Chapter 21: History of the Circles

The rather burly teen named Jack carefully placed the new pipe, tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth in concentration. "Right, there we go. Bloom, your turn."
"Roger that," the redhead responded and let two streams of fire loose, enveloping both ends of the inserted pipe, welding it together with the surrounding pipework.

"Right, that does it," Jack said and let the pipe go. "Aisha, let the water flow. Let's see if it works this time."
"Will do," Aisha said and stopped focusing her magic, releasing the water's flow once more.

All three of them waited with baited breath.

"Phew," Jack uttered. "Thought it was going to burst for the fourth times. These blasted plants did a number on the piping, let me tell ya."
"Hey, how's it hanging?" Jason asked, as he smoothly danced down the stairway to the basement, carrying a tray with three water bottles on it. "Any luck with getting the water flowing?"
"I think we just got it fixed," Bloom said, as she waded through the flooded cellar to grab a bottle. "Now we just need to de-flood the cellars."
"I could probably filter the water," Aisha mumbled. "That way it wouldn't have to go to waste."
"If you can, that would be swell." With those words, he danced back upstairs.

"I guess you don't need my help?" Bloom asked Aisha.

"Well, if I can't just filter it, maybe you could boil it for me," the dark-skinned princess suggested. "But not right now. I need a break."

"Me too. I'm starving," Jack commented, rubbing his stomach. "I think we deserve to take a couple of minutes off."

Upstairs, the improvised refugee camp has shrunk a bit, as people had been taken to different places. A couple of journalists were milling around, taking interviews and recording footage.

By the bar desk, Mike sat and looked ready to nod off, a couple of notable bags under his eyes.

"Rough day for you too?" Bloom asked as she sat down beside him.

"Yeah," her adopted father yawned. "Could be worse though. Your friends were a great help."
"Right. Stella did mention that Flora and Musa were going with you and the crew," Bloom commented. "How did it go?"
"Great. Magic's all kind of useful. Flora can move things around with her plants and Musa's really good at finding things through sound. They really saved us a lot of time and work." He yawned again. "'Course, it still took a lot of time and effort."
"Hey, you done fixing the water, Firetop?" Techna asked, as she slinked over.
"For now. Aisha's thinking of purifying all the water that was spilled downstairs," Bloom responded. "So what have you been doing?"
"Me and Stella went with some workers to help at the hospital. Turns out, the plants had severely damaged the power lines. Stella helped by keeping things lit while I helped the techies figure out what was wrong," the scarred girl explained. "You know, people have just sort of accepted that magic is a thing. I think us helping out is a good introduction."
"Yeah. Until they find out we're responsible and want our heads mounted on spikes," Bloom mumbled dourly.

"Didn't Mitzy talk with you 'bout that attitude?" Jason asked, as he handed out a couple of water bottles.

"Yes. But I just feel like I should have done something different. Known better. I mean, I'm not responsible for the White Circle going nuts, but... I don't know." She rested her head on her arms. "I feel like I should have known better. Been less naïve. I guess I'm just kinda disappointed in myself. It's just like that whole incident I put Mitzy through, only worse."

"Well, we fucked up. Nothing we can do 'bout that now," Techna said with a shrug. "I mean, it's not like we can just go back and change the past."
"Really. No time travel magic?" Roxy asked, as she sat down by the desk. "I suppose that's for the best. I would have a lot of questions if magicians could casually rewrite history."

"Nah, even magic has limits," the magenta-haired girl replied.

"Vaguely defined ones, yes," the Earth fairy mumbled.

"Ah, there you two are." Bloom looked up as she heard the voice and turned around. Mitzy's mother Murray walked over to them. "I've been looking for you and... Techna was it?"
"You've got that right," the scarred girl answered with a wide smile. "How can we help?"
"I'm taking my daughters to one of the neighbouring towns. Florana to be specific. They're the nearest town that didn't get hit, so I've been asked to pick up a few supplies. And I'd like the extra security you girls can offer, what with how things have been going." She paused briefly. "Of course, if you are busy, I can wait a bit."
"No, no, I have the time. Just need to ask the others," Bloom replied. "Hey, Dad, could you..." She paused, as she noticed the firefighter was sleeping, using his arms as a pillow. "Oh. Well, Jason, could you tell my parents where I've gone?"
"Will do," the Suits leader said, nodding his head, causing the purple mane to billow like a cornfield.

"So you'll be going alone?" Sky asked, the group having met up outside the Gardenia Dance Hall.

"Look, I only brought a van," Murray sighed. "Even getting nine people inside will involve some squishing. If need be, I can always come back and pick you guys up, but for now, it ain't happening."

"We'll stay in contact," Stella assured them. "We'll call if, like, anything goes wrong."

"That will have to do then," Brandon stated. "Best of luck to you all."

"Oh, ehm, before you leave, Flora," Helia stammered and stepped forth. "I made sure to, ehm, have this ready for you. You know, since you might get thirsty. I mean, it happens. Sometimes. Yep." He awkwardly held out a cold water bottle.

Flora smiled warmly and took it. "Thank you for the consideration."

"Aisha, my dear, I too have prepared some cold refreshment," Nabu declared, as he dramatically stepped forth with a bottle. "Alas, it is but pure water, for that is all I can procure under these circumstances, but know that if times were different I would fetch you a drink worthy of your radiance. I can only hope this humble drink is to your taste."

As a giggling Aisha took the bottle, Helia stared at the bird mage.

"What is it, my dear friend?" the dark-skinned magi inquired.

"Are... Are you trying to outdo me?" Helia asked.

"Oh, what a hurtful accusation," Nabu said with dramatic shock, clutching his heart. "That my own friend would think me capable of such poisonous behaviour. Nay, I always planned on delivering my dearest her well-deserved refreshment. But I also hoped that I would draw everyone's eyes, so that your stammering insecurity did not become a point of focus for onlookers. It was but my intention to help. To know that you instead took insult wounds me so."
"Wow, hey, it's okay," Helia quickly said. "I'm not mad or anything and..." He paused, eyes narrowing. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

Nabu smiled mirthfully. "I am but hoping to lighten up your day."

"If you two are done flirting, we'll be leaving now," Techna said, as she as the last one found a seat in the van. "You all play nice with each other 'till we come back."
"Likewise. No cat fights while you're away," Riven called, as the boys and Mirta waved farewell to the van.

The vehicle drove along the road out of town, occasionally shaking and stirring as it ran across cracks in the pavement.

"Sheesh, space is cramped in here," Mitzy commented, writhing a bit to get into a more comfortable position. "Mom, I understand caution, but did we really need to bring all of them?"
"Think of it like a field trip," Murray replied.

"I like field trips," Macy said happily.

"A field trip to go shopping," Mitzy pointed out.

"Hey, could you put on the radio?" Bloom asked. "I'd like to hear what's going on."

Mitzy's mother chewed on the inside of her chin for a moment, before saying: "Very well," and turning the radio on.

"Sage words from our president," came the reporter's voice. "In other news, relief money is slowly flowing in for the many devastated cities along the west coast. The governments of Canada and Mexico have committed to assisting America in this time of crisis and vice versa. Several international organisations have begun programs to gather donations to help the thousands of people who have been displaced and lost their homes as a result of this devastating attack."
"Least we get to sleep in the Dance Hall," Mitzy muttered. "Oh, that reminds me. Jason Queen has arranged for Andy's band to play in a charity event to help gather money."
"It's nice how everyone is chipping in," Musa commented. "Wish you guys could contact your families. I bet they'd have some spare money they could spend."

"I've checked my bank account after becoming princess. I'm honestly not sure what to do with so much money," Bloom admitted. "I mostly just dump it on whatever charity Techna suggests, along with all the gifts I receive regularly."

"Sources from the White House has confirmed that the perpetrator behind the attacks has been taken into custody. But that the so-called White Circle probably has other people in its employ who might try to launch similar attacks. Citizens are advised to be careful and to report suspicious activity to the police."
"Huh. How do they know?" Aisha asked.

"If I had to make a guess, I would say the Black Circle probably informed them," Flora commented. "If they are as interested in protecting people as they say, they would want to inform the authorities of some of the danger being over."
"Right. Reminds me of the elephant in the room," Musa commented. "Do we trust them?"
Roxy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not gonna ask," she mumbled. "As for your question, I don't see why not. The only problem you girls seem to have with them is the whole taking magic thing. And you can't tell me Diana didn't have it coming."

"Right. Still..." Bloom sighed. "We'll have to talk to them someday. I need some answers before I decide."
"If we're to talk with them, I say we need to pick a spot where they can't just jump us," Musa said. "Whenever they decide to contact us, that is."

"Reports coming in from Italy and England gives a grim picture," continued the radio host. "Both countries have mobilized their armies and it is quite likely that they will be deployed into Ireland and northern Italy respectively. The UN and the EU are calling on all members to grant what help they can in this time of crisis. And now for the economy. Recent events have hit the stock market hard, causing a fall in..."
"I think we've heard enough for now," Murray commented and turned the radio off. "If I have to listen to any more of that, I'll flip my lid."
"Mom, are people going to be okay?" Macy asked.
"Of course honey," the black-haired woman assured her. "There are people working on solving it right now. Good people."

Bloom leaned back in her seat, wondering if that included her. Then she closed her eyes, slipping into a deep sleep.

Bloom was suddenly jolted out of her sleep by the car's acceleration. "What? What happened?" she asked, as she leaned forward.

"Don't ask me. Macy saw something and suddenly her mother just stomped the speeder," Musa replied

"Hey, Mom, what happened?" Mitzy asked, trying to be heard over the roar of the engine. "What's wrong?"

Murray did not respond, eyes locked on something up ahead.

Flora followed her gaze. "A plume of smoke," she said loudly for all to hear. "Looks like it could be from a fire. A big one."

The car whined as the black-haired driver hit the brakes, turning the wheel so the car slid right in front of the open gates of a junkyard. As she speeded into the compound, the group could see that the smoke came from a burnt-out storage building. As they speeded past piles of refuse and junk, the car came to a screeching halt, before Murray leapt out of the car and ran full sprint towards a nearby office building.

"Mitzy, what's going on?" Macy asked nervously.

"How the hell would I know?" Mitzy grumbled, as she got her seatbelt off. "It's not like she tells me anything nowadays."

The group filtered out of the car and pursued Murray. They found her by the office building, talking animatedly with a brown-haired man. She looked like she was somewhere between being relieved and about to explode. As they neared the pair, she suddenly broke off from the conversation and hurried over to the approaching group.

"Mom, what is...?" Mitzy tried, but was cut off by her mother saying: "I don't have time to explain. I have to get back to Gardenia to pick up the guys now. Mitzy, you look after your sister. You'll be safe here. Girls, they'll need your help. Best of luck." Then she charged full sprint back to the car.

Mitzy stared as they van drove off. Then she frustratedly threw her arms into the air. "Gee, thanks, Mom. That explained everything. I suppose we'll just pick up the groceries here in the junkyard. Seriously, what?"

"That was rather bizarre," Bloom agreed. "What did she mean by that?"

"I think we are about to find out," Flora noted, having returned her attention to the office building. "We have company."
The others turned around, only to be surprised by the sight of Ogron walking over to them. "Hello, girls. I'm glad to see you chose to show up."
Musa blinked a couple of times, looked back over her shoulder at the distant van, before returning her attention to Ogron. "Wait a moment. You sent her to pick us up?"
"Quite right. I suspected a more personal invitation would be turned down on the basis of you not trusting us," the Black Circle leader explained. "Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of enough time to set up a proper meeting. So this will have to do."
"Sneaky," Techna commented.

"I'm so confused," Mitzy groaned. "Mom better explain what's going on once she comes back or I'm emancipating myself and going to Yukon."
"I think she's helping the Black Circle out. For some reason," Bloom stated confused.

"So, what happened? Murray tots panicked when she saw the smoke," Stella asked.

"A squad of White Circle fairies, led by one of their commanders, assaulted our base here. Probably in retaliation for us taking down Diana," Ogron explained. "We managed to fend them off." His eyes fell. "At a cost."
"A cost?" Flora asked.

"Yes. A couple of our newest members... Didn't make it. And Dumon has been gravely wounded." He shook his head. "Let us go inside. I will explain the situation and why we need your help when we get in."

The unconscious Dumon groaned and writhed on the sofa that served as an improvised bed. His skin seemed to occasionally ripple like water and his limbs occasionally twitched in ways that did not look natural.

"Wow, what the heck happened to Shifty?" Techna asked. They had all followed Ogron inside, were several people wearing the characteristic black rings of the circle were busy setting things up and taking phone calls.

"As I said, we were attacked. Gantlos, would you be so kind to find somewhere these two can relax?" he asked, gesturing towards Mitzy and Macy.

"Sure. Come with me girls," the blond drawled.

"I'm starting to feel a bit tossed about," Mitzy mumbled, as she and her sister followed.

Ogron patiently waited for them to get out of earshot. "Now, as I said, we were attacked. That is why I ordered Murray to bring the boys here. If the White Circle know of our base here, I will need the extra security. I've been trying to turn this into a training ground for new members from America, but that means they could be quite vulnerable."
"And what happened then? To Dumon?" Bloom inquired.

"Sibylla happened," the Black Circle leader responded. "One of the fairy generals. Highest ranking judge. Responsible for meeting out justice, as defined by the White Circle. Sent to punish us for our crimes against Diana, apparently." He paused. "Her powers are... Problematic. She can sculpt the flesh of anyone she touches, often turning them into savage and servile creatures she can use. Or piles of quivering flesh, if she just wants you dead. Dumon got too close to her and, well, she tried to transform him. His ring, however, fought back. Now he's stuck in painful stasis between being shaped into her minion and retaining his true form." The redhead eyed the writhing man with concern. "As long as we take care of him, his ring should win out in the end. But even so, he will be in no shape to fight for a while." He returned his attention to the girls. "Which bring me to the current issue. I cannot allow Sibylla the chance to regroup and attack again. Therefore, I suggest we join forces to attack her stronghold and take her down."
"And this stronghold is located where?" Flora asked.

"In the Dolomites," Ogron explained. "A mountain range in northern Italy."
"Wait, wasn't northern Italy, like, the place that had also been attacked by the White Circle?" Stella asked.

"Indeed. My sources indicate that she is responsible and has begun converting the citizens into slave warriors," the redhead continued. "So even if you still have no desire to help us, surely you must be interested in helping the people suffering under her reign."
"Great," Musa sighed. "So are these fairy generals just one colossal asshole after another?"
"I would have phrased it less crudely, but yes, they are an unpleasant bunch," Ogron replied. "Furthermore, this will give you time to ask some of those questions you no doubt have saved up."
The group exchanged glances.

"I say we do it," Roxy stated. "I'm starting to believe that we've been completely wrong about the Black Circle. But even without that, we need to help those people."
"Plus, if we can take down another one of their leaders, that will significantly weaken the forces of the White Circle," Flora argued. "It makes sense."

"So why us?" Aisha asked. "You seemed to have plenty of members here."
"Yes, but most here are newly chosen members or members who have been out of commission for years," Ogron replied. "They will need training before they are ready to take anyone on. You girls have shown yourself to be much experienced. As have your allies, but some will need to hold down the proverbial fort. Gantlos, Anagan and I will accompany you to Italy."
"Why are so many of the Black Circle new?" Stella inquired.

"A good question. One I will answer once we have left," Ogron replied. "Allies in the region have been preparing a ritual circle so that we can teleport there. Let us get that out of the way and then I shall indulge your inquiries."

A flash of light lit up the Italian countryside, as the group manifested inside a circle painted on the grass.

"Huh. That was a lot less turbulent than last time," Roxy commented.

"We in the Black Circle put effort into stabilizing our teleportation. It allows our agents to drop into dangerous scenarios ready to act," Ogron explained, before looking around. Surrounding them were three other people, each wearing a black ring. "You're dismissed. Return to your local commander and await further orders."
"Yes, sir," they replied, before walking off.

The redhead turned to the rest of the group. "We shall begin heading north. Anagan, you go on ahead and scout the area."
"Will do," the speedster said, before vanishing in a blur, the rest of the group following his trail at a much slower speed.

"Well then, we have a moment," Ogron began. "You have questions, yes?"
"Yeah. For one, Diana was your mother?" Bloom began.

"Very much so. Though our relationship has been rather strained these last couple of centuries." The Black Circle leader paused. "Taking away her powers will not improve that."

"Sounds like a story," Musa commented. "So what happened?"
"Good question. I was born into the high society of the White Circle," Ogron explained. "Only child of a fairy general. I was destined to a life of luxury. Nothing was denied me. I got the best education available and I lacked nothing. Money, food, entertainment. I had to but snap my fingers and a horde of smiling servants would bring me my every wish. I was a pampered royal in every sense of the word." He looked ahead, as the group began ascending up the hilly landscape. In the distance, large rock formations jutted out of the earth, white snow covering most of them. "Life was good, for a time. I was content. But as I was educated, as I furthered my studies, things began to not sit well with me. Most of my servants were non-magical civilians ensorcelled into happy servitude. It made me think. And I realised that I pitied these bewitched servants. Felt sorry for them. I wasn't supposed to, you see. I was supposed to see them as blessed because we had given them such a prestigious position and we had made them so happy. But they were like puppets and their smiling faces were like hollow masks. It was all fake. And once that thought had taken root, I couldn't shake it off. I began looking more and more into how the White Circle ruled and governed. My mother even encouraged it. After all, I was expected to ascend to a position equal to hers. So of course, these were things I had to study. She was so proud of me back then." A glimmer of nostalgia briefly manifested in Ogron's eyes.

"Geez. That's horrible," Musa muttered.

"It's quite unlike what was written in the history books," Aisha noted. "There it was written that the White Circle wisely governed and allied with the leaders of the people for the benefit of all."
"That is certainly what they would like you to think," the redhead commented. "To a point, perhaps they even believed it themselves. As my studies deepened, I began to see what we did less and less like governing and more as enforcing our will. Turning people into slaves for our pleasure. It sickened me. I began asking questions. I guess that I hoped to find some sort of justification, something that would make it all right. So that I could go back to the way things were. So that I wouldn't have to care." He shook his head. "The deluded hope of a foolish youth. It's so hard to change things. Much easier when things don't need to change. Had I found an excuse I could accept, perhaps... It doesn't matter. In the end, nothing I found could justify what I was beginning to realise were a series of continual atrocities. My faith in the White Circle shattered, I decided I needed to go on a journey. The people at court thought mostly of it as some sort of phase. That I was going to go find myself. In a way, I guess they were right. I had grown disillusioned with my own self and did find my new self on my journey. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I began wandering the land and saw for myself how people lived. In squalor, with diseases and accidents claiming entire families." His brows furrowed in displeasure. "We had so many resources and so much power. Had we at least ruled well, perhaps it would have been more justified. But the White Circle didn't care. What did it matter that a random family died because the harvest failed. There were three hundred families just like them ready to serve. It was a disgusting and narrow-minded way of thinking. Ordinary people, reduced to the role of tools. Replaceable at an instant. Bereft of dignity and worth. It horrified me to my core. I wandered further and further from my home, eventually ending up in France. Of course, it wasn't called that back then. And it was there I met Dumon. Just a teen, surviving on the streets. No one cared about him, least of all the White Circle. Yet he refused to let the world rob him of his strength. He carried himself as if he felt he was owed respect. He didn't bow down to anyone. There was a pride in his heart, but no arrogance. He didn't think himself better. He thought everybody deserved respect. He thought everybody was worth something." Ogron stared into the distance, lost in memories. "I have him to thank for my transformation. It was by meeting him, hearing him speak of justice and equality, that I realised that the White Circle had to be stopped. It was then that I realised that I would have to overthrow my own kin. Together, we created the Black Circle as an anthesis to the White Circle."

"Thus, the super-villain name," Techna noted.

"Yes, I do realise that by modern standards the name has a certain... Antagonistic ring to it, but back in the day it was purely meant to illustrate our diametrical opposition," Ogron commented. "I have considered changing it, but it feels disrespectful to..." He paused, feeling a strange vibration in his legs.

"Can you guys, like, feel that?" Stella asked.

"Feel it? I can hear it." Musa looked up a nearby hillside. "Crap. BOULDERS!"

The rest of the group looked up. Indeed, several large stones were tumbling down the hillside.

Gantlos stepped in front of Aisha and Roxy. As one of the boulders got close, he unleashed a roar and smashed his fist into it, detonating it into gravel.

Flora covered for Ogron and Stella, halting two boulders with a fence of rabidly growing plants.

Musa prevented Techna and Bloom from getting hit, blasting another boulder out of the way so that it passed them by.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Techna commented as she looked up. "Looks like those guys have a beef with us."
Several people, each wearing different clothes, charged at them with spears and clubs. Horns and a shaggy mane sprouted from their heads and their legs were hairy and hoofed.

"Satyrs?" Bloom asked surprised.

"You gotta be kidding me," Roxy mumbled.

"Not quite. They are people, transformed by Sibylla into loyal slave warriors," Ogron quickly stated. "Try not to hurt them too much. We might still be able to cure them."

The group of transformed people charged the group, braying for blood.

One charged Gantlos, who made no attempt at moving, allowing the spear to splinter against his chest, before he decked his attacker.

Aisha emptied a water bottle onto the ground and mixed it with the dirt, using the resulting mud to knock the legs away from under their attackers.

Stella released blinding flashes of light, allowing Flora to easily tie them up with her plants.

In short order, the group was defeated.

"Was that all of them?" Musa asked out of breath.

"I think so," Stella stated.

Suddenly, one of the transformed people who had stayed hidden jumped forth from its position in the bushes with a roar, dagger in hand, ready to stab the Solarian princess. There was a sudden blur and the attacker was knocked aside with a loud thwack.

"Sorry. Had I known the party was here, I'd have come back sooner," Anagan said, rubbing his knuckles.

"Good to see you again. Were you successful?" Ogron inquired.

"Yep. I've got a bead on where she is. And we need to get further up." Anagan eyed the mountains. "Hope your clothes can keep you warm, because there's a lot of snow up there."

The group continued upward, making their way up old snow-covered hiking trails, cold winds regularly hammering them.

"Sh-should have brought something a little warmer," Stella stammered, rubbing her arms.

"So, Ogron. What hap-happened after you founded the Black Circle?" Roxy asked.

"Me and Dumon started recruiting. While servants and some civil leaders were controlled, it wasn't like everyone had been bewitched by them," Ogron began. "And it was not like everyone was blind to what was going on. They might not have known the exact details, but they could tell something was up. Not everyone believed our story, of course, but enough did. And not all of the White Circle approved of what the others did. Some were just ignorant and turned to our side once enlightened. So we also managed to get some allies there. But the leadership was practically untouchable. Old, powerful and set in their ways. Including my mother."

"How old is she anyway?" Techna asked.

"Never got her exact age, but she did complain occasionally how she missed going on vacations to Pompeii," Ogron remarked nonchalant.

"Mages can grow ridiculously old I take it," Roxy noted.

"Indeed. As long as you keep yourself young in spirit, you will not age," Flora agreed. "Your magic will keep you young."
"I can already tell talking about this will give me a headache," the Earth fairy remarked.

"To return to the subject, what the Black Circle needed was some sort of equalizer," Ogron continued. "Something to tip the scales in our favour. That is when I hit upon the idea of the black rings. I already knew I could drain the magical essence out of a person. However, I could only hold so many in my body before it started becoming dangerous."
"Just like with Valtor," Musa remarked. "He had to get the Agador Box to prevent the knacks from overwhelming his body."

"I will take your word for it. But I found out I could transplant the magic. By using specially crafted rings, anyone wearing them could become a magician. That was exactly what we needed. I targeted fairies and witches I thought were abusive against the people or who outright rejected my ideas, stealing their magic and giving it to my followers. Of course, I knew that this would be found out. We acted quickly, taking down several important fairies and then sent the leadership of the White Circle an ultimatum. Either they would agree to significantly change how they operated, or we would depose them." He paused. "It didn't take, as you might imagine. At first, they tried to quash us with military force. I knew that even with the rings we couldn't win in a straight up battle, so we scattered, divided ourselves into cells. We kept recruiting and kept striking where the enemy was weak. Guerilla warfare, as it were. Years turned into decades. The war continued. But it didn't go anywhere. Occasionally we'd take down a leader or lose a cell, but for the most part, we were just gathering our strength, fighting where we could. Our first real successes came when we managed to start liberating kings and other rulers from the White Circle, having them assist us by turning their countries resources again the White Circle." He paused. "That's when things took a turn for the worse."

"Alright, here it is," Anagan said and paused. "This cave leads to one of her holdings. I'm even pretty damn sure she herself is somewhere in there."

Ogron nodded. "Alright. We'll proceed with caution."

The group entered the dark cave in the mountain's side. The frost-hardened and snow-covered ground became replaced with gooey muck that splashed around the group's feet. Stella kept a finger lit, illuminating the path.

"So, how do we know this is where they're hanging?" Techna asked. "Looks like a normal cave to me."

"That might be the case, but it is not," Flora stated. "It is clearly a tunnel. These rocks around us are not the type to turn into caves."
"Huh?"
"Caves are typically formed through erosion when water dissolves the rock, leaving a hollow," Flora continued. "The surrounding stone could not be dissolved in such a way and if it was, it would not form a cave looking like this. It merely looks like a stereotypical cave to fool people."
"Very much true," Anagan agreed. "Plus, a cave like this that's this close to the hiking trail would have been discovered long ago. It isn't marked anywhere, however, suggesting it was formed very recently."
"Fascinating," Stella dryly commented.

They continued forward into a much grander cave, Stella's light barely capable of illuminating the ceiling above. Around them, small lakes had formed, their greenish colour making their depths inscrutable.

Slowly, they crossed the room towards a tunnel on the other side, constantly wary of potential attacks.

"Wait," Musa said. "Did you guys hear that?"
The group paused.

"No, I didn't," Bloom carefully said. "Doesn't mean there wasn't something."
"She does have the best ears out of all of us," Stella commented.

"Wait, I have an idea," Aisha said, closing her eyes in concentration. "Perhaps it's something in the water. If something is in there, I should be able to..." Her eyes suddenly opened. "GANTLOS, BEHIND YOU!"

The Stetson-wearing man turned around, just as a giant albino lobster leapt out of the water at him, pinning him to the ground with its weight as it tried to get one of its claws around his neck.

Anagan set off and delivered a vicious series of rapid fisticuffs into the oversized crustacean's side, to no effect.

Flora leapt at it from the other side and brought down her machete hard, the enchanted blade just barely cutting through the lobster's thick exoskeleton. Reacting to the injury, it lashed out with its free claw, trying to crush Flora with a powerful swing.

Bloom stepped forth to strike the thing with fire, but was stopped by Roxy. "Let me try," she said, eyeing the creature. "I might be able to..." she closed her eyes and focused. Her mouth formed into a scowl as a familiar tangle of control spells revealed themselves. Slowly, she managed to overpower the passive commands. The mutated crustacean paused, then slowly backed off back into the water, allowing Gantlos to get back on his feet.

"Thanks," he said to Roxy, tipping his hat.

"You are coming into your powers," Ogron noted. "Well done."
Roxy paused. "Why are they doing this?" she asked. "Turning all these animals into horrid weapons?"
"I think the answer is because it's easy and it works," Anagan noted. "Sad as that may sound, that's probably all there is to it. All that junk about defending nature is just what they tell themselves so they can sleep better in the night."
"That would fit them, yes," Ogron noted, as he turned toward the nearby tunnel. "Let us continue."

As they continued down the tunnel, Musa looked to Ogron and asked: "So, you say things got worse?"
"That they did," Ogron responded. "When we began gaining the support of countries, the White Circle's perception of the events changed. Now it wasn't just one upstart group. It was a large-scale rebellion against their so-called enlightened rule. That's when they began targeting civilians as reprisals, wiping out entire villages with storms, plagues and whatnot. I told you before, the people often knew something was up, but not always what. White Circle agents began to capitalize on that lack of knowledge, blaming heretics, witches, demonologists and wizards, hoping to spread a paranoia that would cause the people to turn on us." The redhead was quiet for a moment. "It worked. But a lot of innocents also died, targeted for being different. We did what we could of course, but..." He sighed. "There may come a time when the White Circle will claim that we're not better than them. Know that they are not entirely wrong. Some of the people I had elected as leaders began using similar tactics, hoping to use mobs and inquisitions against the White Circle. Others used magic recklessly, gladly torching a village to get one enemy. Others began puppeteering leaders to set nations at war with those nations still under the White Circle's control. So many people died because I chose to trust the wrong person or put them in a position they couldn't handle. And that was when people didn't die directly under my command due to a misunderstanding or a wrong presumption." He eyed Gantlos out of the corner of his eyes, as if silently asking permission.

"It's okay," the blond drawled. "I was living up north at the time with my family. My wife had always been a bit of a loner, but good with herbs. Used to be valued for it. I was out one day hunting. Came home to a ruined house. A group from my village had been by, dragged her and my daughter of as a witch and a devil spawn. They were already dead when I reached town." He adjusted his hat. "Never found out who had riled those people up. Perhaps no one did. As fear spread, sometimes people just decided to kill on their own without being pushed. But I did start hearing things."
"I found out about him after he managed to decapitate on of the Black Circle cell leaders with a woodcutting axe," Ogron continued. "He had been siccing mobs on suspected White Circle sympathisers and Gantlos heard of it. I decided to induct him into the Black Circle rather than execute him like many suggested. It's a decision I've never regretted." He paused for a moment. "In the end, we were victorious, at a cost. The White Circle pulled back, retreating into their sanctuary. Rather than pursue and risk great losses, we locked the door from the other side and set up base on the island. It was a victory, I suppose, but it didn't always feel like one."
Bloom chewed her lip for a bit. "What do you do?" she asked. "When so much goes wrong because of you? When you have, even indirectly, caused people to suffer and die?"
"You move on," Ogron replied. "Nothing else you can do. Learn from your mistakes and accept your responsibility. And then, move on."

The Dominian princess looked quite thoughtful at that comment.

"Hold up," Flora said. "I see something ahead."
Stella pointed her finger at the blocking object. "Huh. A door. Go figure."

"More like a gate actually," Aisha noted, eyeing the great stone structure. "What are we going to do about that?"

"Gantlos," Ogron said, and the Stetson-wearing man stepped forth, giving the gate a couple of raps with his finger.

"Could probably do it," he mumbled. "It's thick, but I could probably do it."

Ogron paused, then suddenly lashed his hand out to the side, absorbing a blast of lightning meant for Gantlos. The group turned around to face several crimson-clad fairies advancing upon their position, many already charging spells to lob at the group.

"Take cover," Flora ordered, as the group split up to the sides of the tunnel opening.

"But of course," Musa sighed. "More guards."

Bloom peaked out, only to pull back as a sharpened gemstone flew by. "Great. Don't suppose we could just talk about this."
"You're welcome to try, but in our experience, it rarely takes with these types," Anagan noted.

Techna peaked out and fired a couple of shots with her pistol, before pulling back in. "Seems to be about half a dozen of them."

"We have the advantage. We have cover, they don't," Ogron noted. "Keep firing at them. We may be able to force them to fall back."

"Right. I can do that," Bloom mumbled, charging up a blast of fire and blindly launching it down the corridor.

Ogron paused, before stepping forth to assist the others, when suddenly a White Circle fairy manifested out of the rocks behind him. She jumped on his back, wrapped one arm around his throat and prepared to shank the surprised redhead with the knife in her other hand.

Musa's knee smashed into the White Circle assassin's kidney, causing her to scream out loud in pain.

Feeling his assailant weakened for a moment, Ogron flung his body to the side, smashing the distracted fairy into a wall. And then flung the other way, where Musa launched a vicious kick into the side of the disoriented fairy, causing her to fall off.

Quickly, Ogron turned around and planted one of his hands on her, removing her magic. "Earth," he noted and reached out with it. The tunnel opening began shrinking and soon vanished, cutting them off from the attackers.

"I suppose that does solve that," Techna commented, reloading her pistol.

"We have no idea for how long. Gantlos, get that gate opened," Ogron ordered. "And Musa, thank you for the assistance."
"It's what I do," Musa noted with a smirk.

Roxy was about to say something, when suddenly everything went black. She blinked and looked around, finding herself floating in darkness. "What the..."
"Roxy. Why are you helping our enemies?" a voice rang through the dark.

The Earth fairy paused. "Morgana? That's you, isn't it?"
"Yes, Roxy," the fairy queen answered as her ethereal form manifested in front of the pink-haired girl. "Why are you standing in our way, Roxy?"
"I dunno. Maybe the mass killing," Roxy suggested. "That seems all kinds of iffy."
"I admit, my generals can be... Overzealous," the ancient fairy continued. "But they truly want what is best. It may seem brutal, but if these acts convince the rest of humanity to lay down their arms, even more bloodshed will be averted. In the end, is that not for the best?"
"No. No it isn't," Roxy shot back. "Because even if people surrender, it will just mean you will take control. Turn people into puppets. I've heard about what you guys did."

"Roxy, Ogron never understood the truth. That peace is preferable to freedom," Morgana argued. "We created a safer world."
"Tell that to the people who still keeled over from the motaba virus," Roxy commented.

Morgana looked rather nonplussed.

The Earth fairy groaned and continued with: "People still died from disease and disasters. Shouldn't you as ruler have done something about that? You know, for the peace?"

"In our absence, humanity has found many ways to combat these issues. Do they now know peace?" Morgana asked. "It is an unfortunate truth, but fear is a necessary component of peace. The more safe people are, the more immune they feel to the consequences of their actions."
"As we can clearly see from how you guys have been acting," Roxy sharply stated. "You guys are the ones who think you should be above consequences."
Morgana sighed. "I see you do not yet understand. Roxy, being a fairy means being in contact with fundamental aspects of the world. It gives one access to a perspective and a level of wisdom that normal people can't reach. That makes us destined to rule. I hope you will realise this before it is too late." With those words, the darkness faded.

"I sincerely doubt a wedgie will wake her up," Anagan replied to Techna.

"Maybe a splash of water," Aisha suggested.

"Okay, hey, cool it," Roxy quickly said. "I'm awake again. I'm awake."

"Phew. Got concerned there for a second," Stella sighed relieved.

"What happened, Roxy?" Ogron inquired.

"Morgana. Fired off some more speeches and went all 'join the dark side' on me," Roxy replied. She looked to the side. "I see Gantlos fixed the door."
"Indeed," the man drawled, eyeing the giant hole in the gate. "Let us continue."
"Sounds like a plan," Aisha agreed.

"We're almost there," Ogron said confidently as they headed deeper into the heart of the mountain. "She'll be awaiting us."
"Anyway, like, what happened after the war was over?" Stella asked.

"We faded into the dark, essentially," the redhead began. "Let the people be. We helped a bit with the recovery, but after that I ordered a strict limit on how the Black Circle could interact with people. I did contact some of the leaders we had assisted to gain permission to operate in their country if need be. And occasionally we were needed. But as time went by, magic was slowly forgotten. Its essence grew stale and the number of magicians began dwindling. Even we started to feel it. And as science grew in importance, the old secrets of magic faded into legend and myth, obscure knowledge for only those most dedicated."
"But why?" Musa asked. "Why allow the magical traditions of Earth to fall apart? Unless you really did want to remove magic completely." She eyed him suspiciously.

"Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have always said that magic is dangerous, but it is also a remarkable tool," Ogron insisted. "No, it was due to the disasters during the war that I choose this course of action. I had seen what some of those in my employ had been willing to do. If we started advising people, guiding them, then who's not to say we would end up just like the White Circle? The oppressed have a grim history of becoming the oppressors once freed from their shackles. We were already a guerilla unit, so becoming invisible was very easy." He sighed. "I'm starting to realise it was a terrible mistake. The nations of Earth are ill-prepared for a conflict such as this. Hopefully, the advanced technology of today will give them the edge they need. Furtheremore, over the years, we slowly disarmed our resources. Agents settled down, gave up their powers and slowly faded away. Some families passed the task on to younger generations, as is what happened with Anagan here, but our numbers dwindled. In the end, only a handful of agents were left and of those, only I and Dumon were permanently on duty. Anagan and Gantlos had semi-retired, but agreed to assist should a situation call for it. Most remaining agents had retired, only to be recalled if the situation grew dire. Thus, even we who should have been the most prepared are scrambling to set up a counter offensive." He shook his head.

"But that is our fault," Bloom said. "We were the ones who assumed that the stories were true. We freed the White Circle."
"Would you have held on to your presumptions had we not cloaked ourselves in shadows? Had we been visible among the population, had you known of our existence from childhood, would we still appear to you villainous and vile?" Ogron inquired. "And for our part, we presumed that a group of such important people had to be a carefully crafted team of commandos, sent here on an important mission. Imagine my suprise when your parents put that particular theory to rest."
"I think it's safe to say we've all screwd up," Techna interjected.

"Indeed. But while we all have made our mistakes, it is the White Circle alone who has chosen the path of war. That is not our cross to bear," Gantlos stated.

"True enough, my friend," Ogron agreed. "Well, this is it."

Before them, the cave opened up in a grand hall, crystals decorating the walls and spreading a multi-hued light. And on a throne opposite of them sad the crimson-clad woman the group had met in the sanctuary.

"Sibylla, I presume," Roxy stated as they entered.

"So you have returned. Once saviour, now enemy of the White Circle," Sibylla started, her voice as cold and hard as iron. "Have you finally found your place? Or does your allegiance still waver like a flag in the wind. It is not too late to seek penance for your crimes. Morgana is willing to forgive a lot. You did not choose to grow up in this savage, barbaric world. But if you seek to perpetuate it, your punishment shall be grave."
"Why do all of you old magi speak like you're on the set of Shakespeare?" Bloom pondered.

"You know, I have kind of wondered myself," Anagan mentioned while rubbing his chin, causing Ogron to send him a slightly annoyed glare.

"And to answer your question, no, I've not suddenly come down with a case of wanting to help a bunch of outdated despots stomp all over my country," Roxy stated angrily. "Or any other country for that matter."

"Then you have accepted the path of the criminal," Sibylla said, as she rose from her chair. "And you have chosen to accept the justice that awaits those that follow that path."
"Stop saying that," Roxy growled. "None of you have the slightest idea of what justice is. What exactly is so just about attacking a bunch of people who don't even know the slightest about any of this?"
"Ignorance of one's crimes is pitiable, but it's no excuse," the crimson-clad fairy replied.

"Like talking to a fucking wall," Techna groaned. "I say we skip the pleasantries and get to the part where we smash her face in."

Needing no other cue, Anagan shot forward in a blur, striking the fairy general square in the chest. His hand and forearm seemed to splash against her like water and when he pulled back, most of him limb hung from his elbow in flabby coils of randomly separated bone and tissue. He dashed back as Sibylla lashed out at him, quickly increasing the distance between them. "Well," he started. "Five seconds in and I've lost an arm. A bad start if I say so myself."

"I can assure you, what follows will not be much better for you," Sibylla stated as she stepped forward.

Both Bloom and Stella unleashed powerful beams of their respective elements. The crimson-clad fairy responded by raising a magical shield.

Flora hurled several of her seeds out, quickly sprouting them into thick, flower-covered vines that tried to ensnare the fairy general. Sibylla responded with a smooth movement of her hand, slicing the plants apart.

Having freed herself, Sibylla charged forward, magical shield up to ward off attacks. The group scattered, trying to stay at some distance from the flesh-sculpting magi.

Gantlos smashed his hands together, blasting a powerful shockwave into their opponent. Sibylla blocked this attack too, but still slid across the stone floor from the sheer force of the attack.

Techna rushed forward in an attempt to circle around the general, firing her gun with wild abandon. Musa ran the other way, firing blasts of sound.

Sibylla responded by summoning a second magic shield, simultaneously blocking both assaults.

Seeing her temporarily distracted, Ogron rushed up behind her.

However, the crimson-clad general was more aware than he had anticipated. She suddenly lashed out with her leg, striking his. Immediately, the Black Circle leader's leg became as if made of jelly and he fell to the hard ground.

Sibylla loomed over him and prepared to strike him down.

Then she suddenly halted. Her face started to twist into a grimace of pain as she stumbled back, clutching her stomach. Her eyes seemed ready to pop out of their sockets, as she desperately gritted her teeth to avoid crying out in pain. Her entire body was shaking, muscles randomly cramping up.

Ogron tried to seize the moment and lunged for her, but she was gone in a flash and instead the redhead awkwardly landed on the floor.

"She retreated," Gantlos said, as he looked around. "Probably back to the sanctuary."
"Probably. But what the Hell happened to her?" Anagan inquired, as he inspected his floppy and shredded arm.

"That would be me," Flora said. "I figured if she could reshape flesh, then plant matter was probably within her sphere of influence. So the specific plants I used merely tried to grapple her to distract from its true purpose. It is actually a rather notorious plant from my home-world that can release seed pods. When inhaled, they get sucked into the bloodstream via your lungs, where they quickly bloom into a small but still very toxic plant. Out in the wild, they reproduce by killing creatures and using their corpses as fertilizer. Even with modern magic and technology, they are a pain to get out of the bloodstream due to their microscopic size and penchant for lodging themselves inside organs. Magi with plant powers like me are highly priced because we can perfectly sense where they are in the body."
"Why anyone would choose to settle on Limphea is beyond me," Musa remarked.

"So, what, did we win?" Bloom asked.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be incorrect to call it a small victory. I would have preferred to have taken her into custody instead of this, but that will have to wait until another time," Ogron said, as Gantlos helped him stand. "Let us go pick up the fairy we knocked out and then we will go home. If nothing else, this should weaken the White Circle's reign over Italy."

There was a flash of bright light and the group found themselves back in the junkyard office building.

"Hey, you're back," Sky said, as he noticed them and got out of his chair. "Are you... Wow, what happened to you two?"

"Oh, this?" Anagan asked, raising his floppy limb. "Minor accident. It'll heal."

"We're fine," Bloom said. "Where are the others?"
"Outside, guarding the perimeter. I offered to stay here, see when you arrived," the blond prince replied. "I'll go get them. You just relax." Then he ran off.

Gantlos handed the unconscious White Circle fairy over to an aide, as Ogron said: "Anagan and I will go get some help. I thank you for your cooperation and hope that we can count on your support in the future."

The girls looked at each other.

"I think... We could manage that," Musa stated.

"Most excellent. Now, Murray should be able to bring you back. I don't know if she's here, we had a couple of errands we needed her to run, but I imagine you can find something to spend time on until she comes back."
"Will do," Techna said, as they left the room.

Outside in the main room, Mitzy and Macy sat by a table playing cards with a member of the Black Circle.

The girls observed the game for a bit, before the boys plus Mirta entered entered the room.

After exchanging the customary hugs and kisses, Brandon asked: "So how did it go?"
"Could have gone worse," Musa said. "We got a lot of info on the Black Circle and we managed to send Sibylla packing. Didn't capture her though."

"There's always next time," Techna added.

It was at that moment a rather winded looking Murray entered with two bulging shopping bags. "There," she said exhausted, as she placed them on a table. "That's the last of it."
"Great. Are you done running all over the place?" Mitzy asked, as she looked up from her cards. "Because the last four times I tried to ask you anything, you were of so fast I thought you would leave a cartoony you shaped cloud behind."
"Sorry, Mitzy, I had to handle the supply run today. Turns out we're kinda low on cars what with almost everyone being off to help with the relief effort," Murray replied, as she sat down. "But I'm done now. What do you want to know?"
"Well, for starters, how do you know these guys?" the black-haired girl started, sounding somewhat frustrated.

"My mother was a member. Handed me her ring when she retired. I went into retirement shortly before having you, telling them to only call if things got really bad. Though they still visited whenever they were in the country," Murray explained.

"And you were going to tell us this when?" Mitzy asked.

"I figured I'd wait until you were twentyone, so you could make an informed choice whether you wanted to be a part of this or not," Murray replied. "Unfortunately, the White Circle threw a monkey wrench in that.

"If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been part of the Black Circle?" Bloom inquired.

"Let me put it like this," Murray started. "The reason I hate people asking about my age is that I'll be turning ninety next year."

Mitzy blinked. "Wait, you're eighty-nine? Mom, you don't look a day over forty."
"I know," Murray proudly replied, adjusting her hair. "Turns out, nothing keeps the wrinkles at bay quite like magic. Fortunately, I just started ageing normally when I gave up the job."

"Why did you not want to be magical?" Macy asked confused.

"Because I wanted to focus on raising my kids," Murray replied. "I couldn't do that if I had to go globe-trotting every other week. But as I said, I told them to only call me back in if things got really dangerous." She looked out the window. "And I'd say this counts. We'll have to stay here for quite a while, but you'll be safe, I promise."

"Hey, just because I'm tots curious. What knack did they give you?" Stella asked. "They did, like, give you one, right?"
"They did. My ring allows me to manifest barriers and shields," Murray said. "Anyway, I suppose the lot of you want to get home soon."
"Not us. We've already promised to help beef up security until everything can be put in order," Brandon said. "But I think the girls here deserve to get home and get some rest."
"Agreed," Bloom said and yawned. "We better start preparing for whatever comes up next. Because the White Circle will do something after this. I'm sure of it."