Immovable Mage

– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 217, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 96 –

[What now?] Rafael had arrived next to Terry.

[Now, we need another distraction.] Terry stepped a few meters away.

While the security guards thought he was trying to get a better look of the situation, Terry secretly transfixed a part of a guard’s armor for a brief moment.

The guard stumbled over his own feet, which caused him to be just one moment late for stopping a mana martialist from the Thunderous Palm Sect, who was now escaping with a handful of magic items from the treasury.

“Damn it!” The remaining security guards were clamoring to protect the property of their employers.

“The ice wall bought us time, but it’s not enough.” The security manager had run up to Terry. She was scowling. “Why are there only so few soldiers here? Shouldn’t they have sent some reinforcements by now?”

“There seems to be more than one battle going on,” replied Terry matter-of-factly. This was his honest evaluation.

Terry was nearly certain that the Proving Grounds had long since noticed their escape. If they had only sent out the soldiers that were currently fighting here, then that meant they had another situation that took priority.

This was Terry’s explanation for the blaring alarm that rallied troops to the Proving Grounds. Whatever was going on there demanded more of Thanatos’s attention.

Must be some situation… Terry could not help but be curious.

On the one hand, Terry was happier the less attention he got from Thanatos. On the other hand, he could not imagine what would be so much worse for the order in Thanatos than the rampaging mana martialists here. Especially considering the elders of the sects that were barely held in check by the real Thanatos soldiers and stronger security guards.

“Yeah, or someone in charge thought that the private forces should show blood first.” The security manager sounded displeased. “There are some in the Hall that believe a step up in private security justifies them drawing away public enforcers. This…” She harrumphed angrily.

Terry involuntarily thought of Damian and wondered if the former Thanatos squad leader would be counted among these people from the Bloody Hall.

“Can we extend the ice wall?” asked the security manager while casting spells to fend off another batch of mana martialists.

Terry swallowed back his instinct to reply without consideration of his words.

Of course, he could cast the Immovable Object spell again, but his current goal required him to get some freedom of movement. “It might make more sense to secure the room directly.” He looked at the security manager. “Can you create a closed area of ice around it?”

The woman quickly looked over the remaining support structures of the mansion. “I think so.”

“Then let’s do that first,” said Terry. He appeared to look around. “You, with me!” Terry pointed at Rafael. Even though it looked as if Terry had just randomly pointed at the nearest Thanatos soldier, Terry had naturally known which person in Thanatos uniform was closest to him.

The security manager called over a pair of subordinates as well and then took the lead. “This way!”

Terry noted that the security manager did not in fact lead them to the treasury. He inwardly praised the woman’s instinctual wariness. He could not help but feel a pang of guilt well up once more. He knew that the woman’s wariness was more than justified. In fact, her initial reaction to him had been the most accurate. He had to remind himself to focus.

“I believe I can create ice walls connected here and here…” The security manager let her voice trail off.

It took a second for Terry to realize that the security manager was asking for his confirmation. Then he remembered how he had made a show about his magic item and how it only worked under specific circumstances.

His face quickly displayed a thoughtful expression, an entirely honest demeanor, because now Terry had to come up with something again.

“Can you adjust the angle to let it connect there as well?” Terry threw out a random request for change.

The security manager nodded. She prepared her spellwork while also preparing a dual-casting and instructing her subordinates. “One last blast at my command.” When she had finished preparing her ice wall spells, she ordered: “Fire!”

Her own lightning spell sizzled through the air to mow down several mana martialists from the Blazing Sun Sect while her subordinates focused their attacks on the closest members from the Thunderous Palm Sect.

After their attacks had flown out, the security manager ignited her chained ice wall spells and the side of the building was covered in thin transparent walls of ice.

Terry immediately stepped forth to tap the fiendish crystal egg against the ice as a cover for his Immovable Object spell.

“It’s you!” A mana martialist from the Blazing Sun Sect had rushed forth to retaliate after the security guards’ barrage. He stopped short in his tracks and stared hatefully at Terry through the transparent ice. “I’LL KILL YOU!” The man frenziedly began attacking the ice…

With no success. The ice wall stood immovable and impenetrable.

Terry cursed inwardly and informed Rafael with a thought transmission: [I believe they have recognized me now.]

From the corner of his eyes, Terry could see the Blazing Sun Sect member crush a few jade tokens. Terry turned back to the security manager and hoped that the martialist’s exclamation had not been heard by the security guards.

Fortunately, the guards appeared uninterested. Either they didn’t hear the martialist’s exclamations over the noise of battle and the blaring alarms in the distance, or they had not thought the words noteworthy.

Terry spoke with honest relief: “This should hold them off for a while.”

“Uh…” Another security guard entered. It was one of the guards that had begun moving magic items away. “We could use a few more hands.”

[My paws are itching to help.] Rafael’s thought transmission arrived in Terry’s mind.

[No, remember our priorities,] warned Terry. [If they ask us for help, fine. But remember that we are supposed to be soldiers. From what I heard earlier, there also seem to be some disagreements between the public enforcers and private security forces. I also had another security guard comment on our continued presence here.]

Terry continued pensively: [I take this to mean that it’s already unusual for us to stay here and help them. We should avoid standing out further. While it makes sense for us to be interested in enforcing order, in putting down the martialists, and in capturing escapees, it would seem weird if we are too interested in the items, who owns them, who takes them and so forth.]

[...fine.] Rafael grumbled unhappily. [All this stuff is making me feel stifled. All this who knows what and thinks what about whom or what what what. I’m more the claws out and fight type of felan.]

[We’ve gotten this far,] reminded Terry. [And for the record, I share your feelings. This stuff is giving me headaches too. I can’t wait to be out of here.]

Terry caught the gaze of the security manager, who was looking at him. He was not sure what she was thinking but if he judged her expression correctly, she was pleased with something. Her eyes showed slightly less wariness once more.

Perhaps because we haven’t volunteered? Because we don’t seem that eager to get close to the items?

“Some of the items are delicate,” continued the security guard who had asked for more hands. “If we carry them, we can’t fight when something comes up.”

“We’ll leave you to it then,” said Terry and moved to walk out of the room. He paused in the doorframe and turned back. “You still haven’t told me about the particulars of your employer.” He could see the security manager frown. “I’m not asking about the details and I’m sympathetic that you have your own problems, but our job here hasn’t changed.”

Terry paused to let his words carry some weight while he ordered his thoughts.

Technically, all true.

Our goal here hasn’t changed in the least.

We still need to buy time.

After his pause for emphasis, Terry continued: “Do you think there is any particular item that a fugitive with a connection to your employer would have his eyes on? Or anything particularly valuable that such a fugitive could use to buy the assistance of that many mana martialists?”

The security manager continued to frown but her expression became pensive as well, which Terry took as a sign that she was seriously considering his question.

Oh shit. Terry jerked his head around. “Someone is coming. Someone strong.”

“I haven’t seen anyone so much as crack the ice yet,” remarked one of the security guards.

“Not from there.” Terry had to concentrate to sense the intense but thin and incredibly fast movement of mana. “Lightning.”

Terry’s eyes darted through the room. He glanced at Rafael. They’re coming for him. He quickly moved his eyes away and over the room in thought.

They must have an idea of the situation. Even if they’re arrogant, they should have realized by now that physical attacks won’t break the ice.

Do they think that lightning will be able to cross? I don’t believe my Immovable Object spell allows the ice to conduct electricity.

It’s either that or…

Terry jerked his head back to look at a load-bearing pillar in the room. He imperceptibly moved a thin trail of mana inside the pillar to find what he had feared: metal.

“Get away from the pillar, now!” Terry ordered in an authoritative tone. “Prepare for battle!”

“What?” The security guards were confused but followed the order regardless. The guards here had already become accustomed to Terry and to respecting his words.

The security manager displayed a reflexive irritation at being told what to do, but even she had developed a certain level of trust and reliance. Even if she didn’t trust Terry’s character or intentions, she at least took his words and suggestions seriously.

*KAZAP* *KRCK* Lightning blasted from the pillar and a part of it exploded as two people manifested out of thin air. They were wearing the yellow-black robes of the Thunderous Palm Sect.

Thanks to Terry’s early warning, the security guards had their spells primed and ready to fire. Several attack spells flew out to greet the sect elders.

“Hmph.” One of the sect elders stepped forward and unleashed a palm strike. Most of the attack spells were ripped apart by a burst of lightning. Another strike and a fist of lightning flew forward towards the security guards and Terry.

Terry and the security manager stepped forward. While the security manager protected her subordinates with an ice spell that guided the lightning away, Terry had transfixed his shield.

Terry was relieved to find that his understanding of the Immovable Object spell had not been mistaken. As long as the spell structure remained out of reach and stable, the spell would hold and block physical interactions like force or the conductivity of electricity.

Terry had seen his spell being interrupted or disturbed by magic before, but aside from disruption discharges and invasions of foreign-naturalized mana, this mostly related to special aspects.

The holy aspect that seemed to disturb magic in general. The nullification aspect that erased all mana. The void aspect that represented a half-paired aspect with oscillating mana: death for life. The shadow aspect that permeated everything and transcended all planes. The abyssal aspects like hellfire and netherfrost that both interacted directly with life and mana.

While Terry was reasonably sure that he got the inner workings of his oscillating mana and Immovable Object spell right by now, he could not rule out any shenanigans related to the strange means of the mana martialists.

Fortunately, he had managed to block the attack without exposing himself.

“You will not escape,” growled one of the elders.

Terry wanted to curse because the elder had fixed Rafael in his gaze. Terry hoped that the security guards would not catch on because of this.

“Hand it over and we can consider leaving you an intact corpse”, growled the other elder.

Terry took his chance and he muttered in a voice barely audible for the security manager and her subordinates. “That confirms that they are here for an item.”

Terry hoped that they would interpret the elders’ statements in relation to the mansion and not in relation to Rafael.

Please don’t pay attention to the fact that we’re not even in the treasury.

Please don’t pay attention to—

“I’ve just called more of my forces here,” said the security manager with cold eyes.

Terry was relieved to see the irritation on her face. He was willing to bet that she would not react well to the imposing attitudes of these mana martialists.

With intense loathing in her eyes, the security manager addressed the sect elders: “If you leave now, I won’t have to spit on your corpses later.” She retrieved and swallowed a pill whose effects Terry did not know. A moment later, her mana flared up and she cast several attack and debilitation spells near-instantly.

[I like that woman!] praised Rafael. [She would fit in well in the Union’s martial lands.]

[I think she is Thanatos through and through,] replied Terry. [She doesn’t seem crazy enough for the martial sects.]

[Buddy, I’m offended,] joked Rafael.

[No, you’re not.] Terry suppressed the desire to roll his eyes. [You’re not even from a sect, right? What did the vampire from the Eternal Moon Sect call it? ‘Loose’ cultivator? That means unaffiliated, right? Anyway, we should focus. The security manager might be able to hold her own, but I don’t believe she can take on both of the elders at once.]

Terry narrowed his eyes when he sensed another abnormal movement of mana.

Astonishingly, this mana was even faster than the lightning before. Even more fleeting.

Terry could sense something pass through the defense of the immovable ice. An instant later, a person in crimson uniform appeared in the room with a flash of light.

A short glowing blade in reverse grip left a thin trail of blood on one of the elders, who had failed to dodge in time.

“Ooh, who do we have here?” The newly arrived Thanatos soldier confronted the two mana martialists. “You can’t just jump ahead like that. I called dibs on collecting the teeth from all your sects.” He glanced at Terry and ordered. “You stay here.” The man that acted as one of Yesenia’s assistants did not sound friendly at all.

[Something about this soldier makes my paws get wet, but I can’t get a reading on his strength.] Rafael inquired from Terry. [What do you think?]

[I think we’re in deep shit.] Terry was impressed with Rafael’s battle instincts that seemed more developed than Rafael’s mana sense.

In contrast to Rafael, Terry knew exactly where the feeling of unease came from. The man had locked down his mana signature near perfectly even while facing the two elders. That indicated a level of mana control and confidence that was more than enough reason to be wary.

“What’s wrong?” asked one of the security guards, who had noticed Terry’s awful expression.

“I…” Terry reminded himself to consider his words carefully. “I don’t recognize this person.”

“Him?” The security guard looked at the Thanatos soldier. “I don’t either…”

Terry was very relieved to hear that and averted his face slightly in order to not show it.

“It’s definitely the uniform of the Proving Grounds.” Another security guard joined the conversation.

Terry resolved himself. [I think we’ll have to take a risk here, Rafael. Follow my lead.] He frowned without hiding his real feelings. “I don’t recognize this person and there were some uniforms stolen during the prison break.”

“I don’t recognize him either,” added Rafael without missing a beat. He even added a low growl for emphasis.

The expressions of the security guards listening in darkened.

“It’s fishy that he appears here alone,” remarked one of the guards.

“And that he arrived here right after the other two.”

“He did attack them though. He seems to be battling on our side.”

“Or he just wants us to put our guard down. He hasn’t inflicted a serious injury.”

The security guards broke out in a tumult.

“FOCUS ON THE FIGHT!” shouted the security manager.

The security guards immediately concentrated again on their supporting spellwork.

Terry noticed one of the security guards observing him in a strange manner. He mustered his courage and decided to go one step further to preempt any potential suspicion. “I don’t like what he said before. Why did he address me specifically?”

The security guard appeared first taken aback and then bewildered, which Terry interpreted as a good sign.

Terry’s eyes darted around to look for a possible story. An angle that allowed him to get out of the situation. His eyes lingered on the immovable ice wall. “Oh… Perhaps.” He did not realize that he was speaking out loud.

“Perhaps what?” echoed the security guard.

“Perhaps he’s here for the…” Terry sent the security guard a meaningful glance and then moved his eyes towards the immovable ice wall. He knew that this security guard had been there when he had made a show of using the blue crystal egg to reinforce the ice so as to turn it unbreakable.

“Oh…” The security guard caught onto Terry’s meaning. He quickly rushed to some of the others, who then used a communication device.

“You should leave,” said the security guard after his return. “The manager said that if he follows we can try to give you cover, but not for long.”

“Got it.” Terry quickly reacted. He pointed at Rafael and ordered: “You come with me.” He muttered seemingly to himself. “If the walls fall, things can only get worse.”

[This is hilarious,] commented Rafael, who was following Terry towards the exit.

“I said…” Light flashed in the room while the Thanatos soldier barked: “...you stay here!”

A shield weaved from shadow blocked the path of the light-based spell. “What gave you the impression that you are the one in charge here?!” The security manager spoke coldly.

“You…?” The Thanatos soldier was visibly taken aback. “Ignorant fool, you—”

*Kazap* Lightning cracked from the martialists and a roar reverberated in the air: “I’LL KILL YOU!”

Before the lightning could arrive in front of Rafael and Terry, another spell had blocked it. The source of the spell was the Thanatos soldier from the Proving Grounds. “As much as it annoys me, I can’t let that happen.” The overseer’s orders had been clear. Yesenia’s assistant could only sigh at the disappearing backs from Rafael and Terry. He muttered under his breath. “You’ll pay for this, Arcanian.”

Terry and Rafael were already out of the door and down a few stairs.

“This way…” Terry had firmly locked onto the mana signature from the security guard that carried the key to the evacuation tunnels. He had long ago scouted the building with his mana touch too. He knew the shortest path to get to their target.

“HOLD!” Two security guards were guarding a heavy door. “Wait, I know them.”

“We don’t have much time,” said Terry. One hundred percent true.

Terry continued quickly: “Your boss is currently fighting an unknown enemy, who appears to be after an item in my possession. Your boss engaged the enemy to allow us a chance to escape with the item before they can get their hands on it.” Terry hoped that his vague reference to the item would lead them to conclude that it was one of the items of the mansion and that they would let them pass.

“That doesn’t sound like the boss at all,” exclaimed one of the guards suspiciously.

“I’ve seen them work together outside before,” said the other.

“I don’t care,” snapped the suspicious guard. “We’ve already carried away the items that fit into our storage items. At least those that haven’t been snatched by these lunatics outside. I don’t see you carrying anything.” He challenged Terry. “Of those remaining, the ones valuable enough for our boss to give a shit are not that easily placed into a dimensional storage.”

[Want me to claw him?] Rafael sent Terry a thought transmission.

“...” Terry clicked his tongue in annoyance. Neither the guards nor Rafael knew who among them evoked this reaction. Terry was about to speak when he sensed a familiar mana signature. “Why don’t you ask him?!” Terry pointed.

“Ask whom?” The suspicious guard was taken aback. Terry was pointing at an empty corridor. Fearing that this was just a ploy to distract them, the guard was about to lash out, but then he could hear footsteps.

A short moment later, another security guard arrived.

“Oh, you’re here?” The new arrival was the guard who had asked for more hands to carry items before. He was looking at Terry and Rafael. “I… guess that works too. If you can fight when it comes down to it, we can focus on carrying the rest of the items.” He looked at the other two guards. “What are you waiting for? The next batch is going to arrive. Open the damn door.”

“Hmph.” The suspicious guard seemed unhappy but he opened the door regardless.

Terry felt immensely relieved that this latest obstacle had been cleared through lucky timing. The thick door opened and Terry could see the figure of a man in a butler’s uniform.

“Something strange is going on in one of the side tunnels,” said Beatrice’s butler. “We need at least five more to investigate.”

“Understood…”

When Terry, Rafael, and some security guards with items were walking into the tunnel, Terry felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Unfortunately, a new weight fell down when Terry noticed the gaze of the butler on himself.

“You…” The butler’s eyes narrowed. “You’re the Arcanian!”

Shit. Terry rapidly circulated his mana and coordinated with Rafael. [Time to fight!]

In the blink of an eye, Terry’s thinly-spread mana from his mana touch contracted and several dozen spell targets had become immovable at once. The guards’ weapons and armor transfixed. The door, which one of the guards had tried to close quickly, had become immovable as well.

[Fight for real!] Terry unleashed a disruption discharge to eviscerate any spellwork the guards and butler had prepared and dashed into the tunnel while setting up a small disruption field between himself and the security guards.

[Gloves off…] Rafael was less squeamish than Terry and did not aim for non-lethal means. He sunk his claws deeply into the chest of the butler. “...claws out.”

[Don’t!] Terry stopped Rafael while kicking the legs away from another guard at the door. [Get in the tunnel! Behind the door!] He glanced at the butler and threw the injured butler out of the tunnel towards the immobile soldiers. “Tell Beatrice to eat shit.”

***