The truck was as quiet as a graveyard with only the sound of the engine filling the void.
"I don't believe in magic, magic is something that goes against the creation of the natural world. It would disregard the evolution of science and all its separate fields." Kal'tsit answered clear and precisely while not turning her eyes from the road.
"That's a reasonable train of thought but the things I can tell and teach goes against that notion. I've seen and learned many things Kal'tsit and I'll be happy to teach what I know." Apollo explained his goals while also trying to get a read on Kal'tsit but to little avail.
Silence overtook the vehicle once again. This time along with the engine of the car Apollo reached into his chest and pulled out a pillow and blanket. "If you truly wish to work together and accept my 'magic'' As Apollo put in air quotes, I'll always be ready to open up if it's within reason." Apollo said as he started to drift into a sleep leaving Kal'tsit alone.
Marth was currently inside the garden that is grown within the landship. From what the garden keeper, Perfumer told her. The garden was open to everyone for relaxation from the stress of life. As for why she was here, it is due to what Apollo taught her a few days ago, she started to think back to the words he said.
"Magecraft is fueled by mana carried through the magic circuits of a mage. However all mages use a trigger to kick start their circuits, it's normally something closely tied to the mage in question when they are first opened. It could be an action like running or a phenomenon like fire sparking. You were able to switch on your circuits with assistants from yours truly. The next step is for you to learn a basic form of magecraft, my specialty called strengthening also known as enforcing."
Marth turned her attention to the small wooden cube Apollo gave her. It was her testing tool for strengthening. Marth looked at the cube and to her the cube looked back. She took a deep breath before palming the cube that fit snugly in her hand. Apollo explained the basic idea of how to enforce something.
Marth took a deep breath.
Slow your breathing, keep it under control at all times.
The advice Apollo gave was entering her head step by step.
First, analysis: Understand the materials and construction of the object.
Marth sends mana into the cube, not enough to do anything. Rather for her to view the cube like an extension of herself.
Second, Strengthening: Start pouring magically energy into said object, go as slow as you need when starting out.
The collapse in her pride was evident on her face, she poured mana into the cube slowly equally enforcing the surface.
Third analysis and reassess: Review the object in question if any adjustments need to be made.
The imaginary steam flowing from Marth's head was showing the mental burden this was placing on her.
Lastly withdrawal: This and strengthening are the hardest steps in the process. Messing these two steps can cause the destruction of the object in question. Just like you pushed mana out from your body, now it's time to suck it back in.
Marth's body tightens after remembering the last step. She tried and tried but the mana inside the cube wasn't leaving at all. Deep within her heart Marth yelled a simple phrase. "Come out!"
However her pleas fell on deaf ears as the cube exploded. Gladly due to the amount of mana pushed in the explosion weren't violent, if they were Marth likely would have lost an eye or two. She placed whatever was left of the cube on the floor among the other handful of cube fragments. "Another failure."
Marth fell to the floor, back flat. While her mind was as quiet as the ocean in the summer, her heart was comparable to a raging storm of emotions. She stayed like this for a while letting time run its course.
"You seem exhausted. You should take a rest." A can appeared in Marth's field of view.
Marth turned towards the source of the voice, to a familiar vouivre doctor. "Hi Ms. Saria. What are you doing here?"
"I'm on my break currently. Amiya are making pushes for more breaks when they are able to, so when things do get crazy we aren't already exhausted." Saria explained as she walked towards the marble white table.
"I see, either way, thank you for the drink. I needed it." Marth replied as she started chugging the drink down.
"May I ask what you are doing here? I see quite the mess with these blocks of yours, they keep exploding." Saria asked as she started to observe one of the fragmented cubes.
"Mr. Apollo is teaching me something from his homeland. It's the enforcement of an object."
"So it's safe to say, if it fails this happens?" Saria motioned the handful of cube fragments in her hand. On closer inspection she sees an incredibly small amount of smoke coming from the outer pieces that were darker in color to the rest of the cube.
All Marth could do was nodded solemnly. "I was about to go for another attempt," Marth continued.
"While pushing past hardship is good, there is no shame in taking a break when you hit a wall." Saria talked as she placed the cube fragments in hand on the table.
Marth's heart was clouded with emotions at her words. She wants to make Apollo proud by showing him the fruits of her training, but deep down she knows Saria is right. Marth took a seat next to Saria, the two sat in silence allowing the soft hum of the A/C to fill the void.
"Marth, are you eating properly?" The question from Saria pierced the silence.
"I-I have. You don't have to worry."
"I won't ask why but it's important for anyone, especially someone undergoing treatment, to eat a balanced meal whenever they can." With that Saria got up from the table and left the room leaving Marth alone.
With Saria leaving, Marth could only look at the cube fragments around her. The more she looked at it, the more her heart sank into a dark state of being. "Did Mr. Apollo put too much faith in me?" That was the question that rang in her head.
Saria entered the medical office and went to her desk. It was unusually empty today with only a handful of other people inside, she didn't think too much about it.
"Everyone must be out on a mission or on break." Saria expressed her thoughts as her squeaky chair responded to her sitting down. The once chilly feeling off the can has gone down a bit, not wanting to let it warm up Saria chugged the rest of it. Saria opened one of the desk cabinets and grabbed a file from it. Saria leaned forwards, placing the empty can on her desk causing a metallic sound to resonate in the room.
Saria opened the file, it was Marth's file. She looked for the weight of her and her suspensions were correct.
Patient Name: Marth Azrael
Infection Status: Confirmed, originium found on legs.
...
...
Weight: 41.6kg
"She got skinner again." Saria thought back to Marth's weight when she first did a medical exam on her. "From 47 kg to 41 kg in just two weeks. Unless she's being physically active then she hasn't been eating properly." Saria could only sigh.
"I'll need to ask Apollo to eat lunch with her, maybe then she'll start eating." Saria opened her other cabinet and inside she saw a pack of smokes inside wrapped in the plastic packaging it was shipped out in. The pack of smokes caused a great wind of nostalgia in Saria as she looked back to her time in Rhine Lab, she was often caught by Silence and other higher ups smoking. A weak smile formed on her face as she called back all the times she was scolded by them to stop, but she never listened.
The memories caused Saria to think back to the earlier days of the research team, before many things changed. "I can't remember the time I brought these." An image of Ifrit flashed before her eyes. Saria closed the cabinet upon getting a pen to write, causing the pack of smokes to go back to the darkness.
A day came and went as Apollo and the rest reached their destination, the Grand Empire of Ursus. A place Apollo started to view as this world's equivalent to Russia, of course which time period Ursus resembles is to be seen. The ride has still been mostly uneventful, Kal'tsit only answering questions Apollo asked; which prompted Apollo to sleep for most of the trip.
Apollo was woken by the stopping of the truck. His arms reached for the heavens as he groaned. "Guess we're here."
Kal'tsit opened her door as Apollo opened his. Apollo stretched to get his joints nice and loose. Apollo looked around and noticed some of the differences between Lungmen and Ursus, mainly just like in Lungmen their native language was on various signs and posters, but along with many of them there was a similar language to what he found in Lungmen.
"While each nation has its own native language, there is also a global language that all of the nation somehow agrees on. It makes everyone's lives easier."
Apollo turned around to see the small cat-like figure of Kal'tsit wearing a coat that to him appeared out of nowhere.
"Thank you for the explanation. In my homeland you will only see this treatment in tourist places and only in certain parts of the place. It also amazes me how you guys decided on a global language. That rarely if ever has been done before back at home." Amazement was clear in Apollo's voice.
"WHY IS IT SO COLD HERE!"
Both Kal'tsit and Apollo turned around to see a young Ifirt with a small fire in her hand.
"Put this on."
Behind her was Silence and the others. Silence was currently carrying a coat that was Ifirt's size, the rest of the group were also wearing coats causing Apollo to be the odd one out. He wore a simple white short sleeve and jeans
Apollo sensing a presence behind, he turned around to be greeted with a man in a suit. His small round fluffy ears on his head caused a instinct in Apollo to spark, but as to not pissed off Kal'tsit kept his urge to touch them in check.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope Ursus's famous or infamous cold weather isn't too much of a bother for you all?" The man asked with a lighthearted expression.
The man looked at our members, Apollo followed his eyes as he quickly scanned them all. However his expression darken, although for a brief moment when he looked at Ifirt who's infection was still easy to spot.
"Follow me. Mr. Davin would like to review the deal until everything is finalized." The man said.
"Of course. Everyone but Dobermann stay out here." Kal'tsit ordered.
Dobermann and Kal'tsit followed the man inside, leaving the others behind.
"You. How are you not cold?"
Apollo turned around to Ifirt who asked the question. Apollo simply shrugged his shoulders in response. This action seemed to piss Ifirt off a little as she made a basketball size fireball in her hand. Most people would be scared or at least startled by Ifirt's fire but Apollo's expression remained unfazed. Apollo walked towards her fire getting head level with it until it was a few inches apart.
The orange flame shined brightly, the warm feeling of the fire was welcomed to Apollo. He placed his hand on Ifrit's head gently.
"It's a beautiful flame. You're cool." Apollo said with a thumbs up and a large smile.
Ifirt blinked a couple of times trying to understand whatever Apollo just said, it was bewildering to her. Apollo retracted his hand and stood upright.
"If you need anything I'll be on top of the truck." With that Apollo walks towards the truck, quickly climbing it and laying down.
"You'll catch a cold up there."
This time it was Silence who spoke.
"I'll be fine. You two should be in the truck, it's warm in there." Apollo stated.
Ifirt started to pull on Silence's coat.
"Come on, leave him. If he wants to be cold then let him. He deserves it for being rude to me, the greatest-."
Ifirt was interrupted by Silence flicking the back of her head.
"Stop it."
Ifirt instantly stopped, and went inside the truck. Silence mouthed 'I'm sorry about her' before heading into the car herself.
Atop of a building about 3km away from Rhodes Island there was a team of two. One was holding a pair of binoculars while the other was carrying a crossbow modeled after a sniper. They were sent from the empire to keep eyes on Rhodes Island, mainly Kal'tsit.
"The two targets went inside the truck, one child and an adult. Currently the only one visible is on top the truck closest to the gate.".
"That's what I see too."
As the two watched their target the unexpected happened, they had no reason to believe their plan was leaked. It was between them and their higher ups, but the actions happening didn't add up to that.
They watched as Apollo leaned upright and stared right at them. Both watchers felt a small shiver down their spine.
"Did you feel that too?"
"I did. There's no way he knows we're here. Even some of the best arts for vision shouldn't see this far."
"Let's test it."
One of the watchers waved his hand.
"If he waves back th-"
In that very moment that chill in their spine turned into a tundra. Their target was waving back at them as if there wasn't a care in the world.
"Take aim!"
"On it."
The sniper got in position ready to take the shot. However all Apollo did was smile. Apollo's eyes to everyone else would give off his normal peaceful energy but to those,where his intention was clear and concentrated would experience something different. The watchers could do nothing but stare back into Apollo's eyes, the gaze that showed a silent but void like bloodlust. The chill they felt was starting to spread inwards of their body.
The fingers
The Feet
The Arms
The Legs.
Each part of their body was getting colder and colder by the moment, the chill soon reached their hearts and squeezed. To them what was behind them wasn't the various systems to watch their back, nor the air that gave everyone life. What they felt was behind them was death. All of this happening in the span of a few moments to others was years for the watchers.
Once the chill and bloodlust went away, the sniper entered a relaxed position conveying that he wasn't planning to shoot, just watch.
"We can't kill him. You and I d-don't want to die."
"Agreed. We'll just observe and report this to the boss."
The tension between the two parties dropped with a simple action from Apollo. His signature peaceful smile with no ill emotions and his goofy thumbs up.