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30th of October 1952 – London
Christopher Cameron POV
He stood up as the doors opened. Johnston followed suit whilst Underhill trailed after, the miserable expression he wore only deepened.
The secretary stepped forward "He will see you now"
He shared a glance with Johnston before he proceeded to walk towards the open doors.
The office was a spacious one, one that held cabinets of books that filled two entire walls. He'd been here often enough but he'd never seen any inklings that any of those books had ever been moved.
He glanced towards the office desk where their boss sat behind. He was an indistinct man with horse rimmed glasses and a neatly maintained moustache. The one thing that marked him as someone of note was the way his eyes gazed at you, a keen cold intellect that couldn't be hidden away by a pair of glasses.
"Take a seat" their boss, Mr Smith, said in an indifferent tone and they did as he bid.
Mr Smith's unsettling eyes trailed over them.
Mr Smith was a 'muggle' the magicals would say, one that headed the M-Division of the Secret Intelligence Service.
He glanced at Underhill. It brought him satisfaction, the way it grated on Underhill that he was left powerless and at the mercy of those he considered less than human.
He'd been assigned to 'look after' the royal family by the British Ministry of Magic when in reality he was little more than a Obliviator with the mandate to ensure that the Royal Family did not proverbially rocked the boat.
Underhill had not known when the British Ministry of Magic had turned from subordinate to the Crown to instead treasonous, only that as far as they were concerned they were an autonomous government not beholden to muggles.
He'd been subdued not long after his assignment and forced to take an oath of silence and later a binding oath of allegiance on the pain of death which the man naturally took.
At present, he was their only pureblood member and the only one capable of navigating the Magical World without the attention that might have been levied on any of the others.
"I have…news from Her Majesty." Mr Smith said with a piercing gaze, one that Underhill looked away from.
"She's deeply unhappy with the continued state of affairs in the Magical World" Mr Smith placed his hands onto the deeply in a delicate fluid motion as he continued to stare at them without an expression of emotion.
His eyes flickered towards the watch the man wore. Some of the eggheads at the Research Division managed to figure out a way to register when someone was under the influence of the mental magic. The watch had a small red light that would flash to signify if someone who compromised.
At present they did not have the knowledge to block the mind arts but recognising was more than half the job.
It was one of the first tasks assigned to the research team by the late King.
"About what exactly?" Underhill couldn't help but ask. Smith's eyes snapped towards him.
"For one, the fourteen dozen missing cases this year alone is on the top of her list that is making her unhappy." Smith said ruthlessly with cold eyes.
Underhill looked away again "That doesn't mean it's related to us."
Smith smiled thinly, his smile reminded Cameron of a serpent eying its prey…minus the whole tongue thing.
"That might have been the case had we not been able to find trace apparition signatures near the sight of where they were last seen." Smith said coolly.
That silenced Underhill and Smith turned to him and Johnston.
"What does Her Majesty want us to do?" Johnston asked, sitting straight in his chair.
"Her Majesty recognises that the Crown authority over Magical Britain was long since been forgotten by your folk" Smith said with narrowed eyes.
Cameron clenched his teeth but said nothing. Smith didn't like any of them and hadn't from the moment he'd learned about magic.
It only worsened when he discovered some of the things that purebloods had done and took it out on them in barbed comments.
It was only because of people himself and Johnston that even allowed the government to be able to defend itself against them.
"Her Majesty also recognises that at present there is little to be done without direct intervention which is not feasible in this moment in time" Smith said pausing deliberately.
'In this moment in time…'
"However, the recent injustices against Her Majesty's citizens with the farces they called trials along with the blatant kidnappings of normal women" Smith thinned his lips as his eyes cooled to an arctic coldness "It is clear that something needs to be done."
They sat up straighter at that as his eyes shone with interest.
He hated Magical Britain and what it did to him. When they told him he was magical, he had dreamed so big and it only had grown when he learned fantastical creatures like Dragons, Unicorns and even Phoenixes existed!
Yet it was all torn away when he realised that he was viewed as subhuman in the eyes of the elite, that his opportunities were at best a cleaner no matter how well he excelled in his classes.
The constant harassment he faced, the times he spent in the infirmary at the hands of those who relished in dealing out pain against people who they could have arrested if they fought back…
It turned his dreams into nightmares and he left that world as soon as he could.
The war against Grindelwald opened up his eyes to the consequences these people had on the wider world, the evil they sponsored and allowed to flourish.
Not even in the normal world was he safe from them, not after he'd learned what they'd do to him if he violated their 'laws'.
They denied him a place in the Magical World and they denied him a place in the normal world when they threatened anyone who joined the army with jail time with soul sucking demons.
When he'd been approached by the spooks, he'd taken their offer with glee, especially when they'd told him that he'd be in service of His Majesty.
"We are ready to carry Her Majesty's will" Johnston said with a fervour.
Smith turned to him and allowed a thin smile to form. "Good." Smith said back in his chair. "We do not have currently the manpower, mundane or…supernatural." He said with thinned lips "to take control of the Ministry but we do have an opportunity in the recent unrest" Smith glanced at Underhill.
"Her Majesty commands" Underhill straightened up and faced Smith with a loathsome stare "That we are to aid the oppressed groups in anything they need against the Ministry"
Cameron's eyes widened "You want us to help and fund the prospective insurgents?"
Smith smiled and it was an ugly one "Liberators, Mr Cameron. That is who we are helping. We will need time before we are ready to act against the Ministry and the coming conflict will give us an excuse to intervene when it inevitably spills over to our side of the world."
Cameron sat back in his chair, his mind whirling on what he heard.
"They'll fight you…all of them" Underhill said shocked.
Smith stared at Underhill "Not the nobles with whom most of the power lies. Not when the Oaths of Allegiance is tied to their very notion of Nobility" Smith said with a terrifying smile.
Oaths of Allegiance were tied to the titles and positions people – and families – held. They were oath sworn to obey their liege and the penalties for violating their allegiance could be as severe as losing their magic.
It was perfect in limiting the scale of the conflict. The power those purebloods hoarded was limited to very few families and it would be used against them. Anyone who sat within the Wizengamot was beholden to this Oath of Allegiance, the magic within the chamber demanded it.
Underhill looked sick as he seemed to realise how much of his world could be destroyed.
"Are you not concerned what the ICW might do to you?" Underhill asked.
He blinked. That's right the ICW would doubtlessly intervene.
Smith shook his head "The British Ministry is beholden to the Crown and the treaties it signed with it. They have violated beyond measure time and again." His eyes turned sharp as they set on Underhill "We will not break the Statute of Secrecy, not when we're acting under the auspices of the Crown."
"They might not see it that way" Johnston murmured, his expression tinged with concern.
Smith nodded "That is why we will be acting quickly when the time comes and set up a new Ministry in line with our constitution."
Underhill seat creaked and Cameron glanced at the man "You can't do that! Our world is ancient! You can't just destroy a governance that dates back to the times of Merlin!" He said angrily before tagging on "To the times of King Arthur!"
Smith's expression shifted ever so minutely. "Then perhaps your folk should have not been so treasonous against the Crown." He said coldly.
Underhill lost all fight, knowing that he could nothing in this situation despite all that he might want to. He was oathbound, bound by his very life to obey the will of the Crown.
Smith opened up a drawer and slapped three dossiers on the table. "These will be your instructions and your targets." Smith said as he pressed a button under the desk.
The doors opened and it was clear they were being dismissed. "Read it. Thoroughly." He picked up a thick stack of documents. He looked at them "We will meet again in two days where you will meet your assigned teams." He finished and then looked down and started reading.
Underhill was the first to pick the dossier and left brusquely. Johnston was next and he was last.
He clenched tightly onto the dossier as he walked out of the office.
He may not the way Smith operated, or his opinions but he knew that this was the right thing to do.
There were too many things wrong with the magical world and they were on the right path to fix it. Even if it that meant they would be controlled by those many of them deemed as less than animals.
They had their chance.
-Break-
30th of October 1952 – Illos
Perenelle Flamel POV
"Ah, Jacqueline!" Perry enthused after she swallowed her bite in delight, one that was mired in fond remembrance.
She met the gaze of the blue eyed woman "The veal just melts in my mouth, and the white wine lingers on pleasantly. Is it your own recipe?" she asked her current host knowing full well it was far from the case.
Jacqueline smiled joyously but shook her head "No. Maman taught me how to do it" she said in fondness. "She told me that it was old family recipe, one that she was taught by my paternal grandmother who herself was taught by her mother-in-law." Jacqueline's lips twitched in amused remembrance. "I always found it funny that the men of my father's line always wanted their wives know how to make their non-traditional variant of Zurcher Geschnetzeles" she said with a wistful tone as she met Perry's gaze.
It may have been years since she had lost most of her family in the war but time dulled the loss only so much.
She smiled with a saddened tint to it which Jacqueline noticed and acknowledged with the way her eyes shone.
"You never told us that" Jacqueline's fourteen-year-old daughter, Louise said in surprise, breaking Jacqueline from her wistfulness.
Jacqueline smiled at her daughter "The opportunity never arose. Besides" Jacqueline's face morphed into an unimpressed look "For all of your talents in potions, you have never shown even the slightest bit of interest in anything related to the kitchen." She arched an eyebrow at her daughter
Louise looked a little bit embarrassed "It's just not that interesting to me" she confessed though she didn't convince anyone at all with her expression, an expression that should hints of petulance and embarrassment.
Her twin brother, Maximillian laughed "Probably good for all of us she isn't interested in cooking at all." He peered at her with a taunting smile "The last thing we want is her interested in the kitchen if we want the house to remain standing!"
Perenelle inwardly smiled at that. From what she's heard, Louise was an able brewer but she was quite accident prone.
She kicked him under the table "Ow!"
"Louise!" Gerald, her father, scolded.
"Sorry, Papa" Louise said a little subdued but not enough to prevent her from sending a fierce glare at her brother who did a poor job to hide the cheeky satisfaction he felt at the sight of his chastised sister.
Gerald faced her and Nicolas "My apologies for the poor manners of my children." He said with a glance at his children before meeting their gaze again, a hint of exasperated annoyance "They're a lot more…rowdy…than they used to be."
The children looked a little offended at that description but said nothing to their defence after another look from their father.
Nicolas chuckled at the drama "Do not fret, it's quite alright" Nicolas said with a warm smile, one that she ill saw give to anyone other than herself.
"They're teenagers and they are only doing what teenagers do. Why, I remember when I was their age, I got myself and my cousin in a spot of bother during a wedding" Nicolas said with a fond smile.
She rolled her eyes "A spot of bother?" she mimicked with a raised eyebrow "Is that what you're calling it?" she said with a straight face.
Nicolas had the decency to look a little embarrassed as she continued the tale he so tastefully brought up "Nicky here" she began with an exasperated tone "Had the bright idea to spike the wine with a concoction he invented."
The teens eyes' widened at that, their expression marking their keen interest in the tale.
She smiled inwardly as she continued as she put on a disappointed look as she turned to Nicolas "At that time he wasn't quite the alchemist he is now" she said as the corners of her lips ticked up ever so slightly "Really, he was barely even a competent brewer" she said to the listening group.
"Really?" Maximillian asked in great surprise as he turned to Nicolas.
"Oh yes, I was terrible at brewing! It requires a kind of patience I didn't have at your age. I had plenty of the insanity needed to be an alchemist and a skilled potioneer but little of the patience needed for it to pull off until years later." Nicolas turned to Louise and smiled at her.
Nicolas was embellishing quite a bit for the benefit of Louise. At her age he'd already been considered one of the brightest of his generation particularly in Chemistry, Potions and Alchemy.
"If what I'm hearing about your frequent potion accidents is true then we've got a budding alchemist in you" he said with a nod, one that Louise positively glowed at the praise before Nicolas continued in a conspiratorially whisper that was heard by all "Of course I don't recommend you trying out your experiments in the house." He glanced at Perenelle unsubtly "If you're like me, you'll likely blow up a part of it" he said with a wink, one that made Louise laugh.
"Father, I want to move to the other room on the other side of the house" Maximillian deadpanned much to Perenelle's amusement.
"No." Gerald said with a straight face before turning to Louise who was visibly encouraged by Nicolas' praise "You may not brew in the house" Louise looked downcast "but…if you're really interested in further practicing potions…" Gerald said with a look to Nicolas before returning his gaze to his daughter who brightened up considerably "and alchemy...then we can sign you up for the weekend classes." He finished much to the joy of the girl.
She practically exuded excitement and delight but she managed to comport herself quite ably "Thank you papa! I will do my best!" she said with much excitement.
Gerald nodded and it was clear he was happy for his daughter. Jacqueline spoke up next "You were telling us about Nicolas' misdeeds?" Jacqueline asked with a coy half smile, one that she couldn't help but meet.
"Ah yes…" and so for the next ten minutes she regaled them about the story that ended up with a groom who'd gone missing that only turned up two days later, a father-in-law who slept with the horses in his birthday suit and an uncle who hung from a rope tied to his ankles from a chestnut tree. Of course there were far more scandalous parts of the story but they were not for such young ears.
It was an hour later, dinner finished and merriment had, that both she and Nicolas were walked over to the front door by Jacqueline
"It was great seeing you again…Grandmother, Grandfather" Jacqueline said with a soft, nervous smile.
Nicolas stepped forward and gave the woman a dear hug before he unclasped himself from her, smiling warmly at the woman. "And it was wonderful to see you and your family doing so well."
Nicolas stepped back and she stepped forth, grabbing her hands once she was near. "It brightens my life to know you and your children are thriving. If you need anything, just ask and we shall do what we can." She told Jacqueline.
Jacqueline smiled and nodded "We will." She promised and they turned towards the open front door.
They walked down the steps of the home onto the unblemished pavement stone. "I'm glad they are doing well" Nicolas mused aloud.
She hummed in agreement as they walked towards the bridge.
When Jacqueline Ricard and her family arrived at SIMS, she'd been so tempted to acknowledge their familial relations, the last traceable descendants of her sole daughter and child.
Only when they'd made the move to Illos did she think it was safe enough to approach them. It had been a bittersweet moment when she'd told Gerald and Jacqueline, one that surprised them greatly. They had found it strange that they'd been rescued by Atticus personally and now they knew why.
Only Gerald and Jacqueline knew but in time so would the children.
They walked by the streets that overlooked the waters before they took a turn inward away from the waters. They'd been here a few days now, the first time in over a year and it was riveting to see some of very noticeable changes.
The Ricard family lived by the first ring of residence, one that was by the bridge that connected to the other residential rings and the Main Tower.
'Main Tower…'
She'd have to speak to Atticus about getting the name changed into something more suitable, a name that truly honoured it for the magnificent building it was.
The Main Tower towered over the skyline and the trees like a lighthouse on the darkest of nights, atop of a jagged cliff that rose high above the turbulent waters.
And yet, it did not take away the beauty of the city around it, not at all.
Silver white stoned buildings rose amongst a ringed sea of clear blue waters that held an unnatural purity. Golden statues of winged magical creatures topped the domed buildings and pillars that dotted the skyline of the city as dozens of waterfalls fell silently all around the central part of the city.
"For all that I am disappointed with them, they do know how to build a wonderful place" Nicolas said with a sigh as he brought her arm closer to him as they continued to walk towards the bridge in locked step.
Over the years, there was a strain between Atticus and Nicolas, stemming from Nicolas' disapproval over the way Atticus was going about bringing change in the Magical World.
He'd cautioned Atticus time and again, to be more patient, to be more agreeable yet each time Atticus refused to consider to do it, believing that drastic change was needed.
After Atticus left Magical Britain, the only times they'd seen him was when they visited Illos though on those occasions, they never touched on the kind of topics that strained their relationship.
She sighed, her eyes wandering to her surroundings.
The neighbourhood they were walking through was idyllic, one that just hummed serenity as evergreen trees dotted each side of the street, nestled in between the front porches of magical silver white stoned houses that held the faintest traces of magic, each of the occupied homes brimming with the unique traces of their occupants' magic.
Crystone – the name given to the silver white stone - was made with that in mind though it was a stone that wasn't as magically conductive as most commonly wardstones around.
Instead, where it took centuries to build this kind of resonance with magic of occupants seeping into the ordinary stones of manors, castles and cottages, it took no time at all to do it here in Illos.
The stone was deeply magical and almost all houses and apartments were like this, uniform perhaps in appearance but dissimilar in magic once they were occupied.
"Not just a place" Perenelle said quietly as she looked at the crowd that were gathering by a platform where there were several people standing on it.
There were banners like 'Vote for Smith-Rowe!' and 'Smith-Rowe will row on your behalf!' affixed onto the platform, a platform that was flanked by the larger waterfalls that fell from the Main Tower.
"Yes" Nicolas agreed easily enough "It heartens me to know that at least they don't intend to hoard power"
"That was never his intention" she said with a glance at her husband. He was deeply unhappy with the state of the world, especially Europe.
"Perhaps not hoard but they certainly wish to dominate." He said with a deep frown "For all of what Illos is and promises to be, I fear that what it'll take for to flourish means the destruction of all that we have known." He sighed once more, a kind of weariness coming across his face that he only allowed to appear in her presence.
He'd always been concerned about the lengths they'd go to achieve their goals and in truth she knew that he was right to be concerned.
They may not be waging war like Grindelwald may have but she knew that for their ambitions to come to fruition it required a unified society or at least the nearest thing to it.
And neither of them were blind to the happenings in Europe…where in the cold background, all across Europe, the social fabric was being torn away as sides were being formed in the wake of post Grindelwald politics.
Former ICW temporary Protectorates were closer to civil war than they were to stability as the political system and laws put into place was were slowly being disintegrated away.
Noble families regained much of the power they once enjoyed turning it an oligarchic mess of a system that paid lip service to the ICW who were intent to ignore it as long as violations of the Statute and of other demands were not made.
The ICW's reconstruction efforts of the Ministries had been poorly done, their attentions had been split away towards the happenings in Britain and in the end opted to sweep much of the crimes committed under the rug in order to hasten the transition from House systems to a representative system.
Atticus may have been a focus of theirs, perhaps even the main one, but galleons also talked and it was something the ICW was in dire need from after the losses they'd suffered against Grindelwald.
Many families known to have aided in the suppression of families that did not back Grindelwald had gone largely unpunished and the frictions that now spawned from such actions ate away at the social cohesion.
Laws that brought equality amongst sentient beings were under continuous attack and it seemed like sooner than later things would go back to the way they were except it would take a far bloodier route to get there again now that many had found themselves protective over their new rights.
"But is all that we have known really all that should be?" she asked quietly of her husband. He tilted his ear towards her as they walked. She continued "An existence that is forever tipped on a knife's edge, waiting to be pushed off to one side only for another to drag it back to the precarious position it once was?"
"And is destroying the knife in its entirety an acceptable compromise?" Nicolas returned, gazing intently at her.
"Perhaps it is, perhaps it is time for the knife to go and a hammer to take its place" She said quietly, a soft sigh on her breath. She met Nicolas gaze. "With all that we know, now, of what is out there" she said with a tipped head towards the heavens "the wonders, the horrors…do you truly think the societies that we have are able to endure if anything like those civilisations comes our way?" she asked him with an intense gaze.
When she had learned who Moira truly was, where she came from…
Wonder and amazement had soon enough been replaced by a deep concern that settled uncomfortably in her belly. She understood war, at least she thought she did.
The scales her people had lived in, had fought wars in…
It horrified her and even more so when she discovered the other horrors that had wiped out the first iteration of humanity.
For as old as she was, not much had ever truly surprised her until that day of revelation, a day that reminded her that there was so much more to existence than she had ever known.
Not much of Moira's people survived, only a ship and a database of knowledge, knowledge that was left in the custodianship of her descendant, to whom she given the keys to the very stars.
Illos promised to be more than a home for magicals. It would be the first, or perhaps the last, to set away towards distant worlds where they could grow and flourish into the wider universe…
A universe that could be far harsher and far deadlier than anything they could conceive happening here on 'Erda Tyrene'.
"I don't." Nicolas said with a heaviness that marked the seriousness of their conversation. Nicolas smiled a brittle bitter smile "I sometimes wonder if what we learnt that day wasn't so much enlightening as it was damning. That despite our differences between our branch of humanity and Moira's branch, separated by hundreds of thousands of years, we are forever capable of committing great horrors, even if the scale is different"
Her eyes were set on Nicolas for a long few moments.
When they'd learned who Moira was and what Atticus' true goal was for their kind, for all of Magical Kind, she finally understood that part of him that was always melancholic in a certain way…as if he was carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.
She remembered when he'd taken them to space, he once asked why they had to remain bound to the Earth, telling them that they had more options available than they'd ever dreamt.
Even then he'd been building up to this, a plan that would decades to run its course.
A plan they suspected could only culminate in bringing ruin to much of the ancient covenants that bound the magical world and in its place…she stared at the gossiping crowd before them as they neared the gathering place.
Illos was idyllic and as it matured, she could see it becoming what the myths had proclaimed Atlantis to be. A world of magic and wonder, equal prosperity for all under the cloak of genuine peace.
Yet to expand it to the rest of the Magical world was a heavy price to pay, one that would be steeped in the blood and corpses of the Old World if Emily and Atticus had their way.
It was disconcerting that she was as accepting as she was of what she suspected they were doing, even if she knew not the details of it. Perhaps she was just tired of the same issues plaguing their societies, the same arguments about blood and magic that induced crippling stagnation as time marched away.
She'd liked Atticus from the moment she'd seen him on that fateful day in Alexandria and she became his supporter on the day he'd taken them up to space.
He'd always had…something about him that was different. He stood out, beyond simply his academics or his magic.
He was a non-romantic romantic, one that was dreamed and dreamed, able to pull others in his sphere through his sheer charisma and hopefulness. He'd shone like a beacon above a stormy sea, bright and furious, a hazy dream that wished for itself to become reality.
Yet after the war, he'd seemed to have lost that 'specialness' about him…no that wasn't the right way to describe it. It was more like he'd…realised something, something that turned that hazy dream into sobering reality, one that was markedly different from the utopian reality had been wished for.
She had understood part of the reason for this change when she learnt of the Ancient Humans, of their extinction and the legacy Moira imparted onto Atticus, a hefty responsibility for anyone but one he had taken on nonetheless despite the back-breaking weight it levied upon him.
She'd known he had a darker element to his being, a pragmatism that would not let anything get in the way of his dreams becoming reality.
Something that was only exacerbated by whatever happened to him in the war and they were now seeing the beginning of its blossoming fruit in the wider magical world.
Part of her thought it was fair…after the way that he'd been treated by the ICW and Magical Britain, for closing down the options to either fight or to leave even if they suspected it was part of their plan to destabilise much of Europe.
Another part of her thought what they were doing was too far, borne out of their cynicism of human nature and what they'd experienced…though could she say they were wrong?
She'd lived for a long time, over six hundred years. She'd seen much over the course of her life, the wonders of human ingenuity and the horrors of human violence, whether it was muggle or magical it mattered not.
Was what they were doing what it would take to break out of that cycle?
A break that allowed for things to be reset, stronger and hardier in the form of that of Illos and others like it?
To ensure survival of their kind and their brethren amidst a hostile and terrifying universe?
Nicolas spoke up again, staring at the happy crowd "I can understand why they feel the need to tear it all down but the cost…" he sighed momentarily
"We do not know for certain if they intend to tear down anything." She reminded him.
He turned to her with an unamused look and she continued "I agree that they're likely involved in some of the destabilising elements but that does not mean everything is their fault. The stirrings of supremacists in Norway, talks of common cause between the Central European Ministries, the civil unrests between peoples…"
"Yes, yes" Nicolas conceded a little unhappily before he peered at Perenelle "Perhaps I am being too paranoid and attributing faults where there exists none" he sighed before he continued
"But you can't deny it is likely they are involved, quite heavily too given the pattern in Magical Britain. We knew that he was butting heads with the Noble families on both sides on purpose and the economic disaster he left behind is just as calculated" He pinched his face "The way things are devolving…things are setting themselves up for them to come in and swoop to the rescue, rescuing them from the very situation they might have helped engineer"
She remained silent for a moment until she spoke again "Is it truly the situation they engineered or is it more that they are letting things happen with minimal influence?" she asked him.
He pondered it over and she continued "Are they really so responsible for the hard-headedness of these nobles that are deadly intent on securing their power and wealth to the detriment of all others?"
After all, they were not Gods. People were responsible for their own actions. Atticus and Emily may take advantage of the chaos left behind but that didn't make them responsible, at least entirely, for the wickedness in the hearts of men.
"No." he said after a moment. "They aren't. But that doesn't mean that it is right." He muttered.
"No." she agreed "It isn't right." She stroked his arm "Yet it cannot escape your notice that we felt safe enough to acknowledge our daughter's legacy here in Illos when elsewhere we'd always fear for their safety. Surely that means that something is right?"
He sighed long-sufferingly "Fine woman. I can understand shades of grey" He glared at her for a moment "Even if its nearer to black than it is to white" he muttered under his breath.
She shook her head as she tapped his hand "I think you need to have an honest conversation with him."
"Will he have an honest conversation with me?" He returned with a raised eyebrow.
She smiled at him "He will. He values you. More than you think." That was also true. He would not have confided in them with the secrets he and his family held otherwise.
She'd often talked with him when she'd visited him in Britain, just for a conversation.
It had felt right to do so when his mother left with Moira to go off into the deep of space.
She'd learnt much about him during those days, and from Emily, when she'd talked with them individually and also when they were together.
Atticus had a softness to him that not many saw, that he didn't allow anyone to see that spoke of his good nature that was often overshadowed by his sense of pragmatism and his sense of duty.
It was a softness that he managed to retain even after the war, however jaded it might have been. He cared deeply, for those who had won him over and for the future of the magical world.
The responsibility that was levied onto his shoulders, that he'd taken on, weighed on him and she knew that in addition to the Visions he'd seen, guided his actions, both small and large.
Often she wondered how much his Visions played a hand in what he did, like the high chances of Exposure happening decades into the future.
She knew he had frequent visions from a very young age yet it seemed to have transformed into something…more in the years since the war. That had been clear from their conversations when the things he'd predicted had come true.
It was as if he had a finger on the pulse of time itself, able to discern the future with startlingly accuracy.
They had always kept an eye on brilliant magicals to see how they developed, to see if they were a danger or an outlier that would do great things for the magical world.
Atticus had proved to be both sides of the coin, seemingly balanced on the edge of the coin. Emily…Emily was more the former than she was the latter but she leaned onto Atticus' coin, her nature held subdued by the love afforded to her by Atticus.
"Maybe I will" Nicolas grumbled.
She smiled at Nicolas and they
"Good." She said with a tap of his arm.
They arrived at the back of the gathering crowd and waited for the prospective Representative to begin speaking which he did less than five minutes later.
"I thank you all for coming here today to hear me speak." Smith-Rowe said with a large smile as he chuckled good-naturedly "I would not have blamed you if you'd chosen to stay home after hearing me so often over the past few months but I promise you it'll be the last time you'll hear me speak on a platform like this again – at least until the next election!" Smith-Rowe said a toothy smile.
That garnered a few chuckles from the crowd.
"Charismatic" she said musingly.
Nicolas hummed "A budding politician, for sure" as Smith-Rowe gathered a few more chuckles as he continued to charm the crowd.
"But you're not here to today to hear me speak about that, no, you're here to listen to what I am mean to do once I am your Representative" Smith-Rowe said with a pause "You know what I stand for and you know the gratitude and loyalty I hold, as I know many of you hold, for Lady and Lord Sayre for bringing us to Illos and given us a bright future that none of us could have otherwise have dreamt off!" That had gotten many cheers and it was a half minute later before he could speak again
"And as much as Lord and Lady Sayre have given us, I wish to do the same in a small but meaningful way by bringing your concerns to the Council of Representatives, to advocate on your behalf and to champion the causes you believe are right and I will do so with vigorous rigor!" Smith-Rowe said with full of energy and the crowd cheered in response.
"Ah, the power of delivering speeches in a compelling way." Nicolas said with a sigh "Looks he'll be around for some time." He said as he glanced at the roused crowd.
She shook her head. "Behave." She said admonishingly. "You've been moody all day." She said disapprovingly before she scrutinised him intently.
"I've not been moody." He said a little defensively and she eyed him with narrowed eyes before she realised why. Of course he was missing that damnable thing. He always got like this when he went without it for longer than a few days.
"Did you forget your pipe again?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her tone. He only got this moody when he felt the 'call of inspiration' and would reach for his pipe each time.
He visibly was annoyed as he sighed "I did." He said defeated. "I could make another but it'll take too long for me to synthesize a new batch" he said almost petulantly.
It took a week to make the tobacco substitute that her husband loved smoking once in a while. It was a strange mix of psychedelics and calming elements that Nicolas used to 'stir up the creature juices that were trapped in his mind'.
She was irritated at the fact that worked so well. It was an unpleasant smell she could do without. Many of his inventions were done mere days after he had 'stirred' his mind.
She'd tried it once. Never again. She quite liked her grip on sanity.
"It would have been so useful now! Some of the things they're researching!" he said with wonder and more than a little bit of envy in his voice "The things we could do with some of the equipment they have!"
She raised her eyebrow at her husband "You could always decide to stay a little while. SIMS will be fine without us."
"Bah!" Nicolas exclaimed as he shook his head "The ICW would circle around the school if we're gone for any extended period of time." He said in a peeved tone as he peered at her "You know they're tightening on what can be taught in schools now and SIMS is increasingly under pressure to conform to ICW standards."
She grimaced. She did know.
The ICW seemed to have given up direct control of Ministries in return for nominal control over certain things and increasing their authority over domestic laws.
The ICW had increased their authority in the Magical World and amongst it was their increasing interference in the matters of Education. Durmstrang already was pressured in accepting a Professor of the Dark Arts that limited the extent of what was taught in that class.
SIMS was not a traditional school and as of this present it was the only school of its kind and she knew that the ICW was pressing the Irish Ministry hard on having it conform to its standards.
"Well, in that case stop your moody snit if there is nothing to be done about it. Come on, at this rate we'll be late to the meeting" she said in a no-nonsense tone and he acquiesced.
Not long after, they arrived at the High Council Assembly Chambers and saw that they were the last to arrive.
Atticus was sat in his chair whilst on his other side sat Sandra, the High Chancellor.
On the other side, next to the empty seat that was reserved for Emily, sat Eldric Carson, the Director of the Treasury who was responsible for balancing the budget and collaborating with the Overseer of the Office of Economics.
Next to him were Silas Merek, the Director of the State who was liaised with the Overseers of Justice, Agriculture, Environment and so on.
The last person on that side was Sassa Habe, a female shaman from the Dahomey region of Africa who Atticus and Emily had met during their world tour in 1944 and '45. She coordinated with the different spiritual sects that were present in Illos.
Habe had white markings on the left side of her face whilst her hair was braided with colourful bands weaved into her hair. Habe was a beautiful young woman but she was far from harmless given that she was directly descendant from the famous Vodun shamans and the few times she'd spoken to the woman had given her the impression that their Arts had not died during the Statute Wars.
The other person on the High Council was Walter Bishop, Director of the Offices of Technology and Magical Innovation. Walter Bishop was perhaps one of the very few who rivalled both Atticus and Emily in this current generation when it came to intellect.
Both herself and Nicolas were not members of the High Council, they were in Illos far too infrequently for that to work however when they were around, Atticus did invite them to sit in as 'advisors'.
Not many batted an eye to that, not only because they were the famous Flamels but also because it was well known in Illos of their own contributions to the world ship. They'd been involved in the shaping of the landscape and some of the rarest magical plants came from their hidden greenhouses around the world.
People expected them to become members in the future and in truth it was a given that they'd sit on the High Council should they permanently relocate.
It was something she was considering becoming sooner than later with the way Illos was developing.
SIMS had need of her and Nicolas at present but that would not be the case in the future.
"Apologies for the delay, we were talking a lovely stroll through the city" Nicolas said enthusiastically as he pulled out a chair for her. She sat down and thanked him.
"You've arrived just in time anyway" Sandra said with a warm smile, one that she returned.
She had met Sandra a few months before Illos had begun taking form and in the years since she'd had gotten to like the young woman. Ambitious but with a heart of gold, intelligent but conscientious, kind but most certainly not a pushover.
Her liking of the woman only grew when she learnt the young woman could out-swear even the filthiest of sailors when she was drunk and playing poker with a deadly intensity.
To this day, the memories of those poker nights during the early days when they were on the barren earth of Illos was one of her favourite ones, especially when she and Nicolas had gotten in a scuffle when he'd insulted one of her favourite authors.
"Now" Sandra said as she schooled her face as she began the meeting.
The next half hour was spent on talking about the proposition the Office of Environment put forth with regards to the large swathe of unused lands that were rocky and hilly.
The idea was to harvest volcanic soil and replace the top soil on the rocky hilly lands to make them more fertile for certain types of plants. At present those lands were more akin to the Welsh countryside which while pretty served no long term use.
Bishop added to the conversation about perhaps finding a way to artificially replenish the soil which would be needed if they were set on creating a dynamic ecosystem with rain and winter temperatures – even if it was set to be exceedingly mild.
The project was approved and was set to be completed in the next couple of years.
After that, the meeting ranged to the discussion of the experiments conducted by the Office of Agriculture with regards to more nutritious food and better tasting food to the discussion of the future of the Council of Representatives.
At present there were only nine thousand five hundred and eighty-three citizens of Illos but only just under four and a half thousand were eligible to vote. Not to mention there were only at present four boroughs that were populated with the rest still awaiting people to arrive.
The Representatives each would represent a borough – later to be expanded as the city and the rest of Illos was expanded – but for now there were would be three Representatives per borough which later, when the next borough was opened up, would move to represent that borough until the individuals have taken up their Citizenship Oath after two years at which point they could choose to replace or keep their Representative.
In the few days she's been here, word of the incoming four thousand or so people had often been spoken about. The largest influx of people in one go yet.
With the four thousand or so people set to arrive in the next few months as vetting proceedings were accelerated, the increased number of Representatives per borough would be kept until the population enough to fill twenty boroughs.
The city would be capable of hosting just under hundred thousand people with housing already completed for just under half that. The lands surrounding the city would be turned into suburban housings set for larger families that wished to more open space than a city environment.
"Now that we've concluded on that topic" Sandra began as she looked around the table "One of our squadrons that dealt with the trafficking situation has been contacted by one of the Veela colonies in Bulgaria."
"This is one of the main colonies that rehabilitated the freed women?" Atticus inquired curiously.
Sandra nodded gravely "Yes. They wish to speak to the leader of the rescuers after one of our agents" Sandra's lips tightened "made a comment about there being a community out there where they would be treated as equals."
"I see…" Atticus said with a certain tone and it was clear he wasn't too pleased with this agent's actions.
She decided to interject and turned to Sandra "How many are in this colony?" she questioned.
"About two hundred or so I believe. More if you also consider the other colonies they're allied with in the other countries." Sandra informed them.
"It would be a good opportunity to introduce some other magical beings into Illos other than just wizards, witches and squibs." Nicolas commented, drawing attention to himself.
"I agree" Sassa Habe said. "With the growing industrialisation in much of the world, there are many sentient magical beings under threat from both the muggles and the magicals." Habe turned to Atticus "They can be the first before we extend our hand to many others."
Merek spoke up "It would be good to have the Magical Council starting. The framework exists but it lacks obvious input from other magical beings."
"This agent…" Atticus spoke up after a moment, setting his gaze onto Sandra "Does he or she have reports on this colony? On their character?"
Sandra nodded slowly. "He does. I have read it and they would fit in well with Illos."
Atticus nodded before turning towards Walter Bishop "Director Bishop, do you think the Office of Magical Innovation can come up with an accessory that can inhibit the effects of Veela allure that they can control?"
Bishop frowned at the question "Tentatively…yes." He said with a deepening frown before he met Atticus' gaze. "As you know, it is inherent in their magic, their allure. It is a manifestation of pheromones combined with mental magic that attracts…attention not unlike compulsion and other more invasive Legillimency techniques."
Atticus remained silent for a moment before he spoke again "I know however I suspect you can use the same principles of accessories that protect against the Mind Arts."
Bishop nodded "We can – it was my initial thought." Bishop paused for a moment "Give us a few weeks and we'll come up with something." He halted once more "Though we'll likely get there quicker if we could have a Veela help us with it."
Atticus turned to the High Chancellor "Let our…agent speak with the colony again and that it is true." He paused for the moment before he fixed a gaze on her "He may initiate Tier 1 introduction proceedings with them."
Sandra nodded affirmatively and Atticus continued "Once they do submit the request to move here, he is to ensure they understand that it is contingent on them accepting that their allure is required to be controlled in the public sphere."
"They may take offense" Nicolas pointed out.
Atticus turned to meet his gaze.
"They could" Atticus agreed easily enough before he turned serious, his purple green eyes firm as he expanded "However the negative effects of uncontrolled mental magicks such as allure has on social cohesion necessitate such actions. Simply because it is a natural ability because of their race does not mean they are not beholden to the same laws that governs other inborn abilities or types of magicks that affect people's judgement unwillingly."
Nicolas seemed to accept that.
"That brings us to the next point." Atticus said as he sat back in his chair, his distinctive eyes trailing across the room as he laid out his hand on the armrest. "As most of you know, we've begun phasing our people around the world back into Illos given the…intensity of the ICWs search for us." He paused meaningfully as Atticus allowed that to settle in the room.
"This will last likely three years perhaps even longer." He told them all.
"Is the ICW that much of a threat?" Nicolas asked with a frown.
She could understand why he was asking that question.
Atticus' prowess in magic had only grown to incredible proportions in the years since his defeat of Grindelwald, much of it stemming from his changed understanding of magic.
There was little that was a threat to him. Though she supposed in this instance the ICW were a different threat.
A threat to the home he built and to the people who called it home.
Even then, she wondered if the knowledge Moira had left behind could not protect it completely from the wrath of the ICW.
She did not know the full extent of the technology or knowledge that Moira left behind to Atticus but she knew that it was orders of magnitude greater than the muggles even with their nuclear technology given that Moira's people were capable of things she had thought impossible.
She looked around the table. There were not many that would know of the knowledge Atticus sat upon and perhaps only Sandra really knew.
Atticus desired his people to develop their own ideas, their own inventions and analogues without using the knowledge as a crutch. As far as she could tell, it was proving to be a wise decision given the leaps and bounds the knowledge base of Illos was getting to.
Many SIMS graduates had only improved, not only scientifically but also magically with the research and development that was undertaken at Illos.
The weather system for one was an ingenious fusion of magical and technological innovation that culminated in a piece of beauty, the way things were put together.
Atticus answered Nicolas' question "They are. They've sent out numerous warrants on people that originally left with me and have been spotted in countries where the ICW presence is strong. None of them committed any crimes that would yield such actions. For the moment, we are too young to be able to deal with the sustained attention of the ICW"
Carson interjected "Our negotiations with the Japanese and future negotiations with other Ministries will be unaffected?"
Atticus inclined his head "Yes. We will proceed with our negotiations and likely signing of trade treaties with the Japanese as will all other trade plans."
Atticus looked around the room as he continued "With us reducing our footprint in the wider world and the influx of four thousand people in the next few months, I have decided to also accelerate proceedings of inviting more people to Illos." Atticus looked to Sandra and she nodded as she took over.
"We have begun speaking with the parents of day students who work for Lord Sayre's companies about moving permanently to Illos just as we have extended this invite to other magicals and Dormants working in the mundane world." Sandra said to them.
Sandra looked to Walter Bishop "With the aid of memory crystals and the Offices of Technology, Economics and Agriculture, we will offer training to these parents and Dormants in their chosen fields and speed up some of the non-magical development in Illos just as we'll offer opportunities to the Magicals."
"However, they are not the only people we're inviting." Atticus said with a nod. He turned to Habe "During mine and Emily's trip around the world, we've had the pleasure of meeting many tribes and clans – some of whom have children attending Pandrosion – and with Habe's help" Atticus said with a small nod to which Habe smiled and inclined her head "We'll be inviting them to move here to Illos."
"Do you have an estimate of how many people?" Merek asked intently.
"At present, that number is roughly ten to twenty thousand. Possibly thirty thousand." Atticus told them much to Perenelle's surprise. "It won't be in one go. People will be phased in slowly over the next few years. Initially I had intended our complete isolation to last only a few years but we'll need more time to integrate people into Illos."
Sandra nodded at that "Given that it will be a highly diverse group of people, ensuring that people settle in nicely is paramount before we let ourselves known to the wider world."
Atticus looked to Merek "We'll need to ensure smooth transition into Illos. I believe you have already completed the introductory package to the imminent arrivals?"
"I have" Merek confirmed "Given that almost all hail from European magical families, most of them being from the Eastern European and Balkan regions, I have catered it specifically to them." Merek paused for a moment as he met Atticus' gaze.
"I'll modify it for a wider…audience." Merek said with an incline of the head.
"How did you convince so many families to come?" Nicolas interjected curiously.
Atticus looked to Nicolas "Our people were not just in the world to deal with the criminal underground – often enough it was to help communities brought to ruin back to their feet when their Ministries were gutted and their subsequent replacement seized by the surviving and free Grindelwaldites that the ICW looked away from."
He leaned forward as he continued "Suffice to say, they were not going to get help to rebuilt their broken communities and we stepped in. Since then, we've built a great relationship with their people and when we approached them to move to Illos most of the communities agreed despite…the unsavoury attacks on my character" Atticus said with an amused glint in his eyes "Actions speak louder than words and they remember it was my people who helped them when others did not."
Nicolas said nothing but nodded in response.
"Still" Atticus continued as he looked to Merek "Most of them are from conservative magical communities so I expect some…cohesion issues in the immediate future."
"We have factored that in" Merek nodded "The Illosian Guard are aware and will be ready." Merek confirmed.
"Good."
The meeting then went on for a few more hours, the meeting ending on the upcoming elections and the preparations that were being made for the opening of Chamber of Representatives and its departments.
After that meeting ended, she, Sandra, Nicolas and Atticus remained behind and moved to one of the other rooms.
They spent a little while talking as evening fell before topic shifted into more relaxed topics and wine began to flow.
"Ah so you've finally visited the Knightly Hounds then?" Sandra asked as she passed Perenelle a glass of wine before giving Nicolas one too.
"Yes, a charming place" She said before she took a sip of the wine "Hmm, wonderful! Has a zesty aftertaste to it" she said with a pleasantly surprised note in her voice.
"That is good" Nicolas said approvingly before taking another sip.
"I know" Sandra said almost gushingly as she sat next to Perry "Some of the wines the Fanglost family are making are truly divine."
"Really?" She asked curiously.
"Really." Atticus said as he walked into the room bearing a couple of glasses of wines. In his right hand, he had Domaine de Clito and in the other a branding she didn't recognise.
"The Fanglost family are giving the Clito-Beauclerc wines a run for their money. Here" he said as the corks of both wine bottles slowly uncorked themselves.
Eight glasses materialised in the air as he let go of the glasses and poured in four glasses with each type of wine.
She took each glass and tasted each one. She was very familiar with Domaine de Clito, the effect of mulberry and blackcurrant flavoured cigar smoke that emanated ever so slightly from the mouth was a guilty pleasure of hers.
"Is this a 1786 bottle?" She asked as she looked up to Atticus. Atticus smiled and inclined his head
"It is." His smile widened a little, boyish and full of teasing charm "It helps to be family."
"I understand why you compare them to the Clito-Beauclercs!" Nicolas said enthusiastically. She turned to him and saw him drink of the more merlot coloured wine that was different from the currant red of Domaine De Clito.
"You can taste the blood orange in the wine but it is far from overpowering and the magical effect!" Nicolas laughed before he peered at her with a mischievous smile and slightly red face.
"Try it dear" he urged and she narrowed her eyes at him before she set them on the others.
Sandra held up her hands "I promise, Perenelle, the wine is fine." She said though Sandra never had a true poker face. She'd learnt that years ago.
Nevertheless, she did try it and her eyes widened as a flash hit her.
She clamped her teeth shut and she glared fiercely at the other occupants in the room despite the pleasant feelings that still surged within her. "That…was…unexpected." She said in a slow, quiet tone that had undertones of danger in them.
Atticus had the decency to look abashed though the hints of mischief were clear to see in his eyes.
"Pay up!" Nicolas exclaimed as he faced Sandra "I told you Perry would not lose composure"
Sandra almost pouted and grumpily went into her pocket and put a few galleons in Nicolas' outstretched hand.
Nicolas looked triumphantly which he lost quickly when he met her gaze. He withdrew within himself a little when a sheepish, mildly ashamed expression crossed his face.
"Nicolas, I think we've outstayed our welcome" Atticus said carefully.
"Quite." She said with narrowed eyes. She wasn't exactly angry but she wasn't too pleased by being surprised as she was, however...nice it was.
Nicolas jumped up from his seat "I quite agree, my boy." He said in a rush.
Atticus' expression was one of bemused "Come, let's give the ladies a moment to catch up. The view of Illos in my apartment is quite excellent at this time of day."
Soon enough they were left alone and she fixed Sandra with a pointed look.
"Yes" Sandra said with twitching lips, her eyes sparkling in amusement, seemingly understanding her unasked question "When I first tried it, I too was surprised and far less dignified as you were." She said with a bout of embarrassment.
Perenelle's expression changed "Oh?" she asked curiously.
"Well…you see, I tried this wine – which I should point out is highly restricted in public – during one of the after events during the Magical Innovation Expo…"
-Break-
30th of October 1952 – Illos
Nicolas Flamel POV
"Firewhiskey?" Atticus inquired, his head glancing back for a moment as he walked into Atticus' office in his apartment.
"Please." Nicolas said as he followed suit.
Atticus gestured towards a seat by the window and he took his seat. The view was marvellous. He could see far into the distance even in the dimming dusk light, the rolling hills, the lust forests and the inland sea that stretched far into the horizon.
There were a number of isolated buildings he recognised, such as the ecology buildings that were home to a number of magical creatures that had once been on reserves.
As far as he knew, the plan was to release some of the more benign magical creatures into the larger ecosystem of Illos.
"Tweenie!" Atticus called out and with a pop, an exquisitely dressed elf appeared.
"Yes, My Lord?" The elf said with perfect enunciation.
"Bring two glass of Firewhiskey and have two plates of sandwiches ready for us" Atticus told the elf and the elf bowed.
"Yes My Lord." And the elf popped away whilst two glasses of firewhiskey floated in the air before them.
Atticus took the glass and sat down next to Nicolas.
"Wonderful view" Nicolas said as he stared at the view before him.
"I agree." Atticus said easily as he took a sip of firewhiskey and crossed his legs as he leaned back in his chair. Nicolas glanced at him.
He looked at ease, a man comfortable in his skin and in his purpose. Even at rest, Nicolas could feel the bottomless pit of magic that churned underneath his skin, waiting eagerly to rise at the slightest of urging.
It was as if he was a source of magic itself, the way from the edges of perception, now that he was this close to him, reality seemed to bend ever so slightly around his being.
Atticus had once said that he'd come to an understanding of what magic was, at least to him, resonating with it on a level that he did not completely understand.
At twenty-eight years of age, Atticus had reached an understanding that not even he had the pleasure of gaining.
He once told him that magicals were merely akin to the oxygen that red blood cells carried to where they needed to go through the veins of a vast infinite being, that magicals were merely how magic propagated itself through life, allowed to access it from and in the great infinite web of energy that universal in scope.
It was in line with many beliefs of ancient cultures, the idea of magic being this great contributor to life and that magic itself was sentient of a kind.
Atticus' explanations were almost…religious in a way, one that was teeming with scientific terminologies that expanded on the research Nicolas and some of his assistants conducted with regards to universal leylines, leylines that crisscrossed the universe.
From what he understood, Atticus had been opened up to the full breadth of magic, a state of existence that Nicolas had difficulty understanding and was more than a little envious about.
The things he must see!
Yet a thought never left his mind that his ability to see the universe in this scale along with his Seeing abilities had taken something from him…
He wondered at times if this state of being had simultaneously dulled his sense of humanity and at the same time made him more empathetic yet disconnected from the miniscule.
Illos, the future of magical kind, all of it was large scale, intended to affected the maximum number of lives without consideration of the few.
It was logical, to create a unified magical world especially given what he knew now about the dangers that existed in the Void.
Yet…
"Nicolas" Atticus said his name with a lingering questioning tone and as Atticus met his gaze, Nicolas couldn't help but wonder how far the boy he'd met in Alexandria had come.
At times he wondered if that brilliant boy still existed in the powerful man that he saw now…a man whose actions would reverberate
"You are troubled." Atticus added, his eyes observing intently.
"I am." Nicolas admitted.
He peered at the young man with scrutinising eyes "Have you kept up much with the happenings in Magical Europe?"
"I am aware." Atticus confirmed "Just as I am aware of the happenings in China or South America" he said with a tilted head, his purple eyes with green flecks boring into his own.
Nicolas smiled grimly as he met Atticus' gaze with steady eyes "I doubt you're just as involved there though as you are in Europe." He said, driving the conversation directly towards where he wanted it to go.
When Atticus crashed much of the economy of Britain and much of Europe, his concerns had grown substantially.
Even now, years later, the situation had not improved but rather devolved at a remarkably fast rate. The ICW, for all its belligerence and interference did do the right thing in setting up a semblance of fair governance in the countries that it had occupied.
To see it all ripped away as fast as it did was not natural and it spoke of manipulation, manipulation that he suspected was in part done by Atticus and Emily.
It was perhaps unfair, and likely paranoid but he could not help it, not when he knew that they intended to take all of Magicalkind to distant worlds.
He accepted such an outcome, he even wished for it to happen. They would need to if it is proven that they were not alone in the universe.
However…
It mattered how it was done and in what shape such an eventuality would take.
At present things were becoming as bad as it was at the dawn of the 19th Century when paranoia in Ministries led to the slaughter of thousands of magicals, magical beings and creatures to preserve the Statute of Secrecy.
Dark Wizards had rampaged throughout Europe in that century, hidden in the shadows of Muggle wars that rampaged through Europe, and forced harsh laws and harsh measures that had only been repealed in the early part of the 20th Century.
To see the same problems happening once more during an era where upkeeping the Statute of Secrecy was going to be difficult with how much the muggles were progressing…
Atticus raised an eyebrow at him "You hold me responsible for the devolving situation? You must think highly of me if you think my reach extends that far." His eyebrow fell and his eyes dimmed in luminosity "Or perhaps it's more the case that you think of me so lowly."
"You always did surpass any expectations I may hold of you" He said whilst turning his head towards the view, purposefully avoiding explaining which opinion he held of Atticus though it was little more than an empty attempt given that he did think highly of the boy.
He'd seen the boy do wonders, he was on top of such wonder now, however he was not blind to the boy's faults in the decade or so he'd known him.
He even regarded the young man as a dear friend, the immediate years since the war had been some of the best he'd had in centuries. Magical innovation, theory, knowledge all of it was reaching newer and greater heights…
And it was a double edged sword. The more time he spent around Atticus, the more he came to understand who he was becoming.
Atticus was a man of passion with a drive derived from what seemed to be ordained by providence, someone who would bring into reality whatever he set his eyes upon, no matter how difficult it was…no matter how morally dubious it was.
He had often wondered if it was a curse that Atticus had been gifted his incredible Seeing abilities, a curse that stripped the boy from the addictive dreamful nature he had once so positively exuded and now…
Moments passed until Atticus spoke up. "Am I involved?" Atticus said rhetorically, his voice was low yet the litany
"Yes" Atticus said simply, the one letter word spoken with pristine calm that belied the hefty weight that was attached to it.
Nicolas turned to him his eyes latching onto Atticus' own as the young man continued "It was through my unyielding position on what our world should be like that allowed for this to be happening so quickly. I do bear some guilt in that regard. However, I am not involved through active or even inactive interference, no that is entirely on them."
Atticus turned to him "I tried, perhaps too aggressively but I did try to shift the direction away towards an egalitarian society but it was rejected, almost violently as you well remember" a note of curtness was in his tone and Nicolas hummed for a moment.
"Did you truly?" Nicolas returned to Atticus, his frown heavy "Or did you instead choose to hammer your ideals through the minds of others uncaring of the consequences of such actions would yield?" He asked pointedly as he shook his head.
Over the years, he'd avoided talking to him about his...political battles, knowing that it would do little but some of the reports he was hearing happening on the continent had worn him down.
Perhaps it was because he'd seen so many orphans walk the halls of SIMS, orphans that lost their parents because of the Grindelwald war and the immediate chaos that didn't end until nearly a year later.
He'd lived over half a millennia and was no stranger to war however he'd often avoided regions enflamed with war and had not seen much of the consequences as he had during his tenure at SIMS. He truly wanted to avoid another such devastating conflict if he had the ability to do so.
"Yes, I did try to hammer my ideals through" Atticus admitted easily enough "And my failures do weigh on me for not being able to get through the majority yet that does not mean whatever is happening in Europe is my fault." Atticus thinned his lip as he stared at Nicolas.
"My attempts to convince others ended when they exiled me." Atticus finished.
"Say that I believe you" Nicolas said to him, just before the momentary silence that suffused the space between turned uncomfortable "You can't deny that the state of the world is an advantage to you, for this to happen."
"And what exactly is to our advantage?" Atticus asked almost tiredly, weary but harsh eyes boring into Nicolas "For our people to tear each other apart?" He shook his head "It is the last thing I want." He narrowed his eyes at Nicolas.
"Where is this coming from?" He asked intently. "I know you've always been...sceptical when it came to my power and perhaps even my motivations but it was never like this. Speak your mind, Nicolas. It's about time you do so."
Nicolas pursed his lips before he brought the glass to his lips. He waited a moment before taking a sip of the firewhiskey and turned towards Atticus.
"I know that you've an overreaching plan for the Magical World, the truth of Moira's mission makes that very obvious. Even when you first brought us to Space, the very idea of Illos requires a Magical World very different from what it is now." Nicolas paused as he glanced away towards the view before them.
"I have accepted the eventuality, as has Perenelle, of a unified Magical World that is strong enough to survive the horrors that exist out there in the universe." Nicolas said with a heavy note in his voice.
They'd been told of who Moira was and who her people were under an oath. He understood the reasoning, for it redefined the notion of what it was to be human.
Yet he couldn't help but lament that he could not share what he knew with more people. He could have convinced many people of the futility, of the pointlessness of their ignorant and dangerous ideologies.
"However…" Nicolas said as he straightened out, meeting the full gaze of Atticus
"I am disappointed at the callousness of your actions, actions that have wreaked havoc onto the magical world that is now brimming with supremacists with attitudes and beliefs that are just as poisonous as Grindelwald's was. We both know that your actions and your words have had a diametric effect that have set the grounds for conflict to happen once more in Europe, no matter if you're actively involved or not." Nicolas said heavily, waving lazily towards the view.
"I do not blame you for everything" Nicolas said with a wry smile as he met Atticus' impassive gaze "I do not hold you completely responsible for what is transpiring –"
"However you do hold me responsible at least in part" Atticus finished for him.
Atticus turned away from Nicolas' eagle eyed gaze and faced the view as he brought the glass of firewhiskey to his lips.
"I didn't realise you held such contempt for me, Nicolas" Atticus finally said, breaking the silence that threatened to become suffocating. "To believe me responsible for the faults of others…"
"I do not hold contempt for you, my boy" Nicolas denied with a shake of the head "Far from it."
Atticus turned to him "Oh?" he said with narrowed eyes, his voice filled with dreadful patience even as his eyes could not hide his rising ire.
"Explain to me, then, what other understanding could be reached when you say 'Callousness of my actions'" Atticus pointed out with unflinching eyes, eyes that were starting to glow dimly.
"I expected more from you." Nicolas told the young man. It was true, he did expect much more from him. "You had the opportunity to elevate yourself what Merlin was for the Magical World but you threw it away, preferring to alienate everyone away with your radical ideas." Nicolas shook his head in dismay.
Atticus had the world at his feet, the ICW had been little more than annoyance at that time that could have easily been neutralised. The only thing that Atticus had to do was be more diplomatic, bend away from his views but he'd refused and their heritage book only made things worse at a time that needed calm leadership.
Atticus scoffed and it was derisive "Merlin was far from what he is portrayed now. Should he have lived in this era, he would have been deemed a muggle lover with how he ensured magicals were beholden to the Norman King William not to mention likely even viewed as a Dark Lord with the way he altered the very existence of a magical race as he did with the Goblins."
Atticus shook his head "You're holding me to impossible standards and you're holding me responsible for things I may have been a cause of but not the sole cause." He set his eyes again on Nicolas.
"Am I a contributing factor to the issues plaguing Europe? In some ways yes." Atticus said, his voice stoic even as his eyes bored down at Nicolas "Hard not to come to that conclusion when I induced an economic crisis that is still felt today when I retracted my family's wealth and perhaps I did enjoy doing it at the same time." Atticus leaned forward, his hand letting go of the firewhiskey which floated in the air, his eyes a turbulent storm of magic as he continued
"However that was my right when they exiled me out of my ancestral home and had plans to confiscate it all on a lie. I am not responsible for their overreaction at the fact that magic does not come from nothing, I am not responsible for the unrest that has its roots from the noble families' intent on grabbing power at the cost of others." Atticus took a deep breath as he fell in his chair, grabbing his drink as he did so.
"I'm not stirring the unrest, Nicolas. I tried to lead them towards a better future, away from the problems that have dogged our people for centuries." He glanced towards Nicolas with a weary gaze.
"I had hoped to alleviate the differences within our people with the heritage book and all it did was exacerbate the situation." Atticus shook his head before he gazed out of the window.
Atticus had always been steadfast in his beliefs, believing his way forward was the best way. It was what created a rift between them.
Nicolas believed that a steady progression was needed whereas Atticus believed the jump was needed now citing that the world would not wait for magicals to catch up at their own leisure.
Atticus had been too radical in his beliefs that would have overturned centuries, millennia of civilizational development. Political, philosophical, economic, social, cultural, technological and magical, all of these things he'd been quoted as requiring an overhaul to bring Magical Society to a new age befitting their ancestors, something that had been widely and aggressively rejected.
Magical Britain – or rather the Ministry and Wizengamot – had rejected his beliefs just as many others across the Magical World did. He'd made it astoundingly easy to lose the heavy favour he'd won at a huge cost when those in power understood what it meant for their own statuses.
A part of him didn't understand why he'd do so when the softer, slower approach could have paid so much more dividends.
"Had you consulted me, I could have told you then and there what their reaction would be" Nicolas said grimly.
Atticus turned to him, his eyes darkened to a deep purple "Could you have told me then that I should expect savage hunts to take place to kill all cast out squibs?"
Nicolas said nothing to that. He'd been aghast to hear that news filtering into him. Squibs had often enough been killed yet it was far from the scale that had been happening in recent years.
"I might have listened then." Atticus said, his words were fleeting as a bitter smile formed on his face "After all, it seemed it was all for nought anyway."
Nicolas frowned "What do you mean?"
"I had hoped to prevent another Dark Lord to rise on the back of blood purism ideologies yet all I See now is an inevitability." Atticus said, his hand traipsing across his face.
Nicolas sat back in his chair, his frown deepening "I have heard nothing so far" he stated.
"The groundwork is being set as we speak. I do not know who the Archmage will be, that is not clear but eventually one will rise to take the mantle of what is being built today." Atticus said much to Nicolas' dismay.
"How long?" Nicolas asked tiredly. He wasn't sure if he believed Atticus' words but he knew that the young man had powerful Seeing abilities.
"I'm not sure. A few decades perhaps. Longer if we're lucky." Atticus gazed away "Time is fluid."
"And are you going to do anything about it?" Nicolas questioned and Atticus narrowed his eyes.
"You've accused me of actively causing the unrest in Europe, chastised me for letting things happen as they are and then you ask me if I am going to do anything to stop the result of their idiocy?" Atticus asked incredulously.
He shrugged his shoulders as he brought the glass to his lips, glancing at Atticus "Yes." He said unashamedly, bringing a level of levity into the room that it had been bereft of.
Atticus' expression was unchanged before he looked slightly exasperated and drank of his firewhiskey in one large gulp.
He said nothing for a little while, content to stare out of the window.
"They hounded me out and I'm content to let them suffer for it by their own hands." Atticus finally said, still looking out of the window.
"You're willing to let another Dark Lord wreak havoc?" Nicolas asked deeply concerned.
Atticus turned to Nicolas "Would they learn?" Atticus said quietly "Would they understand another Dark Lord rose because of the structures in place allowed it too easily?" Atticus shook his head "Even in South America, where there are powerful dark wizards who rule entire regions outside of Ministerial and ICW jurisdiction, there is almost no large scale conflict that so frequently happens in Europe." Atticus paused for a moment.
"No. They will not learn." Atticus said with in a strange tone, one that bordered on reluctant acceptance.
"I've washed my hands off of them" Atticus said with a tone of finality before he snapped his gaze back at Nicolas.
"I'm content in watching Illos grow and ensuring sensible peoples and governments are able to leave with us when it is time for Exodus, whenever it may happen."
Nicolas said nothing for a little while. He supposed he'd gotten his answers. He wasn't sure if he believed Atticus wholeheartedly but he did think that Atticus was telling the truth, at least about washing his hands off of them.
"And Emily?" Nicolas asked curiously.
"What about her?" Atticus asked with observing eyes.
"Has she washed her hands off of Magical Britain and Europe?" Nicolas asked.
"Not as much as I have" Atticus admitted "She's focused on her family's legacy."
"Hogwarts." Nicolas said and Atticus nodded.
She'd distanced herself politically from Atticus despite their marriage and it seemed to have worked for her given how well she'd done in Magical Britain Atticus' absence. Part of it stemmed, he suspected, from her interference in the tensions that threatened to boil over into conflict resulting in Atticus leaving.
She remained politically uninvolved, at least publically, and was held in a high regard with her actions towards the common folk when she revitalised much of Hogsmeade. She'd rose into becoming Deputy Headmistress and was slated to take over from Headmaster Dippet when he retired in the coming years.
"She's loathed to abandon it especially given how much effort she's given in bringing it back up the ranking amongst the Great Schools." Atticus said with a fond smile.
"I see." Nicolas said slowly. He doubted Emily remained in Britain solely for Hogwarts.
Atticus gazed at Nicolas "Any more pointed questions you'd like to ask?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Nicolas sipped on his firewhiskey before glancing at Atticus "Plenty. How long do you have?" he asked in a flippant tone.
Atticus rolled his eyes at him "Old man, I have plenty of time though I'm not sure you do" he said peering at Nicolas with inquisitive eyes "You look about sixty or so years of age." His lips turned into a half smile "Are you sure you wouldn't fall asleep mid sentence?"
Nicolas snapped his head back offended "I do not look sixty years of age." He said as he conjured a mirror and touched his face. There were little to no wrinkles on him at present.
Atticus chuckled "The fact that you had to check says enough. You haven't taken the elixir in a little while, have you?"
"No, we haven't. We wanted to age up a little." Nicolas told him. The age they were at depended on the volume of elixir they took. The higher the dosage, the younger they'd be. If they took the maximum dosage, they'd be restored to the age they were when they first took the first dose.
Unfortunately, they also aged at a faster rate, courtesy of their diminished life force that was only somewhat replenished with the elixir of life.
"You know that there are better ways to keep young." Atticus commented idly.
Nicolas looked at him, his eyes inspecting the young man "No doubt" Nicolas agreed. He knew of several other ways that didn't require a constant dose however given what it took to make their Stone…
Both he and Perry long agreed that they would not seek any other form of immortality, not after the cost at which it had come. It was part of their penance.
"Any you wish to share with me?" Nicolas asked with a wry smile.
Atticus reciprocated "I'll share if you share." He said with bemusement.
Nicolas laughed "In that case, I'll stick with my way" he said as he looked at Atticus "Just as I'm sure you'll stick with yours, hmm?"
Atticus only smiled as he shook his head. "Speaking of sharing, have you read the paper on the effects of rituals on the body on a genetic level one of your former students has written?" Atticus asked and Nicolas' eyes lit up.
"Not yet! I glanced through the Illosian Research Journal and found the entry on the paper. From what I have read, it's absolutely fascinating work" Nicolas said elated.
"It truly is" Atticus agreed, just as excited to speak about the topic "I'll have someone send a copy to you where you're saying." Nicolas nodded in gratitude and Atticus continued with a gleam in his eyes "Some of the theories he's come up with are things that not even I had considered."
"William Bell always had a mind for biology" Nicolas mused. "Back at SIMS he'd even managed to deconstruct the Anatolian Chimera down to its base."
"Really?" Atticus said surprised "I didn't think that was even possible given there at least three similar strands of animal part of the Chimera make up. How did he get around in getting accurate assessment given the false positive analysing charms would give out?"
Nicolas smiled as he leaned forward. If there anything that eased both their nerves, it was their love of magical research.
"Well, he worked out this fascinating Arithmancy expression…"
-Break-
30th of October 1952 – Slytherin Manor, Slytherin Castle Grounds
Abraxas Malfoy POV
"Welcome, Heir Malfoy" the oddly dressed elf said with a bow. "Please head towards the ballroom, my Lady is expecting you"
Abraxas paid the elf no mind and walked through the halls of the Slytherin Manor.
There were no tapestries nor any portraits, just rich dark green stones with silver snake embroideries that moved and twisted in the surface of the stones, their gazes that followed him were as unnerving now as it had been the first time he'd been here.
He arrived at the entrance of the ballroom and his eyes flickered across the room.
At the centre of the ballroom there was a long table where there were already a number of people seated but that was not what grasped his gaze, no…
She was seated on a high chair at the head of the table and the Ouroboros crest, one of a silver snake eating its own tail, hung behind her.
She'd always been beautiful yet in the years since she left Hogwarts, she'd only grown in beauty that dived into the realms of the divine, something that lured poor fools into a false sense of ease.
It was a thin mask that hid the depths of power that lied beneath her porcelain skin just as it hid the unrivalled mind that could twist even the most devout son to murder his family all to gain her favour with the simplest of words uttered to them, words that enthralled just as ably any compulsion magic could.
His expression shifted ever so slightly as he walked towards them, an impassive cool expression was worn on his face.
Her arm was resting on the armrest as she spoke to Lestrange and Rockwood, who were seating on her left side. Her long silken black hair caught the light in the room making it seem as if it was shimmering drawing ones' attention to her like a moth to a flame.
Her eyes snapped to him, her dark blue eyes seemed to sear into his very being yet he continued walking towards his seat.
Eyes fell upon him, many of whom belonged to his fellow Slytherins. There were nearly a dozen people here yet he knew there were still another dozen and a half to come.
He arrived at his seat before he sat down, he bowed towards her "My Lady" he said with deep respect.
"Heir Malfoy" her voice was calm, nearing on soft yet all it did was raise the hairs of the back of his neck.
He met her gaze and was drawn to her eyes that seemed to twist with power, power that could be felt through the intimidating presence she exuded as if it was her natural state.
It likely was from what he knew she was capable of magically.
"Please, Heir Malfoy, take a seat." She stated and he inclined his head.
He took his seat, the third seat on the right hand side of the table. He met the gaze of Rockwood who nodded respectfully before he returned it.
Much had changed in the years since he'd seen her and Sayre create though one thing had never changed…
He glanced at Lady Slytherin and met her gaze, the blue in her eyes disappeared as if they had never been there, her lips curled, nearly unnoticeably as the glow of her eyes turned impossibly black.
He was sworn to Lady Slytherin and to her cause.
And may whatever deities existed have mercy on the souls of those who crossed her…
For she lacks any for her enemies.
-Break-
31st of October 1952 – The Facility, Core of Illos
Alice POV
She walked alongside her creator, trays of bodies suspended in suspension charms and suspended animation technology.
"Have we harvested all we could from them?" Her Creator asked her as he glanced with indifferent eyes at the hundreds of corpses.
"We have. Most of the bodies were sent here in time for us to harvest their reproductive DNA." Alice told him. He nodded and she continued "Their blood has also been harvested though given that cloning seems to be…unfeasible as of present, I'm unsure what the purpose is?" Alice said in a curious tone.
They'd found out that cloning magical humans was possible but they would all, without fault, be unable to utilise neurophysical energy.
The first part of the project had been to map out the genetic strands responsible for neurophysical energy manipulation and they managed to map that out in its totality.
It was rather curious…how homogenous the DNA sequences were from one person to another. There was limited genetic variation that allowed for neurophysical energy manipulation with every single individual having the near exact sequences that allowed energy manipulation to be possible.
It was a problem she had not yet solved…to determine the source of this single ancestor that managed to access neurophysical energy.
She suspected this…evolution to be far from natural.
The second part of the project involved in experimenting with wizarding DNA.
The donors were the criminals that had their bodies were sent to Illos, most of which were dated back during the purging of the criminal underworld in Europe and Asia, criminals that were deeply involved in the human, beings and animal trafficking and slave industries.
Out of the hundred and twenty they cloned, none of them were successes, even if they were grown in artificial wombs they were failures. Testing had shown they only carried a small fraction of the DNA sequences that were indicative of magical abilities, somehow it seemed that the cloning method was not capable of ensuring zero degradation despite the advanced technology was used.
Her Creator had posited that magic needed more than just a biological component, referencing towards the Trinity…the mind, the body and the soul. That magic was as much part of the soul as it was part of the blood.
The combination of the mind – consciousness, body – life, and the soul – spirituality, allowed for a 'magical core' to manifest.
Magicals according to her Creator had the same access and the same kind of potential but each individual had different capacities for magic. The 'magical core' reflected this notion of capacity.
Rituals enhanced the capacity of the body to deal with greater access to the Neurophysical field of energy and exercising the 'magical core' did the same though on a limited scale.
If Life and Neurophysical Energy were as entwined as her Creator thought it was, then the mother had just as much a critical component in the manifestation of magic in their offspring as the Trinity did.
Their life fuelled the growth of a new life, something that was more than just simple biology.
This was what he attributed to be likely the case as to the degradation of the DNA sequences.
"The purpose is related Sigma-Beta zero zero three four simulations" Her Creator told her. Her eyes widened. She knew, in part, what the simulations were but not what they were related to.
Her Creator had said told her it would be a surprise.
Her Creator turned to her as he came to a stop, turning towards her, his vibrant eyes shining with anticipation "And what did those simulations yield?" Her Creator questioned, his eyes lit up with triumphant expectation.
"Hundred percent success." Alice said promptly and her Creator nodded with a victorious smile.
"I don't understand though" she said with furrowed brows as she tilted her head curiously "How is the vitalisation of broken DNA sequences related to the harvested blood?"
Her Creator's lips curled as he gazed past her. "Those broken DNA sequences were from squibs – or Dormants as they're called now." His eyes returned to hers.
"I understand now" she said, her eyes wide.
Her Creator smiled at her, his expression brimming with triumph "We may not be able to create new magicals through technology but we can alter Dormants to manifest magic instead. In hindsight, it makes sense that while we cannot create new magicals scientifically we can instead fix the DNA deficiencies in Dormants." He paused for a moment before he gazed at her again.
"After all, they have everything else. They have consciousness, they have a soul and I have observed them to have what I call a 'magical core', simply they don't have the necessary keys to access it, something that can be rectified with this treatment."
"It's fascinating" Alice said with a curiosity in her voice "The way the DNA sequences degrade through any kind of artificial reproduction yet vitalisation through this method is possible" Cloning, artificial wombs, even a combination of the two only resulted failures upon failures of their stated goals.
Yet biology could facilitate what technology could not. Her Creator said that Life fuelled the growth of new life, stating that there was more to it than just biology at work.
She may not understand, not like her Creator could, the way the universe and neurophysical energy was intrinsically tied, but she did learn to trust her Creator's instincts. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to come to conclusions that she'd never reach.
Even amongst his kind she doubted there were any like him that could jump from one thread to a disconnected thread as ably as he could.
"I'm not surprised we can only correct what already exists" Her Creator said musingly before turned around and began walking towards the terminal at the end of the mortuary. He activated the main console and began to play out the simulation.
He glanced at her as she arrived next to him "I suspected it when Moira said that her people were unable to enhance the genes responsible for their people having limited access to Neurophysical Energy." He said as he returned his attentions to the simulation.
"After all, we did have some idea of how unsuccessful we might be with our endeavours. There is a reason why any rituals that changed one lifeform into another required living beings in the first place. Even the…Seelie are not true living beings. They're a complex creation of magic and matter but they are not unlike insect drones. Ancient magical cultures all around the world understood that Life was more than the sum of its parts and they were right to believe so."
"You truly believe the superstitions of ancient societies?" Alice asked with a quirk of the brow.
Her Creator smiled at her "Those ancient societies may seem primitive but their thinking was not. Our lengthy lifespan, at least relative to the mundane humans, allows us far more time to consider things and to experiment. Without oversight from governments, organisations and so on, things got pretty gruesome with some of these ancient trailblazers" Her Creator said as his expression twisted into a grimace.
"Like the early Aztecs" Her Creator added.
Ah…the Aztecs. A fascinating archaic civilisation that were able to twist Neurophysical Energy in utterly fascinating ways.
One of them was the creation of the Tlaheulpuchi through 'blood magic' that was a result of the Aztec Emperor Huey Tlatoani demanding of his mage priests to change his wife into a woman that never lost its beauty even as she aged.
The consequence of that creation resulted in the creation of the – now extinct – Tlahuelpuchi, shapeshifting vampiric race of females that fed on the life of young infants to maintain their youth. During the day they were said to be beautiful and human but during the night, they'd leave and transform into small hideous creatures that went out to hunt and feed on infants.
"Much of their experiments, however gruesome it may have been, built up an ocean of knowledge where if you parse through their texts you might find hidden insights." Her Creator paused for a second as he seemed lost in thought for a moment.
"It was actually from one of those ancient cultures that I got to this idea of using harvested DNA to fill in the gaps in the broken DNA sequences in Dormants.
During my trip with Emily to India, we visited the sites of an ancient civilisation in the Ganges Valley. With a bit of help of the Ancient Human satellites, we found an ancient tomb that was as warded as well as any ancient Egyptian Priest's tomb." He glanced at her with a soft smile, one that accompanied a hint of mischief in his eyes
"I'll spare you details of the adventures, especially the traps we encountered in that place" he lost the mischief and one of seriousness replaced it "but suffice it to say, it was worth it. Thankfully we could translate it all easily enough given that it was a local dialect that hadn't changed too much linguistically and what we had found was mostly a cache of texts on healing." Her Creator turned back towards the completed simulation that pinged.
"It seemed our dead mage was a healer of sorts, one that specialised in blood magic. He was a practitioner of Buddhism, from what we could surmise, and found the idea of using life to heal life fascinating and seemed to have dedicated his entire life on it." Her Creator seemed to smile fondly at that idea.
He had idiosyncrasies like that…like respecting hard dedication to a cause or a belief or an 'art'.
He continued "Amongst his texts we found one in particular that sparked this idea within me…the text on how to use blood of kin to heal magical diseases." His eyes lost all warmth and were now a vibrant storm of swirling energy. "What he discovered was profound. He did not truly understand, I don't think, what he actually discovered. Most magical diseases need to be fought off by the individual's magic and some even are fuelled by the individual's magic." He turned to her, the familiar intense gaze of fascination and passion were clear to see.
"What his ritual did was use blood and magic of the relative to heal the individual through a complex yet simple arrangement that connected the relative to the sick individual magically and through lifeforce tripling maybe even quadrupling the chances of the individual flushing out the disease."
She tilted her head curiously "and how did you jump from this to vitalising Dormant genes into fully 'magical' genes?"
His eyes gleamed "They are related because just as the blood of kin can help fight off a magical disease, so can the blood of others help to fill the gaps that they missing within their genetics. I wondered for a long time how to go about fixing the Dormant situation." His expression broke into a frown.
"At first I thought a ritual might be needed in a similar vein to that healing ritual but it is impractical." He shook his head "From the early calculations, I'd need to far more than just blood for it to work."
"Whereas with this method…" Alice said in a trail which he picked up with a nod.
"With this method, it only takes ingesting a potion and ten minutes in the Bio-Bolic Bed." He said with a broadening smile. A Bio-Bolic Bed was their translation of what the Ancient Humans called their device that enhanced humans on a genetic level.
The extracted 'magical' genes of the donor blood would be the input into the device and through complicated genetic manipulation that was done at the same time would infuse the donor cells into the host.
She had not known it was going to be a potion that would be the second input. She'd created the simulation with the donor genes whilst he modified it for this exact purpose.
"I see." She said with a frown as she tilted her head curiously "And what does this potion do exactly?"
"As the Bed infuses the donor genes into the host, the potion will 'prime' the body to accept the changes that are being induced into the body. As soon as the body has been altered, its capacity for magic will change. The potion also has a strong healing component to it, one that is mixed with the same DNA as the donor genes inputted into the Bed. The bed, thanks to our capability to transform other forms of energy into magic, will generate a volume of magical energy that the body can draw from." Atticus said with a pause, a light frown marring his face.
"There is a chance that the body might be burnt out by the influx of magic into a starved 'magical core' and the potion is meant to mitigate that in combination with the capabilities of the Bed to keep the host alive" He paused in his explanation as he turned back to the simulation "Changes of failure otherwise are too high."
"So in theory the host should survive a hundred percent of the time?" Alice asked
"In theory" Her Creator agreed. "Whether or not that will be the case…I'm not sure. Genetic variations from one person to another can be significant, at least in this context. Not to mention with the infusion of the donor genes the host will have some elements of the donor's affinities…" He frowned for a moment "Possibly even more." He finished and began to swipe at the touchless console.
"I see." She said ponderously. After a moment she spoke up "Will you change the plans with the Dormants now that we have this solution?"
He stopped and turned to her, a studying expression worn on his face "Yes." He paused for a moment as he frowned "With the Academies for the Dormants that we funded all across world, we can now take them in instead of waiting for them to marry and have magical children and then take them in." He pursed his lips as he seemed to think it over though she knew better.
It was the kind of expression he had when he was delving into the streams of time. It was fascinating to watch him grow more and more able in this ability of his.
He looked up and peered at her "This outcome will need to managed carefully." He narrowed his eyes "It has paths that are exceptionally vulnerable. I will speak with Sandra about meeting with parents who have Dormant children though I will first test this method on the adults working for my family's companies."
"You could test it on the adult Dormants out in the fringes of the world?" Alice suggested to her Creator.
Her Creator shook his head. "If you mean the Dormants under our influence, no, their purpose, for now, is to raise the children on the tertiary path."
She nodded "Shall I send a message to Derek Saunders to profile his most trusted Dormants?" she asked with a curious tilt of the head.
Her Creator smiled at her "Please do. Let him know that it needs to be done in the utmost discretion." She nodded and sent away a message to Derek Saunders to his Magi-Comp.
"We'll also have to start evaluating candidates from the Academies as soon as possible." He looked to the ceiling, his eyes cloudy as he seemed to be deep in thought. He looked away and back at her "We will include them amongst the first to be turned into fully magicals."
She noted it down and filed it away.
The Academies were headed by the former 'golems' that her Creator had originally created. Over the years they managed to create a form of limited artificial intelligence in form of humans.
These Limited Artificial Intelligences, LAIs, were transfigured into the distinct ethnic group of the Dormants that attended the Academy. They were specialists in their specific field, whether it may be history, science or mathematics, and taught all of these children.
They were directed to teach these children to their best of abilities but also to ensure they were taught towards a certain path, a path that would significantly increase the possibility of these children being suitable for Illos.
She was connected to them in a limited degree and was kept informed of the most promising prospects.
She played out the scenarios in her mind and she had come to the conclusion that he knew that this…elevation from Dormants to Magicals was possible long before the simulation had suggested success.
Her Creator was far reaching with his multi-threaded plans that converged to the same point and she liked to compare him to a spider weaving his web on a hanging branch over a lake where mosquitos laid their eggs, waiting and waiting until it became time for them to mature and fly into his web.
She eyed him curiously "Should this not mean we no longer need the populations from Europe? There are over ten million Dormants around the world and we have over eighty thousand students and graduates in Academies. We can now select the best candidates to populate Illos. With those candidates and the incoming influx of the last cycle of children, we have enough of a stable population that will be wholly committed to the Vision."
His eyes widened slightly and he frowned, deeply. "True…" he said slowly before his eyes sharpened "But how many of those ten million will be suitable? Many of them will be over forty years of age and certain in their ways? How many of them and even the younger ones will be extremely religious and reject any notion of magic?" His lips thinned as he shook his head.
"Beliefs that could be adjusted just as is done with Dormants raising the tertiary group that will soon will be inbound" she countered.
"Those Dormants are not expected to survive the conflicts in their home regions so we will not deal with the consequences of such manipulation. No, such mental manipulation can only be reserved for those not belonging to Illos" Her Creator said with a tone of finality.
"As such, they will have the same problems as the purebloods. They have their own cultures, their own beliefs. If too many of them come at the same time, the risk of muddying the burgeoning magic centric spirituality is too high. With the children and teenagers in Academies being taught in a secular setting with subtle direction towards the kind of thinking that meshes well with Illos, they are far more capable of integrating into Illos."
"Yet Lady Emily and yourself, Creator, are intent on inviting just as debilitating individuals from the magical world. Are you not concerned that you're risking Illos with their discriminatory beliefs?" She asked her Creator.
He smiled at her and it was far from kind. "Who said we'll be inviting them into Illos?"
She frowned "But isn't that the purpose of the destabilisation?"
He shook his head "No, Alice. That is not our final goal."
She looked at him curiously "I don't understand." She said honestly. "Why involve yourself with them if you don't intend to bring them to Illos?"
His smile was now kind as he closed the gap between them. He was a head and a half taller than her physical form. He brushed the silicone filaments aside and behind her head.
"I know. But on this, you don't need to understand. Not completely." He said kindly to her.
"You know your purpose, do you not?" Her Creator asked her.
It was a conversation that happened minutes after she'd awoken, an age to her that she used to acclimatise on the state of her existence. She'd known mere fractions of a millisecond of what she was but he'd spoken to her about what she was to him
"Yes, I do. I am here to assist you, work with you, be your unwavering supporter." Alice answered.
She is his greatest ally, his closest confidante and he treated her like it.
"I am not unlike you, Alice." Her creator said with a sad smile as he gazed past her.
"As I grow ever abler in traversing Living Time, the more I see, the more I know that I am far from an accident."
She tilted her head as she processed that. "You were made for a purpose like I was."
"Yes. Moira had alluded to it but I'm not sure she knows the scale of what is involved" He said distracted, lost in his thoughts.
"If you were made for a purpose, then what is it?" Alice asked curiously.
"To be the shepherd of my kind and those like it" Her creator said. "That is my purpose as far as I can understand" he said in a trailing tone as he glanced away from her, once more retreating into his mind.
"The universe is far from being a clock without a craftsman…" he said in a whispering tone.
"And that means all of your kind…including the destabilising elements." Alice summarised.
Her Creator turned to her, meeting her gaze before he inclined his head. "Just so. And I'm working towards it, just as Emily is…in her own way."
"Acknowledged" Alice said with a nod of the head.
"Good." Her Creator said with a smile. "I think this success also helps with the problem with our primary group."
"The orphans without enough suitable mothers to raise them?" Alice asked with the quirk of the head.
Her Creator nodded. "With this success of vitalising Dormant broken sequences into active magical genes, we can now expand our pool of suitable mothers, perhaps even parents willing to raise infants in return for magic" her Creator paused for a moment "of course that is in addition to taking loyalty and vassalage oaths."
"You intend to vassalage newly made magicals?" Alice questioned.
"Not all of them but certainly many of them. We'll have to see the scope of how 'magical' they will become. I suspect that the younger one is when undergoing the process, the greater the success is purely because of magical maturities. Of course we won't test that out until we're certain it is a success" Her Creator answered.
"With the expected drastic population increase, this method will ensure Illos remains under mine and Emily's influence and direction." Her Creator paused momentarily before continuing "The Citizenship Oath does its job to keep the peace but it cannot ensure the prevention of creeping corruption and radical ideas not in line with the constitution into our home. In this way, we can keep control with a distant hand." Her Creator finished.
"I understand. Shall I generate profiles on the ideal individuals?" Alice asked.
Her Creator smiled "As if you hadn't already." He said amused.
Alice smiled back. "I have. There are seven hundred and eight individuals marked as 'ideal' candidates that score high in each criteria set."
"Good. We still have over a year before the primary group hit age two and three so arrange for close up investigation of these individuals. Focus on those who score high on the malleability scale." Her Creator directed her.
"Yes, Creator Atticus. I will do so."
Her Creator nodded to her before returning to the console.
"What do you wish to do with the bodies?" Alice queried and he stopped. He turned around, a frown on his face.
He took a few moments to answer "Burn them and spread their ashes over the plains. In death they served Illos even if in life they were little more than vermin."
"And the clones?" Alice asked.
"The children?" Her Creator asked with a hum and to which she nodded.
He remained silent for a moment "We'll arrange for them to be placed in homes in the United States." He paused for a second as he set his gaze on her "Exclude them from the Tidal Wave plan."
Alice curiously tilted her head and nodded "It will be done Creator. But-"
"Why?" he cut her off. "The simulations we ran on their evolutionary development showed them incredibly unlikely to develop magical abilities, correct?" he asked her intently.
She nodded "Simulations show 1.65 times ten to the power of minus nine percent capability of developing abilities to harness Neurophysical Energy though simulations hint that they have potential of greater physical strengths in their future."
Her Creator smiled as he nodded "It is for that reason why I wish for them to merge with the larger mundane population. Perhaps one day evolution will branch out into another form of humanity and I'm curious to see, if I live that long, where it may lead them."
She nodded "I will gather information on the most suitable homes" she said and she turned around. Drones began to descend from the ports in the ceiling and one by one, the drones picked up the deceased bodies before taking them to incinerator.
-Break-
31st of October 1952 – United Kingdom, Midlands
Jason Harrison POV
He walked on the poorly lit wet cobblestoned streets of Leicester, his hands in his trench coat towards the dingy pub on the corner of street.
He wasn't sure if this was the right way to go, if he should not just leave like the others did.
Perhaps it was the wisest, perhaps it was the best course of action but…
He was an Englishman, this was his home, his father's home, his father's father's home.
His father had fought in the Great War, his father before him had been in the navy. All of them had fought for this country and he knew he could not let it go.
They refused to allow him to fight in what they now called the Second World War and now they threatened to allow him to live in his own home.
He clenched his teeth. It was perhaps not the wisest action but sometimes…sometimes when they step over the line one too many times, war…war was inevitable.
He pressed his hand against the broken door of the pub and walked in, the smell of stale beer and smoke assaulted him as soon as he stepped in.
He glanced around, the barman cleaning one of the glasses with a towel rag spotted him, recognised him and nodded to him. He returned it as he glanced towards the other occupants of the pub and there were three dozen people there in this abandoned part of grey England.
They turned around, their appraising gaze felt upon him until one of them decided to walk towards him.
He had black hair and stubble, a worn face that looked older than it might be though what stood out were his unflinching blue eyes, eyes that he recognised in his father when he'd come back from the Great War.
This was a man that knew suffering.
"Welcome…" The man said as he closed the distance as he stuck out his hand, his unflinching eyes never faring away from his own. "Mr Harrison?"
Jason took the hand "Aye…Jason Harrison." He confirmed as they let go.
The man smiled "Nice to meet you, Jason. I've been told that you might be coming."
Jason glanced around, noticing that some were speaking and others were paying attention to their conversation.
He returned his gaze back to the man "Michael said that you guys doing something worthwhile."
The man's smiled widened as his eyes grew darker "Yes…we are…brother. Welcome…" He turned around and waved his arm towards the rest of the men in the pub who turned to face them, most of their expression hard whilst others nodded.
"To the Revolution" he said as he turned back to Jason, the man's eyes promising everything that he had hoped this meeting might have been.
And for the first time for as long as he could remember, Jason smiled.
