BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
"Oh spirits, don't let it be for me."
Kyra Steelwater was less than pleased to be aroused in the middle of the night. She had been sleeping soundly in the barracks of the Wizard City Corps, exhausted after her first three days on active duty. It was an honor of course, to be a part of such a prestigious service, but the work was backbreaking and dangerous, and she'd hoped to at least get a few more hours of rest before the next day began. So it was hard for her to feel honored as a messenger sprite came screeching down the line of beds, flashing red and waking every wizard in the room as it came to a stop at her feet. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, and ignoring the annoyed groans from around her, Kyra snapped upright and grasped her wand from its case beside her bed. She tapped the flashing red orb smartly with the tip of her wand. In response, it dimmed to a low orange glow.
"Directive." She ordered the orb in a low but firm voice.
"Private Steelwater. You are ordered to report to Captain Hunter immediately at the headmaster's office of Ravenwood."
"Ravenwood… and a Captain?" Kyra murmured thoughtfully. She hadn't been to Ravenwood since her official graduation as a Necromancer over twelve months before. Strange that she should be ordered there now. And to be reporting to a captain was something else altogether. Captains were well decorated and highly experienced officers; they rarely dealt directly with something as petty as a private's assignment. Whatever was going on, it must have been important.
"Understood." She told the sphere, before dispelling it into nothingness.
Kyra worked quickly, stripping out of her nightclothes and donning her grey and black uniform, before folding her blanket neatly at the foot of her bed. Officers were quick to reprimand any sloppiness among the young soldiers. She tied her dark black hair back while jogging down the line of bunks, where other wizards still slept, thankful that they had not been the ones chosen for such a late night assignment. She ran down the stairs two at a time, all thoughts of sleep gone once she reached the first floor of the barracks. A full moon greeted her as she stepped out into the yard. It was empty, save for a few wizards scurrying along on late night duties. Archaic looking stone buildings towered over her, but she ignored them, instead heading to a series of stone slabs fixated in the center of the yard, short ranged teleportation stones, designed only to teleport over the expanse of a single world. Adept wizards could, of course, teleport without the use of a stone, but only over very short distances, usually no more than a mile. A few dozen of them were arranged in a spiral pattern, each one leading to an important place in Wizard City. Kyra soon found the stone she needed, a rounded rock about three feet high with the intricate glyph of a tree carved into it. Upon placing her hand over the glyph, a faint glow emanated from the stone and it became warm to the touch.
"Excitant," Kyra ordered. No sooner had the command left her mouth that a bright flash burst from the stone, engulfing her body in a brilliant white light. For a brief moment, she was left hanging in an ineffable void, until she materialized on the cobblestone path of the Ravenwood school commons. She paused for a moment to take in her surroundings. Even in the dark of night, Kyra would recognize her old school anywhere. She had spent the better part of a decade living within the academy walls; and every brick was familiar to her. The school itself lay behind her, accessible through a stone tunnel. In front of her lay a small town for the school's employees. The biggest of the buildings, an enormous stone construct surrounded by a tall fence, held the office of Headmaster Ambrose. Briskly, Kyra made her way to the entrance, brushing past a few late night students, who looked curiously at the uniformed soldier.
Light streamed through the entrance as she eased the door to the headmaster's office open. The room itself was a glorious mess. Papers, books, and important looking documents lay in towering stacks around the room. It was strange for Kyra at first, after graduating from Ravenwood; her twelve months of intense post graduate combat training had taught her that cleanliness and order were essential to a well-functioning military force. It was easy to forget that outside of the Corps, Wizards were known for their quirky and chaotic lifestyles.
Beyond the piles of paperwork, she could see her old headmaster, Merle Ambrose, an aged wizard in long purple robes and a beard so long he could tuck it into his belt. He was speaking with a man who she presumed must be Captain Hunter. He was a fairly young man, probably early thirties, with piercing dark eyes, a hooked nose and straight brown hair cropped just below his ears. A brilliant red emblem in the center of his uniform identified him as a pyromancer. They both looked up as she entered.
"Sir!" Kyra saluted smartly at the captain.
"At ease, Steelwater," he told her before turning to bend over an array of papers spread out over the headmaster's desk. Kyra relaxed her stance, awaiting her next orders. It was quite unnerving for her, standing alone at the presence of a Captain. What could possibly have qualified her to be here? Oblivious, Headmaster Ambrose beamed at her.
"Kyra, it's been so long! You look well." He pulled her into an embrace, a gesture that now seemed awkward and overly affectionate to her, especially in front of a Captain. But then, Ambrose had always been so open and friendly to his students. However, pulling away, she could something troubling in his eyes.
"What's going on?" She asked him.
Before Ambrose could answer, Captain Hunter turned back to them with a sheet of parchment in his hands; he held it out for her to see.
"Earlier today," He began "This letter arrived for the headmaster, originating from a well-known Marleybonian Necromancer, Professor Xavier Dawn. No doubt you have heard of him?"
"Yes sir," Kyra responded immediately. Xavier Dawn's work on magic theory and alchemy was revered, and she had frequently studied his books during her years at Ravenwood.
"Unfortunately we received some troubling information within its contents. If you would read?"
Kyra took a closer look at the parchment in his hands. It was a hand written letter, addressed to Ambrose.
Regarding Operation AA
Dear Prof. Ambrose,
Operation Arcane Alchemist continues to be successful. By channeling elemental magic through arcane symbols, Riva and I have been able to synthesize several heavy metals through processes that were previously thought to be impossible. We have not been able to produce gold yet, but we should be able to achieve that ultimate result with a bit more experimentation.
Beyond the formal experiments, I have been working on some personal investigations regarding elemental magic and the diagram that represents them. I understand that the elemental diagram is among the first things taught at the Wizard City Academy. However, I have found issue with this diagram. The diagram places Balance at the center of the elemental schools, establishing the idea that its power comes from a combination of the six elements. While I can understand how balance derives from the schools of Ice, Fire, and Storm, I do not see any utilization of the schools of Life, death, and myth. Life, Death, and Myth do have enough connections to be interposed between Ice, Fire, and Storm, but do not contribute at all to Balance.
My interpretation of these elements would have an eighth school, one that more directly combines Life, Death, and Myth. I always found the 2-dimensional spiral shape of the diagram to be rather absurd anyways, as the spiral possesses no elemental distribution that even remotely matches the elemental diagram. As the architect behind this theory, I have been referring to this theoretical eighth school as 'Mind' or more officially, Psychomancy.
Riva has had to focus more on the kids, but I have already started preliminary experiments in combining Live, Death, and Myth, with the same combinatory style of balance. I haven't had much luck; the combination takes incredible mental effort. I am hopeful though. I would like to know your thoughts on my new interpretation on elemental magic.
Kyra took a step back, her head spinning at the possibility of an eighth school, Mind? She had never thought such a thing possible, given the current diagram of the magical elements.
"So you can see." Captain Hunter continued, "Our dear professor Xavier's personal research has been delving into some interesting theories. Unfortunately, this poses a real threat to us. Steelwater, everything you hear now is extremely classified. Breath word of it to anyone outside this room, and you will be convicted of treason. Understood?"
"Sir!" Kyra confirmed.
Hunter turned toward the headmaster.
"Ambrose, you know about the school of mind more than any wizard we know of. Perhaps you would like to explain?"
"Of course." The headmaster turned to Kyra.
"Professor Dawn is correct about the existence of an eighth school. The primitive diagram we teach our students establishes the school of balance as the center of all things magic. This is not true however; rather it is only the center of three of our schools, Ice, Fire, and Storm." He pointed to the cube diagram shown in the letter. One corner of the cube was labeled with the balance symbol, and the three corners it intersected with were labeled with the symbols of Fire, Ice, and Storm.
"The school of Mind," He continued, pointing to the opposite side of the cube "Is considered the school which binds the other three: Life, Death, and Myth."
"Unfortunately, while the magic of mind is incredibly powerful, it is also hard to predict, and nearly impossible to control." Captain Hunter cut in.
"What makes it so different from the others?" Kyra Queried.
"All of the schools you are familiar with work primarily with physical attacks. Mind, however, is different. It draws from the essence of the human mind; the Life which we are given, the Myth and mystery of how our minds work, and its inevitable death and demise. It comes from the root of all life, carries its own intelligence, essentially, it is the magic that thinks for itself. Mind will attack a person's consciousness rather than their body, rendering any conventional shields and physical barriers worthless." Ambrose bowed his head somberly.
"So the shields we put up to protect the students-" Kyra began
"Completely useless, not to mention that it's direct attack on the mind leaves a person extremely susceptible to possession." Hunter finished her statement. "This is why the school of mind is such a closely guarded secret. Its knowledge is granted strictly on a need-to-know basis. With Professor Dawn conducting his experiments in such a public area, he is putting everyone around him at risk of death, not to mention that a wizard like him simply can't be trusted to keep such a secret."
"Now Captain, Professor Dawn has been one of my dearest friends for years, I can assure you that his trustworthiness is-" A sharp glare from the captain silenced the headmaster.
"Ambrose, I understand that you and your fellow mages may be of exemplary character, however, this is a highly sensitive matter, and you know we can't simply let this information run unchecked. Professor Dawn, wittingly or not, is putting innocent people at risk. You contacted us for a reason; now let Steelwater and I do our job."
With a deep sigh, Ambrose took a step back.
"Very well Captain, I suppose we have no choice. I will leave you and Kyra to your work." He moved towards the door.
"Thank you Ambrose. We will do our best to see that Professor Dawn comes to no harm."
"I know you will Hunter, I know you will." Ambrose waved is hand dismissively as the office door clicked shut behind him.
Captain Hunter Turned to regard Kyra intently,
"We have already notified the Marleybonian Police force that there is a potentially dangerous wizard housed in the city. We are to rendezvous with them outside of Newgate prison. From there, we will move into Chelsea Court, where the professor lives with his wife and two young children. Our objective is to detain Mr. Dawn, and escort him back to headquarters in Wizard City. With luck, he has yet to delve into the true power of the school of mind."
"And if he has, Sir?" Kyra asked.
"Then hopefully whatever it is he has unleashed will be weak enough for the two of us to subdue. We highly doubt that in such a short amount of time Professor Dawn will have made much progress. It's a precaution, really. Are you ready for your first real assignment, Steelwater?"
"Yes Sir…but," Kyra faltered for a moment.
"But what Steelwater? Out with it."
"Why me Sir? I understand that this is a highly classified matter, then why assign a newly appointed Private to the mission?" This question had troubled her since she'd read the letter.
The captain stared at her for a long moment, Until Kyra felt like squirming under his gaze. Finally, he spoke.
"Steelwater, what would you say your greatest strength is as a wizard?"
"Sir?" Kyra was startled by the elementary question.
"Did I stutter? Answer the question."
"Well Sir, I have always received well above average scores on my resistance abilities, but I thought the magic of Mind circumnavigated such defenses."
"Your close Steelwater, Specifically, you've shown in training an extraordinary resistance to spells which are meant to coerce, like beguile, which demonstrate that you have superb mental resistance. The magic of Mind can pass magical barriers, but it must break mental ones, of which you are an exemplary specimen. This is why you were chosen, doubt yourself, and you have already failed. Am I understood?"
"Yes sir!"
"Then let's be off, I want to be done with this ordeal before daybreak."
"Alright chaps! You know the drill; I want the building surrounded in under a minute, not a window left unchecked! We don't know how dangerous this fellow is, so we'll be taking no chances!"
Barely an hour had passed since Kyra was briefed on her mission. Since then she and Captain Hunter had made the swift journey to Marleybone through Ravenwood's spiral door, allied with Deputy Malone and his squad of Bipedal dogs, and made their way to Chelsea court. Smog lay thick over the city, acrid and foul in comparison to the fresh air of Wizard City. Kyra wrinkled her nose in distain as she surveyed the Victorian style brick buildings. In front of them lay the nicest of them all, a manor made of polished stone rather than brick, with tall marble pillars marking the entrance; the home of the revered alchemist, Professor Xavier Dawn.
Blue clad officers moved to surround the building under the sharp watchful eyes of Deputy Malone, a distinguished Biped dog with a wolfish face and pointed ears. He turned to Captain Hunter.
"You're set to enter the establishment sir. My men may not be wizards, but we've got sharp eyes and keen noses. He won't be sneaking out past us." He lifted his paw in a kind of salute.
"You have our gratitude, Officer." Hunter returned the gesture before turning to Steelwater.
"Ready?"
"Of course captain." Kyra grasped her wand from the sheath at her side.
They took positions on either side of the door. She had done similar raids such as this in training, but they had all been staged. Still, the steps were the same. She undid the bolt on the door with a quick unlocking spell. Captain Hunter threw the door ajar and burst through the entrance, his wand at the ready for any dangers that may have been present. When nothing happened, he motioned Kyra inside as well. The room was dark, but the moonlight streaming through the windows provided a bit of light to see by.
Captain Hunter's wand glowed softly as he materialized a vibrant glowing sphere of light. With a flick of his wrist, it shattered into dozens of tiny filaments that zipped about the room and down hallways. Wherever they went, the lights in the room flickered to life. Kyra squinted in the brightness. They were in the grand foyer of the manor. Polished marble floors, mahogany end tables, even a grand glass chandelier hung from the ceiling.
"Professor Xavier Dawn, come to the front of the establishment with your arms raised!" Hunter shouted, his booming voice echoing along the long corridors leading away from the foyer. He waited a moment, one ear cocked for any sound. Only an eerie silence greeted them.
"Perhaps they are asleep, sir?" Kyra suggested.
"Unlikely," Hunter responded, starting down one of the hallways, "Professor Dawn is well known for doing much of his work at night. Necromancers are funny like that. Even if they were asleep, my spell earlier turned on every light in the establishment. One would think that would wake someone up."
"Then what would-" Whatever question Kyra was going to ask was quickly forgotten, as they turned a corner into a sort of parlor. It may have been a nice parlor, if not for the spattering of blood covering the furniture. In the center of the room sprawled a body. A young woman with raven hair lay in a pool of dark red blood, a broken wand still clenched in her fist. Kyra gasped and put a hand to her mouth, frozen stiff with shock. Hunter on the other hand, sprang to life, rushing to the woman's side and placing two fingers on her neck. Seconds later he stood, head shaking.
"His wife, she's dead. We're too late damn it!" He looked to Kyra, who still stood frozen and pale.
"Snap out of it, soldier! I need you on this one!" he pushed her roughly by the shoulders. Kyra took a breath, shaking her head to clear her mind.
"Sorry sir, I just-"
"Never mind what it was, whatever he's unleashed is probably still in here!"
As if on cue, a low groan echoed through the manor. Hunter and Kyra instinctively moved to stand back to back, wands at the ready. She could feel the air around Hunter grow hotter as the pyromancer prepared for the coming fight. Kyra focused herself, opening her mind to the dark forces she'd trained for years to wield. They whispered to her, pulled at her. It was no matter, she could bend them to her will. Heavy, shambling footsteps could be heard down the hallway, gradually getting louder. An inhuman shriek pierced the air, making Kyra jump.
"Be ready Kyra, Mind magic is unpredictable, so we don't know how powerful this thing is."
With another agonizing cry, the creature appeared around the corner. Kyra gasped. Whatever it was, it had once been Professor Dawn, but his features were now barely recognizable on the contorted face. Inky black blood dripped from his eyes, nose, and mouth, staining the polished floor. He crawled on grossly mal-proportioned limbs, veins bulging and convulsing along his extremities. Reaching for them with a claw like hand, he shrieked again, and lunged, smoky black tendrils reaching from his body to grasp at Kyra. Instinctively, she put up a shield, but the tendrils bypassed the shimmering barrier as though it were not even there. She screamed as they wrapped around her arms and legs', holding her prisoner and burning her limbs as what was left of the professor leaped at her.
Captain Hunter raised his summoning arm in a blaze of fire. The air above him crackled to life, forming series of fireballs that pelted the professor. The professor shrieked and stumbled back, the smell of burning flesh filling the room. He recovered after only a moment, turning to lunge at Hunter. The tendrils still held Kyra fast, boring through her head into her mind, tearing at her consciousness. Her skull seared like it had been split by an axe. She screamed again, trying to push the invader away through sheer will. Meanwhile Hunter dodged the professor's lunge, preparing to launch another spell.
The end of his wand glowed with a fiery light as he drew an elaborate symbol on the ground. A great fiery bird erupted from it, clawing the professor with talon and flame. Black blood spurted from wherever the bird's talons struck, spattering everything in the room. Stunned, the professor seemed to lose focus, and the tendrils holding Kyra fast evaporated. She gasped as the attack on her mind ceased, then, grasping her wand, steeled herself for a spell of her own.
She lifted her arm with a determined cry. Grasping at the forces which still whispered to her, twisting their energy to her will. She leveled her wand at the professor, letting loose a great arc of black lightning. It struck the creature directly, engulfing him in a flash of blinding light. As it faded, the professor staggered and fell, dead.
Kyra stumbled forward, hit by a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea.
"Kyra?" Hunter stepped forward to steady her, but she fell to her knees.
"I… I think I." The attack on her mind left her feeling weak and numb. The room seemed to spin as she swooned to one side. Men in blue appeared at the doorway, the Marleybone officers. They shouted exclamations, but the sound was so muffled she could barely make out the words. A shrill cry pierced the air. Was that a baby she heard? Before she could investigate further, Kyra leaned forward, vomited, and passed out.
The pink light of dawn was peeking over the horizon as Kyra awoke, her head pounding. She found herself stretched out on the grass outside the manor. Something soft supported her head. Turning, she identified it as Hunter's outer uniform jacket. Commotion echoed all around as men in blue bustled in and out of the manor. A few officers were setting up a perimeter, stretching tape across the front lawn as curious neighbors came to see what all the noise was about. She could see Hunter, speaking with Deputy Malone and a Sherriff near the front door of the manor. Seeing her awaken, Hunter exchanged a few more words before he came to kneel beside her.
"How to you feel?" He asked.
"Simply peachy, Sir." She muttered half-heartedly through the throbbing pain in her temples. She tried weakly to sit up, but Hunter put a hand out to stop her.
"Take it easy, soldier. The creature that possessed the professor tried to possess you too. Fortunately for you it seems that your resistance was better than our dear professor, but it seems to have given you one hell of a migraine."
"Then the professor and his wife are…"
"Unfortunately they are both dead. I've got reinforcements on the way to collect the bodies, including a life wizard who should be able to fix you up."
Kyra thought for a moment, staving off the fogginess that still clouded her mind, then asked "didn't you say there were two children living with the professor?"
"Ah, indeed I did. We found them both hidden away in a nursery at the top floor." A few moments later, two officers came from the manor, one carrying a small toddler, the other holding a bundle of blankets that appeared to carry an infant.
"A two year old boy and a baby girl, Alexander and Cecelia Dawn, it's a shame really." Hunter lamented, shaking his head.
"What are our plans for them?" Kyra inquired, trying not to think too hard about the two children, their mother lying face down in a pool of her own blood.
"We are attempting to contact other family members, but most likely they'll end up in a local orphanage. We'll monitor them closely either way. With two necromancers for parents, they're bound to be wizards themselves, but only time will tell us that."
The baby girl began to wail, sticking two tiny pink hands up through the blankets. Her brother looked around with enormous dark eyes at the sea of strangers surrounding him, a mass of jet black hair hanging in his face. Their life of privilege and comfort was gone in a single night.
"There must be something more we can do for them." Kyra felt oddly responsible for the two children. If only they had reached the manor in time.
Hunter stood, turning away from her.
"There are a lot of orphans in the spiral, private. Unfortunately, we can't provide for them all. We will ensure the safety of these two, but the rest is up to them. Give it some time."
Authors Notes: I published this quite some time ago, and then forgot about it. But I picked it up recently and decided I liked it, so I rewrote some bits and pieces, and kept adding to it, and here it is again! Yay! I love reviews, so feel free to throw criticism or helpful thoughts at me.