Chapter 24: Spell of Oblivion

Aurora marched with quick but measured steps through the headquarters of the White Circle. Renovations were still underway, what with the many bizarre devices and changes the Black Circle had made during their reign. Though the more she saw of the new world, the more the fairy general realised it was less the Black Circle being strange and more the White Circle being out of the loop. She had tried to catch up, but with everything that was going on, she wasn't nearly as up to date as she would have preferred. She took so immense pride in being informed, that being so completely out of touch deeply annoyed her. Yet she accepted that her current duties just didn't leave her with the necessary time to get a comprehensive overview over the march of history.

Finally, she entered the great throne room by the tree of life. The withered plant had started to bud and it wouldn't be long before it would start giving birth to pixies once again. Morgana herself sat in a massive chair in front of the tree, flanked by four other chairs. One, the green one, had been empty for a while. Two others were currently occupied by Nebula and Sibylla.

"You have come to deliver your report?" Morgana began, as she acknowledged the white-clad fairy's presence.

"I have, my Queen," Aurora replied. "And it is far from favourable to us."
"Go on," the queen said with a gesture.

"The forces that have recently arrived in the colonies are no doubt from other worlds," Aurora started. "And given where they have chosen to base themselves, it is clear that they are primarily here to assist the Black Circle. Furthermore, while exact details were impossible to get due to the defences set up, there can be no doubt that the technology the outsiders use is very similar, if not outright superior to the technology wielded by the non-mages of Earth."

"So they too have abandoned the old ways," Sibylla commented disapprovingly.

"It would seem so. If we face them in combat, we will be severely disadvantaged. They wield devices that enables them to match our fairies, even if they themselves were non-magicians. Which they are not. Everything indicates that just about every one of them is a magician of some sort. That means that unlike the forces of Earth, they will not be surprised by our abilities."

"That would press us pretty hard, yes," Nebula stated annoyed.

"Also, I believe it is reasonable to suggest that this is merely a vanguard unit," the fairy general continued. "The Forbiddance effect and the sheer amount of magic required to part the veils between worlds would make it hard to send forces any bigger than this. However, that does mean that the most likely scenario is that they will eventually be reinforced."
"And how do you suggest we turn the situation around?" Morgana inquired.

"As bleak as it may sound, a protracted conflict will wear us down. We cannot win a long campaign. We are simply lacking in too many areas for sustained warfare," Aurora commented. "One way could be to pull back to the territories we have managed to grab and consolidate our rule, then try to enter peace negotiations. They might consider letting us keep our land in return for not having to risk lives by rooting us out."
"That is unacceptable," Sibylla immediately insisted. "To not only turn from our appointed task of managing this planet, but also to barter with those traitors."
"The other option is to crush them with one strike, then quickly take over major countries and the like. If we are fast enough, the other worlds might consider it more trouble than it is worth to fight us," the white-clad general continued. "However, if we cannot erase them in one blow, then it is unlikely things will work out for us. I cannot imagine they would be open for parleying after we've tried to kill them. Beyond that, we don't have any realistic options. Hoping for a fortuitous miracle is a fool's errand and we do not have the time to do the studies necessary to counter the devices and machines they have invented."
Morgana leaned back in her throne, eyes closed in contemplation.

"I say, we crush them once and for all," Nebula insisted. "Rid ourselves of those annoying pests for good. They have gotten in our way far too many times."

"I agree. There is no choice here," Sibylla boomed. "Our stewardship of this planet cannot be risked again."

Morgana opened her eyes. "Send them a message," she said. "Tell them that we are willing to negotiate."

...

A couple of days had passed since the vanguard had arrived. With how much power was needed to open up temporary gates, it looked like they'd have to wait another month before more reinforcements would show up. Jonas Hamilton had immediately pledged to assist in protecting the civilian populace, but had so far refused to support a counter-attack against the White Circle until he had a complete overview of the situation.

As Bloom sat in the bases' improvised dining room, she thought how she couldn't blame him for being cautious. She had seen what hasty reactions could lead to more than once. He had also begun initiating contact with different countries, trying to set up alliances, even if they were to be temporary. Again, probably sensible. Seeing spaceships suddenly fly in and shoot things might lead to incidents. But while their presence definitely did help her feel a lot better about the situation, she knew she wouldn't feel truly good until the White Circle had been stopped.

And even then, she wondered if she would be able to ever sleep soundly again. At least with the other years, she wasn't responsible. Here, she had helped let the White Circle free. Could she ever make up for that?
"That's the frowny face of someone who needs a cup of cocoa," Techna said, jostling the redhead out of her dark thoughts.

"Oh, it's you," she sighed relieved. "You scared me for a second."
"Well, your brooding is scaring me," Techna said, handing her one of the steaming mugs. "On second thought, maybe a shot of something stronger that cocoa is needed."
"I don't see how getting drunk would help anything," Bloom commented, taking a large sip of the cup. One of the side-effects of her knack that she had discovered by accident was that she could drink or eat really hot things without hurting herself.

The scarred girl observed her for few seconds. "Let me tell you a story, Firetop," she began.

"Let me guess where this is going," the Dominian princess sighed. "'Bloom, you shouldn't feel bad. You did what you thought was best. You need to move on.'" She looked at the magenta-haired woman over her shoulder. "Am I close?"
"Well, actually, we should feel bad. I mean, we kinda fucked over your entire planet," Techna replied. "That's not good."
Bloom blinked. "Oh. Well... That's different I guess."
"But you are also right. We should move on," Techna continued. "I mean, moping won't solve anything. I once lobbed off one of my friends' hands because I didn't think things through." She paused. "Well, lobbed is probably not the right word to use. But thing was, I felt really fucking bad. And I should feel bad, because I hurt a friend and I should have known better. He was a magi, so fortunately they grew back over the next couple of months, but still. My point is, instead of moping, I gave him a hand while he didn't have any."
The Dominian princess paused. "I'm going to regret asking this," she commented. "How did that happen?"
"We were fixing a machine that refused to work. He was arms deep in it when he said he thought he had fixed it. So I immediately turned it on without waiting for him to pull out," Techna explained. "There was a crunch and then his hands were gone. Plus the machine got gunked up and stopped working again immediately. So you know, fail all around."

The redhead's face scrunched up, as she pushed the cocoa away. "And there goes my appetite."
"Oh. Can I have it? I can always get Gantlos to make more if you need it."
"Be my guest."

At that point, Timmy opened the door and peaked in. "Are you two busy?"

"Nah, just helping Firetop here get some perspective," Techna said proudly. "So, what's up Databoy?"

"We just received a message. From the White Circle no less," the bespectacled sharpshooter explained. "Everyone is meeting up to talk about it."

The two girls looked at each other, before getting up to follow Timmy to some nearby offices, where the other girls, the boys, the three healthy leaders of the Black Circle and the paladin were already gathered. The leader of the vanguard, Jonas, was a muscular man with a crew cut and a hard look etched into his face at almost all times of the day.

"Sorry for the delay," Bloom said, as the three of them entered.

"S'okay. We just received this letter anyway," Anagan said.

"So, what's in it?" Brandon asked.

"It's an offer from the White Circle. They wish to negotiate a ceasefire," Ogron explained.

"You're kidding," Musa immediately said. "Is this a joke? After everything they've done, now they want to talk about a ceasefire?"
"Ogron, you are the most familiar with this organisation. What is your take on it?" Jonas asked, his voice even and measured.

"Well, best case scenario is that internal struggle has seen Morgana replaced with someone more reasonable. Or that Morgana herself has realised the futility of her quest," Ogron pondered.

"You really think that?" Riven inquired.

"Of course not. I said they were best case scenarios, not the most realistic ones," the Black Circle leader dryly replied. "Most likely, this is a trap. Question is, why wrap it in a guise of forgiveness and friendship instead of threatening to kill more people?" The redhead's gaze shifted to the paladin. "I can only think of one reason."
"You suspect that our presence has caused them to change tactics?" the paladin asked.

"Very much so." The Black Circle leader took the message, a simple paper scroll, and scanned it again. "They're inviting us to meet on Ireland's Eye. An uninhabited island. Far enough away from Tir Nan Og that it's not in their power base, but close enough that they can be supported."

"Well, then we just don't show up," Sky said. "Problem solved, trap failed."

"I'm afraid it isn't as easy as that," Aisha said. "We don't know for sure that it's a trap. We can only suspect as much based on previous behaviour. If they are genuine about this, as unlikely as it seems, we could save a lot of lives by negotiating."
"She is right," the paladin said. "As a member of the Roccalucian order, my foremost task is ensuring peace. Unless we have undeniable evidence that this is a trap, my duty compels me to give peace a chance in order to negate as much conflict as possible."
"And unfortunately, no such evidence exists," Ogron elaborated. "The best we have is their previous behaviour, but even I'll admit that such evidence wouldn't hold in court. If we had more actual evidence, their previous behaviour would strengthen any such claims, but such is not the case."
"Typical," Musa grumbled. "So, what, we march right into the danger zone?"
Roxy hummed a couple of notes, before catching herself.

"Just because we go does not mean we cannot prepare ourselves," Flora said. "The question is, what is safer? For all of us to go, thus putting all our eggs in the same proverbial basket? Or sending a small delegation, risking that they are more easily overpowered?"
"Neither is optimal," Brandon added.

"Indeed. But with a larger delegation, we will have more options to deal with any eventual traps," Ogron said. "I for one will be coming along." He turned to Anagan and Gantlos. "And I trust that you two have made the same decision."
"Yep," Gantlos drawled.

"You know us so well," Anagan commented with a smirk.

"I shall go with you. I will bring along a large group of the men under my command to assist us in this endeavour," Jonas stated.

Brandon looked to the men under his command. They nodded. "Looks like we're in too."
"I'll be going too. I'm as involved as anyone here," Roxy stated.

"So will I," Bloom said.

One by one, everyone agreed to go.

"Looks like we're sending quite the delegation," Aisha commented. "One that clearly states we don't trust them."
"Is that a problem?" Techna asked.

"It's not a signal you usually want to send during negotiations, but in this case, I can see its necessity. Perhaps showing up in force will even dissuade them from trying to harm us," the princess of Tides elaborated.

"You think so?" Riven asked doubtfully.

"No. I hope so."

...

Fortunately, transport to Ireland was much quicker and more painless than the last time. They just got into a couple of the vanguard's vessels and flew off. Bloom and Roxy pondered if there were some international agreements or something they were breaking by flying across countries' airspaces, but figured they could sort that out when everything was said and done. They closed in on Ireland's Eye a couple of hours after sunrise. It was a mostly flat island, though slanting upwards to form rocky cliffs. Colourful tents had been raised in the middle, probably where the negotiations were to take place. If any negotiations were to take place.

The three vessels that held the delegation slowly touched down and landed on the coast of the lower end. The rest of the vessels, containing several soldiers, stayed in the air, ready to deploy if anything happened.

Bloom exited with the others and immediately noticed that the White Circle had sent out someone to greet them. She scowled.

Not far from them, surrounded by a squad of black-clad fairies, stood Nebula. "Hello, everyone," he greeted them, as they closed in. "Welcome to Ireland's Eye." He turned to Bloom, a smirk on his face. "I see you've chosen to join us. How's the arm?"
"Probably much better than your dignity after having to explain to Morgana how you missed out on killing me because you were too busy monologuing," the Dominian princess replied with a cruel smirk.

"Shots fired," Sky mumbled with a smile.

Nebula's smirk faded a notable degree, before he continued with: "Now then, I hope you all appreciate this, because I can tell you that if I had been in charge, you would all have been shot down the moment you got close to Ireland. Morgana has other ideas however, so if I were you I would show some gratitude."
"We would be more gracious if Morgana had sent someone competent, who would not start out by antagonizing a peace delegation," Aisha sharply rebuffed him.

The black-haired man's smirk faded to the point of no longer being a smirk. "Yes," he mumbled annoyed. "A couple of tents have been set up for you until we can begin the talks tonight. Follow me." He and his guards turned around, not pausing to look if they were being followed.

"Not exactly good at the whole diplomacy thing," Brandon noted.

"He probably hoped to start a fight," Ogron replied. "This might indicate that the peace talks are genuine. Or that it was an elaborate con to make us think that."

"I say we remain on guard and our best behaviour," Nabu stated. "Fortunately, I naturally excel at both. After all, birds are ever aware, even when displaying their feathers and singing their lovely songs."
"Don't you have an egg you need to go hatch or something?" Riven groaned. "Like, right now perhaps?"

The tents that had been provided them were sparsely furnished. Little beyond tables or chairs filled out the emptiness.

"Rather Spartan," Bloom commented.

"So, like, when does the meeting start?" Stella asked. "Because, like, if we have to sleep on the ground, I'll be tots annoyed."

"Do not worry," Nebula said, voice a bit strained. "The meeting will start in the evening. If you need anything, a guard outside your tent will be able to help you."
"A guard?" Musa asked. "You're not even going to pretend that you're not keeping us under surveillance?"
"Yeah. I mean, you could at least have tried to pretend he was a heavily armoured combat butler or something like that," Riven agreed. "Or pretended he was here to protect us from radicalised elements of the White Circle."
"Oh, come on, guys, he's trying really hard I'm sure," Sky said.

Nebula scowled and turned around, marching out without a word.

"That will never get old," Techna grinned.

"Not to imply that his behaviour has been in any way exemplary or even acceptable for a representative, but perhaps we should refrain from angering anyone here needlessly," Jonas said. "Ogron, I would like to talk with you in private. There are a couple of points I'd like to go over with you."
"As you wish," the Black Circle leader said, as he followed the paladin out.

"So what do we do now?" Roxy asked.

"We chill, of course," Riven said, as he leaned back in a chair with his feet on the table.

...

"So... Bored," Techna groaned, resting her chin on the table. "Need... Entertainment..."
"Don't you have any games on your phone or something?" Musa asked.

"Yes. But it ran out of power," the scarred girl sighed. She rubbed her chin. "Maybe they got someone here who has electricity powers. Or I could use some basic supplies to construct a crude windmill." She shook her head. "No, they probably don't have even the most basic of wiring."
"I'm surprised you of all people can't just magic some power back in things," Roxy remarked.

"Well, I sorta can, but then I'm just draining my magic directly to make it function," Techna explained. "And trust me, that can get exhausting."
"At least we've got more magic available than when we first arrived," Stella remarked. "Remember back then? We tots had to spend days resting after every little stunt we pulled."
"Yes. It was quite taxing," Aisha agreed.

"You know, some of us have to make do without magic powers," Sky remarked, as he lay on the hard ground. "You girls are lucky to have those powers at all. Waiting for your powers to recharge can't be nearly as annoying as waiting for an arm to heal."
"Unless you have a healer nearby. Then it goes away quickly," Brandon reminded him.
"Sure, but we don't always have that," Riven brought up. "Remember that one trip we got lost on? The one where Sky fell off that cliff-side and shattered his arm? It turned purple and swelled up like a balloon and he was yammering the entire time."

"That was a... Less than successful excursion," Timmy stated, staring out into the air. "But Cordatorta though we learned something, so I suppose it wasn't a waste of time."

"I miss that guy," Riven sighed. "I miss Red Fountain all around. You know, I'm usually looking forward to my vacations, but I gotta say, I think I'm just about ready to get back and have that grumpy old man yell at us again."
"Cordatorta or Saladin?" Helia asked.

"Cordatorta is old?" Nabu said.

"Well, he's getting close to his fifties last I checked," Brandon replied. "Not that I think it will matter. I'm starting to think that nothing short of death will ever make him slow down."

The group sat in stillness for a moment, lost in remembrance.

"No, seriously, when is something going to happen?" Techna suddenly said. "It's evening, the sun has gone. How long can it take?"
"No doubt they are trying to tire us in order to weaken us at the table," Aisha remarked. "A tired diplomat is a less effective diplomat."
"Is there anyone who becomes more effective when tired?" Flora pondered.

"Someone who tests beds I guess," Mirta said.

"Well, I'm going to go look for a bathroom," Roxy announced, getting out of her chair. "They gotta have one of those around here." The Earth fairy walked out the tent and briefly conversed with the guard, before walking off.

A few seconds later, Nebula poked his head into the tent. "Queen Morgana will see you now," he said, a hint of venom in his voice. "So if you could move out now, that would be great."

The group exchanged glances and then began packing what little stuff they had, before moving towards the tent flap.

Riven suddenly paused. "Wait," he said. "This is..." His brows furrowed. "Captain, wait a moment."
"What is it?" Brandon asked.

"I just realised, Techna was on to something," the magenta-haired soldier continued. "They did take too long. I think they were waiting for something."
"Something. Something like..." The squad captain stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening. "Of course," he hissed. "Dragon's flame, we're idiots." He turned to the others. "Nabu, Sky, Riven, Timmy, Helia. You come with me. The rest of you go to the meeting. Drag things out. Say we stayed with the guard detail. We have to go."
"They have Roxy," Flora said, sharing the realization. "Alright, we will do what we can. Just hurry."

The two groups left the tent and quickly split up. The camp was silent, all of the guards having moved up to the meeting.

"Alright, so where would they be?" Riven asked.

"Well, wouldn't the beach make the most sense?" Sky asked.

"No, because the vanguard unit is still down there," Timmy said. "And the meeting is being held up by that old tower. Which means the kidnappers will most likely try to smuggle her off the island by the cliffs on the other side."
"I hope you're right. Let's move out," Brandon ordered, as he and the group hurried across the darkened island.

Fortunately, there were no trees and the moon above illuminated the field, making it easy for the group to move quickly but relatively quietly.

"Hold it," Timmy whispered. The entire group froze. Slowly, they lowered themselves, as Timmy gently pulled out his rifle. In the distance, they could hear a muffled sound. Sounded like somebody trying to yell, somebody who was gagged. The sharpshooter pushed his glasses up and raised his rifle. He waited, still as a statue.

A shape moved. The grass rustled. Still, Timmy waited. He couldn't be hasty.

Tension gripped the group. Their muscles ached from holding their position.

There was movement again. Rays of moonlight illuminated it. Roxy was slung over its shoulder.

Timmy knew he wouldn't hit her. He fired.

The bullet hit the kidnapper in the back of their knee, shattering it.

"FORWARD!" Brandon yelled, as they initiated their ambush.

The hulking shape pushed itself back up, its knee already healed. It turned and attacked, swinging its massive free arm.

Sky rushed in, ducking under the attack, and showed his blade into its side. The thing howled and pulled free, the wound quickly closing itself.

Riven was at its back. He swung, parting skin and flesh. A massive backhand knocked him away.

The beast turned around and snarled. Suddenly, its form flowed like water. Now, a massive bull stood before them, Roxy lying across its back. It charged at Sky, who leapt aside. Its hooves kicked up dust and pebbles as it turned, before charging again.

Helia tensed as it came back. As it tried running down Brandon, he rushed forward and leapt on top of it.

The shapeshifting kidnapper paused as it suddenly realised the extra weight, but by then Helia had already leapt off again, carrying Roxy in his arms. The monster shifted again, becoming a massive snake. It hissed and rushed after Helia, mouth wide open.

Nabu concentrated and fired, a blast of lighting crashing into the side of the thing's head. It hissed and writhed as its muscles spasmed, allowing Helia to get away.

The poet quickly pulled out a pocket knife and cut the bonds and gag that kept the pink-haired girl passive. "What happened?"
"Three fairies jumped me once I was far enough away and handed me over to that thing," Roxy gasped.

Meanwhile, the now rhino-like being charged the bird mage. Timmy fired again, causing it to stumble. It roared and shifted again, taking on the form of an oversized condor. It quickly rose into the air and dove towards them. Brandon pulled his arm back and hurled his grenade as the beast closed in on Timmy. The explosive went off, ripping apart its wing. It crashed into the ground with a series of sickening sounds, as its bones and organs broke and ruptured. It lay still for a moment, before shifting again.

"Damn it, we're hitting it with everything we've got, but it's not staying down!" Sky exclaimed. "What's it gonna take to knock that thing out?"

"There's something awfully familiar about this," Brandon remarked.

The monster changed again, this time into a bear. It roared and stomped forward, swinging its massive clawed limbs in a berserker rage.

Timmy fired again and again, each shot ripping holes in fur and flesh.

Finally, the thing tipped over, only to turn into an oversized chameleon. Its great tongue shot forward and attached itself to the sharpshooter, before suddenly reeling him in towards its waiting maw.

Brandon charged forward, bringing down his great blade, severing the organ. With a wet smack, what remained of the tongue pulled back into its mouth, as it shifted again, this time into a scorpion.

"Guys!" Helia called. "Roxy saw something. This thing has a black ring."
"A black ring?" Brandon repeated, before exclaiming: "Dumon!"

"If it is, he's not recognizing us," Sky stated, as he smashed the stinger away with his shield.

Nabu paused, before yelling: "Try to wear him down. If he's being controlled, I need time to get ready."
"You'll get time then," Riven called as he rushed the thing from behind. With a powerful swing of his arm, the tail was cut off.

The thing shifted and turned around, now a boar.

Timmy fired, penetrating two of its legs.

The thing shifted and turned the other way, now a giant mantis.

Brandon's blade clewed through its thick exoskeleton, spilling a shower of clear fluids.

The thing shifted again and attacked, now a giant swan.

Sky ran by it, carving open its side, staining white feathers crimson.

It shifted. It shifted. It shifted. It shifted.

Each time, the guys attacked, shot, stabbed, cut from a different angle.

Finally worn out, the thing deflated, a chimeric mess of mid-shifted features.

At this point, Nabu rushed forward and placed his hand on the thing, channelling all the energy he could into it. He could feel the, like a thick straitjacket of chains on the creature's mind. The thing howled and writhed, as Nabu's magic clashed with the enchantments binding it. "I will set you free," Nabu stated, all joviality gone from his voice. "Return to yourself. Cast off the bonds that bind you and return to your true self." The thing howled, shifted, deflated and finally seemed to lie still.

Quietness descended over the island.

"Did... Did it work?" Sky asked.

Suddenly, the beast leapt up and grabbed Nabu by his shoulders, locking his arms to his sides. The abominable creature was now stuck somewhere between Dumon and a giant, misshapen bat. It opened its mouth far wider than it should be able to, row after row of jagged, misshapen teeth springing forth to devour the magi's head.

Nabu exploded from its grasp as he shifted into a massive bird, briefly ascending before shifting back, gracefully striking his opponent to the ground as he landed on the dominated shapeshifter's chest.

"I COMMAND YOU!" Nabu roared as he struck his staff into Dumon's chest, magic energy pouring into the dominated man's body. "BE FREE!"

The monster roared, its bestial howl fading into a human scream, as Dumon returned to his normal self.

Nabu paused for a moment, before stepping off, his entire body shaking.

"Wow," Riven said. "Is he... Has he...?"
"He is himself again, yes," Nabu weakly said. "Especially thanks to his ring. Had it not held onto his self, I'm sure Sibylla's spell would have erased him to make him forever loyal. Had that happened... Dumon would already be dead."

"Urghblll," the mohawked shapeshifter sputtered. "Oh, my head."
"As it is, it should just result in some fatigue and pain. Kinda like a hangover," Nabu remarked, a smirk on his face. "Welcome back, Dumon."
"Thanks... I guess... I... WAIT!" The Black Circle member shot up, before almost tipping over again. Only Timmy's quick support prevented him from falling. "The others," he gasped. "I still remember. It's a trap. The others are in... They are in danger."

"Then we haven't got a moment to waste," Brandon said. "Riven, Timmy. Make sure Dumon can keep pace. Helia, help Roxy. We move, now!"

...

When the girls arrived at the meeting place, they took a moment to take in the scene. A large table and several chairs had been set up, an orange glow from the surrounding torches illuminating it. Behind it stood the squat Martello tower, its features barely distinguishable in the moonlight. On one side of the table stood the members of the Black Circle and Jonas the paladin. On the other stood Nebula, Aurora and Sibylla.

The air was thick with tension. An uncomfortable silence engulfed the summit.

Ogron noted the girls, before saying: "Most of our delegation is here now. Is Morgana going to show herself anytime soon?"
"I see you are still missing some," Sibylla noted. "Where are your companions?"
"Roxy went to the bathroom," Stella said, as they joined their allies. "The boys joined up with the ships, just in case, like, you guys try to pull anything." She paused. "You did have a bathroom somewhere, right? She's not just, like, wandering the island in vain, right?"
"No. Such facilities have been raised for everyone's comfort and utility," Aurora noted.

The generals paused, then turned around. Escorted by several more fairies, Queen Morgana entered the light of the torches. "I am sorry to have kept you all waiting," she said. "I still have many duties to attend. Please, sit down and let us discuss the terms."
"As you wish," Jonas said, as he and the others walked up to the table.

In the bustle, Ogron leaned down to Bloom and whispered: "Where are they?"
"Solving problems," the Dominian princess quietly replied.

"Figured as much."

"If I may begin?" Morgana started. Jonas gestured for her to continue. "The White Circle's duty has always been the governing and protection of the world. That has always entailed not only protecting the less enlightened from outside threats, but also from themselves. Yet in the process of that, the Black Circle has caused us great losses, many of which cannot truly be compensated."

"I understand that's been the philosophy of the White Circle. However, the policy of the realms, and the Roccalucian Order in particular, is that these people, whom you refer to as unenlightened, also have a number of unalienable rights," Jonas began diplomatically. "Rights that seem to have been trampled by you and your allies in the course of trying to re-establish your dominion. You have to understand, that makes your position less defensible in the eyes of the law."
"You presume your laws have any power over ours," Sibylla hissed.

"I understand that, given the circumstances, you have not had much chance to follow the development of the realms. That is something that helps your case," the paladin continued. "However, that does not extend to making us turn a blind eye to what I can only describe as the wholesale slaughter of unsuspecting civilians."
"I see. So that is how the realms view it," Morgana quietly noted. "I admit, I had hoped that things had not become so dire that the realms beyond would interfere with our enlightened duty. But I've come to expect the worst." Her eyes narrowed. "And I have prepared for it."
Bloom suddenly felt a strange chill going through her body. She tried to move her mouth, but found her jaws to be seemingly glued together. She tried to look around, but even her eyeballs felt like they were moving through molasses. Out of the edges of her sight, she could see the others also sitting still as statues.

"Once they and their newly arrived army have been destroyed, we will be able to secure our planet before the rest of their allies show up," Morgana noted, as she got out of her chair. "Nebula, you have your orders."

"As you desire, my queen," he said in a voice indicating that he too desired this, before he ran off towards the tower.

Sibylla and Morgana got up from their chairs and walked off. Aurora moved to follow them, but paused. She looked back on the frozen group. "You might as well not bother trying," she stated. "I crafted this trap myself. Cold represents a fundamental lack of motion. Even your magic will find it hard to overcome this principle." Then she turned around and followed the others.

Bloom tried to furrow her brows. The white-clad general's taunting was more confusing than anything else. She tried to clench her fists, but it didn't work. Her entire body was frozen.

That's when she realized something. She wasn't even breathing. She couldn't feel her heart beat. Panic flared up in her mind. Was she going to die like this, unable to move, still as a lawn ornament? She paused the line of thoughts. Something was off.

Suddenly a great light flared up above the tower. A huge ball of shimmering energy began manifesting.

Bloom couldn't just see it, she could feel the massive amount of magic that was quickly charging. She quickly realized the destructive potential of the ongoing spell. So this was how they planned to eradicate them. She felt her brain working overtime, trying to find a solution. Then something struck her. She wasn't dying, because the cold had essentially put her in stasis. No breath, no heartbeat, no movement. But she was still thinking. That struck her as weird. And Morgana had talked as if they hadn't even been there. As if they were essentially already dead.

Suddenly, realization hit like a sack of bricks.

The spell was based off cold. Bloom was keeping her thoughts going with her knack. If cold was a lack of motion, then heat was the opposite.

Up above, the ball of energy was charging up even more, competing with the moon and all the stars for prominence in the night sky.

The Dominian princess focused on her magic, putting her entire mind to willing it to flare up. Slowly, she could feel a core of warmth spread from inside her body. Her heart strained to press blood through her veins. The muscles around her lungs quivered to drag in a vital breath. The warmth kept spreading. Her eyes began tearing from staying open. Small pops could be heard as she slowly willed her stiff limbs to move. With a ragged gasp, she drew breath, as her heart began beating wildly in her chest. She tipped over and hammered her chin into the table. She lay there for a moment, before raising her arm and planting one hand on the wooden surface. Then the other. Slowly, she pushed herself up. Her legs shook like crazy as she tried to balance her own weight. Each breath was raspy and jagged, requiring as much of her concentration as she could muster. Finally, she stood up, using her chair for support. She could feel her muscles softening.

She looked up. The charging energy cast a pale light across the isle.

She turned towards the others and focused, willing heat into them. She could feel her reservoirs of energy depleting. She took a deep breath and called upon the dragonflame in her to flare up. Even it struggled, but soon ignited, filling her with its warm energy. She let in flow freely from her, flooding into her friends and allies.

Slowly, they started stirring, as the frozen stasis that had engulfed them faded.

"Where are they?" Musa slowly asked. "What happened?"
The Dominian princess tried to open her mouth to answer, but just fell over instead.

"Bloom!" Stella exclaimed and forced herself up from her chair, only to almost fall over herself. "Dear Solaris, my legs."
"Helvete," Gantlos cursed, as he too got up. "We were expecting a trap and they still caught us off guard."

"I'm going to blast that smug queen's face in," Musa growled.

"So, ehm, what's with the light show?" Techna asked, as she pointed at the big glowing ball of magical energy. "Because that looks like a fucking problem if I've ever seen one."

"A spell of oblivion. A magical ritual of mass destruction," Ogron said. "They must mean to blast it across the island, erasing us and our backup in one strike."

"I must warn my men," Jonas said, touching the communicator on his ear. "This is force commander Jonas of the Roccalucian order. Respond immediately." He paused. "We have a dire emergency on hand, respond now." He paused.

"Maybe they've also been trapped like we were," Anagan said. "If that's the case, they're a hanging target."
"Then we'll need to get Bloom down there," Stella said, as she slowly helped her friend up. "If she has any energy left. Bloom, can you hear me? Please say something."
"Amnglryn," the redhead groaned.

The group heard footsteps and turned around, to see the boys come running up.

"Dumon?" Ogron asked. "What happened?"
"I'm sorry, boss. It's that damn fairy general. She hid a spell in me that allowed her to take complete control of me. She ordered me to kidnap Roxy," the mohawked man responded. "The guys here managed to free me."
"Even more traps," Flora noted. "We've been completely had by them."
"What do we do about the spell?" Mirta asked.
"Nebula," Bloom groaned. "He was... Sent to do something."
"Probably start it up," Ogron noted. "Even if we were to beat him in a fight, which I doubt we could in our weakened state, we wouldn't be able to dissipate the energy before it went off. Best case scenario, we survive by letting our new allies die. And that's presuming they haven't created more safeguards. They have managed to predict our actions so far and used that against us."

"Then we must try to make for the beach. Maybe Techna can control the ships without us needing to awaken the soldiers and get them out of the way," Musa suggested.
"That's going to be fucking tough with that thing sucking up all the energy," the scared girl noted. "But I'll give it a shot."
"Whatever we do, we gotta do it now. Time is rapidly running out," Ogron said.

"Then... Let's try to save the others," Roxy said.

The group exchanged glances and began moving as fast as they could down to the beach.

Gantlos moved to follow, but stopped when Nabu suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder. The blond turned to look at him. The bird magi's eyes were hard, filled with an unshakable determination.

"No regrets," he said, tone slightly unstable. "Best people I've known."

Gantlos paused, then nodded.

The dark-skinned caster then turned around and ran towards the tower.

Gantlos stood for a moment, before turning to follow the others.

...

Nebula smirked as the energy reached its zenith. Soon, he would wipe out those annoying rebels and their allies for good.

He heard footsteps and looked down as Nabu emerged from the staircase.

"So, come to see the show up close?" the fairy general asked. "Or are you just trying to save your own hide?"
"I've come to save my friends," Nabu stated. "And the people I love." He hammered the butt of his staff into the stone surface beneath his feet. "Do you even have anyone like that? Or have you chased them all away?"
"I have the respect of my fellow generals and the trust of my queen. What else would I ever need?" Nebula asked. "But even if you could beat me, that's not going to stop anything. It's too late for that."
"Then I shall dispel your vile creation," Nabu stated as a challenge, before pointing his staff towards the charging ritual. "I shall rip apart its bonds and undo it."
Nebula threw his head back and laughed. "You really think it's that easy, kiddo?" he asked. "Go on, let me see you try. You don't have the power to undo this before time runs out. It's as good as ready."
"Then I shall divert it," Nabu declared. "I shall send it harmlessly into the depths of space or the vastness of the ocean. Then you will have failed."

"Nope. Protected against that too," the black-clad general noted while checking his nails. "You can fire it towards Ireland if you want. Although I think people will be pissed if you blow up Howth." A cold smile manifested on his face. "Face it. No matter what, you've lost. Either you let it slay your helpless friends or you choose to kill a lot of civilians, which you guys think is really bad."

Nabu lowered his head, eyes closed.

"So, what will it be?" Nebula taunted.

"You talk too much," the bird magi said, a smirk on his face as he looked Nebula straight in the eyes. "Bloom did mention that you were prone to taunting when you thought you had won. See, there is one glaring omission in the safety net that engulfs your spell, probably because none of you could fathom anybody doing something so stupid. And you are right, it is about to go off."

Nebula's smile faltered. "What are you talking about?" he asked, annoyed. "There's no way you've outsmarted us. You're bluffing."
"Am I? Am I really?" Nabu asked. "Why don't you check. You still have a couple of seconds before it's over."
Nebula paused, then reached out with his magic, sensing the meta-magical rules that bound the spell. His eyes opened wide. He heard a noise, as his panicked mind instantly worked overtime to process things. He realised that the noise was his own screaming.

Nabu had indeed changed which way it would fire.

Down.

He reached out, desperately trying to undo the alterations.

But it was too late.

A bright, white flare of raw magical energy shot down at the tower.

Nabu took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

The light engulfed him.

...

In an instant, the northern part of the island was engulfed in a dome of pure energy. The sound of the massive explosion sundered the silence. A shockwave washed across the rest of the island. The group, still trying to reach the beach, were lifted off their feet and hurled across the grass.

And then, as quickly as it had come, it ceased. Deafening silence and blinding darkness instantaneously engulfed Ireland's Eye. And then came the sound of rushing water, as the ocean filled in the crater that was all that remained.

"What... What happened?" Roxy asked, as she got up. "It blew up."
"Did they make a mistake?" Sky pondered. "Maybe they did it wrong."

"Is everyone here?" Jonas asked. "Is anyone hurt?"
"I can barely see myself, let alone anybody else," Riven grumbled. "Dragon's ass, I think I hit a rock or something."
"Give me a moment," Stella said, as she tried to focus. A couple tries later, she managed to produce a gentle, yellow light, illuminating them all.

"Looks like we're all here," Dumon noted. "A little bit beat up, but it could be worse."
"Wait," Aisha suddenly said and looked around. "Where is Nabu?"
"Well... He was right behind us. Wasn't he?" Sky said as he scratched his head. "Did he land somewhere else?"

"Maybe he changed into a bird and got blown off course," Bloom suggested.

Ogron paused, then looked at Gantlos. The man was not moving. "Gantlos," Ogron slowly said. "What happened?"
Everyone paused and turned.

Gantlos kneeled and picked up his Stetson. He stared at it for a moment, before holding it up to his chest. He took a deep breath, composing himself. "He went back," he said. "To the tower. We were right behind you all. Tapped me on the shoulder before running off. Told me to tell you all that... That he had no regrets."
"No," Aisha whispered, realization setting in.

"Wanted me to tell you... That you were the best people he'd ever known."
"He redirected the blast," Jonas stated.

"No," Riven said shocked. "Wait, no, that... That can't be right. He... he can't have..." He grabbed his head. "Wait," he said, sounding almost feverish. "What if he... What if he teleported away..."
"Unlikely," Flora quietly noted, starring at her feet. "The spell was draining the area of all magic. Even redirecting it must have been a great strain. I doubt that he would have had..."
"NO!" Aisha suddenly yelled. "YOU... YOU'RE WRONG... HE CAN'T... HE... He can't..." she sobbed. Then she suddenly charged off towards the crater, screaming: "NABU! NABU!"

"I'll... make sure she doesn't get hurt," Anagan quietly stated, before vanishing in a blur.

Riven stood for a moment, before more or less collapsing on the ground.

Bloom felt unreal. It was like nothing right now was actually happening. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. It was Sky.

"You... Okay?" he tried unsteadily. His eyes were wet. He was trying to hold back.

"No," Bloom weakly said.

"I... Figured as much." He took a deep breath, not that it helped. "I've... I've lost friends before," he said. "It never... Never gets..." He paused, as tears began flowing freely.

"Nabu was a brave man," Ogron quietly said. "I regret that I couldn't spend more time in his presence. He will be honoured."
"Honoured. HONOURED!" Musa yelled, stomping over to the redhead. "WHAT THE FUCK IS HONOURING HIM GOING TO DO!? HE'S DEAD! DEAD! AND HE'S NOT COMING BACK!" Her fists clenched, before she suddenly lashed out, her knuckles collided with Ogron's face. The man took a step back from the impact, but otherwise made no motions to defend himself. The others paused, frozen in shock. "THIS IS ALL YOU GUYS' FAULT ANYWAY!" she screamed. "YOU AND YOUR VAGUE BULLSHIT! IF YOU GUYS HAD NOT ALL HIDDEN AWAY, IF YOU HAD DONE MORE, THEN... THEN..." Her knees wobbled and she fell to the ground. "Spirits damn you all, he'd still be here."

"I know," Ogron softly said.

Silence fell over the group. In the distance, they could hear Aisha yelling for Nabu, her voice hoarser with every try.

No one would respond.