Melody of Mana

Over the next few days Selene was... more distant than usual. She said nothing about our conversation, but looked up harshly at me every now and then. I was glad for that much, as there was more than enough to do.

The place Linden had elected to set up the portal was a small fortress about half an hour outside of their walls. I knew that many a merchant would someday complain that there wasn't a good place to just get into the city, but the safety concerns were valid. I also imagined that if the city elders hadn't already allocated all the land in the general area to someone those same merchants would shortly scoop it up by the acre for storehouses, loading docks, and all manner of stables.

That would be their problem though, not mine. For now all I needed to do was see to the proper installation of things and head home, preferably through the gate that would then be up. The caravan would need to go back the old fashioned way, with a few different guards and passengers. I'd need to consult with the higher ups back in the capitol, but we could probably arrange for some nasty surprises for those trying to stop them on the way back.

I was still debating if I would be going back, or for how long. There were some very good reasons to never return to Lithere, or perhaps even back to the capitol city. If Selene decided that she wanted to bring up her concerns to our bosses it could end me. Emperor Durin was already displeased, I knew, at my secret keeping, and I didn't know how he'd respond to me keeping anything else to him, not that I was keeping things he had business in.

Would he see it that way though? This really didn't concern him, or his empire, but he'd want to know, and we both knew that. Keeping it to myself would probably be seen in a very dim light. I didn't know how he'd respond, but my guess was not well.

It all depended on Selene, I would need to talk to her. I wasn't sure how the story about being from another world would be seen, but I didn't plan to share that much. I could at least tell her that the three of us, and I suspected others, had an unusual insight into the workings of magic. I could tell her that I didn't know how that happened, which was true. Would she accept that though, or run to tell others that I had odd insights?

As for my current job, it was almost casual. We'd put up a few of these now, and well understood the process. The city itself was more in the way than anything else. Their mages were always buzzing around, doing wards of their own, and examining our actions with an inquisitive eye.

"Could we get more of these?" One said on about the third day of work. "They'd be quite useful."

"That would be a question for our government. Sadly I have no control over where they're going and in what order," I responded.

"What do you think the chances are though?"

"Honestly? Low for right now. I think Emperor Durin wants to set up our network first. After we've done that though, still low. These are just a hair's breadth from being military only technology." I gave him a shrug and the man sighed.

"Figures. Since that's off the table, could you go over these wards with me? I'm concerned about how they'll interact with some of ours." He pulled out a paper detailing one of ours, one I'd made myself.

We spent the next hour going over the details, many of which he couldn't, or wouldn't share with me, to make sure to check for interaction. As it stood, there was one, one which would slowly damage both of them. It was poor design that I attributed to one of their passed down protections, something many places kept secret.

Which was stupid, how was I supposed to help with the problem if I couldn't see half of what was going into it? By the end of it I of course knew most of what was going into that particular ward anyway, because he had to explain it just for me to check over things. At several points I nearly told him to sod off and figure it out himself, since he had our wards and should have been able to see the issues, but held my tongue.

We finished everything late, but that was fine. With everything done, there was only the standard testing to run through in the morning, and then I could go home. I wasn't even going back to my room at the city temple tomorrow afternoon, I was bringing all of the luggage and heading back home.

Emil, Spymaster to King in Exile Lief

I was too old for this, far too old. Sadly there was nobody else I could properly trust. I needed an apprentice, someone who I could teach all my methods and leave things like this to. Magic user or not though? If I choose one without he'd be honored by the choice, and likely take me more seriously, but the power that magic could bring...

I had plenty of time to ruminate on this our whole trip here, and hopefully would have more on the way back, for now I had work to do.

Getting messages out to all of those who might be allies in this region had been a right pain in the neck. The fact that all of them had failed to capture my targets, or even delay them a bit also irked. Not every leader had a proper spy network, and even if they did, I didn't have connections to all of them.

It mattered little now, as I was in place to see my target as she and her entourage passed through the city gates. I'd managed to learn that they were up to setting up some kind of transport system, but not all the details.

I nearly gasped as I saw the girl passing through the gate. My aide had the good sense to wait until they'd well and passed before he spoke.

"You knew her?" The man spoke in a neutral voice, whispering could attract unwanted attention.

"When we get back," I answered.

Once we'd returned to the rooms we'd rented, and the officers in our little conspiracy had been gathered I sat down.

"We have our primary target," I began.

"Selene," I began after putting up a sound barrier, "let's talk." We were sitting atop our carriage, enjoying the afternoon air.

"Oh? You're going to actually answer me now? Not just lie to my face?" This would clearly be an uphill battle.

"Ask what you want to," I replied.

"What is it about you three that is important?"

"Honestly? I don't know," at her scowl I continued. "I do know that all of us have insights, we think differently, and understand both each other, and magic in unusual ways. I suspect Ristolian was the same as well,"

"The... mage who made the gates? Why?"

"When I was in school, our first dean, Dean Lorrae told me a story. Told me of how he laughed when he received the message upon completing his core. Declaring it all a joke." She gave me an odd look.

"You're not making any sense Alana," she objected.

"It is a joke though, that message is 'hello world' just something to say, 'look at me, I'm working.' to everyone."

There were several seconds where she tried to process that. She stared, then blinked, shook her head as if she had a question, then tried again.

"... You can understand it, the code, the code that everyone sees but nobody gets, the one in the core!?" I nodded. "But... but, you know what that whole unknown section is then don't you? You have to tell me what it says!"

"You already know what it says Selene, Ristolian wrote it down. Those books they gave us, the ones the emperor found, that's what's there. It's a guidebook on how to use the core."

"But that was put there by the core's maker, the king that..." she froze.

"Yeah," I could see her processing, and just confirmed.

"That... that elf we met in that ruin, he wasn't just someone sent to clean those out was he?"

"No, I don't think so."

"The priest, the old one?" She asked.

"I don't know too much about him, but I get the sense that he really sincerely hates that particular elf. I also think that if those two powerhouses tried to raise armies they would, and the result would be..."

"Apocalyptic," she finished.

I gave her a few moments to process. She'd gotten enough, enough to know that I had more understanding of magic than she did, and could read the core, for some reason. There was no point in telling her about another world, it would only cause issues.

"Now you know, and you know why I don't want anyone else to," I finally said after letting her think.

"I... I won't tell a soul. Our lands are right between them, if they decide to fight we'll be the battlefield, and nobody is ready for the orders going to war with all of the elves, that's terrifying. Or maybe we should... if the Emperor knew he could prepare."

"We're already on a war footing Selene, nothing will change that. They've also been holding their peace for a very long time, and seem to want to continue, poking and prodding either of them might set it off." She nodded at my declaration, still looking more scared than I was about that particular possibility.

A few moments more of thought and she gasped, yelling.

"Selene?!" I saw her reach down and pull something familiar, familiar and terrifying.

In her hand was one of the little dart-like syringe used by our own capture squads. I ducked and screamed, hoping to alert our guards, only for two of the little things to strike the seat behind me, breaking apart.

I felt stupid as I quickly dropped the sound shield, readying to yell again. It wasn't needed though, as the knights who were accompanying us had realized the attack quickly. The opener had been good, taking down casters was a strong way to start any attack, as it deprived the enemy of ranged support and healing. It chilled my blood as I realized that the method of attack also indicated the wish to capture, not kill.

I began to sing my shields into place as there was a whooshing sound and the carriage lurched. The crunch that followed and how we ceased to move indicated at least part of what had happened. I couldn't see, didn't know what was going on, but I needed to be ready, because from the sound I guessed they had at least one wizard with them.

Selene was struggling still, but it was clear that her strength was fast leaving her. The sedatives they'd used must have been astoundingly potent to start to impair her in less than a minute, but she couldn't properly rise, and her attempts at casting were struggling to form even the most basic of spells.

I considered using my gate spell, but there was no reason to think anywhere within sight would be safe. Instead I quickly tossed an invisibility over myself and started the process of conjuring up a storm. Lightning might not be the fastest magic I had, but it was the strongest attack in my list.

As I slipped from my spot I saw the battle. Our knights were strong, but the enemy had brought numbers. We were outnumbered at least two to one, the men still standing after the opener fighting more than one opponent, and those enemies were magic users too, that much was clear from the speed and strength of the melee.

In the back I could see a few archers, and the aforementioned casters picking targets quickly and with devastating results. That group would be my first target for some electrical vengeance, but something caught my eye.

One of the casters had a man beside him, a man who was pointing his outstretched finger directly at me. The one showing my location had an aura near his eyes like Charles, but significantly weaker.

I tried to dodge, get out of the way before whatever they were planning hit me. As I did so I drew in breath for a scream, letting the storm fall. I needed to hit and fast, if they could see me, they could drop me.

I bounced against some kind of kinetic wall before my dodge was finished, and while that only made me panic more it did lend itself well to the scream I let loose at the casters. I didn't hold back a bit and I could see as they all flinched. The wall didn't budge though.

This was bad, they'd planned this, they'd planned for me. Someone among them knew my abilities, someone knew what I could do, and what I probably would do. The sight, the box to keep me contained, this was their plan.

Spells pummeled my shield in quick succession like hail. None were strong enough to kill, but all drained the power I was feeding it. I struggled to keep it in place, pulling in magic for an other scream, not thinking I had enough time for anything else.

One of the warriors broke from the melee and blurred in my direction. His charge his my shield like a freight train and shattered it like glass. My scream attack landed head on as he came, but was cut short when the metal clad fist planted itself in my stomach.

My feet left the ground, taking me up as I felt a sickening crunch around my ribs. Clinging to consciousness I seemed to hover in the air. I wanted to scream in agony, rather than those I'd been letting loose, but there was no time. Before I even landed the man who'd charged me grabbed and tossed me like a rag-doll towards his compatriots.

The speed at which I was going would surely have killed me had I landed, but someone caught me in a cloud of air or kinetic magic, slowing me as the arc neared completion. Before I could struggle again they were upon me, stabbing down with those accursed needles. Three burned as they landed in my arms and body, one more in the thigh, the only benefit that I quickly lost feeling to my broken ribs.

As my mind slipped away I saw Selene, a mess of hair and fabric flying towards us. The man who tossed me must have repeated his action with her. As she landed, and was brought over I saw it, the panic and fear as she too struggled to keep awake, a fight we both quickly lost.