieces. I sent those shards of razor-sharp glass back towards her in an arc.

Deflect that, bitch.

She reformed the glass pieces into spinning blades. Then I did something irresponsible. I formed the glass into steps, using my enhanced speed to move from one rapidly formed to the next, and dropped off the top of the stairs. Directly above Brigid. With another mental tug. I recalled my faithful kuinai back to my hand, and dove. I had exactly enough time to see a flare of purple psionic fire flying towards her from Emily, and a boulder coated in bright blue from William crashing towards us.

She had enough time to look up at me and lock eyes with me before the Mythril blade plunged into her clavicle. For an endless eternity. We locked eyes, Blood red and bright emerald. Then I was in her mind.

I lived her life. From the time she was a young girl to the moment I had driven the blade into her neck and ripped away a long life. Then reality broke.

<BR>

This is a two-part post. You can find the link to the second post here. As always, thank you for reading. Upvotes, likes, and comments make my day.

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[jldew93]

Unknown Time
Unknown Place.
As I met my own eyes, something happened. The world twisted, and shifted, and I was in a long pale-wood paneled corridor. Golden light shone from inlays in the panels, and above me, there was a second level, I could see bookshelves stenciled in strange runes. It was utterly silent.
I wandered down the golden hallway for what seemed like ages. Maybe a few moments passed. Maybe I walked those halls for a century. I passed by portraits and pictures I didn't know existed. These were moments of me at my worst and best. These were splashes of oil and memory that I both loathed and treasured.

As I walked, the floor and ceiling and walls corkscrewed and shifted behind me. The only path was forward. Eventually I stumbled into an open room. It was modeled after my study at home. There was a worktable in the center of the room. Matching wood adorned the walls and floor.
There were neatly organized shelves holding everything I'd need to perform a magical experiment. Three plain wooden chairs were at the table. I took a seat. Eventually a man wandered into the room.

"Kid, is that you?" The man asked. He looked like me, from a certain perspective. He was about ten years older. He lacked the Auric tinge, leaving a mop of messy sandy blond spikes that Bethany would scream at, and my eyes, from when they were a flinty blue instead of the bright emerald. He wore a pair of ankle boots, and a pair of denim jeans that had seen better days but looked expensive somehow. A comfortable looking black shirt with yellow lettering proclaiming Star Wars completed the outfit. He had a few different scars than I did, and life had taken us down different paths, but he was me.

"Where the nine hells am I?" Another voice growled from the shadows. It was odd hearing a version of your own voice. This man was an older version of me, and one that had that silky drawl Thorne and Grey had perfected.

This was me, but almost through a mirror darkly. Sharp cheekbones, almost sunken dominated his face. A constant aura, one identical to my own, cloaked him in power. His eyes were aglow, hair long and swept back in a neat ponytail. He had just a trace of stubble on his cheeks.
He prowled out of the shadows with a cat like grace I had yet to grow into. My older doppelgänger wore a silk suit of green and black that screamed wealth. He was around the same age as voice.

"Broken Bells, did Bethany throw up in this room?" He asked in a gasp.

"And who the bloody fuck are you two?" He asked, shooting each of us a look. He lounged in front of me and between Voice and I and sat on the table between us. He sprawled back and rested his head on his hand.
He looked at Voice, and then he looked at me, and gave me a double take.

"Whoever you are little lion, you are certainly a Bonaparte, aren't you?" He asked me with a knowing grin.

"Actually, I'm an Andrews," I said. That caused him to frown, and his lips turned down into a small pout.

"And Voice, is, actually Voice what is your name?" Voice frowned.

"Olly, short for Oliver." He murmured after a long moment.

"Your first name is my middle name?" I asked.

"I guess so, Stephen."

"That's not right." The older me said.

"Who is your mother, child? Who is your father?"

"My birth mother or my adoptive mother?"

"Your birth parents," the man said softly.

"My birth mother is Alexis Bonaparte. My birth father is Stephen Andrews." The older me gave me a look. Then, with an explosive growl he hissed out two words.

"That bitch." The other me gave me a look, this time I could see a gleam in his eyes.

"Who is your adopted mother?"

"Lady Bethany Andrews, Vox Popularis of London." I replied.
Stephen gave me an odd look then. A glinting gleam that may have been tears and were gone then.

"She lives then." He whispered softly and looked back up at me. The look in his eyes was one I knew all too well. It was the look of an Andrews who'd figured out the trap they were in and were going to break it wide open.

"That's an older term. What year are you from?"

"1930," I said.

"What year were you born, then, 1915 or 1914?"

"1915." He muttered something under his breath. Then he snapped his fingers. A pane of glass popped into existence, and he splayed his hand. Runes and sigils along with mathematical and scientific figures began appearing and disappearing on the pane. An emerald haze settled across the room and then all his conjurations vanished instantly. He sat up from the table, suddenly, in a sharp gesture.
He shook his head a few times, and then cracked his neck. I winced.

"Fucking time travel." He muttered, and began pacing the room, trailing his fingers along the shelves of books and implements.

"Well I know what's wrong. We're in a confluence."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Voice and I asked almost at once.

"Long story with explanation or short story with terms that you can decipher later?" He asked.

"I'll deal with the second version." I muttered.

"A confluence is a metaphysical event where multiple attempts to pierce the dimensional barrier occur at once. Since these events cause a significant displacement of temporal and spatial energies, they cause time travel, and spatial manipulation to misbehave.
Under certain circumstances, this is extremely dangerous. Alexis and I hatched a plan to send our consciousness back in time if we were killed in battle.
The contingency plan was supposed to seek out an infant and overwrite the infant's consciousness with our own. I have no idea how or why we got sent back so far in time."

"So you're just gonna body snatch me? Because that is not happening."

"Well not now. You've got a personality and everything. Plus my sister scares me. Anyhow, something must've happened and dragged in geek squad over there and fouled everything up."

"So I'm just an afterthought?" Voice, Olly, asked.

"No!" I said the same time the older me said, "Yes."

"Who the fuck are you, anyway?" I asked.

"I'm the one that's been whispering in your ear the last day. As we've been talking, my memory has been returning."

"You're the third voice." I whispered.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is King Stephen Terrance Andrews, Mage King of New Atlantis," he said. I gave him another look. A slow up-and-down gesture of my head that I copied from Emily. But I shrugged my shoulders. Olly made an exaggerated gasp. My father gave me an exasperated look.

"I'm not calling you father, and Stephen is already taken."

"What about Steve?" Olly asked and we both simultaneously said,

"Absolutely not."

"It doesn't matter anyway. It's far too early for the three of us to meet. Confluences just don't happen."

"What if the energy of someone confluence bound struck the energy of two other people that may or may not be bound in confluence."

"Aside from it being magical energy, were there any other properties to it?" Olly asked.

"Muggle please. Let the real magicians work." He said with a quick grin that never met his eyes.

"You're a catty fucking bitch." Olly muttered.

"What the fuck is a muggle?" I asked.
What a stupid word

"Stupid fucking mud-" Stephen-2 started finishing that wood, and Olly popped him in the nose.

"Stephen 2! Fuckface! Olly. Behave!"
I am the child, and I am telling the adults to behave. Oh I pray this is a fever dream.

"You have no power over me." Stephen-2 muttered.

"And stop making references he doesn't understand. You're going to break him." Olly said.

"Honestly, fiction is so lacking in your century." Stephen-2 muttered.

So I've been told.

"Now, back to confluence, Olly makes a good point." Stephen-2 said.

"Both energies were elementally aligned to the person using them. I'm quite aware of the rituals you've done and did. Honestly, Olly, between you and Beth, my son needs a caution sign tied to his neck. Junior, if you ever see my sister again, tell her I need her to put your training into STFD."

"Don't call me that."

"Then if you factor in the temporal anomaly that is Koralis. It might be possible to cause a micro confluence, but you're getting to theoretical metaphysics that usually have no place in the normal world. Something like this could only occur in the Deep Nether or while in hyperspace."

"Hyperspace is real?" Olly asked.

"We're not having that discussion. That may cause another micro confluence. Combined with whatever Psionic fuckery Brigid used on you, and it would result in the spells Alexis wove coming undone." Stephen-2 flicked his hands suddenly, twisting them into a rectangle and holding it up to his eyes.

"Oh, this is her alright." He muttered.

"Yep. This is a saferoom Alexis made in your mindscape. If you ever came under heavy psionic attack, your consciousness dragged us along for the ride, and if we get out of this kiddo, I'm teaching you how to cheat."

"Cheat at what?" I asked. He waved his hand.

"So we need to fix whatever ward is holding his, our, mind together?" Oliver asked.

"Exactly, and that is where it gets difficult. I'm assuming I'm the most educated mage in the room since one of us is a Untouched and the other is a child."

"Okay Mister Fancy Education, what bougie ass school did you go to?" Olly

I was not going to survive these idiots for much longer.

"Nautilus Academy of War and Magic for Grade School, Then I attended University of Alexandria and I completed my graduate studies at Miskatonic's New Atlantis branch. I earned my Book, Skull and Rose." He growled.

"You win. Can we please get me back to reality?" I was rapidly running out of patience.

"Right now, a large portion of your magic is Powering Oliver's ability to perceive the world outside of your mind. If we encase Olly in a memory capsule, and I teach you how to compartmentalize a capsule down, this will put Olly into a sleep mode."

"What happens if we let the spells break?"

"Right now? There are a few options. The most likely is that the backlash would cause the three of us to become disembodied spirits. Our auras would forcibly attempt to seek out a host. Since there aren't any hosts available we would ping back to your spirit and restart the process, even if you reclaimed your body. Each time we would take a little more strength from your body and your magic, until we split your energy equally. You as a person would cease to exist. I'm magically powerful and Constantine wannabee is an Ungifted. I'd come out the likely victor, but I'd be insane by then. Even more than I am now. I'd be a shade, through and through, and trust me little lion, it is a bad day for all when one of our line is unleashed like that." He purred, and I fought the shiver down my spine. I saw a lean predator instead of a father. This was a calculating general in a silk suit.
He'd seen men live and die, and likely killed more than his fair share. If he was my father, I was utterly terrified of him, and the dark shadow of what I could be.

"Or the magical backlash could cause your core to explode."

"Well, if Emily and William both have voices in their heads, they'll all be having discussions along these lines. Hopefully. If they both have two voices each, it's nine people making this decision. We have no idea how their spells are crafted or who crafted them. For all we know their confluences aren't happening." I replied.

"It doesn't matter. All three of you are in close-proximity, and your magic and aura are mingling. You and Emily have a sealed family bond. You and William have an invoked soul bond. Those magical pathways will feed off the energy unleashed by Confluence and it will travel along those bonds. My Shade would repeat the process and would- well it would be bad. It would go bad quickly, and it would stay bad, and there wouldn't be a lot that would fix it. We must repair Alexis spells or all nine will die. Fortunately, they're so ingrained in your aura at this point that you would need to be completely cut off from magic for it to be exposed. All we need to do is kickstart the magical energy required for your aura to begin recharging your magical core."

"Soul bond? What in the nine hells is a soul bond?" I asked. Stephen-2 looked at me.

"Not my place. Or I'll tell you when you're older. I haven't decided which." I glared at him, but I continued.

"It doesn't matter. My core is nearly dry."

"That's where compartmentalizing Olly will come into play. There are certain metaphysical events that will allow you to release him from his confinement. On your twenty-first birthday. Whether it is in this world or the actual world, you will be able to enter a trance and unleash Olly and Myself. I'm aware unleashed is a horrible word choice. But it's the closest I can come to the actual event. Ugh. English is such a horrible language. Before we go, I'm going to give you a series of memories. Unlock their memory capsules in the order I tell you too. I know the next time you see me, you'll likely be past the age that you would need a father. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. I'm sorry we have to take your first friend away, but you'll see him again, and I hope those memories make up for it."

"Olly, how do you feel about this?"

"What does it feel like?" He asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. You have a restful, dreamless slumber and the next thing you know you'll be waking up in a new body."

"Define "a new body"." I snipped.

"Oh relax mini-me. Even golems will do. Ask your friend Reginald. From what I remember that line is particularly good at flesh crafting. A new body and brain are easy. It's finding a consciousness, and you have six extra."

"How do we proceed?" Olly asked.

"I'm going to give Stephen a set of memory engrams. Then he's going to use the spell contained in the first to put us both into compartmentalized capsules. From there, he'll have to use the second spell on himself to knock himself out. Everything he needs will be in these engrams."

"How can I cast a spell here?"

"Here is technically inside your mind. You still have access to your magic and your Power."

"And if one of the others go crazy?" I asked.

"Pray to whatever deity you wish and hope they're taking calls," he replied.

"There is one more thing, we'll have to edit parts of your memory to ensure the integrity of the spells. When you free us, all of our memories will come back to full focus."

He rubbed his hands together, and then touched the tip of each finger together. As he did, his, mine, our, aura shone emerald briefly. Then this auric energy twisted up his legs and down his shoulders, coalescing in a ball of jeweled light. He opened his hands, and there was a swirling emerald orb of light hovering on his palms.

"Take it." He whispered.

I took the orb of light and cast my own Power around it. Magic flared, and the world snapped into crystal clear focus as the memories of neuromancy anchored in my own memories.

I nodded at both. Then I produced a dagger and drove it into Stephen's clavicle.

"Memento Mori, Nos speculum et lumen!" I called.

He froze suddenly, and then the light left his eyes. Suddenly, a glass statue of him took his place, and that shattered into a thousand shards. These shards spun around a single point where the center of his mass would be. Then they curled themselves inward until they'd compressed themselves down to a glowing glass orb shining dark emerald. I tucked that into a pouch on my belt.

Then I turned to Olly.

"Stephen, if this is good-bye. I feel damn proud of the man you're growing up to be."

"Olly, I'll see you again. I'll bring you back."

"If anyone can, it's you." He said and closed his eyes. Then I repeated the motion, and the spell, and I tried not to feel like I'd just stabbed myself. He repeated the motion, and this produced an orb of white light, which went to hover next to the orb of emerald.
One more time.

I raised the dagger. Aimed it carefully, and while shouting the spell once more, drove the dagger into my neck. Reality broke. The sound of breaking glass echoed through the air. Cracks began appearing along the floor, and traveling up the walls, and falling through the floor.
I ran out of that room, and into the golden hallway, which spun and shifted into a kaleidoscopic mess of a sweat-soaked fever dream that would make abstract painters weep.

The vision seared itself into my brain and I sunk to my knees with a scream. Then I felt the wind shift and the room either started spinning or I stopped spinning. Either way, the kaleidoscope gained a new furious intensity and even the concept of a hallway became nonexistent. Then, for one moment, everything stopped.

That was when the floor vanished beneath my feet, and I feel into a black abyss, and felt a sudden jolt as pain shot through my wrists.
Suddenly, I was hanging from a cold smooth pillar. "So, this is the new crop of heroes, eh?" A man's voice called from the shadowy gloom surrounding me. I heard his fingers snap, and the gloom around him vanished.

The being, or creature was shaped like a man. Except he wasn't. His body, from the top of his helmet to his bracers and boots, and even his belt, shield, and scabbard were flat matte white. The armor the being wore looked to be composed of small hexagonal shapes. The steel golden handled broadsword shimmered with magic.

The shield was painted with a bloody union jack. Then I noticed the blue flash of his cape, and the red cross on his chest. He held a glowing orb of light in his shield hand.
My imagination was a bitch.
I got the distinct impression he was looking at me.

"Can I have your name?"
His voice was like a symphony, and I felt a compulsion stronger than I'd ever known attempt to wrap around me. It took all my strength, but I broke the net the man tried to weave around me and my family.

"Fuck off." I spat, and he glared at me. I'd seen the same looks from my adoptive mother one-time too. I felt a sudden rush of a cold, and smelt a whiff of Other, and instantly, I realized that I was dealing with an old fae. One that had taken control of my dream, or my fragile mind state.

Fae were bloodthirsty through and through. Bethany treated with Slender and the Queen of Winter's darkest, coldest knights, and I had the old laws pounded into me. The first rule when dealing with fae, was avoid the truth, but never tell a lie. The second, was to never willingly give your Name when dealing with the Faire Folk. A name held Power. Like giving someone your blood or genetic material, giving any creature of the Nether your name meant painting an easy target on your back.

"Such rudeness, young lordling. Tell me, tell me, tell me. It has been years since I've received such a response. Tell me, little lordling. Tell me, tell me your name." The third was to never be rude to them. They called themselves the Good People. The Fair Folk and spread their revelry across the four seasonal courts.

Oh yes, they were fair. But Spring floods can kill. In Summer, everyone is eventually burned by the sun. In Fall, all things rot and wither and are reclaimed by the earth. And in Winter, all things freeze. So yes, fair they may be, but fair does not mean good, and their good was certainly not nice.

"I am the reclaimed orphan. I am his mother's tongue, and his father's aura." I replied.

"Oh, surely, surely, surely, you can be more direct than that. Once more, upstart scion, what is your Name." I felt the Power rip its way through my psionic defenses, and I held it with everything I had. I sent every bit of mental energy I could to that one point of contact. Those two balls of opposing energy struck, and split, and it was everything I could to keep my concentration on the here and now. My shields would hold, but only just. I felt a scream work it's way up my throat, and it took all my training not to react to the sudden whining ring in my ears. Like a very tiny drill right next to my ears. It was all a construct. I was still in Koralis. I had to be.

"There will be no such translocation today, Aether." The Man said.

"I am an Apprentice of Ice! I am a Novitiate of Fire! I am a Journeyman of the Mind!" I screamed, throwing my own Power, my own Will in return.
I was in some sort of psionic construct. It was the only thing that made sense. It had to have been some sort of emergency mental tripwire that would allow Brigid to gain complete control of me. Some devilish construct that would give her my Name and allow her one last victory before the other six killed her. Of course she had chosen me.

The creature smiled. It was a wide, sharp smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear and eye to eye. It was a smile that made me want to piss myself, and I let my aura fly to break the bindings that wrapped around me in invisible chains. That was when I realized that Voice-Olly was silent. The encapsulation must be working. That meant I might just need to ride out whatever fever dream this was.

"You'll only remember this conversation when you're ready. So, from a narrative standpoint, they don't make sense here. Honestly, the lot of you were infested." The Fae said.

"Tell me what you are." I stated. The man barked.

"Enough games, Merlin's Apprentice. Student of Coventry. Heir of House Andrews. Thrice and Done and all the old ways you insist upon invoking during this conversation. Has it ever occurred to you, little, pea-brained mage, the reason why the fair folk acted the way they did was to ferret out those who did what they pleased?" He whispered. It was a half hiss to my ears, and I fought a shudder, and felt the rest of my mental wards break. That was when he snapped his fingers, and I saw the rest of them. Each of them was suspended by their wrists and ankles, much the way I felt like I was.
"What did you do?" I screamed. My friends, my sister. Had all been horribly transformed. To my left, William was a man covered in chitinous metal plates. Even his features had been reformed. Instead of any kind of nose or eyes, there was a domino mask. The only way I could tell it was him was that the thin bright-blue lines running out of a triangular shape on his chest.

Emily hung next to him. She was dressed in a black hooded cloak; her skin was covered with a fine film of auric energy that crackled and popped. Her hair ran out of her cloak, and I noticed that instead of locks of hair, there were metallic shiny black wriggling snakes, and each of their eyes glowed with the color of her aura. These snakes hissed and moved of their own accord. Her skin looked pale at first. I realized that it was almost ceramic, with cracks along the edges of the faces of a honeycomb pattern woven. Her face was also gone, replaced by the domino mask. Her entire body looked like it was made of this almost-bone like material made of purple colored material. She struggled against her bonds and looked at me.

"Stephen?"

"Emily!"

One of the snakes was trying to sever the manacles of gold auric energy that bound her wrists. Reg was next to her, and he was, odd, off, somehow. He looked to be about twenty, and his features had become more elven. He looked nearly identical to Eli and had changed form into a Fae of deep winter. His body was composed of the same bone material covering Emily's body. A suit of brilliant green hexagonal armor and a helmet hid everything except his hands. A pair of large dragonfly wings hung from yellow painted alcoves.

Next to him, Edward hung limply from a fourth set of manacles. He was dressed in a suit of armor identical to Williams. Cassandra and Evie looked like color shifted versions of Emily's costume. He looked around the room. One of Emily's snakes struck against a binding again, and it flickered just as the orb in his hand pulsed. That orb controlled our bindings. I could call it to me.

"Thrice asked and done, oh great scion of stars." The creature purred.

"Thrice and done, I am the Orphan Heir. I am the Street Rat. I am the Aether!" I yelled. He shook his head and dropped the sword back in its sheath. I could barely move my off hand, but I twisted my wrist and shouted.

"Vocare orbis! Orbis et lumen, venite ad me manum tuam!" I shouted. The orb of light came spinning into my off-hand, it pulsed white, then gold, then red, then blue and finally glorious grass after a summer rain emerald. I grabbed the orb and ordered it to release me friends, and then the orb pulsed once and vanished.

I came to in a jungle. Emily was to my right. She was mostly back to normal. She wore her old dueling leathers, not the heavily enchanted armor she'd given us. I was propped against a wide wooden tree. I could feel a burn in my shoulder that I knew was a bullet wound.
Emily was occasionally stepping away from my side to fire pot shots with her wand. In the distance, to my left, I could see Bethany. An armory of fire, and ice, and black gleaming metal weapons spun around her. She was in her wolf form. I could hear gunfire in the distance, and the sweet loamy air of the jungle filled my nostrils. Where was I? When was I?

"Stephen, are you okay?" Emily called after I let out a soft groan.

"Did that bullet get through your shields?"

"I think so, where are we?" I asked. Emily gave me a look.

"Just make me a bell."

"How?"

"You know how. Argentum Orbis."

Without thinking about it, I called my white wand to my hand and intoned the spell.

"Argentum Orbis!" I called, my wand flashed green, and then a silver bell popped into existence. The silver bell took on a red hue that seemed to begin growing in intensity.

"Emily, is it supposed to glow like that?" I called.

"Oh fuck!" She cried.

"Stephen, hang on and breathe. Focus on who you are, who you want to be, and who you will be. You're almost done, you just need to come home." She called, even as her voice faded and the world faded to point-points of light.

Then then world gave out beneath me. I fell into a black void. My wand, my blades, everything had vanished except for the scarlet bell in my hand and my clothes. The scarlet bell suddenly exploded to a sudden cherry heat that I called forth ice to combat. I hissed and gagged as the smell of burnt and singed flesh filled my nose.

I threw out my will and power, and I felt the last reserves I had gained start slipping through my metaphysical hands. I knew I only had a few tricks to try.

I had just conjured this bell. I had conjured silver brought to life by thought and existence by magic. I had conjured it, and this red light, Brigid, was glowing in my hand, contained and bound to my will.
I could feel her latent Power and knowledge, all the magics she knew, and the plans of her traps, and the ability to navigate the hellish boundaries of her castle, and I doubled my hold on her aura. I could feel her screams ring throughout my brain.

She fought me with memory and thought, throwing out life experiences that I was far too young for, and I fought back with dueling drill and spell memory.

She had been taught well, but old Koralis had shit for discipline compared to Coventry and my Master. I danced around her memory weapons, and we traded imaginary spell for imaginary spell. This was my mind, and my battlefield. I had bound her and I ripped my way out of that trap, reverting back to where I was falling with a bright red light curled in my hand.

I didn't have the fine control of the Latin language and runes to perform the final bit of spellcraft I needed. But, I did have the proper control of the English language, so I called my Power, and begun almost singing the words my instinct told me were best.

"To Bell I've bound you, to bell I've bound you, and to hell I've bound me. So mote it be. I bind thee witch, false queen, and fake prophet, to this bell you shall be bound, Brigid!"

"From bell to ring, allow silver to meld, to ring shall she forever be spelled!"

"From hall to hill, from hill to tower and tower to mill, this land is no longer yours. Begone, thrice said, thrice done. Your Power is broken, and your influence is none. I remove you this hour and claim my own hand to wield your Power. So I call, so mote It be, magic be heard, magic be seen, magic be free!" That wasn't what I had urged my magic to do, it wasn't the working I'd compelled my Power to perform. I'd wanted a song of destruction, not an issuance of claim.

What the fuck? No. The red flared, and soaked into the silver, until it became a light pink metal. The Andrews Family Coat of Arms was on the front of that Ring, and it settled on my pointer finger. Whatever I had done, or magic I had wrought, had bound me to the spirit I could feel in the ring.
Then, the world broke one final time.
I was hovering just above the ground in a room that looked like an older infirmary. I realized I was looking at myself laying in a hospital bed.
Reg paced between my bed closest to the door, and Emily's bed at the farthest end. William was between our beds. Runestones had been laid in a perimeter alongside us. I could see the shimmery haze of a ward schema that covered each bed with an envelope of energy.
I saw Emily and William standing in front of their beds. An older man in a tweed suit and a bowler hat was standing behind William. Emily and a young lady in a long white dress looked to be having a furious conversation.

I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder and looked behind me to my left. I turned around.

"Hey kiddo." The man said in an easy tone. His aura, and his hair and eye color was a violent bright orange. He looked to be about mid-forties. He contrasted the violent mane of orange hair with a charcoal suit. He had my cheeks. And my nose, and I let out a breath.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your uncle." The man replied.

"You don't look like Bartholomew," I said.

"Oh, not that ponce. I'm your uncle Alex." He said with a wide grin.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Call me your spirit guide. I'm not sure how this whole life guidance thing works, but it was either me or one of your grandfathers. Trust me, I was your best option."

"So I'm dead?" I asked.

"Yes and no. Right now you are on a precipice. You need to choose whether you wish to live, or to continue onto the Great Beyond. If you choose to live, you'll remember this conversation, but with none of the impact such a conversation would have on a psyche. You're getting this choice because it wasn't your time, and I've been assigned to watch your case. You won't see me, or be able to call me, and I'm not going to intervene again, but the Higher Powers want to know what makes a walking near-death experience tick. Or you can choose to die and you'll travel to whatever version of paradise you wish.

"And my friends?" I said.

"They're being extended the same choice. However, they won't remember it, and I'm placing a geas to not allow you to speak of it. If you write about it, the reader will simply gloss over it. It is unimportant that you don't disperse the grand experiment until it is over."

"When will that be?"

"When Confluence has been resolved. When three earths spin round each other, and seven crowns spin round them all. When man walks the stars, and hunger has been driven to extinction. When all are equal, and the just walk free. My master weaves a fragile line of fractured time and space spun silver, and his spool is beginning to run dry. He seeks an apprentice. His first choice has proven to be a failure. He seeks a new one."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yes."

"And what other tasks would I need to solve besides the impossible?"

"There are many and multiple. Before each task, you'll be sent a dream."

"My patience has neither of those qualities. How to do I take control over my body?"

"You'll know our Master when you next walk the halls of your school."

"How do I return to my body, spirit?"

"Before you go, you should know, you'll have rivals. It is best if you kill them." I took those words and mulled them over. Best for who? How did I know this wasn't a rival, this whole thing from the Andrews Townhouse to Koralis wasn't some grand trap? Then I looked over at William and Emily. Could someone be trying to get me to kill them? This could all be some sorted of twisted vampiric psychotherapy.

"Thrice and done." I called. I heard echoes of William and Emily's voice ring across the room, and we all looked over at the others.

"Simply lay down in your body, your magic and psychic energy will take care of the rest."

I did as I was told and felt the intimately familiar sensation of my soul reentering my body. Alex vanished from existence. I let out a scream just as I heard Emily and William do the same as the enormity of everything I saw and witnessed sunk into my brain. I fell into the black void of blissful unconsciousness and welcomed oblivion.


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[jldew93]

One month after arrival
Aisley's End

I woke sometime between the next day, and the next decade. I wasn't sure exactly. I woke with the sunrise, and I knew this meant I'd been out for at least a day. I recognized I was in an infirmary, but I wanted to know where I was. There was a heavy weight on my chest, and I looked down to see a sleeping Io curled up on my chest. She must have noticed my movements because her eyes were suddenly open.

"Master!" She called and butted her head against mine. I scratched her head absently.
Reg was at a desk in front of me, with his back to us. He turned at the sound of Io's voice.

"God's Blood, I thought you'd never wake up." He floated a small glass of water to me as he stood, and I took a sip. I put it on the table and gave Io a gentle shove. Then I attempted to get out of bed. I stumbled out of bed. William and Emily were also waking and attempting to stand. We all wore identical crisp white gowns. I heard doors suddenly slam open.

"Oh no you don't!" Reginald shouted.

"Stephen, you are in no shape to be moving. I had to restart your core twice, and your heart once. You literally died three times in the last month. Sit down. The only reason why you're moving is because I was able to prevent muscle atrophy."

"I'm making sure the three of you are fit to move out of bed. Sit, now." I moved from leaning over the bed to sitting on it.

"You've all been out for almost a month. I took you off life support spells a day ago. You just started responding to external stimuli today."

"What's the date?" William asked.

"It's January 22nd," Reginald said.

"That's my birthday." The three of us said in unison, and I gave them both looks. How had this never come up? Usually, I didn't like to celebrate my birthday, and since it was so close to Christmas, Bethany usually combined the event into one day. That usually gave me the day to do as I wished, and when the day had passed on the first year I was at Coventry.

"I know, I each got you a cupcake from that French bakery in Emrys. When you two ignored them, Calem and I ate them. Happy Birthday."
I would have still been brooding over my defeat at Emily's hands during the dueling tournament. I would have likely ignored the world to solve the problem of her defeat and how to avoid that issue in the future. I did tend to stop eating at the end of these cycles, so that would explain why I ignored any sort of baked good, which I was usually a sucker for.

"Sorry Reggie, I thought it was something included in Coventry's services, I figured if I didn't eat it, I wouldn't have to pay for it," Emily said.

"It's fine," he replied.

"I'm going to scan each of you. If you're good, then I'm going to give you a round of restoration potions." He said, and pulled the Rod from his pouch. I was the first one to be scanned, and the rod glowed green. It did the same to William and Emily. Reg nodded. Well, he'd been scanning us a cat woman, a Kathar, appeared.

"How are they, my Lord?" She asked Reginald and gave us a quick curtsey.

"Your Grace," she murmured, quickly averting her gaze from me.

"Reg, what's going on?" I asked sharply.

"So, you're good on the nutrient potions. You're going to need to eat fattier food for the next week or so. If you were mundane, I'd say start with simple foods, but you need all the calories you can get."

"Reg-" I began to call. He held up his hand.

"I'm not going to call you calculating Stephen, because I don't believe you know how to seize an idea and make it yours so quickly. But you left us to clean your mess, and I'm not okay with that." He said with a sigh.

"You don't have the foggiest clue about whatever blood magic you used?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Stephen, you, Will, and Emily used some sort of spell to contain and transmute her into a ring. The very ring that's on your pointer. The ring with the House Andrews Coat of Arms that matches the coat of arms of the royal family-that-was. Whatever magic you three wrought resulted in that ring and two silver rings. The same ones that are on William and Emily's hand and turned Brigid into a statue.

A shrine to the three of you and your victory has already been built around the statue, and I'm assuming you have no idea how you did it. Just like you have no idea how Emily was the top duelist at our school. How the both of you knew about the room where Merlin is. Or how you knew to summon all that gold. Or why Grey and Thorne attacked us. Or half a dozen other questions I don't think I'll ever have the answer for. Every time we've gotten in trouble, it seems to be you three leading the charge." He sighed and shook his head. He flicked his wand, and a chair came spinning across the room. He took a seat.

"Who's been running things since we've been in a coma?" I asked.

"Since you were in a coma, Stephen. At least admit you keep your own council before you listen to us." Reg said, there was a bitter tone in his voice.

"Cassandra is taking charge of the finances. With her gift in Tremisimancy and her head for numbers, she'll be a catch for any guild that wants her, and Io has been helping her immensely. They're overseeing most of the logistics. Evie is helping among the people. She goes out among them with whatever supplies we can spare, and an encouraging word, and she's helping organize the orphanage.
Edward snagged a couple of manuals from your trunk, Will, and he's using those to organize our remaining troops." I took all that in even as he continued.

"We had memorials to those all those who fallen, when you're feeling up to it, I'd like to go over the list of names. I've already sent letters and done the dirty work, but it looks good if you visit them. I'd like to establish some sort of fund for the survivors, and their families. While some children lost both parents, we've been good about placing them with families who they're related to or good fosters." I nodded at that news, not sure what to say about everything.
Emily and I shared looks, we had enough supplies, and gold, for a small town. Finances shouldn't be an issue in the short term.

"Cassandra and Io were working together?" I asked.

"Yes. It was the best solution. Cassandra is the eldest Lowe child, and you're their vassal. Io was fulfilling your obligations while you were indisposed."

"But Io is a demon," I said.

"Who saved Cassandra's life three times and stopped an assassin aiming for you. This was over the course of a day. You've got one hell of an imp there."

"Have you looked through our trunks at all?" I asked. Reg was silent for a moment.

"We raided your supplies, and that's how we've been getting our food. I had to dip into your gold. I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be, it's what it's there for," I said.

"Where are all our implements?" Emily asked.
Reg made a gesture with his wand. One of the cabinets flicked open. Three wands and three sets of ritual blades sat.

"Are we in the tower?" I asked. Reg chuckled.

"Yes Stephen, we're in your tower."

"How is it my tower?" I growled.

"Their ancient law dictates that the one who kills the outgoing leader is the one who earns the crown. We already have people clamoring to meet you. As soon as you're feeling up to it, your social life is going to fill quickly."

"Why me?"

"Because it was your knife that killed her. It's an archaic law, but it's a law that has defined their constitution since the creation of this country."

"So now I'm going to be a moving target?" I called my wand into my hand.

"Honestly, Stephen, had I wanted to kill you, I would have. I have no interest in ruling. Besides the law does have caveats. You have six months to have your confirmation. After confirmation, you have a year to become coronated, and from there, you have a year and a day amnesty to cement your rule, during that point, anyone may attempt to seize the throne via a duel. After that year and a day, the kingdom is yours and none may question your legitimacy."

Well, I was changing that policy. I wondered when I'd decided to start thinking about policies.

"How do I confirm my candidacy?" I asked.

"The first step to confirm your candidacy is to kill the old ruler. Then you must bear the coat of arms of the royal family without pain. Finally, you must be able to wind down the wards of Castle Silverspire."

"Where's that?"

"It's this massive palace far to the West on the coast. The wards there sparkle at night. The true ruler of Koralis will be able to claim and control the wards of the palace."

"So, have they ever heard of democracy? It seems to be working out great for the States!"
I didn't want to be a king. I wanted nothing to do with bureaucracy and wanted nothing to do with diplomacy. I wanted my books, my experiments and my lab at home. When would this trial end?

"You must be the next ruler of Koralis. You've already met two of the three requirements."

"Why didn't you tell them the ring was just my family crest?"

"Because the requirements wouldn't fucking matter in that case. They'll force you or Emily to be ruler. When you wear the crown, figure out how to implement democracy. If we reveal your family tree directly after you interact with the wards, then you'll cement your claim nearly instantly.
You already have the favor of a few species. Cement your claim quickly enough and properly and you can do whatever you wish to the kingdom. We just need to figure out the economy and all that delightfully interesting shit as soon as possible. But first, let's make sure you can use magic, and walk properly and don't have anything wrong with your brain."

"Honestly Reg, I feel fine. What about you two?" I asked. They both shrugged.

"I don't care if you feel fine and look fine, something could be wrong internally or there could be a curse I missed. Emily is the specialist for detecting that kind of magic. According to all the analysis scans I know, you're clean."
I trusted Reg's diagnosis and told him as much.

"I've got clothes when you want to get dressed. Emily your bell is in your pack. Ganymede refused to help us." Reg said, and conjured our backpacks back into existence. They landed on the foot of our beds. I used switching spells and changed into a pair of pale linen trousers, and a smart pale-blue button down shirt.

I pulled on a pair of socks, popped on my boots, and drew my communication mirror from its case on my belt.

I checked my appearance. My hair did have a good month's growth to it, and there was a trace of stubble on my checks. I spelled away the stubble and trimmed and vanished the extra hair. Then I styled my hair with a quick pair of spells into a neat and careful backwards sweep.

I darkened the linen trousers down to a charcoal grey. My face had a sunken quality I didn't like, and my ears had started to taper slightly from all the magic I funneled.

My head was oddly empty, and I wasn't sure how I felt about being alone in my own brain. I got out of bad shakily. Reg went to give me a hand and I waved him off. I slowly toddled to the edge of my bed.

"Can I tap a ley?"

"You should be fine." I reached out for my core and found it slightly larger than I remembered. I tapped my dominant foot against the ground. Ley-line energy spun up my leg, whispered up my nervous system and flooded my magical core with Power.
I began to move my limbs to make sure they worked properly.

"You shouldn't have any joint or limb damage."

"How badly was I hurt?"

"I don't want to talk about it, but I was able to heal you, and that's all that matters."

"Reg, how bad?"

"If I didn't have that lovely little artifact, and you hadn't insisted on all of us weaving emergency shields into our pentacles, then the three of you would be dead or burned to a crisp. You all were in shock. I had to restart and purge all three of your cores. You broke your hand, and I was worried about nerve damage. One of your daggers melted inside her body. That, along with the poison, the burns from Emily, and the blunt force from William, and she's very dead.
Ensuring she was dead was a bitch. She had boobytraps all throughout her body. Her spine turned into this creepy eel. Her hands tried to attack me. She was a bloody nightmare."

"How did her hand attack you?" Emily asked. She was tying her bells to her wrist. She'd opened her trunk and her gear was already assembling itself on her body.

"One finger looked at me and tried to throw energy beams at my face, and the rest just sorta crawled and tried to bite me."

"Like an animal or like a bug?" William asked through a headful of shirt. He had dragged his underwear on under the hospital gown and was began digging through his bag. I wandered over and helped him with his shirt.

"Like a bug." Reg said, William's head popped through the neck, and I fixed the buttons.

"Eww." The three of us said simultaneously.

"Why did you put on a button down like that?" I muttered. The shirt was a wrinkled mess. I sighed and cast an ironing spell on the shirt. His shirt was white, and I put a spell that guarded against stains on it as well.

"I thought you military brats were supposed to be organized." I muttered, even as I began rifling through his bag for pants that went with white. I settled on a pair of black Coventry slacks. After a second thought, I used the spells to instantly clean them. I produced a pair of shoes, thanking the gods we wore the same size, and a pair of black socks. I also loaned him a gold and black belt.

"I'm assuming all the who's who want to meet us as soon as possible?"

"Yes." Reg replied. I frowned, and looked back at Will, and then at Emily. Who had dressed in her usual messy boyish attire. I raised my wand.

"Don't even think about it." She muttered. I put my wand down. Honestly, an ironing spell wasn't hard.

"William, do you know what organization is?" He muttered something, even as I was already throwing out magic again. The array of housekeeping spells started emptying out his extended backpack. The amount of objects overflowed and covered the surface of the bed and flowed off it. I swear my eyeball twitched.

"Uh, yes?"

"Is this how all of your belongings are packed?"

"Yeah, why?" He asked. I started sorting and using the spells to clean the clothes. William had taken my approach of it if it looks useful, take it. He had types of household chemicals, and various odds and ends from around his house.

"You're gonna let him do that?" Emily asked. Will shrugged his shoulders.
Aside from that, there was everything four children would need to survive a prolonged trip in the woods. Some of these supplies had been scavenged from Coventry's kitchen, and the rest were clearly magical.

"Why four and not six?" I asked softly.

"Let's work on your issues before we tackle mine." William said, this was without malice. He has hiding hurt behind an easy jab and I let the matter drop. By the time we had finished I wanted to strangle William. I spent the next several minutes crafting and organizing his belongings into something resembling sanity. Then I gave him a look.

"How attached are you to that shirt color?" I asked, and he shrugged. With a flick of my wand, my shirt turned to any icy pale blue, and his turned to a light emerald. I turned his pants the same charcoal shade as my own and took back the belt. He at least looked presentable.

"Where did you learn all this?" He asked. I smiled, a half grin that I hid back behind my mask.

"If you survive enough shopping trips with my mum, you pick up a few things. All the spells were in the book we were supposed to memorize back in first form."

I flicked and folded and flipped and shrank all the belongs in Williams pack. The I polished the exterior.

"So you're not sure we're together, but you're fine with us wearing complimentary colors?"

"It's a united front, not a marriage announcement. Do you own a comb?" I said. I never realized how messy he was.

"In my trunk, somewhere." He muttered. I glared at him. Then I flicked my wand twice, and his hair slicked itself back. I spelled away the stubble. I didn't value his opinion about that at that moment. Io bumped my head, and I shooed her over to my other shoulder so I could pet her with my off hand.

"Reg, what do we need to do first?" I asked.

"Probably meet with everyone and arrange to meet with the new politicians. Then we need to get transport to Castle Silverspire to solidify your control."

"She has politicians?" I asked dryly.

"Koralis is a fully functioning country without a ruler. Said country can go about thirty days or so until this becomes dire, fortunately, or until we go broke. Cassandra has been a great help with the finances. Evie is learning about our people. Edward is drilling the troops. I am doing everything else. I've been parrying requests for your presence at dances and balls throughout the entire country. I've been taking proposals for new laws and letting people know you'll review them. I'm certain there was a large amount of embezzling going around. We may need to reform the tax law. We've been swarmed with personal requests for those wishing to see us at our earliest convenience. You have pending meetings with all your constituents' leaders, and the trees would like to speak with all of us.

"Meanwhile we've all been MIA for the last month." William muttered.

"Yes," Reg said.

"I suppose this means we won't be getting cake for dinner," Emily said.

"Next year, I promise," I said.

"So that's it, you're king then?" William asked. He was bitter about that.

"Will, I'm not sure why I'm king, but I'm going to do my best." I turned back to Reg.

"So, is there anyone we need to watch out for in this band of politicians?"

"Rhince is hit and miss. The dwarves and metal men and beings are on our side. Kalidas the centaur is a puzzle, and the griffins think we aren't capable."

"The fluffy kleptomaniacal ones. Of course." Cassandra's voice muttered from outside the room as the rest of the Lowe children arrived.
Cassandra was dressed in armor. The bow Emily given her was strapped across her shoulder. Two daggers hung from a belt, and there was a wand in an unmistakable holster on her right wrist. A tightly wrapped bell was dangling from her off hand. Evie and Edward tailed behind her. They were armored similarly, but they both carried small pistols instead of bows.

Cassandra unwrapped a bell from around her wrist, Io's bell, and handed it to me. I let the bell sink back into my skin. Then I called my athames and placed them in the bell.

"Io is extremely well behaved. She performed with an excellence I hadn't expected from an infernal. Heir Andrews, I would like to apologize for my previous misconduct." Cassandra recited. I gave her a look, and gave Reg one as well. Well, they certainly had been busy. That little speech wouldn't have been out of place back home.

"Cassandra, I accept your apology, consider the matter dealt with."

"Reg, you managed to get the runts up to combat speed while we were in a coma. You have been busy." I murmured. Then I narrowed my eyes. Evie was wearing a wand holster, except it was absent of the soft spells that stopped a wand from being stolen. I looked at him. I flicked my wand and raised a privacy spell.

"It's all a hoax, isn't it? They still have don't any training, do they?" I asked, and Reg shrugged.

"We never claimed they had more training. We just dressed them like they did."

"So they've been going out alone with?"

"Pistols and guards, Io and I sort of summoned an imp of my own." He muttered. He twitched his wand, and there was a silver bell on a ribbon that had been woven around his pentacle's chain.

"Ivy has been keeping an eye on you when I can't or keeping an eye on Cassandra and Evie and Edward. She's been allowing us to fake them having magical abilities."

"We're going to need to figure out an education schedule for all of us." I muttered. I didn't think I had a home to go back to, or a way get back there.

"I've already put out word for tutors for mundane subjects. I figured that since you're going to be king; You can solve the puzzle that will be our magical education."

"Gee Reg, thanks, I really appreciate that!" I muttered.

"Okay, which one of you wants to tackle education. Raise your hand." I called. None of them did.

"That's something we're delegating to someone we hope won't fuck it up. Assemble the most knowledgeable mages and we'll have them organize by subject. Next subject."

"Io, can you take notes in neat, written English, and then give me the notes later?" I sent the imp.

"I can."

"Remember everything that is said, and my thoughts on the matter. Do not make any inferences. Record everything verbatim." I had an idea that the little square box Bethany gave me could do something similar.

"What are your plans about Castle Silverspire and claiming your kingship. If Reg told you anything." Cassandra asked.

"Well, I've been back in the land of the living for about forty-five minutes. A quarter of that time was spent helping your brother organize his knapsack. Then there was figuring out how my legs work. How much do we owe, as of this moment?" I asked.

"We won't have access to Brigid's coffers until we break the ward. I have a feeling that the current breed of politicians is robbing us blind."

"What do these politicians do?"

"Not much, each of them runs their own little fiefdom and comes to Brigid's castle once a year or so. They're her favorites. There's supposed to be eight of those fuckers, but she killed half of them. The Dukes they're called." Evie said and slouched over to an unoccupied bed and flung herself across it. She idly drew a dagger and began sharpening it. I could tell by the ease with which she handled the blade that she had trained with it some. She looked around the room.

"Reginald, can you put up privacy spells?" She asked. I went to jab my wand, and as I did, my wand popped and crackled and emerald sparks leapt out from inside it.

"Mate, I think your wand is a bit fucked." Reg muttered after casting his own set of privacy spells. William grimaced just as Emily frowned.

"Did you two break your wands?" I asked

"Yes." William replied.

"Sure the fuck did." Emily muttered.

"I need a blackboard." I muttered, I walked out of the infirmary. I drew on my magic to steady my hands and feet and forced my arms and legs to obey my commands.

"Reg, get me to a room with a blackboard." I said, and he guided us down the hallway to an abandoned room that used to be a laboratory.
There was a creaky blackboard mounted on the wall. I conjured an empty noteboo. With a muttered spell, I pulled all my memories since I'd arrived in Koralis to the forefront of my mind and uncorked a summoned bottle of ink.

Then I waved my hand over the empty journal. It flipped open to the first page, and the ink spun up out of the bottle, and soaked into the pages. I jerked my hand one more time, and the remaining ink sunk into a bottle. As I transmuted the memories from psychic energy into to ink, I kept the context of them, and the lessons I learned from the battle, and the various questions that dream sequence had raised. All the pants shitting terror of the last few days became muted. The nervous anxiety that had been building without Olly or any other presence in my head drained out of me.
This let me regain my mask and face the situation I was in with a calm mind. When I was ready to face these events, I'd reabsorb the emotion stored in the ink, but keep the written accounts. This had helped me in the past.

"Reg, can you raise another set of wards?" I asked.

"No problem." He said and flicked his wand.

"Thank you," I said. He gave me a small nod at the comment. I linked a pen and an empty journal with a blackboard and piece of chalk to transcribe our conversation.

"Who are the Dukes? Tell me everything you all know about Koralis. Give me the answers as quickly as possible, I'm going to read over the information again. Just give me what first comes to mind." I asked.

"Well, One of the Dukes was Fiona, she ruled Badgerton. The other is Kalidas. His herd presides over the Western Range. The Duchy of Silver Woods is an empty post. Man's Folly has been taken over by the remnants of her army and is overseen by one of her generals. We hold Aisley's End, but it's all a moot point because the army is at our, well, mine and by extension your command." That was Edward.

"We know that the Rascal Gaze holds the Twilit Forest and Rhince has entered into a treaty with them. Together it's a good half our kingdom."

"We'll come back to them, but I think they're fairly high on our priority list," I said.

"Badgerton is contested territory."

"Why, where's Fiona?" I asked. Reg was silent for a moment, and then we spoke in a low hard voice.

"Her and Freda are- were laid to rest during the week following the battle, along with the rest of our forces that had fallen. I made sure they were buried with the highest honors of their people. Regency doesn't exist in this world. The home was owned by the Town of Badgerton." I let out a ragged breath.

"The kids?" I asked softly. Orphans, orphans to put me on a throne I had no idea existed. I fought the urge to sob at the realization that I'd destroyed a family. Why had we fought in this battle? We'd been shoe-horned into fighting. By Fiona, and Rhince, and Wilhelm. We'd been forced into combat. We should have chosen to leave. From the moment we'd arrived, our every step and spell and strike of the knife had been guided.
Io, Commit all that to my record. I gave a mental hiss.

"The kits were placed with an aunt. There aren't many families attached to the rebellion that weren't effected. The community has really done its part to bring kids and kits in. With how large of a population we have, there could have a lot worse."

"Who do we have left to meet?"

"Well, aside from the leader of the Army Remnants, you've met them all. Rhince has claimed the Twilit Forest, and all Badgerton. The Rascal Gaze claimed the Whispering Woods. Some of their members are also making motions to claim Badgerton. Kalidas rules the Western Range. Her castle, the outlying village, and the town of Ottertown have gone dark," Evie said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Every attempt to communicate with people in that area has failed. We sent a pair, and then a team, and then a squad. No one came back. We cordoned off the entire area and placed barricades along the river. No one is allowed in, and nothing comes out. We have no idea what it might be. But even their best scrying orbs are damaged by projectiles."

"Is the area spreading?" I asked, and was relieved when Reg shook his head no.

"We'll that doesn't sound like something I'm ready to tackle. If it's not spreading, then keep up the quarantine." I said, and he nodded.
I noticed that Emily had drawn her wand and was softly tapping it against her thigh.

"How do you propose we deal with them?" I asked.

"Well, we eliminate them. Or sway them to our cause. Fortunately, both dwarf Dukes are on our side.. I do have a few ideas. But it's probably nothing,"

"Evie, I asked you what idea you had, I didn't ask you about the validity of it." She had an idea but wasn't ready to tell me what it was. I knew she did. She didn't want to seem foolish if she was wrong.

"What are you saying?"

"I suggest we tread carefully around our new allies, if that's the case." Emily said.

"I'd suggest we kill them all in their sleep." Will muttered.

"Will!" Cassandra hissed.

"What?" He asked.

"Use a show of force and establish command." Emily spoke finally. I looked at the blackboard. I looked at all the names crossed out next to each settlement. Some had been replaced, and a few replaced. Three of them stood out, and I smiled a wide grin.

"Or make them not want to fight," Evie said.

"Hmm?" She frowned, searching for the right words.

"Give them something they want, and they'll like you," she said.

"I'd suggest Will was right. However, at the same time, I think we should follow Emily's idea. It's interesting that some of the players are keeping their pieces if this is supposed to be a whole new game." I stopped pacing, and almost tripped over my own feet. I lost my train of thought.

"I wish to see the Dukes of Koralis at their earliest opportunity," I said.
If I was a king, what would I do? Well, I'd want to know about the background of the world I was ruling first. I needed information on how to break a set of wards on a castle.

"I'm going to be late for a shift," Evie said.

"A shift?" I asked, confusion clear in my tone.

"I help in the kitchen. I help clear plates and place courses." Evie said even as she was twisting the ring on to her hand. I saw how they did it then. As Evie's features shifted, her face grew fuller, her nose got a lump in the middle, and all the white bled out of her hair. Then the black followed until her hair had turned a dull brown, and her eyes took on the same bland tone. She left the room with a nod.

"Everyone knows what Evie looks like. Edward's face is well known, I am the closest thing to a face of the royal family, and she wears a glamor. No one expects a server. It's something my father taught me. She's developing quite a little information ring." Cassandra said.

"Stephen, if you're sure your fine, then Reg, could you show me to my room?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, mate, could you?" Will asked. I gave him a look.

"If we're here for the long term, do you and Stephen plan on sharing a bedroom?" Reg asked. I didn't have the energy to answer that question. After giving me a look, William was quick to speak.

"No, not at the moment," he said.

"Okay," Reg said. The three of them walked away. Reg and Emily seemed to be slowly molding into one person.
Cassandra and Edward stood just behind me. I turned around.

"I appreciate all the work you've both done these past weeks."

"You're welcome Stephen, but you don't owe us all the credit." Cassandra said with a smile.

"Yeah, Evie and Reg should both get credit for all the work they've done." Edward remarked.

"But enough about them, tell, me, how are you feeling?" Cassandra said.

"I'm feeling fairly well. Reg's artifact has certainly done wonders."

"It's unfortunate that my sister traded it away." Cassandra said and lounged against the desk. As we were talking Edward had walked down one aisle and turned to look at an invisible spot on the wall. I couldn't see his reaction. I ignored the urge to read their minds.

"Yes, it's such a shame that a vassal of your house traded away an invaluable object without approval," he said. I shook my head. I couldn't believe how badly they were playing it either. I did appreciate that they were taken advantage of my current disorientation, so I played along.

"If you become King, do you plan on continuing to hold us as vassals?" Edward asked.

"Of course."

"Since we are your vassals, and we just helped run your kingdom for the last month, could be argued that the three of us are owed a reward?" Cassandra asked. I resisted the urge to catch them both on fire. I resisted the urge to call for ice and force and Io and rain hell down on them. I chose my next words carefully.

"I cannot guarantee or promise a reward in any form. I cannot promise you place in a kingdom that I do not yet have access to. Should I gain access to said kingdom, I will keep my own counsel as to what rewards and boons I will grant. Your position within my Family Hierarchy is noted, and your service to me this past month will factor into what reward you will receive. If you were to choose any rewards, what would you like?" I would take their requests into consideration.

Depending on who swore what oaths, or how everything played out, I would have several duchies to fill. It was nepotism, but I would give my family a position to rule instead of giving that position to someone I didn't know.

"We each want one of the forests. It doesn't matter who gets which. But we would like a residence in the forest each and be treated like the duke of
that realm. Our sister wants Badgerton." I noted that, not Evie, not your vassal. They were drawing clear lines here.

"I'll take that under consideration." I muttered. They left the room.

"Io, I need books on economics. I need books on accounting, on foreign policy, and on diplomacy. If we need a king, I'll burn one into my brain. I want every scrap of fucking parchment and paper we, they and everyone has on Koralis Royal and World History." I looked around the room. Until I had an actual study again, this room was better than using my trunk. There was a line of old bric-a-brac along a wall I threw into a room in my trunk.

"Steal a wardrobe. Well, I guess it's not stealing if it's one of mine. Throw an enchanter's purse spell into the interior. Clear out everything in this tower not being used, anything that isn't nailed down, and won't inconvenience or harm someone if it went missing and put it all in that wardrobe. If it is in a frequented communal area, or in a personal space, ignore it.
Then inventory everything and add that to a list of our possessions and use them how you will. Finally, place a set of shelves along that wall and began placing everything to do with Koralis history."

"Yes Master." Io snapped her fingers and popped away. When she reappeared, she had perched herself unto a wardrobe with a golden lion wrapped around the exterior. I frowned. It was tacky, but it would do.
Io snapped her fingers together, and the wardrobe swung open. She let out a screech. The entire contents of the old lab except for the blackboard and the light fixtures begin lifting themselves up from where they rested. Then they began swirling into the inky black interior of the wardrobe. Soon the entire classroom was empty. The wardrobe's interior remained black, except for two glowing orbs of emerald light.

"Return the furniture, and the desk, and all of our possessions back in the condition you took them."
The wardrobe spun out the possessions everyone had left laying around the room, and then it vanished.
The wardrobe reappeared every few minutes and disgorged a book or something useful. I had a spell I could use that would instantaneously copy all the information from a book to my brain. This book joined the same books of its subject on a shelf in my Mind Palace's library. The trick was to keep the shelves in place when my mind palace crumbled. This mental exercise allowed me to use the Librum Memoriae Spell on as many books as I could. At least I hoped it would. My current mind palace held a rather large library, and a small study. That library was about to get much larger. For the next hour, I added knowledge to my head as fast as Io delivered it.

There was a brief stab of pain as an Introduction to the History of Old Koralis burrowed into my brain. After that, each history book about the land we found ourselves in was just another bullet point to the list of History I had growing in my brain.

That's where Reg and Emily found me two hours later. Staring at the cover of an old memoir about the world before Brigid. It was a hand-bound, careworn journal, I had a feeling it was more valuable as a keepsake that someone might be missing. That bit of history had been interesting, and after, history was forbidden from being recorded. The old kingdom seemed incredibly corrupt, and ripe for rebellion or takeover.

"Hey, Stephen, I heard a rumor that Io got eaten by a wardrobe. Do you know what's going on with that?"

"Well, you see. Io ate a wardrobe." I said obliquely.

"That actually makes a lot of sense." Emily replied. I wonder what my imp was up to at that moment. So I called her name. She appeared sans wardrobe. That was mildly worrying.

"Io, make a copy of this, and then try and find the original owner or their descendants when you aren't busy."

"Certainly Master." I noticed they were both freshly showered and had changed into new clothes. They were holding hands and I promptly ignored all those facts.

"I'm going to go get a late lunch, would you like to join me?" Reg asked her.

"I'm not hungry, but I'll sit with you," she said. Reg flashed her a quick grin.

"You know, neither of us can raise privacy wards." Emily said after a long moment. I scratched a long circle in the ground around us and invoked it. That was a blunt way to do the subtle job of a ward.

"Well?" She asked after a long moment.

"I guess I'm king." I replied nonchalantly.

"Stephen. Surely you have ideas for what you can do with that power." She murmured. I did, but I didn't. I looked over the blackboard. At the three names circled in white chalk.

"I'll drown them with peace. I'll get them so fat with easy gold they won't even think of betraying me. I'll tie nooses of loyalty around their neck so thick that they would strangle before they turned away. They'll fall on their own swords before they ever think about slitting my throat. Emily, I led parents to their deaths, and children have been orphaned in my name. We fought and bled for nothing, and I can't do that again."

I thought about Fiona, and her kids. Had she been different? Did she fight and die for a better future for her family instead of an expansion of her interests? I hated being used by anyone. I hated the treacherous thoughts racing around my brain. The more I looked at the fact that those three, out of all of the Dukes had survived, well Bethany didn't raise me to believe in coincidences.

"Reg, do we have anyone we trust outside the seven of us?" I asked, and he shook his head no.

"The only one that I would remotely trust, as much as I hate to say this, is the elf, and I wouldn't turn my back on him. I don't trust the centaur or the griffin."

"Why don't you trust the griffins?" Emily asked.

"I just don't. I get the vibe that there's something up there. Plus, once they found out about my abilities, they warded their village against plants. I can't detect anything growing within a 10 foot radius of the largest griffin village. Including regular plants. It's eerie." There was a knock at the door, and William was standing in the entrance.

"Hey Will! I was just about to summarize how fucked we are, would you like to listen in?" I asked.

"I don't have anything better going on." He said and reclined in one of the office chairs Io had spat out.

"So, our three closest allies may be three enemies. The only resources we have are what we brought with us from earth. We have an enemy army still camped on our doorstop. Among seven magical practitioners only Reginald has a working focus that can be used in combat. I need to disable a strange rune schema, and then fend off assassination attempts until all the crazies settle in. Meanwhile, we have no loyal troops, and I'm not sure if we even have an army."

"By order of the Duke of the Western Range, all forces in the Koralis army are conscription and ordered to remain in the Army until further notice," Reg said.

"How are we paying this army?" Emily asked suddenly.

"They're being provisioned, housed and paid."
I knew that an entire supply chain was required to exist for an army of the size of the one I had to function properly.

"How are we paying for all of this? Are we paying for the livestock and the metal and every rivet for our armor?"

"We're paying everyone in treasury scripts," Reg said.

"And right now, how much treasury script exists? How much is circulating and how much have I agreed to personally pay? How much is in the treasury? Can I demand an accounting for the treasury?" I asked.

"You'll be able to pay for everything after we visit the treasury," Reg said.

"Before we make any more purchase agreements for anything, I want a full picture of the kingdom's finances, with and without whatever we can contribute to it. We also need to determine an exchange rate between Tremissis and Treasury script. How did Brigid's economy function?"

"Were still determining that, and we won't have a clear look at her kingdom's finances until we explore her castle. But from what I can tell if she made a living selling enchantments and the metal creatures that we've fought repeatedly. We know that as it stands, Koralis also exports a great deal of grain. Finally, the islands to the west of us had have a history and an active commerce that centers around selling living beings. As soon as were able, I would like to bring a swift and hopefully painful end to that."

"As soon as we settle things domestically that will be our first target." I nodded.

"So Will, your siblings attempted to extort me,," I said cheerily.

"When?"

"Oh, a couple of hours ago. They want the woods."

"Which ones?" Reg growled and Emily scowled.

"The Whispering Woods and the Twilit Forest. They requested that Evie take Badgerton."

"Are you going to do it?"

"Do what exactly? Am I going to grant them territory of a kingdom that isn't mine yet, or am I going to attempt to get myself crowned?"

"Both?" He asked weakly, and I chuckled. I looked around the room. I looked at my three friends, and I realized these three were the only ones I could truly trust. It was the four of us against the world.

"If I'm divvying territory like that Reginald gets first pick. Then you and Emily can flip a coin. Then your siblings can all draw straws. I don't want to give anyone territory without them being supervised."

"Define 'supervised'?" Emily said.

I thought for a long moment. How did I want my subjects to be treated? Did I want to be fair and just? Did I want to be remembered for having a heavy hand? If was the subject of a King how would I want to be treated?

"I want my subjects to be treated fairly in all things. I don't care about who they wish to marry, or if they wish to sell their bodies. Those that wish to work should be able to, those that are unable should be supported, those that don't wish to work should have some public conveniences. I think it will be best if we select a council from the survivors of the Woodland rebellion. All of them should pledge loyalty oaths to me, the person that will oversee them, and the crown.

"I don't think the loyalty oaths should be sworn directly to you." William said carefully.

"Why not?"

"Because for this to succeed, our ideas need to be bigger than any one person. There should be loyalty oath sworn to you, but I believe that we should put the crown first and foremost."

"I'd like to contest that. The Dukes of the Woodland rebellion should swear their fealty to Stephen above all. They very well could be the masterminds behind the last rebellion," Reg said.

"We're going to need soldiers that are loyal to only us." Will muttered.

"We're going to need mages that are loyal only to us," Reg replied to him.

"We have no idea if we can even afford an army." I said to both.

"You and Cassandra can conjure more diamonds and sell them to give us more money." Will remarked.

"I don't know how to conjure diamond, and neither does Cassandra. We'd need to transmute diamond, and not conjure it." I snapped.

"You don't need to bite my head off." He muttered.

"Stephen, are you still taking requests for property?" Emily asked. I gave Will a hurt look before answering.

"I guess. What do you want?"

"Well, I had wanted the entirety of the Eastern Watchtowers. But since the puppies are hell bent on pissing all over that area, I'll take this tower. I want the entire plain."

"No promises until the inks dry," I said.

"Fair." She breathed in response. I went over the mental map of Koralis I had in my head.

"Emily, you realize this does not include her castle, right?" I asked.

"I'm fine with that fact, and I revoke my claim of anything across the Southeastern Crossing."
If I gave William the Western Range, and I gave Reginald the Silver Forest, the four of us would control the entire western half of Koralis. If our relationship with his siblings suffered, or worsened, aside from Evie's talents, we could blow the two bridges. Their primary advantage would be Brigid's castle and any weapons and artifacts she had hidden away.

"I'm not making any decisions about the future of the duchies until we plunder her castle." The three of them traded looks and nodded.

"That makes sense from a certain perspective." William said.

"We need to take the castle off the board as soon as possible," Emily said.

"We need to take our opposition off the board as soon as possible." I remarked.

"Reginald, who do you think would be the quickest to respond to an overture of outright bribery?" I asked.

"Likely the griffins. The centaur wants power. The elf is honest, but I'm not quite sure what he wants."

"How quickly can you get me an audience with Rodney?"

"It's likely I can get you one by this evening. I'll need to talk to a friendly griffin."

"When you go, take Io with you. Introduce the griffin to her and tell him that she'll be a new point of contact."

"Do you want to her to start tailing me to meetings?"

"Not yet. In fact, Io tonight, I want you to come when Reg calls for you."

"We can swap?" He suggested.

"Oh, we haven't even met your imp yet." Emily gushed.

"Ivy." Reg called, and an imp with a calico coat appeared. This one looked more cat like than our imps, and where ours were like a small monkey, this imp was all lean grace. It looked someone had given a cat a human like body, and two bat wings. It had small calico furred hands and wore a freaking rapier. A jaunty cap rested on her head.

"Tonight, you'll be working with Stephen. Respect his orders as you would mine. If anyone attacks him respond with deadly and immediate force. If anyone attacks you respond with deadly and immediate force. Stephen gives final command of whether you attack. You must ask his permission. If he loses consciousness deal with the situation in the way you think that I would. Eliminate anyone attacking you and report back to me. Bring me Stephen If he is unconscious."

"Io, you have the same orders. You'll be working with Reginald for the duration of the evening. Follow his orders as you would mine," I said. Io nuzzled my check and jumped unto Reginald's shoulder. Ivy shot her a look, and swooped gracefully, choosing to alight unto my head.

"Io, before you go, where did you put the wardrobe?" I called

"What wardrobe, master?" She asked with an adorable monkey grin.

"Io, can you translocate?" Reg asked my imp.

"Of course Master Reginald." Io purred.

"The wardrobe you ate!" I cried.

"Find the location in my mind and bring us there." He said coldly, and they vanished. Io gave me a jaunty wave before they left. I was going to kill that imp.

"Yes, Master Reginald. That strange green man keeps screaming at me."

"Just translocate us." Reginald sighed, and they left.

"Ivy, take me to my room please." I said with a sigh.

"Yes, fake master." She said and translocated me to my room.

"What does Reginald usually have you do around this time of day?"

"Hunt?" Ivy called hopefully.

"Usually he lets me hunt," She mewed, "today I don't need to. Today I want to play." The imp said.

"Oh?" I asked and let out a mental sigh. Here it came.

"Yes, we can play hide and seek." She called cheerfully.

"Oh?" I asked, and the lights turned out in my room. I wasn't playing this game. I grabbed the front of Ivy's face and she let out a pissed off yowl.

"Turn the lights back on, imp," I said. A sound came out of her mouth that sounded like a horde of armored winged insects.

"You're cute, and I've just been through hell. All I want to do is fix my wand. You are stopping me from accomplishing this. If you were my imp, I would've already launched you into a wall. Do you understand me?" I asked, and the imp's head bobbed up and down.

"Now, are you going to behave or am I going to have to summon Reginald a new imp?" The imp went limp and let out a purr.

"The next time you try that shit I'm going to give you a bath in holy water. Now. Turn on the lights." The imp snapped her fingers and the light turned back on.
I sighed.

"Guard my door, let Emily and William in, but that's it." I said, and she nodded, jumping up to a standing position like a frog and walking to the door. She slouched against the door frame. Then I inspected my wand. There was a crack going down the center of the rowan wood, I peered inside. The wood was cracked, but the bloodstone soaked into the center was intact. I called a dagger to my hand. Then I pricked my finger with the dagger and allowed a few drops of crimson to soak into the crack that was nearly the length of the wand. I bled until the cracks were filled, and then I muttered the spell to transmute blood to bloodstone under my breath.

With a flare of green light, my wand repaired itself. The crack had gained a glow, and runes I never carved ran the length of the wand. They shimmered and flared and vanished, and my wand was whole again. With that familiar hum in my hand, I was whole once again, and I could face whatever life threw at me. There was a maid stationed at my door, and she let out an almost shout when I walked into the main corridor.

"How did you get into my lord's chambers?" The girl asked. I gave her a look. She wore a simple dress made of grey cloth, and a black apron. Her hair was up in a simple bun, and like most of the humans in Koralis, there were bits of metal dotting and streaking her skin. I looked around, and saw a woman dressed almost identically standing down the hall way. A half dozen other maids stood in the hallway. Despite her loud tone of voice, they all stood.

"They gave us maids?" I asked flatly.

"My name is Tilly, in case you were wondering." She said with a sneer.

"You've certainly got an attitude, don't you?" I asked.

"You still haven't told me your name, and you've been trespassing in the King's Quarters."

"Ivy, appear." I said, and Tilly let out a sudden gasp.

"That's Lord Coldwood's imp," she said.

"It is, and I'm the inhabitant of this room. Thank you for your work so far." I said with a smile, and she curtseyed.

"You don't have the do that."

"But I do sire, you're the ruler of this land, and you saved us from the Great Pretender. It will be honor to serve the new king of Koralis in any way that I can," she said.

She looked about twenty-three or twenty-four. Nope, I wasn't dealing with that. I left and climbed the ladder in the tower. There were spatial expansion spells at play here. I wonder how old they could be and how long before we would have to look at them until failure was imminent. Just another thing on my rapidly growing to-do.

I wanted to focus on gaining the loyalty of Rodney and Kalidas. Then I would focus on everything else. You couldn't rule if you didn't have allies. Or collect taxes if you didn't have subjects. As walked, I kept up two very distinct threads of thought. My main purpose for this truck wasn't just to explore the tower. I didn't pay attention to anyone in the day leading up to the battle. I never really paid attention to anyone while I was at the camp. I was supposed to rule these people and I barely knew their names or faces. That had to change.

So I walked to the camp. I committed the name and face of everyone I interacted with and what they did to memory. I started at the beginning of the camp with all the soldiers and the survivors of the battle and their families. Then made my way out to the edge in widening range, until I'd walked the entire length of the camp and had a brief idea of who my subjects were.

While walking the camp. I did what I could. I repaired tents, and patched clothes, and solved a hundred mundane problems that were solved with quick magical solutions. I pulled food from my chest and made sure the tents I visited were well-stocked. It was mostly dried meat and tinned food, with some fresh bread and cheese, but it was better than nothing. I had to place a spell on some of the cans so that they would open without a can opener.

Judging from the lack of fresh meat in most of the tents, the game available around the plain in the forest was starting to be depleted. Which meant we would need to move soon or disperse our army.

I knew that with the remnants of her army stationed in Man's Folly, that was not a viable option. I looked up in the sky. The little tour of the camp took longer than I expected, and the sun was starting to set. I walked back through the camp, past the curtsies, and the bows, and the "my lords", and back through the military camp.

"Who's in charge of the military?" I asked a centaur that was on guard, Pericles, I believe.

"Currently, Lord Reginald has been giving us orders, before that it was Kalidas." He said stiffly, his gaze didn't waver and he looked ahead in the distance. Kalidas had trained them well.

"And if it came to a point where you had to decide between Lord Kalidas and Lord Reginald?"

"I throw myself upon the mercy of the king and would hope he would be able to solve such a conflict of interest," He said carefully. I nodded. On the surface that was exactly the answer I wanted, but that didn't solve the question about who this soldier was ultimately loyal to.

"Pericles, I have a question. If there wasn't a king, which one of the commanders would you choose."

"Forgive me sire, but I don't think you like the answer to that question."

"Try me."

"Kalidas has trained me since I was a foal. He has ruled the Western Range. He has led our people through several situations where we thought the only path forward spelled doom for our people. He whipped the army into shape weeks before you arrived. Most of us came from the Western Range. That being said. He is a stallion, and he's not very well at controlling his needs."

"Meaning?"

"He's quite the reputation sir, and that's all I'll say. Despite his accolades, there are many among us who wouldn't be upset if he was removed from command."

"Some would consider that treason," I said.

"Yes sir." The centaur said stiffly.

"I value honesty." I replied, and the centaur gave me a grateful look.

"This may be counterproductive but place your loyalty where you wish," I said.

"If I may be blunt, your grace? Where does your loyalty lie?" The question took me completely off guard. I took a long moment before I answer that.

"My loyalty is to my family. The subjects of a kingdom, of my kingdom, are supposed to be like family to a king, this extends to all Koralis. I wish for a brighter future for everyone."

"She had no idea of the future." Pericles muttered.

"I want everyone to have a bed, and a roof over their head and food in their cupboard and some gold or silver in a pouch. In a hundred years, or four hundred, I don't want historians studying my reign and opening another bloody chapter. I went to war, so my descendants didn't have to." I didn't plan on having descendants, but the centaur didn't know that; nor did he need to.

Although that plan would probably have to be amended. Line of succession was yet another thing I would need to figure out. It was almost night, and a winged man swooped down from the sky, Pericles replacement.

I bade the centaur farewell and walked back and into the tower. I eventually climbed back up the stairs and came to the room I recognized from the afternoon. Someone had dragged and transmuted a couch from somewhere, or transmuted a bunch of chairs into one, because now there was this plush blue-velvet thing taking up half the far wall. Reginald and Emily were laying on it and laying on each other. Why did they feel the need to snog, or worse, in my space?

Instead of a line of verbal abuse and begging them to get their own damn room, which they did have, I simply cleared my throat and glared at them. They separated from each other but kept a firm grip on the other's hand.

"Reg, you said something about getting an audience with the leader of the griffins?"

"Yes, any time after sundown will do."

"Well, it is almost nighttime," I said. I was starting to get tired after walking around for the past few hours and surveying the camp. I was also starting to get rather hungry.

"Io knows the way, if you want to swap back," he said. I nodded and he called Io, Ivy jumped off my shoulder and swept over to her master. Io jumped down from Reg's shoulder and prowled across the ground and climbed up my back. Reg turned his gaze back to Emily.

"Is there anything I should know?" I asked.

"Griffins are blunt, the less you bullshit the better. Don't bother with magical society flattery. Don't use oblique sentences that could mean everything or nothing. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Out of everyone. I would say they're the easiest to negotiate with. The Rascal Gaze has a large control over the sapient woodland creatures. They are what can be described as a Popularis of the Whispering Woods. Their word in that area is law. So negotiate with them how you would negotiate with your mother."

"Fucking wonderful." I muttered.

"Are you coming with me?" I asked. He looked at me and looked at Emily. I ignored undone buttons. They didn't exist. No, they did not.

"Please use contraceptive spells." I muttered and left that room.

I had Io to guide me to the dining area, or what passed as one. I took a seat at one of the long wooden tables that had been placed in neat columns across the room. William and Edward were excitedly talking over half empty mugs, and were occasionally glancing a map, and a few other pieces of paper. I could see from the subtle icy blue haze that shifted the light slightly, they were under eavesdropping wards. I drew my wand, and touched my wand to the bubble to signal that I'd like in. Before I was encased in the bubble, I saw one of the grey dressed staff start to approach me.

"What are you two discussing?" I asked. Will looked at Edward, and Edward looked at me and then back at Will.

"Just tell him." Will said softly, Edward had no mask at all. Every trace of nervousness was etched across his face, that and the slight fear and just a hint of anger were clear. He'd get eaten alive at Coventry, and I said as much.

"I'm aware," Will said. The staff member was waiting patiently, and I held up a finger. Will nodded and opened the privacy spells temporarily. Long enough for me to order a bowl of stew, and a cup of coffee. I thanked the gods they had cream, and I had to make do with honey as sweetener. After she walked away, Will closed the bubble again.

"Edward received an interesting piece of mail this morning via Raven."

"We use ravens to communicate?" I asked.

"No, we use the Rascal Gaze coven. This raven was capable of speech. My brother received a communiqué from the remnants of her forces. They want to surrender. To him." William said. I frowned.

"Stephen, I want it," Edward said.

"What?"

"I'll be willing to say whatever personal oath you would like to you or the crown. But I wish to accept their surrender."

"You're eleven."

"And I've already had to kill to defend myself several times. I was placed under the mental control of a madwoman and forced to fight in a battle. Not to mention she attempted to try and have me kill all of you."

"Edward, you're too young." I said softly

"We're all too young," he replied savagely. By now another server had brought my food and coffee out.
I fixed my coffee wandless, while I called the bowl of stew over to myself. I let out a sigh. I missed the baguettes and crispy fluffy goodness of the bread from home. This brown stuff was filling, but I disliked the sour taste. I took a sip of coffee, which was slightly better than home, and gave him a look.

"What are your plans?" I asked.

"Plans for what?" He asked.

"The weapons, the armor, men, the land and the buildings. Why do they want to surrender to you, instead of our knights?"

"They didn't say."

"Did they give you a point of contact?" I asked, and he nodded.

"I want you to write a letter, agreeing to meet with them, under the condition that they meet with the entirety of the royal family, and our infernal guard. If they have any objections to that, then the surrender is off. Write the letter, and we're going to send it via imp." I said, Io was hanging from the edge of the table.

"Master, I can easily determine the location to send any letter if the recipient isn't protected by wards." Io said.

"Stephen, I don't think that's the best way to go about this."

"How do you know?"

"Because the person I'm talking to was conscripted into her army, and he helped heal me after she was done torturing me. Stephen, these aren't hardened soldiers. These are all the members of her army that were unwillingly serving her. I want to help them rebuild Man's Folly into a new village."

"How long have you been talking to them?"

"For three weeks. I needed answers after the battle. Will, you weren't there. Cassandra barely kept track of us, and Reginald was saving your lives. I showed up occasionally for meals and they didn't really care where I'd been."

"That's mildly terrifying. Did they have same lack of attention for Evie?"

"Yes. Will, you really need to have a talk with her." Edward said and Will nodded.

"So do you expect us to just let you traipse off and be a boy king?" I asked.

"Why, are you afraid of competition?" Edward said with a teasing grin. It was the first time I'd saw him smile. Of all of them, Edward had the worst time coming to Koralis. I gave him a sharp look.

"So you want the entirety of Man's Folly and the Twilit Forest?" I asked harshly, and he shook his head no.

"I've an idea about that as well." He told us.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yes, it's a way to preserve the existing structure of the kingdom and cement our rule." He said, as if repeating something from memory.

"Who gave you this idea?" I asked.

"Iago."

"Is that the person that was healing you after she tortured you?" I asked, and he flinched, but nodded. I felt terrible. I'd been in his situation. But this Iago was just as complacent. Unless he was really under a compulsion.

"Edward, have you told anyone else about things you, Reg and your sisters discuss?" I asked, and he shook his head no. I finished off my bowl and checked a window. It was night.

"Good, don't. Write that letter, and I'll have Io deliver it when I return." I pulled pen and paper from the inventory of it in my trunk and handed him the sheets.

"You don't need to use cursive, just your best handwriting."

"Your best cursive." William corrected, I gave him a look, and I sighed.

"Your brother is right." I replied.

"Where are you going?" That was Will.

"I'm going to go meet with the Rascal Gaze, the chimeras claiming to be griffins," I said.

"Are there any real griffins here?"

"Contrary to the visions I had of this place, no." I muttered.

"So you might as well call them by that name," he said.

"Would you like to go with me?" I asked, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Why not?" He said, I wrapped my arm around his.

"Io, take us to the homestead of the Rascal Gaze, if you please."

"Yes master." She purred, and we vanished.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

Later that night

We arrived in a clearing and walked for some time down a path in the woods. The path was lit with glowing mushrooms and fairy lights. The trail was cobblestone, and was covered in a fine down of racoon fur and black feathers.

Eventually we came to a tall wooden wall. The wall continued for as long as the eye could see to the north and east. While the wall was made with wood, it appeared to be natural and growing from the ground.

The fortifications had grown with time instead of being placed rivet by rivet and log by log. The walls were covered in a dark colored bark. If I didn't see torchlight from city in the trees beyond, and there wasn't a full moon shining overhead, I would never realize this fortress existed. Softly glowing sconces came to life along the wall, revealing that it bristled with griffins and guns. The only visible gate melded into the wood in the form of a high arch. A pair of griffins swooped down and landed in front of us. Both were carrying rifles that had been resized for their proportions and wore dark leather armor studded with metal rivets. In addition to the rifle, each of them carried a sword.

"Who approaches the Rascal Gaze?" A lumbering voice called from within the wall, followed by a long low laugh.

"I am Stephen Andrews, candidate for King of Koralis. I come to parlay with the Rascal Gaze." Another rumbling laugh came out of the door. A few of the racoons sitting above the arch mimicked my voice and words, and followed it by chittery laughs.

"I thought the Rascal Gaze was supposed to be straight forward. If I wanted to listen to hidden laughs and childish mimicry I would've gone to the elves. Once again I ask, I've come to parlay with the Rascal Gaze." I called carefully, and the clearing came to a silent stop.

"Brave words for two boys and a monkey." The low voice said again, and chittering laughs filled the clearing.

"In my world. We have a rule where you ask the person you're negotiating with twice to accept your request or forgo making a deal. These two times are times where it is acceptable for the person you're negotiating to rebuke your efforts. The third time the question is asked however, if the person you're negotiating with insult you or says no you may leave the negotiating table permanently. So Rascal Gaze, thrice and done, do you wish to have a relationship with the Crown of Koralis? I'll understand if you say no.

Before you speak. Allow me to remind you of the events of the past month. When I solidify my Power, I'll remember this well fortified fortress in the center of my land and burn it to the fucking ground."

Instantly fifty, no a hundred, no two hundred racoons appeared on the wall, and each of them raised a rifle and pointed it at my location. I reminded myself to breathe. Negotiations among mages always had these little shows of Power. According to mage decorum, negotiations were proceeding apace.

I had feeling if the Rascal Gaze really wanted me dead, one of their soldiers hiding out in the woods would take. I wasn't blind to how the fairy lights floating in the woods around us blacked out the undergrowth and the canopy and most of the woods.

I had sensed the minds hiding in the forest as we walked through the clearing. I could feel magic from two separate locations being called up.

"Io-" I sent.

"Keep hold of Master William, I'm not taking two trips." Io sent in reply.

I twinned my hand in Will's and he gave me a look. I smiled and gave Io a scratch on the ear, and he nodded.

"What are your true intentions towards us, mage?" A voice called from inside the door, I recognized the voice as the griffin I had sparred with a few days prior.

"Rodney! I want to open negotiations and unify our kingdom," I said.

"How did you say it? Thrice and done then, we'll negotiate with you." A griffin said, and suddenly, the raccoons on the walls vanished in a flurry of wings and bushy tails. I felt the magic being called up suddenly stop and drop back into the earth.

The griffin I had sparred with when we first arrived in Koralis greeted me. One of his wings was tattered, and he was missing a paw.

"Follow me," he said.

The town was a motley assortment of griffin sized clapboard houses, and saloons and shops, all well lit and all open for buisness. Raccoons swooped through the air and walked across the cobblestone streets. Some of them, the women, had pouches on their front, and griffin kits poked their heads out of them. Small glowing mushrooms growing from the sides of buildings lit the streets. These streets were wide enough for two bobcat pulled wagons to travel side by side.

Rodney led us through a maze of side streets, and after three lefts I knew we were being intentionally lost. So I faked needing to tie my boots and sunk a labyrinth navigation spell into a cobblestone.

Eventually Rodney led us to his house. This was a large gothic affair surrounded by a spiky wrought iron fence. I felt the salt buried beneath the fence as we passed. Those two things combined and ground away a decent chunk of my magic.

"I'm afraid I don't have room inside, perhaps you'll enjoy our hospitality on another date." Rodney said. It was a lie. I wondered what he knew about the Old Laws. Under them- and the rites of hospitality they represented- the offering of hospitality and the guarantee of guest safely was something that should've automatically been granted to someone you were negotiating with.

For them to deny us hospitality, and with it, guest right, meant that they were not seriously negotiating with us and were instead humoring us. Or it could just simply be a case of being a poor host. I'd know how to find out.

"We didn't plan to spend time under your roof anyways." I said coldly. I got a subtle feeling that I'd unnerved him. I felt William's mirror buzz suddenly, and I stepped away from him. He ignored it as I continued speaking.

"Let's just get to the negotiations. What do you want from us?" He asked wearily.

Over my shoulder, I noticed Ivy appeared and Io drifted down to the ground. They begin talking in hushed tones. I heard William's mirror chime this time.

"William, handle this. Please?" I asked. He nodded, and we walked away from him and the imps. Throughout our tour I noticed that there had always been a griffin within easy reach of us. As we walked along the edge of his house, down the stony mushroom lit path, and to his back yard, it was just the two of us.

"Do you mind if I raise a ward?" I asked, and he shook his head no. I flicked and spun my wand, and murmured the incantations I need. An emerald haze spun around us.

"Before we begin negotiations, tell me, boy king, how much do you

know of us griffins?"

"That you don't match the definition from my home. That you are fast and agile, but you're small. You have an unparalleled ability to use firearms, and I have a feeling all your followers have that kind of training as well."

"You have a good grasp of our current abilities. Do you have any idea of our past of our origins?" I looked at the Griffin. I had an idea that they were some sort of artificial creature. I had no idea why someone would want to make this kind of creature, but it made sense. They can also be some sort of form of an imp. Bethany had shown me a photograph of an unshackled imp, and they looked nothing the fat furry creature in front of me. I'm not sure, but my next words seemed right.

"You're obviously not an infernal conjuration. You're the product of biomancy?" I asked, and I was responded to with a nod. I wasn't too familiar with the field of biomancy. That was one of Reg's talents, not mine.

"Brigid tampered with the genetics of multiple creatures. Anyone you pass that is streaked with silver has spent time in her laboratory or has a parent that was held there. My ancestors were one of her first. She gave us the name of Griffin because she knew of the majestic creatures, and in her eyes, we were failures. Somehow, she gained works from other worlds, works of literature and science that she used to further her skills and to read for enjoyment. She sought to create flying monkeys and got us instead. My grandparents managed to escape one night. They could have children, and they weren't the only griffins escaped from her castle. Every griffin in this town, and in my family was raised knowing that we fought a foe that only saw as toys and as a failed experiment. We fought someone so absorbed in her magic, that rebellion brewed beneath her nose for a decade, and she never noticed. I did not care about petty things like freedom.

Now a boy comes along, and runs her through, a boy demanding loyalty. A boy I fought a duel in a month ago and easily defeated. You demand loyalty and negotiation, and yet you don't think of what we have gone through, or the torture we endured!" I was glad I retained my magical lie detector.

"What would you like?"

"Two thousand circlets per griffin in the gaze, per year in perpetuity as reparations from the crown. Adjusted for inflation as needed." The Griffin said.

William wandered back around the corner, he came to the edge of my wards and waved, holding a scroll in the air. I snapped my fingers, and the scroll flew out of his hand and landed in mine. I unrolled the scroll, and read the contents. I fought the urge to grin.

"What else would you like?"

"In addition to Badgerton, we would like to be granted the entirety of the Twilit Forest.

"And the Whispering Woods?" I asked.

"Let that elf asshole figure out his own forest."

"And what about Man's Folly?" I asked, and the griffin shrugged.

"I just want my woods and that town." The griffin said.

"Is there anything else you want?"

"Whatever magic Brigid used to create us has made us immune to potions and spells that regrow limbs. I want that restriction gone, and finally, I want any knowledge and genetic material you find on us."

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Yes."

"I'm agreeable to the money, but the property is certainly up for debate."

Careful there, Stephen, you're spending money you don't have.

"For you maybe."

"The reparations are never released to the public. Neither is the fact that your grandparents didn't flee the castle but were given land because of their long and faithful service to the queen. How many of her experiments were retrieved by them?"

Before the battle, Emily and I had begun assembling dossiers. A few hours after that, we were thrown into battle, and from there settled into a coma. Reg had spent the past month assembling them. The scroll that I was delivered was a brief on Rodney Rascal.

My magic had told me he was lying about his grandparents. The eye-witness account they had one of her old servants witnessing him in the castle as a child was all the proof we needed. Emily was enhancing that memory as we spoke.

"What you want in exchange?" He asked.

Everything.

"I want you, and your Gaze. I want your town. I want the griffins that led a bombing run and were responsible for gathering intelligence for the woodland rebellion. We'll call the reparations a retainer fee. I'd also like a loyalty oath from you, personally."

"And the land?"

"We want you to be an advisor, not an actual governor." The griffin frowned but nodded.

"You'll retain control of this settlement, but all of your other settlements will be required to appoint an alderman. I understand you'll retain control of your culture, but this is my land, I need to establish my power quickly. Those who choose to be by my side will be looked on fondly by history. Those who do not. Well, let's not explore that path."

"It's just an oath, but I'll stick by your side." He muttered, and I nodded.

"But it is binding," I said.

"When do you want us to swear them?"

"Ideally, I'd want a loyalty oath tonight. Do you wield a wand?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"I'm not capable of using magic." He said, and I had to suppress a snort. Maybe not knowingly, but I could feel the magic around him. Whatever Brigid had created, griffins were magical creatures. A magical oath would work on him.

"I accept your ability to use magic for what it is." I replied.

"I can guide you through the oath, you just have to say So I Swear every time I ask you a question. This is just going to be a loyalty oath to me tonight, so it's not the biggest deal." Oh, but it absolutely was. Even as I spoke my next sentence I was toying with what to do and if I could find the courage to do it.

"Okay."

"I need your full name."

"Rodney Regulus Rascal." The Griffin said.

"Rodney Regulus Rascal, do you swear loyalty to me, Stephen Andrews, above all in return for the terms that we have discussed?"

The griffin let out a snort.

"So I Swear." I gave in to the urge to read his mind.

"I'm going to take this kid for every penny he gives me. Little king, more like little fool. We'll see who wears the crown soon enough." His mind's voice echoed through my own.

"Rodney Regulus Rascal Do you swear to defend me the best you can, and submit to my authority of all kingly affairs both domestic and foreign, to put my orders and the orders of those I appoint over you above your own goals? To serve your future king and advise him like you were your own progeny on the throne?"

He gave me a grin. He still didn't understand the trap he walked into.

"I so swear."

"Finally, Thrice and Done, Rodney Regulus Rascal, do you swear to follow the direct orders of your king, above all else, forsaking all your hold dear and everything your family built to follow them if I deem those actions necessary to prove your loyalty?"

"I so Swear!" He said cheerfully.

"Then, Rodney Regulus Rascal, thrice asked, thrice invoked, and thrice done. We have a Deal!" I said with a grin. I felt the magic snap into place, and so did he, because his eyes suddenly widened.

"Rodney, what's wrong?" I asked.

"What did you do?" He snarled, and leapt for me, slamming himself into the ground before he reached me.

"I told you had to swear an oath. Are they not usually binding on this world?"

"I thought you meant a gentlemen's agreement, not slavery!"

"I said it was binding. I prefer to call it hedging my bets. Rodney, to prove your loyalty, I deem it necessary you don't speak about or reveal the events of tonight to anyone. If anyone asked what happened, simply say you came to an agreement about your future. Do not under any circumstances reveal the oath you are under, or the Power it has over you. Do not do anything to harm yourself or your family unless I give you an to do otherwise. If you behave, the only ones that will have to be under this oath are you and the Heir of the Rascal Gaze."

Eventually, once my reign was secured, I would release them. For now, I wanted the three previous dukes under tight as reign as possible. Before I went, I had to know the truth.

"Is there a conspiracy between you, Kalidas the centaur, and Rhince the elf? I'll know if you're lying."

"Yes, there was. We wanted more money from the people, and Brigid wouldn't allow us to raise taxes any higher. So, we organized a rebellion. You did an excellent job. It was a nightmare to dig that old prophecy out of the archives, and quite the stroke of luck that you made one."

"So you had us fight an unnecessary war to increase taxes?"

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds horrible." The Griffin said snidely.

"Get together with your friends and arrange for that elf and the centaur to swear oaths to me." I told him, he let out an annoyed chitter.

"Fine. But then you're releasing me from this oath."

"When I feel that I can trust you, certainly." I'd release him from his oath about a second after I let Io play fetch with him.

"Is there anything you need to discuss with me?" I asked.

"No."

"I'll be sending you over a letter with the terms of House Rascal's treaty with the Crown." I replied and dropped my privacy bubble. The griffin nodded.

"I'd like to meet your Heir as soon as possible," I said.

"Sure." The Griffin muttered.

I left the Griffin and walked back over to William, and we began walking out of the town.

"I just secured the Rascal Gaze." I muttered as I walked. A cold chill went down my spine. I wished for a coat or a cloak to cover my shoulders with.

"Edward's friends want to meet."

"Oh, when?" I asked. I ignored the small part of me that was growing louder by the second that was screaming at me for what I just did. I attempted to ignore the sudden twist in my stomach.

What did I do? What did I do? What did I do?!

I stopped suddenly. I tried to fight the sudden dry heave.

"At our earliest convenience." William said, and then in a lower tone of voice.

"Mate, are you okay?"

"I'm finally."

"So how did you deal with them?" He asked as we walked. I wanted to be out of this town. I had handled this meeting horribly.

"I used Emily's plan." I said, that didn't come out choked back with tears and the fear of sudden nausea. A sudden cold sweat started on the back of my neck, and it was all I could do to stop shivering.

"Oh." Will said, said coming to a stop. He gave me a long look, and we continued. We were almost at the gate.

"So, are you going to repeat that performance with Edward's group of friends?"

"I'm contemplating using your plan for them, but I'll probably continue with Emily's approach."

"I was only joking when I said that."

"It's a valid strategy though." I said, and we were silent. The night was crisp, and to cold to be comfortable. I just needed to make it a few more feet, and I would be fine. We finally got to the gate, and I grabbed William and Io translocated us back to the tower.

Then I fell to the ground and vomited all over my bedroom floor, and my shirt, and I let out a sob before running to the bathroom. I had just broken that griffin's mind, what the fuck was wrong with me? I had just tied him to me against his will. I vomited again and at some point, I heard the door open. I felt William's magic trying to take off my shirt and I let it. I felt his hand on my back, and fought the flinch.

"It's okay Stephen, I'm here." He murmured, gently rubbing my back. I cried again.

I cried for all the beings that died for me, for my home that I lost, and the mother and family that had welcomed me with open arms. I cried for the child I never was, and the shreds of innocence that had been ripped away from me.

For Olly and the father I barely met. For the mother I never knew, for that poor girl who had been a queen and lost her mind along the way.

I don't know how long I sat there with William, and his soothing words and the hand on my back. His low voice was a lifeline on the sea of broken dreams and half thought that flooded my mind, and I used that lifeline to pull myself back to sanity. I sniffed my nose, and carefully schooled my features behind the mask of an Heir. I let out a breath.

"You don't have to be perfect, you know. I know there's a human beneath that mask." He said softly. I let out a soft snort and inspected the shirt he'd ripped off me. I flicked my wand idly. The buttons found themselves in the corners of the room and flew back to the shirt. Another flicked vanished the remnants of dinner. A third sewed the buttons back on.

"I'm going back to that room, if you wanna join me?" He said and held out his hand. I put the shirt through the washing and drying spells and then I put it back on. I quickly buttoned it, and I grabbed his hand, and he led me back to the lab.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

Later that day

We found Emily and Reg in the room that was becoming a shared space instead of a private lab. Reg had gotten a terrarium from somewhere and a plant was slowly growing inside of it. Emily had chosen a desk and two more desks and surrounded herself with books

"What are you researching?" I asked.

"Koralis history. We found the oaths that you need to swear to become king." Emily said, producing a piece of paper that I quickly read, memorized and tucked away in my bell.

"Thanks for the note."

"You're welcome, how did your meeting go?"

"Well, I obtained the long-term loyalty of the Rascal Gaze. I'll probably be ripped in half by Rodney and anyone else that swears a loyalty oath to me. If they're ever released."

"Ouch," she replied, and I eyed the grimy couch and the stack of thick tomes. I used a sanitization spell on the couch and grabbed a stack of books Emily wasn't using. Then I took them over to the couch and summoned one of the tables.

"What are you looking for right now?"

"Any ancient magic or artifacts. Things lost to history. Hopefully, we can find this world's equivalent of Excalibur or Joyeuse. Any artifact to cement your inheritance will do. I want to change tactics. Instead of making it hard for you to become King, I want to leave no doubt that you are," she said. She fought a yawn twice through her little spiel. She wasn't the only one that was tired, William and Reg both looked exhausted. William sat next to me and grabbed one of the books. He started to idly flip through it. Reg turned one of the desks into a comfortable recliner and grabbed another book off Emily's pile. I wasn't sure who drifted off first, but I noticed William fighting sleep next to me, and Emily was softly snoring into a notebook. I was too tired to walk to bed.

I placed a locking spell on the door, and then I flicked my wand. Books and notebooks organized themselves, marked their places, and went to bed on their shelf. Then I conjured myself a blanket and laid down on the couch. I froze, when a few moments later, the desk moved out of the way, and Will curled up next to me.

"Calm down Andrews, it's just sleep." Will murmured and conjured his own blanket. He laid down in front of me, and I drifted off back off to sleep.

I woke sometime in the middle of the night as Reg and Emily left the room. Then I fell back to bed and didn't wake again until the next morning.

♦♦♦

When I woke the next morning, William was curled on top of me. At some point, we had ended up under the same blanket, and the one he had conjured had turned into a pillow for the both of us.

The first thing I smelled when I woke up was his hair, and how strongly he still smelt of infirmary antiseptic. I used the time check spell, I got inconclusive results, and raised my head high enough to check the window.

The sun was starting to rise, I'd expected that. I looked around the room. There were still the books of history sitting beneath the blackboard. Those caused me to frown. Since arriving here, I'd been on the backstep. I was constantly reacting, and I had no time to start creating my own plan of action.
There was so much I didn't know, and I had a feeling that it would be knowledge I'd sorely need. I knew next to nothing about my population, as strange as that was to think. I let out a small sigh, trying to let William sleep. I need coffee badly, and with the water I drank last night, and how William was laying on me. I need to use the bathroom more

I wiggled out of bed, or off the couch. Not an easy thing to do when you're trying to avoid knocking someone out of or off a shared piece of furniture. Then I went back to my quarters to grab a shower and perform my morning routine. Before I stripped out of my clothes, I conjured a hasty note for William explaining to him that I would meet him at breakfast.

"Io, can you deliver this to William without waking him up. Then arrange for him to meet me for breakfast at the cafeteria?"

"Of Course, Master."

"Make sure he gets it."

"Yes, Master." She said, and I handed her the scroll. She snapped her fingers, and another piece of paper appeared.

"What's this?"

"The inventory from the wardrobe." She said stiffly.

"Good job, Io." I replied warmly. She nodded and vanished. I enjoyed my shower in peace, and then I dressed in clothes like yesterday. Then I walked to the cafeteria. I placed my order and fixed my coffee when it arrived. Emily came over from the corner she was brooding in. As the morning watch filed out and the night watch filed in, some of the soldiers noticed me and pointed me out to their comrades. Whispers began filling the room, and I wondered if they were questioning my brutal methods. Was my reign off to that poor of start?
Finally one soldier who was half metal and half man came over to me and offered his hand. I shook it gingerly, aware of the social full paux that this would be in magical society. Then he released my hand, made an odd salute, he brought his fist to his stomach, and bowed. I noticed he, and quite few others had emerald rising suns painted on their chest plates. The dark blue and emerald clashed.

"You saved my brother's life during the battle, and for that you have my thanks, your Grace," he said. A few more soldiers came over and offered their thanks for something I'd done while fighting. It wasn't anything I'd actually done most of them were because I'd fired upon someone in my way, or diverted Power hurled my way, but my actions had saved lives.

"What's wrong with you this morning?" I asked, looking at Emily. She was staring at her tea like it had just murdered a puppy.

"I want a cigarette. We need to find tobacco." She muttered into her tea.

"I'll add facilitating your disgusting habits to the top of the to do list."

"See that you do," she said. Reg joined us soon enough, carrying a tray loaded for two, and handing Emily her plate. I saw William and Edward approaching, and I poured a glass of tea, then I squeezed lemon in it, and drizzled some honey on top. I stirred it, using a trace of magic to make sure the new flavors were mixed well.

"Why are you fixing tea? You've abandoned us for coffee." Emily muttered darkly. Just as William took a seat, the cup floated over to him, and he took
it with a nod of thanks.

"That's why." I said with a smug grin, and she rolled her eyes. Io settled on my shoulders, and Cassandra and Evie entered from the opposite end of the cafeteria.

They grabbed breakfast, Io stole a piece of Cassandra's bacon, and we discussed our day ahead.

Apparently, I had quite a few people lining up to meet me, even if all these people knew about me was that I had given one speech and that I was going to be ruling them. There were soldiers and possible subjects that wanted to meet me and shake my hand. The dukes were vying for new positions. Merchants wondered what my tax law was going to look like. Judges needed to know what my laws were going to look like. There were a few mages that had fought alongside me and were now questioning whether I was going to outlaw magic like she had.
Then there were members of the clergy slowly circling at the edges. Religion had not been allowed in Koralis since she took the throne. Koralian Religion was much like Magical Earth. There were four quarter days and four cross-quarter days. Each of these was marked by a specific ceremony or ritual, and that was it.

"You really should think about holding court at some point," Reg said.

"Sure, I'll schedule that between tomorrow and the heat death of our sun." I replied.

"What about before you leave for Castle Silverspire?"

"I have no idea when that will be. I don't even know who we are to talk to about that."

"I'll talk to Kalidas." Cassandra muttered. It made sense. He ruled the area around the castle, at least half of it. I Needed to get him and Rhince the elf to take loyalty oaths. I hated the idea of them. I hated the idea that I was effectively enslaving someone else. I wanted to ferret out what they wanted first, and their thoughts, and see if they could be trusted. I was going to hold the oaths as a last resort. We weren't due to meet with Edward's people until after lunch. Some of the ministers that Brigid employed to keep her country running had fled her castle and Ottertown and were petitioning me for an audience. I frowned as I looked at the long list of people that wished to speak with me.

"Cassandra, can you and Evie do anything about this list?" I asked.

"I can prioritize those who I think have urgent matters, and I can start having someone screen the rest. Have you decided what you're going to do about your post?" She asked me in return.

"I have post?"

"Yes, apparently the mail here is run by a family of griffins. They been delivering things for you daily."

"How much mail could I possibly be receiving?" I grumbled.

"Well, Koralis has a population of about four and a half million. I'm sure I have accurate numbers somewhere, but I'd say you have a small mountain to sort through now." I glared at her and finished my coffee and winced at the number. There were millions of people I didn't know, and their lives would be in my hand. Another part of me, the part that was a cold calculating little monster, wondered why there were four million people, and the entire battle had barely been composed of twelve legions.

"Put anyone who used to run this country at the top of the list. Put those giving me gifts in the middle and put everyone just wishes to shake my hand or congratulate me on doing absolutely nothing at the bottom. Tell anyone who is their neglecting job or that you think is brown nosing that they need to go back to work and I will visit them when I have time. I want to start seeing three or four of my new subjects a day. If possible, I would also like information on the statistics of the population. Who are these four and a half million people? How many of them are children? How many of them are homeless? How many of them are destitute? How many of them are rich? How many of the children are orphans? How many magicians are there in the population? How many people are born each year?" I rattled off questions as they came to mind, and I heard Io furiously scribbling over my shoulder. After a moment she handed the piece of paper to Cassandra, who looked it over, and looked at me.

"A few these questions I can answer verbatim. The rest of them are things I still need answers to. There aren't many homeless, and while quite a few have circlets, that's Koralian Currency, almost none are destitute because of homespun goods and the frontier economy of most of the forest." That was mildly good news.

"William, do you want to go outside and spar?" I asked. He nodded, and we left the cafeteria and the tower. The rest of them joined us, and I tried to ignore the whispers and stares as I passed people by. My attempt to go for a morning spar was briefly interrupted by an impromptu meet and great. As we walked through the camp, people congregated around us.

Reg healed a few minor ailments that would have turned major. Evie handed out cans of food to whoever asked for it as we walked through the camp, and I shook a few hands as I passed by. A few held up the pentacle ward keys I'd ordered pass out for safety against the defenses we called up like they were religious talisman. I wasn't sure if I was okay with that. I could still feel the slight eddy of my magic still in them, and not to leave people defenseless, I reworked the enchantments of the ward keys as I came across them. Now they would warn the owner if they were in danger, and the spell would feed on the ambient magic that saturated Koralis. This subtle shift would have been impossible without the new-found focus I had gained with an empty head. Olly had been taking up a rather large chunk of magic that I could freely access. I also wondered why those conjurations had yet to vanish.

William and I had a morning spar, and then we had a round robin between all the magic users. Edward left to drill with the rest of the army. Evie and Casandra watched from the sidelines.
Reg's magical talent had grown in leaps and bounds in the past month, and the three of us were getting pummeled by him. I took a break and watched Cassandra with her metal animals. Half mechanical creatures, squirrels, and small birds and mice came up to Cassandra or Evie and whispered something in their air. They whispered something back, and the animal would leave.

"What's that about?"

"Some of the machine creatures have the intelligence of a human. We've been bribing them in exchange for information."

"What kind of information, and bribing them with what?"

"If you allow us use of the staff, we want to try and make them whole." Cassandra said.

"What?"

"All the half creatures are dependent on their flesh for longevity. They can go without eating, but they age and die. They need to drink but have no taste buds. They can't bleed but feel pain. They're suffering because she wanted them to."

"What do you want to do about these injustices?" I asked her.

"I want to help them. The beings that wish to become metal should be able to, and they should be able to reproduce. The beings that wish to become mortal should also be able to."

"And if they wish to remain a hybrid of the two?"

"Let them." She said simply.

"That's oddly tolerant behavior." I remarked.

"I've seen a lot this last month. When you see men screw their heads back on, and your brother's arm fixes itself with magic, your mind is opened. When your life gets saved by an Imp, you doubt things. I haven't decided if I'll ever get one, but I have decided they're damn useful."

"I think I want one." William said, he had stripped down to just his trousers. Emily and Reginald were still fighting, but judging from the sweat covering his skin, he was quite well worked. I fought the blush and was happy that my head was empty of passengers for the moment.

"Which imp saved you?"

"The black furred one with purple, granny?"

"Ganymede?" I asked.

"Master Stephen calls?" The imp purred and landed on my other shoulder, and I petted him absentmindedly. Io was out hunting. She'd return with her kill, and then Ganymede would be allowed to fly. We wanted both fully prepared for this afternoon.

"You saved Cassandra?" Ganymede gave Cassandra a look.

"I did, Master."

"Why?" Ganymede froze.

"Mistress Emily ordered it. Before she was hurt, she ordered me to kill anyone that tried to harm the Lowe Siblings, you, and her mate."

"Her mate?" We looked over to where Reg and Emily were more dancing than fighting. He would conjure vines, and she'd dodge and dance into his long reach before ducking away. Even though this wasn't choreographed, it had the grace and wild passion of a tango.

"Master Reginald." Gany purred.

"While you and Mistress were asleep, I was lonely. I have always been around other minds. Since I first hatched, there were other minds touching my own. My bell was silent, and I was lonely. I enjoyed the air while dropping Lady Cassandra's attackers off the tower." Knowing what I did about imps, that statement was likely accurate. Io was winging in on the distance, shifting from a hawk, to a raven, to an eagle, to a terrifying monstrosity with an eight foot wide wingspan, all while holding a large trout in a talon. She turned into an imp and landed.

"Io, how do you do that while not shedding ectoplasm?" I asked.

"I cheat, Master." Io said. I scratched her under her chin, and she leapt off my shoulder and swooped down to the ground. She snapped her fingers, and the trout divested itself of all it's scales. She popped one in her mouth like it was candy. Then Io summoned a bib, and a place setting from somewhere. She lifted the plate to her mouth and took a bite. She chewed and swallowed carefully. Then she grimaced, and the place setting and bib vanished.

"Can you do the bird thing again?" I asked.
Io changed into a sweet little sparrow, and then with a head much larger than a sparrow should possess, devoured a quarter of the trout with a single bite. She swallowed, and then changed back to her imp form, let out a grin, and then began devouring her fish like a starving lion. Ganymede leapt into the sky, and winged away on a thermal.

"Were you serious about conjuring an imp?" I asked William. He was thoughtful for a long moment.

"Does it hurt?" He asked.

"Only the tattoo," I said.

"What would I need to summon one?" He asked.

"Io, do we have all the reagents necessary to perform a cacodemon summoning?"

"We do," she said.

"You can borrow my spare ritual robe. When would you like to do that?" I asked him.

"After we claim the castle. It feels right." He murmured. He pulled himself up. We were still watching the two of them duel. William moved closer to me and placed his naked back against my chest. I frowned, it was too hot for him to sit that close, and he'd stick to my shirt. I pushed him away and he looked back at me. Then he frowned.

"It's too hot for you to be that close."

"If it's so hot, maybe you could take off your shirt?" He asked.

"No, because I don't want a sunburn." I replied. Why was he acting like an idiot?
He sighed and got to his feet. Then he summoned his shirt from where it was laying on the ground, threw it around his shoulders, and buttoned it. Then he glared at me again, crossed his hands over his chest, and went back to watching Reg and Emily's duel. From a rock on the opposite side of me. He could be mad. He was sticky and I hated sticky. I could almost understand sweaty. Sweaty was fine. But, sticky is horrible.

Reg and Emily dueled for a bit more before they mutually disarmed each other, and the duel was declared a draw by royal decree. Okay, I was bored, and William and his sudden glares were starting to annoy me. I had a mid-afternoon meeting with Emily, Cassandra, and Kalidas the centaur.
Reginald and William were off working on one of Reginald's plans. The meeting was in the second to bottom floor of the tower, which had turned into our defacto command post. On the base floor, there was a tall wooden chair under a runner of emerald carpet that I was trying to ignore, like most of my problems. I would hold Court when I was ready.

From Aisley's End to Castle Silverspire, the distance was just under twelve hundred kilometers. If I rode with the centaurs, it would be about two weeks-worth of travel, and I'd be going by myself. That was what I labeled the "Absolutely not. This is suicidal!" Option.
Traveling with the army was another option. The younger three would be traveling with the civilians and would be guarded by the army, which would be marching along with them. They would be using wagons that were internally expanded and virtually weightless. These were based off the wagons Reg used on his family farm, and occasionally had to fix an enchantment on.

If my personal itinerary to reach the castle separated me from the army and all our citizens in the camp, then Cassandra and Evie and Edward would make the decisions in my place. We would leave them Ivy and Ganymede, and Reginald would travel with me, Emily and William to Castle Silverspire. We would use the imps and the mirrors to stay in communication.

It'd been stressed repeatedly that the countryside was not safe. All sorts of monsters roamed the plain that separated Castle Silverspire and The Silverwood from the rest of the kingdom. The Silverwood itself had always been considered a final defense for Castle Silverspire, and all sorts of nasties roamed those woods, and they'd spread across the countryside. We would be camping from sundown to sunup to ensure our defenses. The wagon train would take about a month and a half, and it was possible it could take longer depending on if they ran into any difficulties traveling or had to fight.

Fortunately, there was a road that wound up through the Silverwood and across part of the Western Range. That road would allow us to easily reach the castle. It had once spanned the entire kingdom but whatever magic preserving the grounds of castle also preserved the road around it. The asphalt back in the clearing had been part of that road.

Along the way, the army would be placing small stone pegs that were carved with a relay rune set that would allow a mirror connection. Before my departure, the four of us would be placing every security spell we knew, along with a portal beacon that would tie into the relay rune pegs. Then we would be placing a small guard, along with a bauble that would call us if needed.
Okay each of these pegs was about three feet tall, and, and each of them weighed a ton. The only way we were able to pull them out of the ground was because we had ordered the stone from the dwarves on credit in exchange for weightless carts when we settled. That was Reginald's doing.

Stone was the building block for any long-term magical infrastructure until alchemists created a metal that imitated the neutrality of stone, it was the best thing to carve runes that you wanted to last a long time.

Well, Marble was the best, but marble was expensive. With these pegs, we'd carve an anchoring rune in the back of them and eventually they would sink into the earth. This, combined with the immutable and unbreakable spells, and it would be a very long time before these runes ceased to work.

Since the rune was directing the magic in the mirrors from one point to another, and each peg was just a relay, we only needed to worry about lodestones for Castle Silverspire, and Aisley's end. In addition to assembling a history of Koralis, Emily had turned Ganymede into a defacto research assistant, and he was looking through all our books, including Reg's, and attempting to find the incantation to transmute the surrounding base elements such as hydroge, and oxygen into diamond. This was considered forbidden knowledge, and if Bethany ever discovered I'd researched how to do this, she would have grounded me for life. We need lodestones to make wards and permanent portals work. We had no choice.

Currently we were discussing how we would travel to the castle over lunch.
Portals were an option, but since there wasn't a beacon on the opposite end, and none of us knew how to create a free-form portal using latitude and longitude coordinates. That was not a valid option. You didn't rely on guess work when using portals.
I looked over the map, and leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. One of the metal birds came winging in. It would be so easy if there was a way for all of us to fly there. I frowned. Emily and I could fly there on the back of Suzaku, her Phoenix Construct.

"I have a question. How quickly could we get everyone through a portal?" Emily asked.

"We would need to keep the portal open for about a minimum of a day." Kalidas muttered.

"And we can't use her portal towers because the network was locked down and the Keystone is in her castle. So we need to make our own. Permanent portals are easy to construct. So are their beacons. If we activated a portal beacon by the castle, we would have our entire army across the country, along with our civilians inside an hour. If we flew there first," I said.

"We construct another portal beacon and leave it here and then we'd be able to return to Aisley's End via portal." Emily stated excitedly.

"Yes, but how are you going to fly there?" Kalidas asked.

"While a boyhood dream is nice, Castle Silverspire did have a portal network once. The castle would be a great addition to our cause." Kalidas murmured. I let the remarks fly, but I frowned.

"How many men would you send to travel across the countryside, and how long would it take them to reach Castle Silverspire?" My mind was working quickly, I had thoughts spinning across my brain, and it was like a mortar of inspiration exploded in my head.

"It would take them as long as any wagon." Kalidas murmured.

"How long would it take everyone to form a caravan, and prepare to leave?" I asked then.

"It would take roughly two weeks to spread the word and pack."

"How long until Reg's wagons are done?"

"We'll have ten wagons done in a week, but Stephen, Cassandra and I were discussing numbers. She did the rudimentary math for how much food and water we would require. The amounts are staggering."

"Yes, well, food is expensive, but the Western Range is offering you premium rates. We understand that your citizens only want the best, and we only want the best for them." The centaur said.

"Or perhaps, it's what's best for your fields?" She asked sweetly, and then sighed.

"I was wondering how long that would take." Oh gods, there she went. I decided to sit back and watch Emily devour someone alive that wasn't a classmate. I needed the schadenfreude.

"I was wondering how long it would be before someone else tried to skim off the crown that my brother hasn't worn yet. Honestly, between you and that raccoon fuck, I felt the need to count my fingers when interacting with you people."

"I suggest you watch your tone little girl. Without our grain and dried meat, well all would have starved while you were taking a little nap."

"Let me tell you something about my little nap, as you called. Well under that embrace of Morpheus, I saw worlds burn and bodies fall. I sat on a throne of skulls and ate ash and I subsided on nothing but the tears of the widows and orphans I left behind. I burnt that western range you're so proud of to sunflower scented death and laughed when I did. That vision gave me clarity and purpose, and a desire to live my life for the better. It has taken a day of underhanded treachery and I have returned to my senses." She struck suddenly, flipping unto the table, and over it, and grabbing the centaur's mane in such a way that he was unable to move. A dagger flashed into her hand and dug into the bottom of his mouth.
Then she bent low next to him, and whispered softly in his ear, and I had to strain to hear her next words.

"You've seen a phoenix bow before me. I cavort with imps and the chittering horde. I can spin flame and twist fire into being with my mind. Do you think that I care about earthly things such as food?

My main objective in life is seeing my brother on his rightful throne. I will slaughter a thousand of yours if so much as a word is raised against him. I'll start with you. I'll geld you and smother you with your bits. Then I'll do the same to all your sons and make your daughters broodmares for the meanest spikiest dreadsteed I can conjure. Do I make myself clear?" She finished in a hiss. He gave a soft whinny and nodded.

"Good, and if we do decide to make a trip across the country, you'll be glad to supply with the material as a coronation gift to the crown, correct?" The centaur nodded.

"Oh, and one last thing. You'll dissolve your partnership with the griffin and the elf, or else I'll dissolve you. Does that sound like a good plan?" He whimpered, hearing a centaur whimper is downright unnerving.

"You may leave." She told the centaur. He left the tent, his tail was low between his legs. I gave her a look.

"What? Someone needed to stand up to that horsey. Cass is bloody good with numbers, I'm sweet on Reg, but he's trying not to step on your toes. You're the least confrontational person I know when it's confrontation that's important. You can tell a Master vampire to shove his cane up his stovepipe, but you can't tell a centaur to go get mounted? It's diplomacy, Stephen, and sometimes diplomats just need to be told to fuck off."
I grunted at that. I resisted the urge to question the difference between telling someone to fuck off and threatening to geld their sons and sell their daughters.

"What was that bit about Reg?"

"You're both the heirs of your house, but he has training, and is familiar with helping run a large estate. He has knowledge that's invaluable to you. Once you get a castle." I raised privacy wards.

"About that, I have a plan that's slightly insane, and William is probably going to kill me if I pull it off. It's going to solidify my image as King of Koralis once and for all. I have one question for you, how fast can Suzaku fly?"
I saw the wheels turn in her head.

"He could get us there in a day."

"Io." I called.

"Yes Master?"

"Do we have everything we need for an expedition?" I asked softly.

"I can pack the few possessions you have at the tower in moments."

"Yes, and I need you to tell William and Reginald that we'll be leaving after dinner. Only me and Emily. I need them here. Then check my armor and give me a full status about the munitions I have."

"At once." I gave her a look.

"We can't blow this meeting, can we?" I asked, and she shook her head no.

We returned to the tower and fetched Edward. Then Io took the location of the Queen's former army from Edward's mind and translocated us there. We arrived in circular clearing and was immediately greeted by a Minotaur and a man that looked part lion. They both raised silver rifles and I held up my hand in the universal gesture of peace.

"I mean you no harm! I am King presumptive Stephen Andrews, and this is my vassal Edward Lowe. From my understanding he's been in contact with your leadership, and they wish to discuss the terms of surrender. I promised surrender for all parties who did not threaten further violence against me and mine. If you missed the memo, raising weapons is threatening violence. Drop your guns and take me to whoever's in charge."

"Steve, come on mate." Edward hissed.

"What did you call me?" I asked.

"Steve, short for Stephen. Your name?" I gave him a look, a very mean look, and he mumbled a quick apology.

"Don't call me that," I said.

"Fair enough, but really mate, tone it down little bit," he said.

"Tone what down?"

"The scary teenage mage thing. It doesn't help in every situation, and the war here has already been won. You just need to cool down some, it's not a big deal," he replied. I resisted the urge to punch William's stupid younger brother square in the nose. I resisted the urge to threaten to show him something truly cold and produce a blizzard in the summer forest. I realized that I may have been spending too much time around Emily. I took a deep breath, and released my anger. Frost and sparks of magic coalesced in the air, and I nodded. Edward had a pensive look on his face, but he nodded.
We followed them down the path for quite some time, until we came to a clearing. There was once a well-guarded outpost here. I burned it down just before the battle with Brigid.

They were still clearing sooty timber. It looked like they had months' worth of work left. We were led to a canvas tent much like the ones our own soldiers were still sleeping in. A man greeted us, he was dressed in battered leather armor. There was a sword around his head and a blocky silver pistol on the table. He looked up as we entered the tent. Aside from the bottom half his face, and a section of his right forearm, he was composed entirely of metal, and his fingers tapered to metal points. Next to him there was a slim gray skinned man. He was dressed in a black tunic and pants, and wore a faded blue coat trimmed in silver on top of that. A yellow conical hat that had seen better days slumped over on his head, and he had a long black wooden staff that curved inward on one end, and was tapered to a nasty edge on the opposite. The end with a crook had a silver bell tied in black ribbon on the end. His clothes and his staff were covered in runes. He gave me look and bowed deep over one gloved arm.
"Greetings old wise and powerful king, I'm so happy that you can finally take time out of your busy schedule to come see us. We are honored by your presence." The mage said, before theatrically twirling his hand. He had a voice like a rat, raspy, annoying and I was instantly on guard.

"Milo, quit your bullshit." The robot said. He looked up from the table and looked over at me.

"So you're the boy king Edward tells us so much about. I left the battle when you broke the spell slaving us to her control. My name's Iago. Are the rumors true? Did you really burn two thousand beings alive? Did you, the purple haired girl and his older brother really kill Queen Brigid through some mental battle?"

"Those are quite a few questions for someone offering unconditional surrender, what about this, I will answer three questions completely truthful, and you have to do the same. That seem acceptable to you?"

"There's no magic at play?"

"It is a point of honor that both parties would answer all questions truthfully. Consider it a sacred and unwritten law." The magic came after, when you determined in secret if you'd skirted the truth enough to break an oath, or if you were fine. Magic would warn someone before they hold an outright lie.

"I'm agreeable to this."

"I want one! I want one!" Milo chimed in.

"I'm agreeable to that. Four questions may be asked of me. But I get two from each of you." I desperately want to know what Milo was. I knew he was a powerful mage, but how powerful was he?

"That's fine." The robot man said, Milo gave me a sharp grin.

"Thrice and done, Stephen Andrews, I do believe that is an accord." I swallowed hard and cursed internally. Edward gave me a look, and I waved away like this was nothing. At the same time, mouthing "get Emily." He nodded. She'd be able to derail this. But I just made a deal with whatever creature Milo was for four completely true questions in exchange for what could very well be two lies and the same amount of truths. I could not lie while answering my questions, because that would break my word.

"Thrice and done indeed. I do believe it is. You may answer the first question, but I ask you to please refrain from asking about anything sensitive." I replied.

"Oh, don't worry, I plan on focusing entirely on you." Milo said, and the Iago gave him a look.

"Iago, you are first."

"What are your plans for my people?"

"By people do you mean the former forces of the old crown, or do you mean metallic human hybrids in general? If you'd like to use both your questions at once, I'm fine with that." I stated. I hoped he said yes, I wanted a win for once.

"The former forces of the old crown," he said.

"I have absolutely no interest in your people. The only reason I am even here is because of a favor I'm giving a vassal. If you don't try to pillage my kingdom into oblivion or start any wars, I really couldn't give a brown rat's arse what you do. You can even pay me taxes. Once I have a royal accounting department to assess them."

"So if we never tendered our surrender to Edward, and if we remained a free party, and began reclaiming Man's Folly, what would you do?"

"Do you really want to waste both of the questions you can ask on politics?"

"If it means keeping my people safe, it will have been well worth it," he said. I needed time to answer that question.
"If you allow it, I would like one of you to answer one of my questions. Before I answer that. That is a question that deserves a well thought out answer," I said. I needed time for the ideas I had for the (soon to be) Twilit Woods to percolate, and to avoid a hypothetical diplomatic disaster from becoming a real one.

"I'll ask one." Milo said. I gave him a look.

"Oh, but it is my turn to ask the question, however, I appreciate your help."

"I express regret young mage, close, but not correct to the method of my madness. I'm not fair nor am I good." He wasn't a fae then.

"Milo, what is your purpose here?" Milo laughed, oh and how I wished to cast out my senses. He was a puzzle.

"By purpose here, do you mean, The means to my madness? The methods of them, or the ulterior motive I have for talking to Koralis' next great ruler?" He asked.

"What are all the motives you have for engaging in this accord with me?"

"It's quite simple, almost king, until a month ago, Koralis was dreadfully boring. Nothing had happened here for decades, and I was getting so dreadfully bored. I get unpredictable when I'm bored. I get antsy, when I get bored. When I get antsy, I start taking things apart and figuring out how they tick.

That madwoman would've had another five years at best before I took her head off her shoulders and played volleyball with it. Then you, and your sister, and that Druid, and that feral pack of children you keep around you came in here like a well-placed explosion and toppled everything its head. I do love a good explosion. Things have started to happen again and I wanted to get to know the person that they're happening around. My only motive is entertainment." That was one hell of an answer. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I looked back at Iago.

"To answer your question, there is no way I would allow former enemies to live in my sovereign territory without a modicum of supervision. I am planning on making Edward the Duke of this area. So he will be your primary point of contact with the crown, regardless of surrender or treaty. Since I refuse to have a foreign Power active within my borders, you will be under the Power of the crown. I will expect you to pay taxes. I will expect this territory to contribute to Koralis future. I expect this of all settlements and villages within Koralis borders. I understand that you do not wish to trade one tyrant for another, but the sovereignty of the Crown must be respected. I hope you can understand this. I don't care how you run your village if you pay your taxes and answer my call if battle is nigh. According to the new military policy my advisors are working on, even though this is a village of soldiers, if we go to war only a portion of your population will be asked to serve."

"I agree to all your terms." He said finally, and I nodded.

"This mean it's my turn?" Milo asked, and I nodded grudgingly.

"How far you are you into your Aether studies?" He asked me. The question caught me complete off guard.

"What?"

"How far have you progressed in Fourth Path?"

"What is an Aether?" Iago muttered, and I glared at Milo. There was a commotion outside the tent, and then I heard a woman's voice.

"I don't give a bloody fuck if he's meeting with the Queen. Step aside." Emily called and she strode in. She had dressed in her armor, and the combined effect of that, and our imps on her shoulders, and the armory she held on her belt, and she looked ready for war.

"Ahh, Emily, so nice of you to join us. I was wondering when the insane half of your little dynamic would appear."

"I fixed the voices in my head, can you say the same, shade?" Emily snarled, and I froze.

"You're a Shade?" I hissed. Milo splayed and shook his hands theatrically.

"Oh you've caught me, is this when the boogeyman turns into smoke?" He cackled.

"Simmer down, Warlock, your brother and I are playing a game. I'll deal you in next time. Now, Stephen Andrews, I do believe you were about to answer my question."

"I have gotten as far into my studies as an Aether as my Master deemed necessary. I have apparently progressed far enough in my studies to beat Brigid." I snarled.

"Such hostility for so few words." He remarked.

"What's your question, little Lord?" He purred. A shade was a creature of magic unbound. They had very few- if any – weaknesses.
They were magically powerful, fast as a vampire, and strong as a full Therrien, and from my understanding all of them were bug-fuck insane. If this one decided to attack me, I was dead. There was no question about that. I had to choose my next words very carefully.

"If you were me questioning you, what question would you ask?" I asked, and the shade laughed. That was a dry, cold laugh that echoed through.

"Oh, well done little Aether. Well done indeed." He said after a long moment.

"I would ask him what color sky and grass he saw, and if it was purple and white or blue and green." The shade said, and my blood chilled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, and he gave me a long low grin.

"I do believe I have one more question to ask you, Stephen Andrews."

"You do indeed." I replied sourly. I wanted done with this little game.

"My last question is simple, but to the point. Which Stephen Andrews are you?" My wand was in my hand in a blink, and without conscious thought, was dug into his throat.

"Maybe I should change my question to "Is this the way you killed Cortés?" The shade hissed, and I reeled back.

"I am the Stephen Andrews that is standing in front of you, and the one that might blow your fucking head off. Does that answer your questions satisfactorily?" I asked in a polite tone.

"It does indeed, and you'll certainly do." Milo said with another grin. I dropped my wand arm to my side. Then his form shifted, and spun, and the Cheshire from a month ago appeared.

"The little lion is growing claws." He said with a too-wide grin and walked out of the tent. I was beyond done with random magical creatures making threats against me and fucking with my head.

"I'm sorry about his behavior, I had no idea about his true nature or else I never would've invited him to live in my camp." Iago said. I inwardly sighed.

"No harm came of this. Me and mine are whole. There is nothing lost between my people and yours." I said in a perfunctory manner.

"I do have other matters to attend to, but first I would like to do something about your camp," I said.

"Our camp?" He asked. Instead of answering him, I strode outside. I didn't know the spells that would allow me to rebuild the camp entirely. But Emily and I worked together to repair the buildings that were mostly standing and erase any trace of fire from them. He thanked us and Io translocated us back to the tower.

We gathered the Lowe Siblings, and Reg, and told them our plan. Then Emily and I snuck out of camp and traveled some distance. Emily called Suzaku, we jumped on his back and took to the skies.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

West Coast of Koralis

One Month, One Day After Arrival. (Jan 23rd)

We followed the coast south for about half an hour. Our first glimpse of civilization was a horseshoe bay filled with the wrecks of old ships.

These had been resting in their watery graves for so long, most of them had long since fossilized into petrification. An entire navy had been sunk or petrified in this bay. Below the petrified navy, a sea of multicolored glowing coral lent the ancient ships an eldritch light.

"Do you think those are our old ships?" Emily asked.

"So now it's 'our'?" I replied.

"In for a penny." Emily replied.

Our first glimpse of the city was the sun shining on it's monumental namesake. Castle was a bit of a misnomer. Silverspire was an entire city protected by a set of pentagonal walls. At each point, and nestled in the center, there was a gleaming spiral tower jutting into the air.

The sun hit these spirals and bathed the city in a wash of golden light that caught the small metropolis aflame. The dazzling white stone that the city was built from added to this. The roofs of the town sparkled and made the city dazzle like a jeweler's purse.

There were two castles in the city. The first was a square blocky thing that sat squat in the middle of the Eastern Wall.

There'd been a class structure in place. In the western quadrant of the city, there was a careful grid of houses that started with small structures and gradually became larger and more ornate, until western outer ring was dotted by villas. The city was arranged in a rough pie shape and had clearly been carefully engineered.

To the right of the residential district, there were a series of buildings that looked academic in nature. There was a great domed building in the center that screamed college or library.

To the left of the academic buildings, there was a collection of buildings that can only be described as barracks, and armories, and everything that would allow an army to function. Next to that wedge of the city, there were a group of what looked to be various mercantile and normal goods.

The main gate to the city was at the edge of this wedge. The street that begin at the castle was built so that any visitors to the city would have to pass through a gauntlet of merchants.

The street sketched a perfect path, and eventually led to tower in the center of the city. The path split here and terminated in culdesacs much farther down.

That was centered at the gate to the city. I had to admire the placement of that, and a grid of buildings that was likely the entertainment district. Finally, surrounded by four walls, there was a grid of buildings, and towers, and shops that had either to be some sort of engineering or artificing center.

"I wonder how they fed all these people? This town has to be almost as big as London." Emily asked.

"It's just one more problem we'll need to solve." I replied.

Emily guided Suzaku in a loop of the castle and the city.

Silverspire was on a vast island connected to the continent via a bridge at the eastern castle. There must've been a massive font or leyline directly under the castle that was powering the spells protecting it. I could see the heat shimmer in the air from the energies that were running off the wards.

They extended across the entirety of the island and ended at a point just beyond the bridge. Another smaller town existed about a dozen kilometers down the coast, but that looked like it was in ruins.

Castle Silverspire was built into the cliff on the western face of the island. It was made an of intricately carved white marble and gleaming blue-silver steel. As we swooped around that side of the island, we flew above a series of balconies that overlooked the ocean and a wide white stone face dotted with windows along its width. There were a few covered staircases carved into the face of the mountain, and it appeared these led down to the beach below.

We glimpsed the gaping mouth of a cavernous harbor that the wards extended to beneath the castle. A natural wall in the water created a breaker wall for the cave harbor.

A brief glimpse of this indicated that there might be surviving ships.

I took a deep whiff of the sea air. and we dove. The salty mist churned in the air from Suzaku's wake, and we followed the coast until we came to shoreline again. Suzaku took a sharp left turn, and then juked upward. There were more harbors and coves under the city, and I wondered how many of them were mapped. An adventure for another time I supposed.

We came to the edge of the bridge, just beyond to the wards, and Emily dismissed Suzaku. The bridge itself was imposing. Each lane looked large enough to fit three or four lorries abreast. These lanes were divided into four by stone guard houses.

The roads also had large stone partitions up at equidistant points across the length of the bridge. These partitions were high enough that we'd have to scrabble over them. The bridge was open on all sides and was supported by a series of stone arches that were anchored into the ocean bed.

"We're on the same page when we agree that it's best not to let the imp's come along with us?" I asked, looking at the bridge in the distance.

"I agree." We were about to be interacting with strange magic and playing with wards that felt like the oldest I'd ever known. Some wards attacked infernal energies on principal.

Emily shook her wrist, and her three-bell ribbon appeared on her wrist.

"Ganymede, come forth." She said, and the imp leapt from her shoulder. She handed the bells to him.

"Follow my every order. I am handing you these as a means of safekeeping. I'm not giving them to you. I'm not allowing you to use them. If I do not contact you for more than a day, you are to take these to Master Reginald and give him a list of the entire contents of all my possessions. If you fuck me over you Imp, I will get you and make a stole from your pelt. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly mistress." His creaky voive sent a shiver down my spine.

I called Io and repeated the same orders. Then I sighed. My bell held my trunk, and all my possessions. Aside from my dagger, wand, sword, and pistol, I would be going in unarmed. It seems like a lot, I'll admit, but I'd gotten used to carrying full armor around with me. Emily frowned.

"All of our gear has enchantments on it."

"I'm not going into a strange castle undefended," I said. She nodded. We left our cacodemons and walked to the edge of the bridge. I raised my wand and murmured a spell.

"Do you want to do sensing, or defenses?" She asked.

"I have more knowledge of enchanting; I'll do the sensing. You take care of our defenses." I said, then jabbed my wand forward.

"Qui revelare." An ember of emerald light appeared on my wand, the mage sight spell activated, and I looked across the bridge. The edge of the wards were the point where the bridge met the ground. These extended across the entirety of the city. At that point, they were a swirl of runes that looped across the ground and through the air. I only recognized some from our venture in the tunnel when we had first arrived. I ended the spell with a slash of my wand.

"There's more of those mucky runes." I muttered.

"I suppose you could tell me what they are now, right?" I asked Emily, and she shook her head.

"Helena only told me that they were "Paxian". Whatever that meant," Emily said. That word seemed familiar to me, but I wasn't sure why or how.

"I can't work with runes I don't know."

"William might." Emily said. She pulled her mirror from her pocket and traced the series of runes that would connect her to Reginald. The glass fogged and cleared immediately.

"We're out of range," she said.

"Mirrors only have a range of a couple hundred kilometers. There meant to be used with a relay." I replied.

"Io, appear, please." Io did.

"Fine Will, and if he's not busy asked him if he wants to go on an adventure." I said. Io vanished and appeared almost instantly.

"I'm training with Edward today. My king might need a handsome knight to save him." Io said in a sarcastic parody of William's voice, and gave me a playful wink. I doubt he said the last part.

I need you now, dummy. I pushed away that anger and focus on the situation at hand.

"Return to Ganymede and resume guarding your bell." Io nodded, and then hesitated.

"Master, if I may give you advice?" She said helpfully.

"Will this advice lead to my death or injury?"

"No."

"What's your advice then?"

"I'm not entirely certain, but these wards do not protect against the infernal."

"They don't?"

"No master, these wards protect against entry. No one may pass without the ward key. They don't discriminate by species."

"What could the ward key be?"

"It's usually a totem of some kind. It's a fetish that denotes ownership of the property the mage is attempting to enter. Like the Heir and House rings upon yours and Emily's finger. Like the ring on your opposite pointer finger." I still had to investigate what that ring was.

"Could my heir ring work as a ward key?" Io bobbed her head back and forth, like she was listening to an unheard song or whispered words.

"It is a possibility, Master."

"How can you tell this?" I asked.

"Master, I have lived a long life of being bound to mages that knew far too much, or too little. You're all quite the adventurous sort, and you have a habit of dying before you're truly capable.

You aren't the first to find themselves in a strange world. No matter the world, all magic sings the same, and this ward sounds no different than any other barrier that requires a ward key." I gave Io a long look. She was telling the truth as far as I could tell. I offered her my hand. She dropped the bell into my cupped palm and flew to my shoulder. I spelled the bell back into my skin.

"Ganymede?" Gany appeared.

"Can you sense magic?" Emily asked.

"Of course, Mistress," he said.

"He's lying." I said, just as Io looked at Ganymede and unleashed a series of monkey screeches.

"I apologize Mistress. I know certain types of spells by energy. But my understanding of them in human terms is limited.

"Return to your bell," she said. He flashed away and the string of bells was spun back into her wrist.

"He has his uses, I promise." She said, and I rolled my eyes.

"So what do we do?" Emily asked.

"Onwards, I suppose." I said, and walked into the Wards of Silverspire

I walked through the barrier and felt nothing at all. I turned around to look at Emily, and she went to take a step forward. Her face smashed into the barrier. I frowned and popped back through.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"It wouldn't let me through." She muttered. I held out my hand, and she gave me a look.

"Don't give me that look. I want to try an experiment," I said. She glared at me and took my hand. Then I stepped back through the barrier. Emily came with me this time.

We climbed over one of the cement barricades, and walked past the guard house, and then shambled over those.

"I'm not climbing over a million of these Stephen, it's not happening. I'll get all sweaty, and this bridge has to be a few kilometers long."

She called forth Suzaku, and we flew low across the bridge, and landed at the exit to the guardhouse on the opposite side of the bridge.

We entered the city, and I looked up, and around.

"Any idea what we're looking for?" Emily asked.

"Well. Did you ever use your scanner thingy?" I asked, and she shook her head no.

"Io, fetch my scanner thingy." I said. Io popped back into existence a moment later, and dropped the box into my hand. I flipped it open, and it turned on.

"Merlin, can you detect magical energy?" I asked the device.

"Magical energy detected. Three streams of magical energy detected. Would you like me to display these sources?"

"Yes."

Glowing lines filled my vision. Emily glowed like a small purple sun.

"Can you hide energy sources that are fueled by a magical core?" I asked. My vision shifted, and I looked around. There were lines of magical energy coming from every building I saw. Each of them fed down into the thick pipe that looked to run the length of the city. I scanned the buildings around me and looked at the walls. Each point of the Pentagon was glowing with pure blue-white magical energy.

"Each point of the pentagon looks like a focal point for the wards," I said.

"Hmm. What if it's not a pentagon, but a pentacle?" Emily asked.

"Then there should be a point where the energy lines cross to make a matrix. The center of that would hold the keystone. But working on the assumption that it's a pentacle, and not a pentagon, wouldn't that mean there needs to be a circle somewhere?"

"Not necessarily. It's not like they're summoning or containing anything," she said.

"Summon Suzaku, I want to see what the energy looks like from the sky."

Emily called the phoenix and we flew up. Each point of the pentacle was glowing-blue-white, and so was the tower in the center. Its unique location allowed whoever inhabited the tower to be connected to all five parts of the city at once. We dove down towards it.

There was a set of steps that looked like they belonged to a large government building leading up to the tower. Each side of these steps were guarded by a series of series of statues of armed men, and a pair of lions. We walked up the steps, the tower was guarded by a series of walls, and a thick set of wooden doors. Gargoyles dotted these walls, and Io and Ganymede both let out a hiss at something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Gargoyles." Io hissed.

"Destroy them all, Master. Please." She said in a whine.

"They're not real." I replied.

"Would you have a lifelike stage of a vampire in your house? Gargoyles hunt cacodemons. They eat our young and destroy our homes. They are an abomination!" She hissed.

"We'll get rid of the gargoyles." I muttered. They were kind of creepy looking after all. They only way through was this door. I quickly ran up the steps, Emily on my heels. The door was banded with blue-silver steel that was present everywhere in Silverspire. Embossed, on the door, was a phrase. There was a small circular indent where a key would be.

"Place the banner of the crown upon me and speak your name."

Below that, there were a trio of phrases.

Gloria Elementum, Regii Sanguinis, Maiorem Magicae.

"I'm assuming the banner of the crown is our crest," Emily said.

"That seems logical." I pressed my ring flat against the indent. There was a soft click, and I felt the hum of magic around me.

"Stephen Andrews." I said, there was a whine from somewhere, and another click.

"I don't understand." I muttered. I sat down against the cool stone. What had I done wrong? I focused on the cobblestone. I'd said my name and used my ring. There had to be more to it. I'd need to decipher the phrases below the message.

"Emily Andrews." I heard her say, and she let out a sudden yelp.

"That bastard shocked me!" She cried, I ignored that idiocy. She should know better than to mess with spells we had no control over.

"What do those phrases mean?" I asked. Emily looked at the door.

"The first has something to do with the elements, the second is denoting lineage, maybe? It's Regii sanguinis. Usually Princeps Sanguinem means royal blood, so I'm not sure why it's phrased like that. The third might be a calling for a spell or ritual? It seems self-explanatory, but who knows."

So, element, blood and magic. Why did that sound familiar?

"Maybe something to do with white magic?" Emily said, she'd summoned a compendium.

"Healing magic?" I asked.

"No, white, or light magic?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, if it's an endless stream of magic, maybe it's used for renewal."
"Maybe I should throw a Iactus at it." I muttered.

"And cause a cascade failure, are you ill?" She asked. I perked up at that.

"What's that?"

"A cascade failure, y'know when all the wards kerflooey at once?"

I got to my feet and drew my wand.

"Emily, I could kiss you!"

"Eww, please don't."

I walked up to the door. That had to be it.

I placed my ring against the door, and I felt the magic call up.

"I am King Stephen Andrews, of Alexis and Stephen, of Bethany and Vincent! Heir of my Line! Hear my call, oh great city. By Dazzling Element! By Royal Birth! By Cascadian Magic! I claim this city and the kingship of Koralis!"

My aura flared, and the I felt the snap of magic in the door and felt Power like I'd never known wash over me. I felt an ancient sleepy intelligence brush against my mind for a second, and it must have found me worthy, because the door swung open of its own accord.

"Showy!" Emily called, and I ignored her.

We walked through the door and came into a courtyard. There was a bubbling fountain in the middle, and what looked to be a well-manicured garden all along the edges. I could sense the maintenance spells at work. A winding stone path led us into the opening of the tower. We walked along that path and into the tower.

As we entered the tower, I realized that this building must have been the beating heart of the grand city.

In the center of the room there was a metallic blue and silver throne lined with dark wood. My house crest was intricately woven into the headrest.

There was a pair of smaller thrones on either side of them, and the rest of the room was filled with rows of chairs. The walls were painted in murals of great battles in Koralis history, and were an endless vision of knightly soldiers, grand ships, and glorious victory.

The ceiling was entirely made of glass that I could feel was spelled. This, and the open door, flooded the room with what bright sunlight. I could tell that even at night this room was going to be well lit. I looked across the room, and the throne. Some subtle magic was at work. I wasn't sure if it was my soul calling out to the throne, or the throne calling out to my soul, but I gave Emily a look.

"Stephen, it's yours. Go for it." She said, and I ran across the room, and settled in the blue and silver throne. Something clicked deep inside. Another silver city flashed across my mind, a city that had followed my dreams since I was a child. This city sat on a silver sea much like the one along my coast. The throne I was sitting on belonged to the kingdom I'd earned and belonged to me. I pushed that childhood fancy out of my head and embraced the present. This felt right somehow. Deep down, there was a part of me that knew I'd be destined to rule, and reign, and this part of me howled in triumph. I basked in that feeling for one like moment.

That was when Emily surprised me. She bowed, and then she drew her wand.

"Emily, what are you doing?"

"Stephen Andrews, Heir of my House, King of my Land, I swear fealty to you. I swear to raise my wand and sword in your defense, and to answer the call of war if it should arrive. I pledge to celebrate your peace, dance in your joys, and mourn in your losses. "

"Emily-"

"Accept it." She said with a fierce grin.

"Emily Andrews, I accept your fealty. Welcome home daughter of my line. May my hand feed you, my gold cloth you, and my house shelter you from the storm. Rise, Princess, and welcome home." A flash of shock colored her features.

"You're family. You're a member of my court, and a sister that I never knew I needed. Thrice and done, so mote it be, Welcome home." I said simply. I felt magic sing as the oath was accept. We met in the middle, and she wrapped me in a hug.

"I'm not wearing dresses." She said through a sniffly nose.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Let's explore your tower, my king."

"Never say that again."

The tower had several levels. Two level above us were filled with desks and papers and ledgers, I felt drowned by all the minutiae those rooms represented, but I had a feeling Cassandra was going to be thrilled. The third level was filled by a series of chairs surrounding a circular table in the middle of the room. The edges of the table were carved with Paxian Runes and the Futhark. I made a note to examine the table in depth later.

The room above that was a circular library. That was utterly devoid of knowledge. Not even rugs remained on the stone floor.

The floor above the library was a room that may have held maps or other tools to help run a kingdom. It was also empty.

As we climbed the tower, we stumbled across an empty armory, and a plundered magical lab.

Finally, after climbing several more floors of various use, all vacant, we reached the top.

The room was open to the elements, but there were narrow balconies and high railings across each opening. There were brass lanterns hung from each side of the three arches. It wouldn't be hard to see how this could be an aerie for winged beings delivering messages. Or for mages to study their wardcraft at one of the stone tables scattered throughout the room at thirteen random places.

It was shielded from exposure and direct light by wards, but I could still feel soft heat from the sun. a cool breeze washed across my skin, bringing with it the scent of the ocean.

In the center of this room was the largest active lodestone I'd ever seen. The one I'd used had been the size of a mundande bowling ball. This one was easily ten times that size and was housed on a dais of white stone. Every inch of the lodestone, and the dais, were carved in an elegant weave of runes, strange sigils, metamathematics and alchemical symbols.

On another dais, next to the first under a glass case, nestled in a white silk pillow, a crown sat expectantly.

This crown was made of several intertwined strands of sapphire that culminated in a triquetra on the front of the crown. The gold inlaid in the emeralds was etched with runes. There was an inscription laid into the dais.

"Whoever wears this crown shall hold the Banner of Koralis forevermore."

Emily lifted the glass case, and I took the crown. It felt cool, and lighter than I thought. The crown still held a weight to it, but it was much less than I was expecting. Then I handed the crown to her.

"Not, yet," I said. She nodded and tucked it away.

"Io, take us out of the city." I said and grabbed Emily's hand. We translocated back to the bridge, and I looked at the Imp.

"Tell Reginald and Cassandra that I would like them to gather all the leaders of Koralis that we are in contact with to the tower. Offer your translocation to speed this up.

Tell them that if anyone baulks, that this is an order from their king, and I expect them to be at Aisley's End by sunset or their duchies will be forfeit and I'll have their heads." I told the imp. She gave me a long careful look, and then a solemn nod and translocated away. I produced a rune slate and dropped it on the ground.

"What are your plans?" She asked.

"I'm going back to the tower, and then I'm going to start ruling my fucking kingdom." I smiled a wide, sharp grin.

"Oh gods." Emily muttered. She summoned Suzaku, and we leapt into the air. A quicky bit of geometry, and we set off on a diagonal.

We arrived just as the sun was dipping into the sky. The camp was in the distance and closing fast. At ten feet from the ground, I leapt off Suzaku, and floated to the ground with a whispered gravitare. I amplified my voice and called.

"Come, all you Dukes of Koralis, come all my subjects, I summon thee, my ministers! Your king has returned on the wings of the Phoenix and at the nadir of dawn! Come now, my subjects for tonight I am leading us home!"

My proclamation was heard throughout the camp. I dropped a second slate on the ground and stepped away.

The area around the tower was filled with soldiers, and civilians, and everyone with even an ounce of curiosity. Reg, and Will along with his siblings walked out of the tower, and we turned to face the assembled crowd.

Emily moved to my right, even as Will stepped to just behind my left shoulder. Cassandra stood next to Emily, and she was flanked by Evie. Reginald stepped close to Will, and Edward walked to a point to his left. Kalidas the Centaur, Rhince the Elf, Rodney, and Iago were at the front of this assembly.

"Why have you gathered us?" Kalidas grumbled.

"I wish you to replace one unjust ruler for one who has gained his throne by purview of conquest, by passage of birth, and right of bloodshed. I petition the Dukes of Koralis to name my brother the High King," Emily said. I bowed low, and dropped to one knee.

Emily snapped her fingers, and the crown popped into her hand. There were gasps throughout the crowd.

She placed it on my head, and I felt the threads of magic from the crown wrap around my aura, and then snap into place. I could feel a distant connection to the castle, and the wards. I ordered them to become visible. We'll give them a show.

"By the ring on my hand, the blood on my blade, and the crown on my brow, I call the Dukes of Koralis. I offer them the proof of my claim, and the truth of the words I speak. Tell me Dukes of Koralis. What say you?"

Iago was the first.

"As the Duke of Man's Folly, and the last remaining general of the old queen, I give you my blessing, my lord. May you rule us wisely."

Rodney spoke next.

"As Duke of the Twilit Forest, I give you my blessing, my Lord, may you rule us wisely."

"As Duke of the Western range, I give you my blessing, my Lord, may you rule us wisely." He ground out. Kalidas the centaur stood firm. I glared at him, and he glared at me. Emily grinned, and he paled.

"As the Duke of the Whispering Woods, I object to this appointment." The elf muttered.

"Per Proxy and by the dwarfs, a quorum called, and voices raised, I grant you the approval of the people, Stephen Andrews, step forward." Kalidas said.

"I'd like to appoint someone else to swear me in, Lord William Lowe, please step forward," I said. Cassandra and Reginald had already planned this. They didn't want that centaur anywhere near me with a sword.

I handed William a summoned piece of paper.

"Just read the script." I murmured, and he gave me a look.

"Will, you're one of the most important people in my life, I want you to do this." I said, he shot me a quick, easy grin, and drew his gladius.

I knelt on the ground and bared my neck to his sword. He rested the blade gently against my throat, and my breath caught as I felt his magic in the blade.

"Do you accept this crown? Do you accept the responsibilities and right of kings? Do you vow to put the needs of the kingdom ahead of yourself?" He asked me.

"I swear this." I said, and I felt my magic spinning and rising.

"Do you promise to do justice to your subjects? To protect them from their enemies, should they arise? Do you swear to rule your subjects with fairness, and kindness, to treat them as you would your own children?"

"I swear this." Magic hummed and sang in my veins. I fought the cold shivering down my spine and settle in my guts.

"Should enemies rise against our land, and war wage upon our shores, will you be the first in every glorious charge, and last in every desperate retreat?"

"I swear this." And the magic I had brushed against at the castle, rose and flashed across the distance of space, crossing hundreds of miles a second, and erupted under me in a flash of blue and silver and red and white.

Suddenly, my clothes changed, and shifted. The blue in my outfit changed to dark emerald, and the silver changed to gold. I heard something, a whisper just out of hearing, like the ghosts of queens and king's past, welcoming me to their line. I caught a flash of long-red hair, and a impish grin. I saw a man with hair of ghost white give me a nod, and I felt the land beneath my feet.

"I name thee High King Stephen Andrews first-" William gave me an odd look, and I shifted my gaze to Emily, and back to him.
"Third." We all said in unison.

"Third of his name. Emperor of the Four Sisters, Lord of the Dawn, High King of Koralis. Long May You Reign." William said, and tapped my head and shoulders with his blade.

I stood, and the crowd erupted. Screams of joy and cheers rang out. I held up my hand, and the crowd fell silent once more.

"Now that I am King, my first act is to restore the city that has been our shining beacon for so long. If everyone would take a few steps back," I said. I the crowd to a distance about fifty feet from where I placed the first of the two portal beacons.

I swirled my hands mysteriously, muttered some Latin sounding nonsense, and made a slashing gesture with my hand. Then, with a loud amplified snap of my fingers, and a whispered Activus, the two portal beacons activated, and a portal flashed into emerald existence.

The wards of the city were glowing. As it grew darker, they'd be visible for hundreds of miles in every direction. I cast my mind out to every being in attendance, and I touched my consciousness to theirs. This only let me get a general sense of well-being but it would serve for what I needed to do next.

"Wards of Silverspire, as your King, as your Master, allow us entry!" I cried, and then, silently, behind a careful mask, I keyed my family in and allowed the castle and town to receive visitors once more.

With another thought, I ordered the wards to become fully invisible. There was a muffled boom, and all the blocks of stone guarding the bridge lowered themselves. The city was completely undefended. Let anyone try to attack. I could feel the wards hovering at the edge of my awareness along with the memory capsules I'd been given. The Wards and I were one.

I ordered the runic sconces along the bridge to light, and small orbs of white sprang up along its length.

I walked through the portal, followed by my family, and began walking towards the bridge. I heard people slowly start moving behind me. I didn't look back. They would follow or they would be left behind.

I smiled softly as my sister fell to my right, and my friends followed behind. They were joined by the dukes, the soldiers, and then the civilians. In the end, everyone followed me.

<BR>

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[jldew93]

We walked through the city until we came to the tower. Most of the camp fell back after we reached our destination. The dukes each settled into one of the villas in the western edge of the city, and we found a smaller house near the tower to bed down for the night. I was tired, despite the full moon in the sky. I needed time to rest, but I wasn't going to get that. Not for quite some time. I wandered the tower for the night, thinking about what the future held, the pentacle I needed to reforge, the new foci I would need to enchant. Ghosts walked with me that night, like they would in the sleepless nights to come, and the years I'd wander these halls. These were not physical manifestations, but they danced around my memories.
Ones I'd killed, ones that had died when Brigid pinned them down. I even caught a glimpse of Brigid once or twice. She was the only being I'd killed with hair that red.

These memories, the shades of those I held a responsibility to protect, the spirits of the people I'd killed, the bloody specter of a Vampire master, these things danced through my head as I wandered the halls. I'd lost Voice. I'd lost my pentacle, and most of my knives. All those were mementos of Bethany I'd never have back, and all I gained was a ghoulish masquerade of bad memories.

These memories, and the responsibility that I had for the ones that remained, for the entire country that now held me as their highest hopes. I could feel the weight of that burden, heavy on my head, and my soul. There was so much that needed be done. I had no idea about what needed to be done. How did one rule a kingdom? How would Bethany organize a country? How would I?

I let those thoughts, those responsibilities, guide my steps through the night. I wandered the empty tower and found nothing I could use to set right the mistakes I'd made. Or to begin making headway into doing a duty that most were groomed from birth to perform. I know I needed policies on economics, magic use, foreign policy, a half dozen other parts of the government that I'd need to figure out.
I found myself on the top of the tower and savored the cool night air. I laid on the wooden floor and gazed out at the stars. I'd never done this at the townhouse, despite the knowledge of astronomy I had. Despite the difference between Earth's sky, and here, I still marveled at the light, this distraction let me center myself, and figure out what I needed to do.

Brigid's Castle needed to be explored, if just for the gold we desperately needed. I had no idea what magic we'd face once we did explore that castle. We also needed to find a map of the city Silverspire and make an inventory of everything within. The armories I noticed on our initial survey would hopefully still be stocked. An air force had been mentioned at one point, and I wondered what that was composed of.
Then there were the other countries that bordered us. The ones I only knew the names of the ones that were trading partners with Brigid, or the ones that had cut diplomatic ties with her entirely. I needed information about alliances and politics I hadn't found yet. Wherever the old crown held their black books, the little binders of dirty secrets I knew they had, that is what I sought.

Bethany had taught me the importance of such information. I needed all the knowledge I could gather on the inner workings and politics of the world. Brigid's Castle would have to be the next step after we settled into this castle. Even with these plans, my mind still raced. I stood up, and wandered over to the balcony, looking down at the city below. How many other kings had worn this crown, and looked down at the city below.

How many other rulers had looked over this city, and seen not a promise of things to come, but shiny chains? How many of them had looked down at the balcony, and the drop, and thought those dark thoughts, the ones that promised a little jump wouldn't be that bad? The ones that fought and screamed that this was it, you needed the rest, and after a short fall, you'd have all the rest you need? My macabre reverie was interrupted by a small voice behind me.

"Stephen?" The voice asked. I turned and looked. It was Edward.

"Are you okay mate?"

"I'm fine," I said softly, turning my gaze back to the city below.

"Stephen, why don't you take a step back away from there?" Edward asked, I looked back at him, and nodded. I stepped away from the edge and walked over to him.

"Why are you up this late?" I asked.

"Why are you?" He replied in response.

"A few months ago, I did a ritual. The price I paid was the inability to sleep through dawn, or on nights of the full moon," I said.

"Do all rituals have those costs?"

"Every ritual has a price. Some are steeper than others." He nodded and walked around the top of the tower. There really wasn't much here. A few racks that may have once held brooms, or carpets. Lanterns hung from each arch. I'd lit them when I walked up here with true fire. Curiously enough, the case that held my crown had vanished.

"So, why are you up so late?" I asked.

"I couldn't sleep," Edward said.

"Bad dreams?" I asked, he gave me a look.

"How do you know?" He asked. I was silent for a moment, considering my words.

"When I was a year younger than Evie, a vampire kidnapped me. I ended up killing him. I've had nightmares about it ever since." I said softly.

"Damn mate, I'm sorry!" He said. His next words came slowly.

"I was at her castle for longer than a few hours. There's a room in her castle where time moves differently. Minutes outside the room pass in days inside. It can change in size and scale and purpose. I was in that room for what felt like years. She layered spells on me that made everything seem right. Her ideas where my ideas. My thoughts were her thoughts. Then when she was done, she taught me magic."
]
"You know magic?"

"She taught me some pyromancy, and how to use a few artifacts. A few bits of wandless. Enough to defend myself."

"Or enough to kill an unsuspecting target." I muttered. He nodded.

"Stephen. She wanted them. She wanted my brother and sisters. She wanted you," he said.

"I know."

"Yet, you saved me. I stabbed you in the back, and you welcomed me back, without even a cross word. She pummeled you, and you didn't do a damn thing about it. I saw you fight, and have ever seen yourself in action? You're like a storm, Stephen, all power and destruction. You let her do that," he said. I nodded and replied.

"I did."

"Why? Why did you let yourself get hurt so I could escape?"

"Edward, that wasn't you. You'd been under a compulsion since she grabbed you. You can't be held responsible for something you do while under the thrall of a mage. That's illegal, and morally reprehensible."

"So compulsions are evil?" He asked. I frowned at that question. Compulsions, like all mental magic, and potential for great harm. At the same time, a truth compulsion was de rigueur when it came to certain negotiations. I had a predisposition to that type of magic. Your mind was much easier to weaponize than anything else.

"There's no inherently evil magic. Only those who use it like that." I said finally.

"So if you had to use a compulsion on an enemy, you would?"

"To protect us, and the kingdom, I would. If a single compulsion averts a war, I'd rather have a stain on my soul than blood on my hands."

"At the end of that day, Stephen, you're the king, and that's your call, but if I think there's a better solution, I will tell you so."

"If we can solve a problem without dirtying our hands, I'd accept such a solution."

The ladder suddenly creaked, and Cassandra poked her head up. I noticed the Pentacle held in her hand, Will's pentacle. It was aglow with her aura. She climbed up the ladder. She'd dressed in sensible clothes, and a hat, and had a bag on her shoulder.

"Cassandra?" Edward asked.

"It's getting late, isn't it?" I asked. She gave us a look.

"It's actually quite early," she replied, looking around the room. I flicked my wand, the time spell had stopped working when we got here, and it still didn't.

"How early?" I asked.

"Five or six, I imagine. The morning watch is already shifting, and the cooks are starting to begin breakfast. They've grabbed a row of eateries and are using them to feed people. Stephen, you and I need a talk."

"About what?"

"Your Kingdom's financial status, and your pending visitors."

"My pending visitors?" I sent a mental message to Io to bring me coffee.

"Yes. You need to meet with these people, Stephen." She said, and then she spoke again.

"I understand your hatred of people, I have it myself, but there are issues you need to address. You're the king." She said softly. I looked at her and nodded. She led us to the empty map room and filled us in on our finances. Even after Reginald and William contributed their shares to the gold that we'd gained from Merlin's room, we'd still be near insolvency in a matter of months. The Centaurs were being fairly- I'm not going to use pleasantries. They were gouging us on grain prices. The meeting later that day would entail meeting with the dwarves to see what could be done about alleviating that financial burden.

We were feeding nearly forty thousand souls every day, and all of these save for around ten percent of them had fought with us in the battle.
In short, unless the Western Range changed their mind about how much they were charging, and until we could plant our own crops, we'd be beholden to them. The entire quadrant was the breadbasket of our country. All of our grains and most of the vegetables came from their fields, all our beef, diary and chicken came from their ranges and coops. There used to be fisheries along the coast, but that industry was extinct now.
As we talked, we moved from the empty map room to the throne below.

"So, we need money, and quickly, or we're going to deposed within a year."

"Yes." Cassandra said.

"We're going to need to go back to her castle. Aren't we?" Edward half whispered. I saw him tremble slightly, and wish I'd caused her more pain.
"You never need to go into her castle again." I said firmly. Cassandra shot me a curious look.

"If we do, you and I will stay here." Cassandra said to Edward.

"What about her library?" I asked. We'd arrived in the throne room at that point. Someone had assigned two guards to the doors, and there was already a line of people out the door. I swigged the rest of my coffee and sat on my throne.
William and Emily strolled in first, and they looked to me.

"What about it?"

"If you're not there, you'll have to pick through whatever Emily and I don't want." Cassandra glared at me.

"We'll discuss this later."

"Let them in!" I called. My constituents poured in.
A half-dozen dwarves marched into my keep. They weren't dressed in armor, but their clothes were fine and had a shimmer of enchantment.

"King Stephen Andrews III, Master of Silverspire?" The dwarf in the lead asked.

"I am."

"We represent the arbitrage guild of the northern and southern dwarves. We wish to discuss the terms of repayment for the debt the crown incurred during the war."

"What debt?" I asked.

"The Woodland Rebellion, the current ruling body under your command, signed several contracts for several million silver to feed their soldiers. They agreed to settle once the Castle had been claimed. It is our understanding that moment has arrived, and we wish to discuss terms." Several million silver? Why wasn't I told about this before? I understood that I'd been comatose for a month, but someone could have mentioned this fact to Reginald or Cassandra. I did the mental math, breaking down the diamonds I had to gold, and from there to silver. We'd brought about a tenth of that, and we'd be scrapping bronze to pay the food bills we'd begun acquiring.

"Would you accept alternative currency?"

"We'd accept gold, diamonds, jewels. We'd except anything of worth, except for the script you're paying your people with. Paper money speaks of foolish economics and burgeoning over inflation. That's not something we want part of, King."

"I thank the northern and southern dwarf tribes for their contributions to the war effort. I'd also like to extend thanks for feeding our soldiers while the Crown was unable to fulfill it's duty. Unfortunately, our finances are under pressure from the regime change and the war. We understand we owe you an enormous debt, and we wish to repay that debt. When we regain access to the former ruler's castle, we'll make her vault a priority."

"That doesn't answer my question. This debt is a significant investment for our people. We've been lenient because we understand that you've been ruling the country for the past month out of your own finances. Surely you have the silver to spare if you can afford to rule a country out of pocket change?"

"Pocket change" That was rapidly depleting. I had a quarter of the financial resources I had a month ago.

"My finances have been under significant pressure during my absence. If I can personally promise you that we'll find the resources to pay off your debt, can you hold off on pressing this matter?"

"Where do you propose you'll find these resources?"

"I intend to lead a team to capture her former castle. After I gain access to that vault, I'll be able to pay off all debts the kingdom has incurred with interest. After the debt is paid, I would be open to see what goods you'd be open to trading in exchange for various artifacts and whatever the Crown can offer. I'd drown them in peace. That was my plan. Take away reasons for conflict, and unite the country.

"What is interest?" My brain froze.

"It's just a common phrase back in my home. If someone loans you money, you pay them back a bit more as a fee."

"Oh, and how much is this fee, usually?" I sensed the trap I'd gotten myself into and pivoted.

"It's usually one or two percent of the total loan."

"Then we'll take your interest with thanks. We understand that finances are tight, and we're offering to pay for your coronation feast. It's an ancient tradition in Koralis and we should have that as soon as possible."

I traded looks with my friends. A feast would be a great way to ensure my subjects that we were settling into the castle. If we didn't have to pay for it, it would be a boon.

"I think I can agree to that. I appreciate your offer, and I take it with thanks."

"Good. I'm glad our relationship is off to such a good start. If you'd like, I can ask my mages to begin creating circles to transport our cooks and such."

"Sir Dwarf, if you'd like, myself or my Grand Magus can use portals or translocation to speed the process up."
I did have the ability to teleport, but it was a skill that I still hadn't fully mastered. Short jaunts around the house or London were fine, but it was difficult to do anything else.

"I'd appreciate that, your majesty."
I nodded to Emily. She sent a nod in return and left with the continent of dwarves. I sent a silent message to Io to shadow her.
The next few hours were spent fielding questions I had no answers for. My citizens were beginning to wonder about property seized during Brigid's reign and whether that would be returned to their rightful owners. I'd need to find census records and tax documents, and half a dozen other historical records. Then we'd need to sort through it. The idea of the sheer minutiae that represented exhausted me.
By the time evening came, I was ready for bed. I opened the scanner Bethany gave me, recorded a message and went to bed. I slept until dawn.

The next day, I was the first to wake up. Will had taken the cot next to me. Io was sleeping on an ottoman she'd plundered. She had chosen a spot between us. She must have sensed my movements because she opened her eyes. She leaned into me affectionately and I scratched her ears.

I sent her a good morning through our bond, and she crawled unto my chest. After scratching her for a few moments I stretched and got out of bed. We had moved the beds from my tent and claimed a pair of rooms. Will and I were sharing a room with Reg and Edward. Reg had already vanished for the day, but the Lowe boys were still asleep. I went hunting for a cup of coffee. Soon, my ears were assaulted by the hustle and bustle of a city coming to life. There was a small square not far from the tower where vendors had set up different stalls. I bought a cup of coffee from one, and a pastry from another and found a bench.

I sent out a mental message to Emily and was greeted by the psionic equivalent of a do not disturb sign.

"Good morning, your grace." A voice behind me said, I looked over to see a Kathar man in a fine suit sit down beside me.

"Good morning, sir, you find me at a disadvantage. Who are you exactly?"
The cat-man smiled.

"Oh, I'm just a courtier for the dwarves." Half-Truth. I only had my wand on me, but I didn't feel any magic around this person. I didn't have the skill needed to sneak a peek into his mind. He had decent mental defenses, but I didn't have the subtly to break them without his knowledge.

"I'm sure that's an interesting job. What do you need?"

"I bring word from my employers that they wish to begin bringing in supplies from the portal your mage created for them. They need approval to enter the gates."

I didn't realize we already had security at the gates. Now that I thought of it, I had seen patrols as I walked through the vendors.
Instead, I gave a small smile and nodded. Then without another word, I conjured paper and scrawled a message to the city guard allowing passage for the dwarves, sans weapons. One couldn't be too careful after all.
I folded the paper in three and sealed it with a bit of conjured hot wax and pressed my ring against it.
I handed the Kathar the paper, and he smiled.

"Oh, and sir Kathar."

"Yes, your grace?"

"When whatever shadow game your true employers are playing reveals itself, see that it doesn't involve Us."
I was taking a gamble, but the Kathar's frozen expression told me everything I needed.

He nodded, then he eased himself away from the bench and lost himself in the crowd. I finished my breakfast, returned back to the tower and met with Emily and Cassandra. After a brief meeting, I held Court for a few hours until a pair of dwarves and the Kathar returned to report that they'd contracted a wandering carnival to hire outside the city, and that the preparations for the festival were complete. I'd received reports that musicians and entertainers were filtering into the city. Tomorrow it would begin in earnest.

The seven of us ate lunch and discussed matters that we were facing. Reginald was already working on inspecting the siege crop fields on the edge of the city and working on placing expansion and various enchantments on the city's greenhouses. The sooner we could establish food and livestock supplies of our own, the better.

William and Edward were working together to get our army into shape. William had training manuals given to him by his father that he was consulting to work out a training and patrol regime.

Cassandra was working on something involving taxes and finances. If I didn't know better, I'd say her mathematical abilities were magical.
Don't get me wrong, I knew how to balance an account and manage my finances, but I saw financial status as a means to an end. Money was just a tool to fund my research.

Cassandra and Emily both shared a love of numbers that saw them working together to manage my kingdom's finances. Emily was already working on exploring the castle to figure out living arrangements. Evie and Cassandra had stolen a room in the tower that was becoming the base for their information network. We enjoyed each other's company and spent the rest of the day explore the palace. One the dawn of the next day, a festival begin. It was a grand affair. Filled with food, and wine, and late nights celebrating our victory. This feast lasted for three days and nights.

On the first night, we found the seven of ourselves on one of the balconies that dotted the western side of the palace.
It was growing close to nightfall, and there were glow worms blinking through the early evening. It was slightly muggy, but that was abated by the cool iced wine in our goblets. From the balcony below, we could see the ocean bobbing with boats filled with revelers. Drinking songs filled the air, and old sea shanties mixed with lute and panpipe and tales of folk heroes came from a thousand different fires telling a hundred different tales. For the first time since arriving in this strange land, I was at ease. My family mostly safe. Cassandra lounged back against one of the chairs.

"Honestly, strange worlds, metal men. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were in one of your pulp novels, Will." She closed her eyes.
Will gave her a long look.

"My pulp novels?" He asked. Cassandra blushed. Edward and Evie traded annoyed looks. Was this a common argument?

"What's a pulp novel?" Reg asked.

"They're fantastic stories about different worlds. You'd love them. There's all sorts of stories about people with amazing powers, and strange worlds," Will said.

"My favorite is Lady Desperado!" Evvie chimed in.

"Sir Valiant is better." Edward muttered.

"Lady Britain is the best." Cassandra scoffed.

"Reg, you'd love Mr. Wyvern and his lost lambs," Will said, and looked at Cassandra.

"Did they give that one a sequel?"
She shook her head.

"Well, The Bug Queen and the Canadian Demons are their more popular works." Emily chimed in.

"I have no idea what's going on," I said.

"Me either." Reg muttered.

"Will, you know Mr. Wyvern the best. Tell us about it!" Evvie asked.

Will looked askance, and suddenly shy.

"Oh, come on Will, you're the best storyteller." Edward declared.

"Fine." He said after a long moment.

"You tell it better than Cass does anyway." Evvie smirked, and Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Which one do you want me to tell?"

"Start with Lady Desperado!" Evvie called, and Edward groaned.

"I'd like to hear about Mr. Wyvern." Reg said softly, and Will nodded.

"We begin in a spooky old mansion. It's falling apart, and there's not much holding the thing together except tape and a few beams." Will began, and for the next few hours, he regaled us of tales of demons, and creatures that Reg seemed curious about. He told us about metal dragons, and lonely girls with hidden depths, and finally tales of Lady Desperado, a gunslinger that was a mundane western legend turned to pulp novel. As the hour grew later, the younger children went to bed, until it was the five of us. We passed around another bottle of wine. After a long silence, Reg spoke.

"So, what did you each score on the Scale?" He asked.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"The Rosen scale, the magical aptitude test?" He asked.

"Oh, Six point five." Will said.

"Huh." Emily said.

"What?" He asked.

"I scored a six point five. I always thought I was stronger than you, Lowe." Emily drawled. Will let out a bark of a laugh.

"I guess you aren't always right," he said.

"I guess not. What about you, Reg?" She asked.

"Seven, and I passed out for a week."

"Lightweights." I muttered. I instantly realized that was the wrong thing to say.

"Pardon me, Heir Andrews?" Reginald asked coldly.

"I apologize for my tongue, and the effect the wine has had upon it." Reginald looked at me for a moment.

"What did you score, Stephen?"

"Well, the first time, I shorted out the test." Reginald gave me a look. A look that made me think I'd just said something fundamentally insulting to his worldview.

"What?" I asked.

"Stephen, that is impossible," Reginald said. I frowned.

"I overfilled it."

"How does one overfill a rosen scale?"

"I poured enough power into the rod to short out all the gems." I replied carefully.

"When did you take your test? Just before Coventry?" Reg asked. His shields must have weakened under the alcohol, or my control was slipping, because I could feel his emotions beneath the surface of his thoughts. I sensed curiosity, and a whiff of sweat-soaked fear.

"Hardly, it was around the time I was adopted." I took a sip of the glass. The three of them traded looks.

"Just how bloody powerful are you?" Reg muttered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"My grandmother isn't capable of that, and she's the most powerful mage I know." I looked at him.

"What."
He laughed, a tinkling fae laugh.

"Broken Bells, you really don't know, do you?" That was William.

"Know what?" I asked. The three of them shared looks. Daring one another to be the first to speak.

"Could you please tell me what's going on?"

"Stephen, an average mage can hold a lux for about an hour before they get tired. Arch-Mages can hold that same spell for a day. A lord could hold that spell for a week, but they'd immediately start feeling a drain on their core. How long can you hold a lux spell?"
Reg held up his hand.

"Actually, don't answer that if the explanation begins with 'I'm not sure, but I don't feel any power drain when I use that spell, because I would become an alcoholic."
I was silent and he drained his goblet.

"Well, this has been fun, and slightly terrifying. I'm going to bed. Please don't start a war while I'm asleep." He said and shuffled off of the balcony.
The three of us traded looks.

"What do you remember from your experience after Brigid?" Will asked finally.
Emily gave a long look towards the balcony doorway.

"I'm not drunk enough for this conversation." She muttered and drank more.
We were all silent. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a late-night pause in conversation between friends. It was a comfortable silence that wouldn't be ruined by a sudden sentence, but it was a peace all on it's own.
I absently scratched Io's ears and lounged back in my chair. Will was the first of us to speak.

"I remember a gold hallway," he said, "it seemed to last for years and years. There were pictures of us, and my family on the walls." Icy shivers went down my spine.

"You came to a room eventually, didn't you?" I half-whispered, and he nodded.

"How many people were in that room?" Emily asked, shifting her weight so that she faced us instead of the balcony.

"There were three, including me." William said, "Stephen, there was a man who said he knew you, and another."

"What was his name, how did he know me?"

"I never got his name, but he had my aura, and your face. I…" His face flushed, "I thought that he was our child for a moment, except he'd grown up and gotten older than us. I know that's impossible, but at the time, I believed I was dreaming."
Emily shot him an amused look. She went to speak, and the death glare I sent towards her was enough to keep her mouth shut.

"Did he say anything?"

"He did, he talked to the other person more than he talked to me. They threw around sentences and started firing off magical theories at each other that I barely understood. Something about time-travel. The other person understood well enough, and they came up with a plan to ward themselves away so my core could recharge. I- I had to kill them, or pretend to, I can't remember." William said.

"Who was the other one?" I breathed. William gave each of us looks.

"It was me. He was older, much older. He'd been hurt. His face looked half-melted, he felt wrong. His magic was twisted. He'd been living in my head since I was a baby, they both had. I'm still not sure how. But, they've been there. Stephen-" Will gave me a broken look, and choked back a sob.

"I'd started hearing Goldcrown's voice when we came to Koralis, and I thought I was going insane."

Emily gave each other careful looks. A silent conversation of titled heads and blinks, and bursts of psionic energy followed. Finally we nodded.

"You aren't alone." I replied.

"You heard him, didn't you? You heard him back by that stone house."

"That was him?" Emily and I called in unison.

"You did hear him! I'm not crazy."

"Will, I've heard a similar voice since I first tapped a ley-line, and I've been trading emotions and feelings with him since I was a babe. If you're crazy, Emily and I are both crazy."

"Stephen." She hissed.

"Oh, come off it, he deserves to know."

"You both hear voices?" He asked, and we nodded.

"One of mine is Oliver, Olly for short, and I'm pretty sure the other is my father. They gave me memory capsules that I need to use before my twenty-first birthday. These are meant to help me, or us, fix the voice problem."

"Your father?" Emily asked, and I shook my head. They knew when to drop a subject, especially a subject about that.

"Emily, what about you?" Will asked.

"Oh, the same really."

"You don't get to do that tonight." Emily shot me a look.

"Nope! We talked about our past tro- no that's not right- trauma, and now you get to. That's how this works." There may have been a bit of a slur to my words. She sighed and nodded.

"Past trauma, let's see, I had a really rough time at the orphanage before Bethany adopted me. That's all. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I would have gotten myself killed over Yule break."

"We're going back to those, things, but what about your dream or experience or whatever the fuck we went through?"
Emily bit the edge of her lip.

"Fine. There was a hallway, except I didn't see any pictures. I saw memories floating through the air, scenes of my life so far. Scenes of things that I'd rather not talk about. The worst and best times of my life thrown up on some random wall. Walking past them was like reliving them. There were memories that I never needed to see again, memories I thought I'd forgotten or blocked myself from remembering. I never want to talk about them, and I never will, but I fuckin saw em. When I came to that room, I was relieved. Relieved that I didn't have to see those scenes over and over again, and relieved at the proof that I wasn't insane. I met two women. Helena, and Elizabeth. She had your aura, Stephen, it was lighter, but still emerald. They didn't seem to get along, and there was a screaming match I had to stop. They'd both drawn wands, and I wasn't keen to see what would happen if a spell was fired off in my brain.

I think they knew each other; before me. They were dressed in almost identical armor and had a familiarity with each other that seemed to indicate they knew each other well, even if they weren't friendly. But, they figured out a way to stop my core from collapsing by using the encapsulation method you mentioned. I can access their memories, and I need to before I turn twenty-one."

"So we have six other beings that we need to deal with before we're twenty-one." Will muttered.

"Deal with?" Emily shot him a dangerous look.

"Well, I'd rather not have two old men in my head constantly whispering instructions." He replied.

"We dreamed of this castle, didn't we?" I asked.

"I think so, I think we dreamed this whole thing once. The battle, the castle, all the choices that have led us to this moment, but I can't remember. It's like trying to remember the memories of memories or the dream of a dream. It's all foggy. Even past a month ago, things are growing dim." I frowned as I spoke. My memories of London were hard to recall, and that bothered me. I didn't forget much, if anything.

"We've had our memories altered, haven't we?" I said, suddenly sober.

"We have. I think it's been happening since that mirror."

"Another puzzle for us to solve." We let silence reign for a while.

"At the end of the day. It's the three of us, isn't it? Stephen, what if this isn't your trial, but ours as well?"

"Seven will become one. It's all of us." Emily breathed.

"Whatever we face, whatever will test us. That will require all of us." I muttered.

"We fought Brigid as one. But, at the end of the day, it was the three of us that fired off the spells that killed her," Will said.

"Why us?" Emily asked. I frowned. I thought about conversations I'd overheard that I wasn't supposed to. Things Amy and Bethany had discussed while they thought I was looking the other way.

"I think my mother, my birth mother, was responsible. For part of it. I'm not sure. I'm positive that the reason I'm an Aether is because of something she did."

"Who was she?"

"A powerful mage who vanished after I was born. Bethany never told me much, and I can't find anything about her from the library at home. There's nothing about her in the back issues of The Eye. I only know her name."

"What is it?" Will asked.

"Her name was Alexis Bonaparte, and she scares the hell out of Bethany."

"Your mum doesn't seem the type to scare easily."

"Oh, she's not."

"Do you plan on finding her?" Emily asked.

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

"Well, if you do, we'll be by your side when you do." William said. I smiled. I appreciated the sentiment. I was glad I'd finally found a family, and maybe more. I knew that then my friends were by my side, until the very end. The prophecy had been explicit. It said King's Trial be done. I had a feeling that at the end of the day, I'd be the last to hold the line. That was a problem for the future. That night, I enjoyed peace. I'd worry about the next storm when it rose. Those next few days were like the first, days of revelry and nights of conversation and stories.

It was on the fourth day of the grand feasts and coronation that we woke up to the reality of what running a kingdom entails.

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