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Gra Gryning

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Ralph Essen
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    • Ralph Essen


    Alone in a room in a no tell hotel. I looked up at the ceiling and sighed as the light went through the window. I turned on the TV and sighed, Saturday morning cartoons.

    He-man sat on his giant cat, his friend sat on his.

    "I know we can make things right this time old friend."

    His friend nodded and then they looked up.

    "He-man."

    The thick russian accent of Man of Arms echoed through the vally, the evil king sneered at the two heroes.

    "Are you ready to die?"

    Man at Arms pointed his sword and arrows were unleased.

    "NO!"

    He-man's friend's hands moved, and I sighed they had it wrong, completely wrong. The show always screwed up magic. The two of them fled into a ravine, the warrior went first the mage followed. Their cats moving under the water until they got into a cave, the two of them were silent as Man of arms troops passed. He-man looked at his friend.

    "I'm sorry."

    His friend removed his hood, revealing the skull like face.

    "Don't be."

    "If we had been faster I could have fixed your face, could have-"

    His friend placed a hand on his shoulder.

    "My face doesn't matter, what matters is restoring the republic."

    He man nodded.

    "Thank you Skeletor."

    I turned off the TV. I could only handle so much shlock in one day. I got up and got dressed I stopped myself from making the bed. I gathered my things and headed towards the train station, the walk seemed to take forever. I was hungry when I got to the station and I sighed.

    "Of course there's a Jollybee."

    I walked inside and ordered a beef Tapa, I turned around and blinked.

    "The hell?"

    There was a Jollybee across the street from another Jollybee. When I recieved my meal I got out of there and looked for somewhere else to eat, the train station had a bunch of places.

    Ediya's coffee,Sibylla, white castle, you know the normal fast food chains that seemed to be everywhere, I even saw a green weenie. I bought a newspaper and sat down.

    "Mc Donalds declares bankrupcy."

    What the fuck is a McDonalds.

    "Local chain."

    I looked up at the bored teenager who sold me the newspaper.

    "They are mostly limited to southern California, well were, looks like they're closing them all down."

    He didn't sound that broken up and honestly I couldn't bring myself to care that much about a chain I never heard about before. I ate my breakfast in silence, bought my ticket and got on the train, I passed a few people and then froze.

    I looked at their hands and recognized the ring.

    "Gallaudet."

    I sat further down and kept my distance, it's not that I hated the school, I didn't. I had a very healthy respect for the west coast's school for the deaf/school of magic, but I was wearing a compass ring and I didn't want to deal with school rivialries.

    Someone tapped me on the shoulder he gave me a piece of paper.

    "I'm deaf and I need help."

    I stared at the paper, and tried to communicate with him with sign language.

    "It's a really bad idea to do that here."

    He nodded his head and shrugged.

    "No it's a really bad idea to do that here, whatever issues you have for the love of god do not do this."

    He signed back and....

    Gibberish, oh fuck we have an idiot. I sighed and gave him a dollar he smiled at me and walked forward, the man wasn't deaf. I shook my head as he tapped on the shoulder of the magi ahead of me. The train compartment went completely silent.

    "Moron."

    I met a few deaf people in the service, they mostly tended to be either army or Jarhead's but they really really hated posers, especially one's who tried this kind of stunt. I saw glowing block letters in deep red above one of their heads.

    "You're not deaf."

    The glowing letters turned into an enraged face, the man yelped as one of them, a woman grabbed him by the ear and twisted. One of her hands remained free she dragged the man back. Her free hand summoned an illusion.

    "Did you give money to this man?"

    The words formed over her head, I then noticed that she wore glasses, her skin was dark and though her clothing was conservative they reveled a nice figure. She looked at me, I signed back.

    "Yes."

    "He's not deaf."

    "I know, I gave him the money because he has a disease, a horrible one called stupidity."

    The woman smirked.

    "He's still giving the money back."

    Her eyes opened and the man cringed as the blocky red letters formed.

    "RIGHT?"

    The man handed back my dollar and was dragged by the ear further into the train, I opened my book and picked up where I left off.
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le Pen


    It turns out that the next aspect of my training revolved around learning how to make things, lots of things. Pottery, smithing, chemistry, sewing, and glassmaking.

    I stared at the twin glass mirrors.

    "I finally got it right."

    My teacher nodded.

    "I know this was hard Louis, but with your season your ability with matter is limited to analyzing material and doing very basic repairs, anything else risks..."

    "Paradox."

    He nodded, I had met people who had pushed too fair and gotten hurt when they tried magic outside their grasp. Merlin made sure we all knew the price of magic and tried to make sure we used it safely.

    "Are you ready?"

    It was a rank 3 space spell, I placed the two mirrors on a desk. Glowing crystals filled with mana helped me as I carefully applied enchanted ink to the outside of the mirror, in groves that I had put runes into. I smiled as each quartz crystal went dark, as they did so each rune lit up until all the crystals were empty and the outside of the mirrors glowed.

    The runes died, becoming invisible, I tapped the mirror and saw my reflection.

    "Hello."

    I heard my voice come out of the other mirror and saw my face on it, my mirror just showed the ceiling.

    "Good, you have created your first magical artifact. What do you want to do with it?"

    The twin mirrors were forever linked, no matter what the distance I could talk to whoever held the other mirror, it was a miracle of magic.

    "I, I want to send this to some one special."

    It had been over six months at that point and I wanted to see Andrea again.

    "That sounds like a good idea, but first come with me I have a surprise."

    I carefully placed the twin mirrors in a wooden box and followed my teacher into the elevator. We went up into the clouds, when we got out I saw other students with other golems. The golems walked away and I saw the glow of Merlin's true form. A man with a beard and a bald head looked at us with piercing green eyes. I blinked.

    "A priest."

    Paul stepped next to me.

    "Yes."

    Merlin raised a wing the priest blinked but remained standing, his arms folded behind him. His face was impassive.

    "I know quite a few of you are catholic and that traveling to the mainland for religious services is quite a pain, to this end I have contacted the Holy sea and other religious groups. I never want my students to have to choose between their god and magic. You should have both."

    The priest stepped forward.

    "My name is Father Russo of Milan, I have been sent by the mother church to look after your souls. If you are wondering whether you are damned or not, we do not know. The Pope has decided to withhold judgement and the Jesuit order will send people to look after you and study Compass."

    He paused.

    "We will hold services this friday and I would like to remind you that lent is here, I understand some of you have been eating meat on fridays. I have informed your headmaster about that religious condition and fish will be provided to you on fridays, but since vegetarian meals have been provided this entire time that excuse isn't valid. I will be here to hold confession and absolve you of that minor error in judgement."

    We nodded at him, and then Merlin opened the large doors, our eyes opened in shock.

    "Oh my."

    Merlin nodded.

    "I spent some time in France ferrying diplomats during the war, I'm unfamilar with your human churches especially your catholic ones, so I decided to just copy one. Notre Dame Cathedral to be exact."

    The priest was frozen.

    "I tried to make this as exact a copy as I could Father Russo."

    The priest took a breath.

    "The mother church appreciates your generosity and hospitality Mr. Merlin, but my duty is first and formost to god if this is a bribe then I assure you it will
    not work."

    Merlin wings rose in a shrug.

    "As long as my students spiritual needs are taken care of then I will call this even."

    Our teacher left and we followed the priest as we marched towards the church, we opened the doors and the priest nodded.

    "Very well, I will hold confession."

    We got into a line, and I waited patiently, when my turn came I went into the confessional.

    "Hello child what do you have to confess."

    I thought about it.

    "I have been judgemental father."

    "Explain?"

    "On the weekends Saturday's I look after people with sicknesses, illnesses for extra money."

    The priest was silent.

    "That isn't a sin my son."

    I took in a breath.

    "They often have um, diseases like Syphilis, from whores, the headmaster says that it's not our place to judge, that we should leave those matters to men of god or the law."

    Father Russo was silent.

    "Your headmaster has a point, I still do not know if your gift is from the devil or from nature like your headmaster claims, but if it is a gift then your duty is to cure these men's bodies, matters of the soul belong to us."

    "Yes Father."

    "Why did you become a magi?"

    "My master's daughter cant walk, when she was young a horse threw her off. No one could heal her and I volunteered to go."

    "Master?"

    "My mother was a servant, as was I Father."

    I couldn't see him.

    "Your reasons for coming here are noble, but you need to leave matters of god to men of god, and god himself. 10 hail mary's and make sure to abstain from meat this friday."

    "Yes father."

    I left the confessional and looked up at the cathedral, and somehow I wasn't impressed or in awe. Compared to some of the things I've seen at Compass this just didn't compair, I looked at Paul as he walked next to me.

    "How did it go?"

    "I was told to be more forgiving... it isn't going to happen."

    I shrugged as we continued to walk.

    "Going to the aquarium?"

    It was our favorite part of the school. I thought about it.

    "I have things to do first."

    Paul shrugged and I walked over to the post office, I paid for a box and carefully wrapped my package with of the two mirrors and a letter. The bored
    official took my letter and I decided to thank our headmaster. I went into the elevator and went up to his office. I heard a man talking.

    "The situation is getting worse."

    I spoke english now. I froze.

    "I am well aware of how bad things are out there Alex, I fought alongside these men during the revolution, I understand their points."

    "If I had a command, if I had fought, if I had..."

    "I'm not going to apologize for helping this country win the war Alex, you're going to have to win glory with your mind, not on the battlefield."

    There was a pause.

    "You served with George, that should be enough for anyone."

    "This system isn't workable Merlin, we both know that these articles of confederation are a disaster."

    "I know Alex, but as much as I sympathize with you I have to think about the school, my position here is precarious right now."

    "You're a living force of nature, I saw you destroy an entire army Merlin."

    "And that power means nothing if I'm not able to pass on my knowledge. If I fail in this effort Alex nothing will remain of my people. Everything we did, all of our efforts will be worth nothing."

    "And if this country fails the same will happen to me!"

    The two paused.

    "I can put you in contact with students, we're working on long distance communication devices, flying devices things like that. I can even slip you some money with the agreement you will help me find some teachers for my school."

    "That isn't much."

    "I'm sure there are learned men amongst the veterans, men with skills. I'd be willing to hire any of them, and if they want to become students I have another class opening next year. I'm sorry Alex but Compass has to be an apolitical organisation to survive. This is the best I can do for you right now."

    "Thanks Merlin, I appreciate it."

    The door opened and a man walked out, he had eyes that burned with an inner fire.

    "Um sorry sir."

    He looked at me.

    "Looking to talk to Merlin?"

    I nodded.

    "I wanted to thank him."

    The man took several breaths.

    "Merlin, does this boy know how to make those mirrors you were talking about?"

    Merlin walked out.

    "Yes."

    The man smiled at me and put out his hand.

    "My name is Alexander Hamilton and I want to talk business."
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le pen


    The deal was simple, Monsieur Hamilton needed a pair of communications mirrors from me. I was sure I wasn't the only one contracted to make these mirrors, the students who were children of spring were better at this task then I was. I didn't feel the limitations of my powers before I started, but as I made mirrors with spring magi I noticed how easy it all was for them.

    I noticed that they could shape and manipulate glass, metal and other materials with their hands alone, that they could craft faster and more precisely, but I was at long last finished. Monsieur Hamilton walked with another man and tapped our mirror sets, once he was satisfied that our goods were good enough we were paid.

    With that done I head headed towards my room. I relaxed on my bed, I looked at the clock built into the room and picked up my mirror, I tapped it again
    and smiled at Andrea.

    "Hello Mademoiselle."

    I heard a squeeking sound and Andrea's face shifted, I heard her take a deep breath.

    "Louis?"

    I smiled.

    "The same, do you like my gift?"

    She smiled at me, her hands going through her curly brown hair.

    "It's... it's really you?"

    I smiled.

    "Yes."

    She tapped the mirror.

    "This is magic."

    "Yes well, I am learning to become a wizard so I thought it only natural to make you a magic mirror."

    She smiled and my heart warmed a little. I always liked Andrea, she was nice to me, to all the servants, she was our little princess.

    "How is um your training going?"

    I took a breath.

    "I'm working on learning runes, that involves a bunch of other stuff blacksmithing, sewing, pottery., Merlin requires his magi to know how to do a whole bunch of things."

    She nodded and bit her lip in thought.

    "I'm working on learning how to fix your legs, help you walk again. The headmaster says he's willing to give me a sabbatical and let me return to France in 82."

    She smiled.

    "Good, I missed you."

    "But he also wants me to finish my training. I will return home and by then I will be able to help you, but I gave my word that I would return and-"

    "I understand Louis."

    She smiled warmly at me.

    "Jauque has gone off to school to learn how to be a soldier, you have gone off to learn how to be a wizard and I'm still here."

    I felt a little bad at that, like I abandoned her.

    "I just wanted to help."

    "And I understand, it's just lonely here without you."

    She smiled.

    "How about playing with other girls?"

    "They don't want to play with a cripple, my only friends in the entire world are you and my brother. I miss you both terribly but with this new mirror, it's not so bad."

    She blinked.

    "Oh can you show me all the things in the school you told me about?"

    I felt my heart warm as she got excited.

    "Of course."

    "Thank you Louis. It's strange, all those games where you were the evil sorcerer trying to steal me away and now you're a wizard, and my brothers a
    soldier."

    She smirked.

    "You're not planning on stealing me away for real right?"

    I smirked back.

    "First chance I get little princess, I will wisk you away and make you my dark bride."

    I gave an evil laugh and Andrea giggled.

    "I missed you, Louis."

    "I missed you too Andrea."

    I heard a knock coming from the mirror, Andera looked around.

    "I hope you don't mind Louis but I have to hide this yes? Mom won't understand."

    The image went dark and I stared at the ceiling. I missed Andrea, I missed my friend, this mirror even if it was just for a moment gave her back to me.

    "I love magic."
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le pen



    Paul sighed at the french restaurant.

    "Polish then?"

    Paul frowned.

    "We've eaten there a lot too, Polish and French."

    He closed his eyes.

    "Merlin has an entire level dedicated to food from around the world and all we eat is French and Polish food."

    I shrugged.

    "There's lots of choice."

    "I know but we're only going to be here so long. Hmm I think I'm going to try some Italian food, what do you want Louis?"

    I thought about it and we did have that one man from the far east, what was he?

    "I think I'm going to try this Korean food."

    Paul nodded.

    "Sounds good, tell me how it goes."

    The elevator opened into the food court. None of the students ate at the great hall anymore. Not with the bounty of restaurants of every conceivable style.

    "Just remember, tomorrow is..."

    I sighed at Paul.

    "A no meat day, so I will have what I can on this lovely thursday."

    Paul smiled.

    "Good."

    We split off. I wandered around into the empty far east section, I stopped and nodded at a sign in two languages.

    "Korean."

    I walked into the restaurant and saw three men eating together, talking. Summer, Autumn, and Spring. They were differnt peoples. I recognized the summer magi, he was Smith, the Autumn mage was the lone Korean at our school and the Spring Magi had dark, black skin. He had a brand on his left face.

    I walked up to them.

    "Um what should I eat?"

    The other two men looked at the Korean who nodded.

    "Goldongban, it's the best thing on the menu. The rest of it is ok, but it's the only dish this place pulls off correctly."

    I went to the servitor and asked for the dish and some ice'd coffee with milk, I turned around.

    "Sit with us!"

    I nodded and sat with the older men, I looked at the man John Smith.

    "So you're all friends?"

    John nodded and used strange sticks to eat his meal. I tried to copy the other men and failed.

    "Of course, my Ex hated colored folk, but she was a stupid whore so I decided to find out for myself."

    John shrugged.

    "She was wrong of course, horrid woman was wrong about everything."

    "Oh, I'm sorry um..."

    He waved me off.

    "Don't be, everyone in this school has a sob story."

    "Really?"

    He looked over at the black man, the man nodded.

    "Name's Ajax Brown, I was a slaved, tried to escape my master bunch of times. When the revolution came he made me a deal, if I fought he would give me my freedom. So I fought and I now I'm a freeman. I didn't want to remain anywhere close to my old master just in case he changed his mind. Didn't have any skills other then picking cotton and I didn't know what else to do so I came here."

    He leaned back into his chair.

    "Life's a lot better here, better clothing, better food. When I finish I figure I will make things, magic things, don't know what yet."

    The Korean nodded.

    "An Kor Park, I was 10 years old when the pirates came to my village, ten years old when they murdered my parents in front of me, 10 years old when they sold me into slavery. Then I went from ship to ship, working whatever jobs they told me too, until one day I ended up in New York."

    He sighed.

    "I can't count the number of times I prayed to Buddha to get me home, can't count the number of gods I prayed to, to get home. I was desperate so I wandered into this christian church and I prayed to your western god for some way, an way to avenge my family to get home."

    His eyes were tired and angry.

    "When I got out of that church I stepped on a piece of paper. I thought it was crazy but I had just prayed to a god and maybe this is a sign. So I went, Merlin made me a deal, if I agree to set up a school in Korea and teach others what he taught me, he will get me home."

    "And you agreed?"

    "Without hestitation, the Chinese prey upon us, the Japanese prey upon us, pirates prey upon us. I will go home and I will make my people strong. It is like John says, everyone here has a sob story, everyone has a reason to be here."

    He smiled.

    "I asked the headmaster about it, and he said that sometimes he feels like this is the island of misfit toys."

    I nodded.

    "And John, what do you want to do?"

    John smiled.

    "Make clocks."

    I blinked.

    "What?"

    "I spent my entire youth on the docks moving heavy stuff, breaking my back. I saved, I scrimpted and I lost everything because of a bad woman. I went into the army and almost lost my leg, I learned the hard way that you can't count on being big and strong your whole life."

    "And clocks?"

    "Moved one once and I fell in love with the things. Merlin's been teaching me how to make them, and I like making them. Makes me feel smart and it's, well peaceful. So when I get out of here that's what I want to do, just make clocks. How about you kid?"

    The three of them looked at me.

    "I was a servant, I was sent here to learn how to heal my master's daughter."

    They nodded, and An Kor brought out a drink.

    "To the island of misfit toys."

    We toasted and then continued eating.
     
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    • Ralph Essen
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    • Ralph Essen


    I looked up from my book as the train stopped. People rushed past me, I was free, retired and had an entire world to explore.
    I wandered around the city in a daze looking for the docks, when I got there I stopped.

    "New Hampshire style coffee."

    I smiled when I walked in, cold brew coffee, lots of places did iced coffee but you could only find proper cold brew coffee in New Hampshire. New Hampshire style cold brew involved dripping water through coffee grounds over a period of hours.

    I saw my old favorites, expressos, Lattes and the shear varity of coffee that was limited to the magic state and places like this. I rushed in and smiled, the man looked at my ring.

    "Compass?"

    I nodded, and he nodded.

    "Good school, visited the place."

    "Not a student?"

    He shook his head.

    "No, but I fell in love with the coffee. What you looking for?"

    "Coldbrew, with 2% milk."

    I paid the money and sat down, I smiled as he placed a glass of fresh cold brew on my table. I took a sip and smiled.

    "Tastes just like Compass."

    The man shrugged.

    "You're lucky, that's the last of my stuff, cold brew always runs out early round here."

    "Best damned coffee I've had in years."

    He nodded.

    "Yeah, I do everything right, I use the Magika beans straight from Compass."

    I blinked.

    "Magika?"

    "Three kinds of coffee, you got Robusta the cheap stuff that all the major brands use, Arabica the good coffee that most coffee joint use and then you have Magika the beans Merlin spent over 50 years developing, makes some of the best smoothest coffee on the planet. The caffine of Robusta and a slightly more mellow taste then Arabica. It's almost impossible to get outside of New Hampshire."

    I took another sip.

    "Figures, old bird loves his coffee, always wondered why the stuff at Compass was so good."

    I finished my coffee, savoring it. A, a rock station was playing.

    "And this is Blue Oyster Cults third hit, Legion of silence."

    I listened in and appreciated the irony of a song about one of the most deadly deaf units of the first world war somehow managing to make it to the top ten. When the song ended my drink was finished. I left the coffee shop and headed towards the docks.
    There I found it, a place that sold houseboats, commercial boats. I walked in. I had talked about doing this and I knew what I wanted, an old man looked at me.

    "I just retired from the Navy and I want a ship."

    "Payment plan?"

    "Outright, I saved my bonuses."

    The man nodded.

    "I respect that, I will get Maria."

    He tapped a button, and I blinked as the dark woman from earlier walked in, she looked at me.

    "From the train?"

    She signed at me, I signed back.

    "Yeah."

    She nodded.

    "What are you looking for?"

    "Fishing vehicle, unenchanted, something I can alter as I see fit."

    "Pretty much all of our ships come pre-enchanted, especially the commercial stuff, you sure?"

    "Yes, I can do my own work."

    She looked at my ring.

    "Compass, should have known."

    "Not going to do the school rivalry thing?"

    "Why would I? I was a marine."

    Great a jarhead.

    "Really?"

    She looked at me.

    "New sailor gets on the ship for the first time and goes to sea. 3 months into his first cruise he approaches his supervising Petty Officer. "I dont know if i can go much longer without sex, PO!" His PO tells him quietly that there is a barrel at the bottom of the ship that he can use, with a hole on one side to do his thing. The next day the new sailor comes back to his PO and says, "PO that felt like the real thing, thank you. How often can i use it?" His PO says, Monday through Saturday. Stunned at the amount of use he can have, he was more stunned at not using it on sunday. So he asks his PO, "What about sunday PO?" PO responds, "Thats your turn in the Barrel."

    I paused.

    "Yep you're a marine."

    She smirked and brought out a medal, silent legion I nodded.

    "So I still need a boat."

    She motioned for me to follow her and we walked around.

    "We have two ships unenchanted, a yaught, and a fishing boat, thing was built to catch crabin Alaska before the Rapture."

    I looked at the bigger ship.

    "How much?"

    "56,000, because it's unechanted we can't move it."

    I thought about it.

    "Sold."

    I had morre then that in savings alone, years of being stuck on base paying off, Maria nodded.

    "Good, I will take you to my office. We will cut a check, call the bank and get this settled."

    I followed her to an office, a glowing crystal kept the room cool. I wrote a check and she faxed it to the bank, I showed ID and we waited.

    "So, um what's it like being deaf?"

    She signed back.

    "In the US? I worked with a Sikh once, deployment in some shithole country in the middle east, used a translation spell. It's kind of like that, you're expected to join the miltary, expected to be a badass magi that takes names and deals damage."

    "Sounds rough."

    "Been round the world, I've seen how we get treated outside the States. They treat us like were useless, or broken, or stupid. I'd rather be a member of America's warrior caste then live like that."

    I couldn't argue with that.

    "Is that why you um."

    She frowned.

    "I don't like it when filth try to damage our reputation, so I handled it."

    The fax machine wirred and she looked at book.

    "Read that book, it's pretty good. Where are you?"

    "The part where he described Compass as the island of broken toys."

    Maria smiled and gave the sign for laugher.

    "All these years and that hasn't changed."

    I frowned.

    "Insulting my school?"

    "No, Merlin takes broken people and fixes them up, he's good at it, damned good at it, and without him..."

    She sighed, her hands down for a bit before rising again.

    "Out there in most of the rest of the world? Magic is for the elite, here if they find out you're disabled, you're deaf blind, or got something screwy? Into magic school you go."

    She smiled.

    "I like that, gives us character. If Merlin ran Compass like a normal school people like me wouldn't have gotten a fair shake. It may be the island of misfit toys but Compass deserves respect."

    "Thanks."

    "Too bad you wasted it by joining the navy."

    Fucking Jarheads.
     
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    • Louis Le pen



    Paul took a bite and closed his eyes.

    "The food..."

    He opened his eyes.

    "When I leave, it will be the food I miss the most."

    He took another bite of this strange breakfast burrito, a mixture of sausage, sourcream, potatoes, and this odd but delightful salsa thing. I nodded in agreement, I blinked as our headmaster walked past us in his actual form. We were nearly done with our breakfast and Paul looked at me.

    "Follow?"

    I nodded.

    We finished our meals and we ran after him. We hid in the shadows, darting in and out and then found our headmaster looming over a man. He had a white wig, a fine blue coat and a thin tired face.

    "It's good to see you came Governor."

    The man sighed.

    "I wish, I'm only in charge of this blasted county, not the state."

    "Think of it as a stepping stone old friend."

    The two of them were silent.

    "I'm sorry it didn't work out with Peggy."

    He man sighed.

    "It's ok, she was a tory through and through and I'm patriot through and through. It was a few months at most, I'm over it."

    The two of them were silent.

    "I never thanked you Merlin, for helping me with that issue with Congress. I'm sorry about that, I was angry at the world back then."

    Our headmaster shrugged.

    "It's just money, and this new county needed someone who could bridge the divide, it needed someone to help it rebuild. It needed your old friend."

    The man the governor sighed.

    "Come on, you had a special dish you wanted me to try out?"

    They went into a restaurant and we followed him. The older man, the governor sat down.

    "It's something I've been working on."

    A servitor brought a meal on the table.

    "A muffin bottom, ham, a pouched egg, and Hollandaise sauce."

    The man looked at the dish and took a bite.

    "Delicious, french dish?"

    "No, but the sauce came from France, I call it Eggs Benedict."

    The man looked at the dish, his face was sad and then he smiled.

    "You named it after me?"

    Merlin nodded.

    "Of course Arnold, who else would it be?"

    The man took a deep breath.

    "It seemed like the entire world was against me, like it was just one thing after another going wrong. This whole country is a mess."

    "Then we will work hard to fix it."

    The governor took another bite, savoring the meal.

    "Thanks for helping me stabilize the whole money situation, it's still a bloody mess but it's getting better."

    He took another bite.

    "What do you do with the continentials?"

    "Burn them, it's Hamilton's plan, get some of the excess money out of the system. I'm going to start selling more goods, peg the continential equal to the pound 1 to 1."

    The governor nodded.

    "What are you bringing onto the market Merlin?"

    "Still following the same rule I followed before, nothing that has a major industry in our United States. Don't want to needlessly step on anyone's toes."

    The governor nodded.

    "And thank god for that, you have no idea how much that would just enrage the local Zoners, they complain enough about devilry as it is."

    The governor took another bite.

    "So what will it be?"

    "Bolts of silk and rubber."

    The governor froze.

    "Rubber? The only place that has rubber is Brazil."

    "I know."

    "The price for smuggling the trees out of the empire is death."

    "They're welcome to try."

    The governor laughed and took another bite.

    "Point made. Why did you decide to steal rubber from Portugal?"

    Our master closed his eyes.

    "Shoes."

    The governor blinked.

    "Shoes?"

    "I felt like the old leather shoes were not comfortable enough for my students, and didn't last long enough. I wanted rubber souls for their shoes."

    He took one last bite.

    "I will let the news slip to the media."

    He smiled.

    "Thanks for the meal Merlin, I assume you will send me the recipie?"

    "Right to the governor's mansion."

    He got up.

    "I used to think I might be the leader of the entire nation some day, or a real governor, someone important. Then that horrid scandal ruined everything."

    He looked at the dish.

    "But you know what, if I'm immortalized as a good breakfast? That would be enough for me."

    He got up.

    "Thanks Merlin, I better go off and sooth the faint hearts before they go mad with fear."

    "Take care Arnold."

    We hid in the shadows as the man passed us.

    "You can stop hiding, Paul and Louis."

    We cringed and stepped into the light.

    "You noticed us?"

    "The entire time."

    We looked at the governor.

    "You knew the general?"

    Merlin nodded.

    "I knew a lot of people, I had a life before this school you know."

    Our headmaster's eyes closed as if deep in thought.

    "But I didn't particularly enjoy that life. I'd take the glory of the classroom over the glory of the battlefield any day of the week. Now come on, I need to start teaching you how to create devices to cool the air and fight off the ravages of the heat."
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le pen


    I paced back and forth, March was over and summer would be coming to the world soon. Back to Brittany soon, to Andrea soon. A part of me did miss my mother, did miss home, but truthfully the person I missed the most was Andrea. We talked in secret, I changed my schedule with Merlin, and bought a clock from Mr. Smith. Which he was overjoyed to sell me.

    Our conversations mirror to mirror were secret. I showed her Compass and its many wonders, we talked for hours. I dedicated more time to my studies, crafting potions and sending them back to the Chabot family, but this time I had sent something special. I took a breath, it was Saturday. I needed to stop pacing. I left my room and went to the elevator. I pressed a button and smiled, I had gotten so used to this.

    I smiled when I got to the shopping level, it was filled with makeshift shops. Merlin believed that the best way to teach people how to run a shop was to let them use a practice shop. I walked over and saw nervous students in their shops, sailors and visitors inspected the very limited selection of magical goods. I looked at a shop and smiled.

    "Patriot Clocks."

    I walked into the store and blinked.

    "Wow."

    John sat on a table inspecting a clock. I saw clocks all over, some of them looked rough, but I saw a progression as they got nicer, prettier and more artful.

    "You made all of these?"

    John looked up and smiled.

    "Yes, Matter magic helps a lot in crafting them, time magic to craft them faster."

    I looked around.

    "Are they magical?"

    John shook his head.

    "I used magic to make them but no, the clocks themselves are not magical."

    I took a breath.

    "I um sent a gift, a big one to someone important, and I um..."

    John looked at me.

    "Is it a girl?"

    I sighed.

    "My Master's daughter, for her brithday."

    John frowned.

    "The girl who can't walk right?"

    I nodded, and John closed his eyes, his faced lined with pain as if remembering some nightmare.

    "You can't base a relationship on pity."

    I felt angry.

    "Andrea is my friend."

    John looked at me, his eyes filled with emotion.

    "I thought the same thing about my ex. I was younger then you when I started working at the docks. I saved my pennies, I wanted my own house. Then one day one of my friends' sister got pregnant. She went up to me, begged me to help her."

    John's voice cracked.

    "I didn't think much about myself back then, I just wanted someone, anyone to love me. She was out of my league as it were. I was nothing, but this was ok. I'd raise the child as my own and in time I thought she would love me."

    John winced in pain.

    "She lost the baby, but I kept the marriage, it was ok, we had a home, I would work hard and provide. I didn't value myself Louis, didn't value my own worth, and the woman who I took in in her worst hour turned on me. I went to church, I stayed away from liquor, I worked hard but it was never enough, and it got worse and worse, but I had a wife and I let it go. Eventually she would love me."

    "And then one day you found out she had taken all your money, sold all your stuff and left you for a redcoat."

    John's face got red with anger, he took quick breaths.

    "Yes. It's been years but I'm still angry about that. Thing is Louis, don't make the same mistake I did. Remember that you have value, a life lived around the whims of someone's mood is not a life worth living and there's no reward for that sacrifice at the end of that slice of hell."

    He paused.

    "Give your loyalty who give you loyalty in return, give love to those who love you, friendship to those who are friends. If you give to much of yourself you will one day wake up hollow and used up, and it takes far too long to recover from that hell."

    I winced in sympathy.

    "Sorry sir."

    He waved me off.

    "It's ok, I'm healing now, getting better, I even found a new girl in Portsmouth."

    "Really?"

    He nodded.

    "Yes, Ruth Petit."

    I reconized that name.

    "A jewess?"

    John shrugged.

    "I had a good christian girl once, never again."

    I shrugged.

    "I wish you happiness Mr. Smith."

    I looked at the clock and rushed back to my room. I picked up my magic mirror and waited, suddenly I was greeted by Andrea's smiling face.

    "Happy 11th birthday."

    She smiled.

    "Your gift arrived yesterday."

    I looked at my lab, at the pile of carefully grown glowing blue crystals, I then smiled at the mirror. Andrea showed off a glowing blue cross.

    "Like you said it keeps you nice and cool when it gets hot, and it's really pretty."

    She tossed her curly brown locks.

    "I did my best."

    "And father is showing off the bigger one you made that can chill an entire room, he was a bit worried about your letters, that it was all nonsense, but now he knows you're telling the truth."

    I smiled.

    "I will send more stuff when I can, I am but your servant."

    Andrea smiled sweetly.

    "None of that Louis, I much prefer the sceaming sorcerer who tried to steal me away over someone groveling at my feet."

    She sighed.

    "It is either pity or people giving me false praise because father has money and a small amount of power. I missed you Louis."

    "But you're a noble."

    "We are a distant branch family that owns a small plot of land. Really, father's job managing docking fees for the king is far more impressive then our distant claim to nobility. We're not even a major port city."

    She smiled warmly.

    "Honestly Louis, right now you're the most intresting person I know, so have some pride yes, but not too much, that would be bad."

    Andrea shrugged.

    "One day I will steal you away."

    She smirked.

    "If you do so you will have to fight my brother, yes?"

    I smiled.

    "It is a battle worth having."

    She laughed and I smiled.

    "I missed you most of all."

    "I miss you too Louis."
     
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    • Ralph Essen
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    • Ralph Essen


    The only known way to truly teleport long distances is by going to a place where two leylines cross, this is called a Nexus. A leyline Nexus can let you travel to any other leyline Nexus that is not tapped, but in order to travel your weight must have resonance.

    Your weight must be around the same number as a number that has mystic significance. Prime numbers always have mystic significance, but there are non prime numbers that have power, like 12. The last safe number is 108, 666 has mystic significance but it always results in bad things when doing a teleport. You see other non resident numbers will just result in nothing, but 666 results in you being cut into ribbons.

    There is leeway though, magic always rounds down, take my ship it weighs 198 tons, once I got the fuel, water, and supplies onto my ship I was over 199 pounds but my numbers were prime. I looked at my maps as I headed out into the Martian sea. Mars had been altered by the terraforming process, an artificial North America created to hold us.

    The planet had three continents, this artificial North America, an Australia sized island to the west and the super continent to the south that was about the size of Asia, Africa and Europe put together. There were of course a scattering of islands too, Merlin assured us that we had about 95% of the land that Earth had. The important thing though is that the leyline network was the exact same.

    All of the worlds had that feature, it was the only way to make the Rapture possible, even the slightest deviation would spell disaster. I stared out ahead, I had contacted my bank, I had a lot in savings, and I had spent the last month carefully preparing for this. I didn't have what I needed to make my future plans work, I needed specialized equipment, equipment that could only be found in one place.

    "I'm going back."

    The circle fizzled as I hit the leyline. I grimaced as the world shifted, praying I had taken enough weight. I smiled as I looked around in the darkness.

    "Good."

    I smiled at the the light in the distance and at the a bright dot of light that seemed to shift color.

    "Compass."

    Zone New Hampshire, at 15 million people it was the 7th largest city in the United States, or the 7th largest city on Mars. I ran to the boat's deck and went
    to my radio. I knew from the navy the correct way to do this.

    "This is Ralph Essen former student, I want to talk to the headmaster."

    The radio was silent.

    "This is Compass, it's 1 in the morning."

    "Merlin doesn't sleep. I just want to buy some supplies from the school."

    "For what?"

    I took a breath.

    "I want to find out where it all went wrong, I want to find out what caused the end of the world."

    The radio was silent.

    "And how do you plan on doing that?"

    "Read a bunch of books, travel the solar system, and go to the Earth that was, to the Soviet Union and get answers."

    "That's insane, sorry Mr. Essen but I have to... sir, look it's just a... ok sir it's your money. Ralph Essen you're cleared to go, Dock B52."

    "Thank you."

    I sailed up the river to New Hampshire's great bay. The city was filled with light, skyscrapers lighting up the sky, but all of it was dwarfed by the largest building in the Solar system, or was it the largest tree, hard to tell with Compass. I saw a fleet of boats heading towards Compass. Night was when most of the major offloading was done.

    I arrived at the dock, a man with white hair looked at me.

    "If you're here to take advantage of the old bird I will kill you myself."

    I blinked, his accent was british. He wore a professor's uniform, a blue one, it was a little like the student uniform but slightly different.

    "I'm a former student."

    He glared at me.

    "I just need to purchase some items, I have money in my account to cover it all."

    "Follow me then."

    I followed him.

    "So you're um..."

    "From England, London."

    We walked through a gate and headed towards an elevator, we went inside.

    "So what brought you here?"

    The man's face softened.

    "During world war two children were evacuated from London. I was a street urchin, didn't know who my parents were, and I grew up in utter poverty. No one was willing to take me in, so the goverment took me and other children with no place, or those whose parents volunteered them to Compass. They figured that worst comes to worse they would have the yanks foot the bill and get a few wizards out of it."

    I nodded.

    "This place..."

    He closed his eyes.

    "This is the only place that ever felt like home, the only place that I have ever felt happy. When my education was over I fought hard to return. I got more education, came back and lived here. Mr. Essen, whatever you may feel about Compass for me it is home, and I care deeply for it."

    I nodded.

    "I will keep that in mind sir."

    The doors opened and my eyes widened.

    "He wants to talk to you in the hall of the first."

    I saw portraits, statues, the likeness' and stories of Compass' first class. No other class had this honor, the last time I had been here was before the navy. I prepared myself to talk to a golem. I froze.

    "Sir."

    He was so much bigger then I remembered, this was Merlin's true form. He walked slowly to me and then stopped, I heard a slight wheeze from the old bird.

    "Martin, I thank you for your service."

    The old man looked at the bird in concern.

    "Sir, there is no need to strain yourself, especially after Indonesia."

    "It's nothing Martin."

    He looked at me.

    "Ralph Essen, I'm sorry but I didn't have the honor of teaching you directly."

    I took a breath.

    "I got drafted, I had to use the accelerated learning pods."

    Merlin nodded.

    "Then you were deprieved of the full Compass experience, I apologize for that."

    He coughed and wheezed again.

    "So I heard you had a mad plan to sneak into the Soviet Union."

    I grit my teeth.

    "I, I want to know why, why the world ended."

    I brought out a list, it moved out of my hands and Merlin stared at it.

    "I'm willing to wave certain costs."

    The old man frowned.

    "Sir you can't be serious."

    The old bird's eyes were soft.

    "Martin, I need to know, know where I went wrong, where I failed you."

    Martin clenched his fist and Merlin looked at me.

    "Martin's a good man, he looks after this old fart best he can."

    Merlin wheezed, and steadied himself with a wing. It was weird seeing him like this, in books, in TV he was a force of nature, the invincible phoenix.

    "Are you ok?"

    Merlin wheezed.

    "I am old, even for my people. I am old Ralph, when we Phoenix are born we are bright white, then we turn green, then we turn red, then we turn orange, then yellow, then purple, and when we become elderly we turn blue, and when we die our corpses are black."

    He staggared a bit.

    "I am dying Mr. Essen."

    It was impossible.

    "The News hasn't..."

    "It's being surpressed, no one wants to scare the public. I have enough time to make it through this decade and live into the 90s, but I will not survive to see the new millenium."

    He wheezed again.

    "I wanted to protect you, protect humanity, prevent you from making our mistakes, and this..."

    His voice was rough, pained.

    "I failed you, I failed all of you, but if I knew were it all went wrong I could give some final counsel, prevent this from happening again."

    He coughed.

    "I will have my best people do the alterations, Mr. Essen, pay for everything, but I need a contract, a magic one that you will go to the Soviet Union that
    you will truly look for answers."

    There would be no turning back if I did this.

    "I'm in sir."

    America's grandfather asked me for a favor, I could not refuse.

    "Thank you."

    The old bird looked at Martin.

    "I'm tired, so very tired, mind handling the paperwork?"

    The old man nodded.

    "Consider it done sir."

    Martin looked at me as the old bird hobbled away.

    "I didn't know."

    Martin frowned.

    "Everything dies Mr. Essen, even Merlin."

    His voice was filled with pain and sorrow.

    "I'm sorry."
     
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    • Louis Le pen


    I sighed, alchemy, I hated alchemy. I hated the math that went with it, the sheer amount of stuff that went into it. I wasn't learning pure magic anymore, I had to learn about the periodic table of elements, I had to learn about chemistry, I had to learn how chemical reactions were changed by the influence of magic, and I had to learn about the human body.

    Merlin warned me that healing magic would require me to have actual medical knowledge, he warned me that I had holes in my education, but now that those holes were being filled in I felt overwhelmed. I was thankful for the weekend, for Saturday.

    "Hey Paul."

    Paul looked exhausted.

    "Rough week?"

    Paul nodded.

    "I wanted to learn how to be a good warrior, so Merlin taught me about logistics, accounting, and of course alchemy."

    We both shuddered. It was universally agreed that alchemy was by far the most hated subject, even the people who were good at it felt some distaste for
    the sheer amount of knowledge it took to use it successfully.

    "I'm going to town."

    "I thought you hated town?"

    Paul shrugged.

    "I do, I just need to walk around. Dinner?"

    I nodded.

    "We haven't tried japanese before."

    Paul nodded.

    "Good, it is a date then."

    He put his hands into his pockets and left. I decided to go to the aquarium, it was my favorite place to go in Compass. I went into the elevator and stared at the buttons, nobody had been everywhere in Compass, the school was simply too big.

    A place I have never been before, I pressed the button and waited. The door opened and I saw large metal doors, I opened them and stared.

    "What?"

    Images of stars, of strange planets, of places I had never seen and strange creatures. I wandered through a maze like structure until I saw more metal doors. I opened them and looked up. I saw a glowing light and nine globes of various sizes revolving around it. Merlin stood in the darkness, Monsieur Hamilton walked up to him.

    "Elizabeth's father was a general in the war, he knows you."

    "I just don't want to mess this up for you like I did for Arnold."

    Alex shook his head.

    "It's not your fault the daft girl ran away in terror, Merlin, you had the very best of intentions and anyway he asked you to give him and Peggy a ride."

    Merlin nodded.

    "And we're married now, official and everything."

    "Which is why I allowed her to come, where is she by the way?"

    "Exploring the Aquarium with my father-in-law."

    "You should be with her."

    "After we talk about that matter."

    Merlin took in a breath.

    "The continential, it's not Congress being irresponsible, most of them are counterfeit."

    Hamilton nodded.

    "How bad?"

    "Only one out of 50 continentials are legittimate."

    His eyes opened.

    "It's that bad?"

    Merlin grimaced.

    "It's worse."

    "How can it possibly be worse?"

    "These counterfeits, they're not cheap forgeries Alex, they're professional copies, we are talking about a government funded operation."

    "The british?"

    "I cast scrying spells, the ink is from Great Britain and the plates were made in England, so yes."

    Hamilton nodded.

    "Well the war's over so that should fix itself."

    "Out of 50 continentials, only one is legitimate, out of those 50, 39 continentials are counterfeits of british make made during the war, 10 of them were made post war. I tracked the new counterfeits, they came from Montreal. The british operation to destroy our economy with counterfeits hasn't stopped, its accelerated, at our current rate even with my efforts we have 10 years tops before a complete and utter economic collapse."

    "Surely you're exaggerating."

    "Our entire economy is compromised, and that's just getting worse."

    "We can print new bills."

    Merlin sighed.

    "Whatever engraving we use the british will be able to copy it and continue their efforts to destroy the economy."

    Hamilton closed his eyes.

    "Magic, there has to be a magic solution."

    "There is, but it would take at least 30 years to create the magical infostructure to do that, and the political will to make that happen simply doesn't exist. The only feasible solution is to scrap paper money entirely."

    "Which we can't do because the articales of confederation is a terrible half blind nightmare."

    Merlin nodded.

    "We're going to have to bring in Jefferson."

    Hamilton froze.

    "Him."

    "We don't have a choice, we need him in this to fix this mess."

    "You do realize he will ask for concessions."

    Merlin nodded.

    "There are going to have to be concessions and compromises all around."

    Hamilton nodded his head.

    "What about destroying their presses?"

    "That would be an act of war Alex and the war just ended."

    "With your power..."

    Merlin looked at him.

    "I'm one person Alex, and I can only be in one place at time' I can help but I can't win an entire war on my own. The country is too fragile to handle a war right now, and my Magi are not trained well enough or have the numbers to turn the tide in any conflict. This is a problem that's going to have to be dealt with politically."

    "It's never easy is it?"

    "Life never is Alex."
     
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    • Louis Le pen


    They waited there for a moment and a door on the far side opened, a smiling woman walked in next to an older man.

    "This is my wife Eliza, this is Merlin, and my father in law General Philip Schuyler."

    Monsieur Hamilton froze.

    "We were talking about an important matter, money relatied matters, very boring and dull."

    Eliza looked reliwved.

    "Then I am glad to have spent my time in your wonderous aquarium instead, Mr. Merlin."

    Merlin shrugged.

    "Good, I am happy you enjoyed your time at my school."

    Eliza smiled.

    "Any chance you could build wonders like this elsewhere?"

    Merlin sighed.

    "Really wish I could, but Compass uses technology that's beyond even me, it's the last great wonder of my people."

    Eliza leaned in.

    "The Phoenix? Really, so what far off island were they from? A lost continennt perhaps, or-"

    The ceiling changed and the glowing star came down.

    "This is your Solar system."

    One of the circles glowed.

    "This third globe is Eearth."

    Everything shifted and my eyes opened wide.

    "This is what Earth looks like from orbit."

    All of us stared at the giant globe, at Earth.

    "It's a small planet in the Milkyway galaxy."

    The view spun out and we saw star after star.

    "The Milkyway is a small galaxy in the local galatic cluster. I am not from Earth, I am not even from the Milkyway. My people..."

    Another world appeared.

    "Come from an Exo system, a lone star system that traveled by itself. We existed between the Milkyway and Andromeda galaxies by itself."

    "Whats it called?"

    Melin frowned.

    "My people talked with microwave pulses, it's the reason why I allowed your husband to give me a name. Even the high speech I teach at school is only a rough aproximation to our tongue, but a rough translation is 'beloved homeland'. Or 'beloved', like I said it's hard to translate."

    Images of other phoenixes.

    "After the meteorite strike our population went down too low, we were doomed. Our best scientists tried to save what eggs we could and build adaptive technology that would evolve. We hoped to outlast the disaster that destroyed our world. It failed."

    He sighed.

    "By the time the climate recovered only one egg managed to survive, mine. I spent my youth wandering the ruined cities looking for any signs of my people, there was nothing."

    Eliza looked at him with sympathy.

    "That sounds lonely."

    "It was, with only the shades of the dead to keep me company I made my way to the last outpost of our civilization, to a ship that was built too late. A ship that would allow us to make a new start in another star system."

    Merlin closed his eyes, his voice haunted.

    "There was nothing for me on my homeworld, so I left looking for life any kind of life. I ended up searching the Milkyway for anything, for anyone, and dwspite spending most of that time frozen I found nothing."

    He paused.

    "Life is rare, even microbes are rare. After a million years of searching the entire galaxy with probes, spending most of that time frozen and in sleep, I have only found 13 worlds with life. Earth was the only world with anything more advanced then bacteria."

    He looked at them.

    "I'm sorry but you are alone in this galaxy."

    The twinkling light of the galaxy hung above us.

    "So this is your ship?"

    Merlin nodded.

    "The last and greatest creation of the Phoenix race. I could not make another even if I wanted too."

    The Solar system returned, and Eliza looked at him with pity.

    "I am sorry for your loss."

    Merlin's voice was filled with pain.

    "It is what it is, the Phoenix people are dead, humanity will be our inheritors, everything that was ours belongs to humanity. Humanity will take our place, and one day the stars themselves will belong to you."

    The galaxy returned.

    "We failed, but one day I hope that all of that will one day belong to humanity."

    Eliza stared at the stars.

    "So that is the purpose of Compass?"

    He nodded.

    "One day I hope to give humanity the stars themselves, but that's a long way off and as much as I know there is still much I am ignorant of. We will have to work together to make this happen."

    Hamilton smiled.

    "A future worth having then."

    The general smiled.

    "Indeed."
     
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    • Louis Le pen



    Medicine, medicine, medicine, I spent August learning more trying to find a cure for Andrea.

    "This would be the last resort."

    I learned about the numerous ways that one could lose the ability to walk. I spent time learning about nerves, about the little tendrils that communicated
    with the brain.

    "Really?"

    The head masters golem nodded.

    "I suspect that her back has nerve damage, bone is something that is easy to fix, organs and soft tissue can easily be regrown, but nerve damage... that's always given even my people trouble, removing her spine and regrowing it would cause death but this method allows you to regenerate and grow an entirely new nerve system."

    I looked at the ritual tag, level 8.

    "That serious?"

    "Yes, I have mostly been trying to limit you to sphere 5 and lower spells, but since we have dedicated your entire vacation to medicine, I think your ready to try this ritual under supervision."

    I took a breath.

    "What's the price?"

    The headmaster nodded.

    "Wise, the spell is mana intensive, it also takes a long time to prepare, and the process needs plants, preferably vines of some sort, and the spell will permanently change the hair and body color of the person undergoing the procedure, and because of how extreme it is this change can be inherited by their children."

    I looked at him.

    "Color?"

    "Yes Green, Yellow, Blue, or green, this is because you're rewiring their entire nervous system with transmuted plant matter."

    "Why not animals?"

    "Too dangerous, animals have more spiritual energy and that energy can cause problems for the patient, that isn't even going into the risks of tissue rejection. Plants though have weak and neutral amounts of energy, transmute easier and are a lot safer. As a healer you should put your patients life before their vanity."

    "Understood."

    "Good we will spend our last week studying the ritual and preparing it, then we will bring in a volunteer."
    Merlin was true to his word, the ritual required a lot of work, a lot of preparation. When the week ended a girl around Andrea's age was brought to us. Her parents looked at me with trepidation.

    "Sarah was thrown off a horse 2 years ago."

    The girl looked at me. She looked weak, her face was contorted with pain, she had mousy brown hair, freckles and green eyes.

    "There is a side effect."

    Her father nodded.

    "Sarah."

    The girl closed her eyes.

    "Green, like my eyes."

    "You have to live with it."

    Sarah shrugged.

    "It's my favorite color."

    The head master watched me in his true form. We had practiced and practiced over and over again but I was ready. I brought out chalk, alchemically made candles and ink.

    "Take off your clothing."

    Her parents dutifully removed all of her clothing.

    "I need access to her back, she went to the privy before this right?"

    They nodded and placed her on her stomach. I opened up my vision, expanded my ability to see spirit and life, and found her chakras, the energy producting parts of her soul. I saw the glowing light of her soul and the damaged nerves that affected her lower spine. I carefully drew the rune array, and then drew arrays around her.

    "It's cold."

    "Please don't move."

    She nodded, and I lit candles and used the wax to strengthen the array, overlaying the chalk with the enchanted wax.

    "This might hurt."

    She flinched but was silent as I poured the wax over my carefully made array on her back. I got up.

    "The chart proffessor?"

    He gave it too me, and I looked at her weight, good.

    "What are you doing?"

    "This process will hurt a lot, we don't want you to suffer so we're going to make sure you sleep through it."

    The girl sighed.

    "That sounds fair."

    I grabbed a needle and the painkillers, I put in just enough to make her sleep.

    "I'm sorry."

    I plunged the needle into her right butt cheek and waited for her to fall asleep. Then I wheeled carefully altered vines and activated the array, the room glowed with green light as I put the vines into the array on her back. Her parents watched with awe as the plant vanished, her body glowed green in places.

    "Her veins."

    They nodded at the headmaster. I got up and prayed I didn't screw this up, I clapped and the room was filled with green light, and then it was gone, the little girl's hair slowly turned green right before our eyes.

    "Cover her up please."

    Her father covered her with a blanket and they walked away with the headmaster. I was left wondering if I had failed. The next day people filtered in, the entire first class was coming back to Compass. I smiled as John walked with Monsieur Hamilton, his face was haunted and filled with guilt.

    "John? Were did you go?"

    John took a breath, Hamilton gave him a look.

    "I had business up north, nothing major."

    I shrugged, we all seperated and got dressed. We stood at attention as people filtered in, they looked nervous and scared, much like we did when we first came here. The new students like ourselves were from all ages.

    "1712 new students, we welcome the new students of Compass Academy."

    They nodded and were seperated into four groups, into four seasons. With the ceremony over we walked away, as I exited the room a green haired girl looked at me, her parents stood next to her.

    "Thank you."

    Over a month of hard work and study, it was worth it, it was all worth it. Only 1 more year until I could fix Andrea. I smiled at them, and then my smile vanished, in the mans arms was a newspaper.

    "Fire destroys downtown Montreal."

    And a chill ran down my spine.
     
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    I looked at the forge.

    "Do you remember what I said?"

    I nodded.

    "I do."

    I felt nervous.

    "It's time for you to make your first mystic code."

    Mystic codes were magical items built to last, it was beyond simple rune work, the mirror I had created for Andrea was a product of runecraft, it was beyond alchemy with its potions, the cooling crystals I had made for the Chabot family were products of alchemy. This was serious magic.

    "I'm ready."

    This was for Jacque, even though I was closer to his sister I still considered him a friend.

    "Do you remember the rules?"

    I sighed.

    "Mystic codes follow the law of mystic resonance, they can have 1 enchantment, 3 enchantments or a maximum of 7 enchantments. Going above or below will not work."

    The golem nodded.

    "What have you decided to make?"

    I looked at the forge, the one I had been forced to make, a marvel of runecraft.

    "A magic sword."

    "Enchantments?"

    I had thought about it.

    "A repair spell, Matter sphere 1 so the blade will last, a lighting spell sphere 5."

    Merlins golem tilted his head.

    "That's a sphere 3 spell tops."

    "I'm overcharging it, and a Sphere 5 prime spell that makes the blade absorb ambiant mana so that the blade can serve generations."

    "That's a sphere 1 spell but you're..."

    "Overcharging it, I know how dangerous paradox is but I want this to be the best blade possible."

    I pulled out the alchemical ingredients I had painstakingly made, the crystals I had charged with mana, and looked at a lump of metal.

    "Iron?"

    My teacher nodded.

    "I took samples from other worlds during my time exploring the galaxy from time to time, this comes from a planet that orbited a red star. It would rain molten steel, I thought that there was a small chance that there was life under the worlds surface."

    "Was there?"

    "No, I got caught in a thunderstorm, lighting and liquid steel rained down from the heavens, I almost died but I kept some of the metal as a reminder to be more careful."

    "I can't use this sir."

    He patted me on the shoulder.

    "You said you wanted to build something special, consider this a gift."

    I grabbed the metal and activated the arrays on my forge, and then slowly but surely I worked with the lump trying to create a blade and a artificial spirit to hold the three enchantments. The process took me an entire week, it was slow, deliberate and when I was finished the sword was red hot from being forged and reforged. I looked at blade and at the barrel of glowing alchemical ingrediants.

    It was time.

    I grabbed some tongs and put the glowing blade into the barrel of regents, the barrel sizzled and blue smoke rose in the air. I waited and watched as the sword drank deeply, when it was finished nothing remained, I pulled the sword out of the barrel.

    I spoke in high speech, the sound was distorted and off and inhuman.

    "Sword, I command you to serve and protect Jacque Chabot and his descendants."

    The blade glowed a pale blue.

    "I name you Justice."

    Merlin nodded.

    "Good, now time to test it out."

    As its maker Justice would hopefully let me wield its power. We walked into a room with targets. I held the sword out and pointed.

    "It needs a trigger phrase."

    I looked at it and wispered in french.

    "être juste ou être mort"

    "Be just or be dead... interesting."

    Justice sang as lighting crackled around the blade I swung it and a bolt of lighting hit a training dummy. I stared as it burned, I smiled.

    "Jacque will love this."

    We then put the sword into a scabbard, and the sword into a box. I prepared a letter, I told him about the trigger phrase, how the sword worked and other matters, I smirked as I finished a letter.

    "This sword is of course not free, one day I shall come and steal your sister away wha ha ha."

    I smiled and sent the letter, it helped to joke about our days of play and our carefree childhoods.
     
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    Mystic codes, turned out to be far more involved then I thought.

    1 year of real time, 6 years of subjective time. I learned how to make magic wands, enchanted tattoos, magic weapons, flying carpets. I learned how to shunt a box into the higher realms, connect it to a box in the real world so it would be bigger on the inside. I learned how to use the mixture of spells to compensate for my weaknesses.

    I learned how to use spirit magic to strengthen clothing making it as tough as armor, and along with this I had to learn how to use a forge. I had to learn how to weave, the timing of when the leylines would be at their strongest, and on top of this my study of medicine continued.

    Magi meant wisdom, and a mage was expected to know a lot, especially us, the first class. We learned how to make the tools that would allow us to make better tools, to make the the codes that we would use to for the rest of our lives.

    My makeshift forge went through several interations, I was learning how to make my own lab. The first years wondered why we were always so exhausted, always so tired, they didn't understand that we had to learn how material held magic.

    We learned that quartz was the best of of crystals when it came to holding magic, that it could hold anything. We learned that emeralds were good for life magic, that rubies were good for forces. We learned which organic materials held magic the best. We stored spells in paper, creating scrolls that would let laymen use magic, we created entire books of shadows.

    I spent my Saturdays with Paul and my Sundays in church. I prayed to god for the strength to endure and when August came Merlin looked at me.

    "It's been 2 years."

    I nodded.

    "It takes 3 years to properly master the style."

    Another year, a part of me dreaded that, another part felt relieved only one more year. Another part of me knew I would miss Compass, knew I would miss the growing city, the county of Zone. That I would miss this country.

    "I give you permission to go on sabbatical, see you when you get back from France."

    With those words I gathered my stuff, my magic carpet that would let me fly, a box that held far more then it should and I smiled at my clothing. I had outgrown everything I owned when I came here. I was 14 years old now. In two years I had grown so much. In one more year I would be a proper magi.

    I left and got on a ship heading back home to France, to a small seaside town in Brittany. I brought my clothing from Compass, the outfit didn't feel strange to me anymore, instead it felt normal, the white and blue making me feel like a true mage.

    The ship stopped and I smirked as I saw the Chabot family clustered around the docks, I motioned with my hands and the water rose like a pillar, the sailors scattered as I stepped on the pillar of water which lowered itself, then I calmly walked on the water to the shore. People stared at me, I used just a bit of magic to make my coat billow out before me as I walked towards the docks. I then made the water rise and stepped on the docks.

    I then took a knee.

    "Master, I am back from Compass."

    I looked up Andrea was in her wheelchair, she looked at me with wonder. Jacque had Justice at his side and a smirk. Monsieur Chabot nodded at me, his eyes studying me.

    "We have much to talk about Louis."

    It was good to be home.
     
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    I walked through my hometown and I felt unimpressed compared to the wonders of Compass, the natural wonder of the great bay and the growing life of Zone. It felt quiet, it looked dirty and the mood of the small town was ugly.

    People looked at Master Chabot with loathing and anger and a tension filled the air, when I got home my mother rushed out and gave me a hug.

    "My little wizard, it is so good to see you again."

    She hugged my tightly, too tightly and I walked back into my house. It feel so much smaller then Compass, the two story building with basement that was my family home. I used to think it the grandest building in the world, now it was just a house surrounded by shacks, I noticed how rickety it was, the flaws.

    Mr. Chabot's face was lined with worry, with my new senses I saw that he his heart was in bad condition, that his left knee was shot, just 2 years ago he seemed invincible now I saw how frail he was. He put a hand on my shoulder.

    "Andrea?"

    I took a breath.

    "I will need some space to work, I brought everything I think I need."

    He nodded.

    "So you think you can help her?"

    "I have spent two years studying arts both magical and medical, my education is not finished but I think I know enough to help Andrea walk again."

    He closed his eyes.

    "The basement is empty and prepared, Andrea has been indisposed for too long already."

    I smiled at him.

    "Agreed."

    "This will take awhile, I will take a drop of Andrea's blood and then it would be best if she relieved herself."

    Andrea blushed and I smiled warmly, it was adorable. I missed her most of all, our conversations by mirror were not enough for my tastes. Even now her
    presence was like a balm on my soul. I pulled out a pin and the paper array I had spent the entire trip on.

    "Be brave."

    Andrea nodded.

    "Do as you must Louis."

    I pricked her finger.

    "Not planning on stealing me away are you?"

    She smiled at me with mischief in her eyes.

    "Always lady Andrea, always."

    She giggled and I put the drop of blood on the paper. I placed it on the ground and an illusion of a glowing body formed, I waved my hands looking for the cause of my Andrea's malady. Red formed over her lower back.

    "Three crushed disks, damage to the nerves here, here and here."

    There was no choice, I looked at my Andrea and the Chabot family.

    "That ritual, the most extreme one, it's the only way I am sorry."

    I looked at Andrea.

    "What do you want your hair color to be, think carefully you can not change your mind."

    The room was silent Andrea closed her eyes.

    "Papa you once called me your little rose."

    Master Chabot smiled.

    "And you will always be my little rose."

    She opened her eyes.

    "A blue rose represents regal majesty, mystery a longing for the impossible, it is said that whoever holds a blue rose will have their wishes granted."

    She paused.

    "Blue, I want my hair to be blue."

    With that she waved moved to the privy and I went into the basement. My heart beat like a rabbit, I cleaned the basement, I pulled out a piece of paper and used a prepared spell from a spring magi to make the floor smooth, then I carefully looked over her blood sample and brought out everything.

    I had spent months preparing for this, over two years if you thought about it properly. I drew the array and checked, double checked and tripple checked it. Then I lit candles and dripped enchanted wax over the array, fixing it in place, reinforcing it. I heard noise as Andrea was slowly brought downstairs.

    "I need access to her back, I need her to strip."

    I looked up and Andrea blushed, her father and brother nodded, I closed my eyes.

    "When you are finished place her in the middle of the circle, the empty part on her belly."

    My heard beat faster.

    "My daughter is ready."

    I opened my eyes, and brought special inks out of a box. I drew a carefully made array on her back.

    "Bring me the blue box."

    Jacque moved at once and brought it out. I looked at the premade and prepared needle.

    "You're going to go to sleep for a bit Andrea."

    She grit her teeth.

    "I trust you Louis."

    I put the needle in her butt and put the drugs into her system, my Andrea fell asleep.

    "It is time." I slapped the array, the vines had runes carved into them, specially made to ensure that this would go perfectly. I slowly drew them into the
    glowing array, I saw lines of blue light cover Andrea's body where her veins were.

    When I was finished I slapped the array again and the room glowed a bright blue, the array on her back slowly vanished until only a small tattoo on her
    tailbone remained, a request from Andrea that I decided to honor.

    "You may cover her."

    She was covered with a blanket and I was led up stairs. My hands were jittery, I needed a cup of coffee, good Compass style coffee. Compass students were allowed to send 7 pounds of coffee back home a week, and I had religiously used that privilege.

    "A cup of coffee?"

    Mr. Chabot sighed.

    "We're out."

    I sighed.

    "I brought my own then."

    I went into the basement and opened my box, I drew out my bag of powdered coffee and went upstiaes.

    "I can make us all some."

    Mr. Chabot nodded.

    "That sounds good, then we need to talk in private."

    His voice was filled with seriousness and brooked no defiance.

    "Yes sir."
     
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    I felt nervous as Master Chabot led me to his office. Mother had the coffee on a tray, then he looked at my mother.

    "Madam Le pen, I need to talk to your son alone."

    She nodded and left. My master looked at me, with utter seriousness.

    "How long until my daughter awakens?"

    "Two hours Master."

    The man took a breath and looked me in the eye.

    "I know about the mirror."

    I froze my blood went cold.

    "It is a small house, I was going to uncover your secret eventually."

    I looked down on the ground.

    "She doesn't have any other friends."

    I looked up at Master Chabot.

    "You were kind to her and she needed to talk to someone that's why I allowed this but when your education in Compass is over I need you to stay in America."

    I felt a flash of anger.

    "I would never hurt Andrea."

    He looked at me and sighed.

    "I know, that's why I need you to stay in America. Things in France are not good and it is not safe here."

    I looked at him in confusion.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Wars are expensive Louis, lavish living is expensive, lots of things are expensive. France is either bankrupt or close to it."

    "The americans will pay us back in time, they..."

    "What they owe us is a drop in the bucket Louis, this has been a problem for a very long time. The country doesn't have enough money to pay low level
    bureaucrats like myself, I haven't been paid by the crown in years."

    I stared at him.

    "Then how?"

    "There are smugglers, I look the other way when if itsharmless to France and in exchange I get just enough to maintain my family, but taxes have gone up, tariffs have gone up. There are shortages of everything and the mood is ugly. It is only a matter of time until this all blows up."

    He looked at me with concern and took a breath.

    "Truthfully the coffee, the potions, the things you have sent us? They have been a lifeline Louis, Jacques education is expensive, the bribes to put him into a good place in the military are expensive, after everything is said and done I can't afford the dowery to get Andrea into a good house."
    He looked down.

    "It seems like our circumstances have changed Monsieur Le pen, as your fortunes have grown mine have shrank."

    "I am sorry."

    "Don't be, sending you to Compass was the best idea we ever had, seeing Andrea walk again will make all of this more then worth it, but I am becoming more and more desperate."

    He looked at me.

    "Desperate enough to make a deal with you..."

    He took a breath.

    "You said you can cure Syphilis yes?"

    I nodded.

    "There are men in Paris that my brother has talked too, rich men, desperate men. Half the money will go to me and my family for making arrangements, half the money will be given to you."

    I blinked.

    "That ritual to strengthen someone, the one I wrote you about?"

    I closed my eyes, thinking of what regents would be needed.

    "It would require a bull, Jacques weight in starfish, and a suit of armor."

    "But it would work? Make him stronger, allow him to heal faster, protect him?"

    I opened my eyes.

    "Yes."

    He looked down.

    "After we cure those men, they will also arrange a postion for Jacque in the military, we will use the money to buy everything we need for that ritual. Once
    it is finished you are to go back to America with the gold, you are to use it to buy property, a house."

    "Sir..."

    "This is important Louis, I need your word."

    He looked at me with desperation.

    "Yes sir."

    "Get yourself established, do not spy on your new country, do not give up their secrets, be a good american, make yourself a good living, and when my
    Andrea turns 16, I will allow you to marry her."

    I stared at him.

    "I'm just a servant."

    He looked at me.

    "Louis, you are not a servant of mine anymore, you are a wizard, you are strong now, strong enough to protect my girl. France is not safe, Jacque can make his way in the army but Andrea doesn't have that opportunity."

    "But I told you..."

    "America's problems are solvable, they are not surrounded by enemies like we are, I need you to bring Andrea home with you. Keep her safe."

    He clasped his hands.

    "My children are everything to me Louis, please."

    I was 14 years old, I was young, too young.

    "I agree to your terms sir."

    I heard a knock on the door, we opened it and stared, Andrea's hair was a light blue, she stood on her legs.

    "Papa."

    Master Chabot looked at her.

    "We were just discussing your marriage prospects Andrea, young Louis has agreed to take your hand when you reach 16 years of age."

    The man nodded and walked out of the room. We were alone and I was worried, scared that I had oversteeped my bounds, that she would be enraged about this trespass, Andrea looked at me and smirked.

    "When you come back and take me I demand that you cackle properly."

    She kissed me on the cheek and left me confused in my master's study.
     
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    I laid down on the floor as my mother looked at me, light filtered through the shutters.

    "It's a good match."

    I stared at the ceiling. The room was small, too small. I missed my room at Compass, I missed having my own space.

    "He wants me to move to America."

    My mother shrugged.

    "Monsieur Chabot is right, things have gotten bad here in France, there is more crime, bread is more expensive, everything is more expensive. We are lucky we are near the docks, without fish, crab and the bounty of the ocean things would be much worse."

    Mother's face was serious.

    "It isn't safe here, and every week it gets a little worse, Monsieur Chabot's brother brings us news from Paris and none of it is good."

    She sighed.

    "Come on, get up eat, some breakfast and go outside. My little wizard has gotten too gloomy."

    I looked up at the ceiling.

    "I won't be able to return to France."

    My mother frowned.

    "I know, but in America you will be safer, and anyways you like little Andrea, yes?"

    I smiled.

    "She's adorable, but it's not fair to force her to marry me against her will."

    Mother's face scrunched up and then she started laughing.

    "Mother I'm serious."

    Mother wiped the tears from her eyes.

    "You assume that this was her father's idea, my son is so naive."

    She patted me on the head.

    "Come on, let's get breakfast."

    We went to the dining room and I waited, Andrea was waiting for me, I took a seat and she frowned at me, I got up and sat next to her. Andrea smiled warmly at me. Monsieur Chabot and his wife took seats opposite us, the two women looked at each other and exchanged knowing looks.

    "Louis mind walking me around town?"

    Her father frowned, Madame Cabot tapped him on the shoulder and he sighed.

    "Be home before Lunch."

    Madame kissed her husband on the cheek, and we ate in peace. We walked outside, Andrea's movements were slow and unsteady but she walked all the same, her hair was now blue but they were still in their adorable natural curls.

    I had my carpet strapped to my back. My Andrea walked with me through town, I used just a touch of magic to make sure my Compass coat floated out majestically behind me as we walked through the town, she held my arm.

    "I'm glad to have you back Louis."

    "I missed you too."

    I patted her head and enjoyed the little mewling sound she made when I did that.

    "So where do you want to go?"

    She smiled.

    "The shore, I want to hear the sea."

    I smiled at her.

    "Then we shall go to the sea."

    It wasn't that far away, as we went I saw a girl my age, she looked at my coat and then at me. Andrea fell silent and glared at the other girl. She grabbed my arm, and dragged me forward, the other girl looked away.

    "Jealous?"

    Andrea looked me in the eye.

    "I don't want you looking at anyone else."

    I put an arm around her and laughed, she was so cute. We went to the edge of the water, I put my carpet down and we sat down on it.

    "You have changed Louis."

    I shrugged.

    "I'm a wizard."

    "That's not what I meant, you got bigger, taller, the mirror didn't show that. You know more now, Jacque changed too, both of you are changing so much, chasing life and I'm just here, remaining the same."

    She clenched her hands.

    "I'm still the same Louis."

    She leaned against me.

    "No you aren't, but I'm ok with that."

    We remained there for a bit.

    "You know this is a flying carpet, you want to test it out?"

    Andrea looked up at me and smirked.

    "My mother would have a fit if she knew Louis."

    "Oh."

    "But mother is not here."

    I put out my hand and snapped my fingers. Andrea held me close as we rose into the air, we flew slowly for the sake of safety over the ocean. Andrea laughed and held me close, and in that moment I was truly happy.
     
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    The men arrived within a few days.

    I was not given their names, officially my master was mearly showing off my gifts to important visitors, it had the benefit of being the truth, if not the complete truth. Their cases of syphilis were far more advanced then what I was used to. I was forced to battle their diseases in the spirit realm. I was successful but each battle left me completely drained.

    I thought they would be angry that I couldn't cure them all at once, but apparently faced with death made them more understanding of my limits, ten men ten days. I was successful and they left behind three chests filled with gold. We counted it out.

    "200,000 Livres."

    I had never seen so much money in my life, my master looked at me.

    "A journey man makes around 8,000 Livers a year, this is..."

    "25 years worth of wages."

    My master nodded.

    "I am a man of my word, half of this will go with you to America, the other half will be mine."

    I looked at him.

    "I need armor, starfish, and a bull."

    My master got up.

    "All of that was included in the deal, these men are for all their faults men of honor."

    I nodded and went to bed, when I awoke I found that all three items had been delivered. I took Jacque's blood and he watched as I brought out my inks and drew runes over the armor.

    "What are you doing?"

    I kept my attention on the armor.

    "The principle of three, essence of armor, essence of the bull, essence of starfish. I need to put ink on the armor, then on your body, make an array and
    combine the three into one."

    Jacque looked at me in fascination.

    "And what will that do?"

    I looked up.

    "Cover you with spiritual armor, make you 20 times stronger, and give you the ability to heal the most grievious wounds, and I suppose breathe underwater too."

    Jacque grabbed a chair.

    "Why would I need the power to heal if I was covered in armor at all times?"

    "Because although the spell would last the rest of your natural life, it only gives the same protection as the armor used. Bullets would be less lethal but they can still kill you, a cannon ball will still kill you, you would be harder to kill, not invincible."

    Jacque smiled.

    "A magic sword, the strength of Hercules, and the toughness of Achilles, I could become a hero of France."

    I smiled back.

    "But time is of the essence so I need to work fast."

    "Fine friend, I'm leaving."

    "And this isn't free, I will steal your sister away from you."

    Jacque laughed.

    "Always trying to steal my precious Andrea."

    "And one day I will succeed in my plots, mark my word."

    Jacque smiled at me.

    "I missed you."

    "I missed you too."

    "Compass has been good to you, keep Andrea safe for me."

    I went back to work, I worked throughout the night in the house's backyard as the bull chewed the grass. When daylight came I was ready, Jacque was brought out and helped into the enchanted suit of armor.

    "Lay down in the circle."

    He did so, and I put the barrel of starfish in another circle and the bored bull in another.

    "Please god."

    I slapped my hands down and the bull screamed as it was torn apart, the barrel of starfish exploded and turned into a pillar of purple light. Jacque screamed as the two pillars of light entered in him, the armor turned red hot, then white hot and then melted into his skin, I was horrifiedc scared and then he shook there in the backyard, naked and untouched.

    Jacque looked at me and then at his hands, he turned around inspecting his body for injuries and found none. On his back was a glowing tattoo, a round shield with a star inside, bullhorns stuck outside the shield. He returned to me.

    "I'm... Ok?"

    I nodded at him, I looked at his father, he brought out a fire place poker.

    "Bend it son?"

    Jacque grabbed the poker and bent it easily, he smiled at me.

    "Ok, I give you permission."

    His smile grew wider and he patted my shoulder.

    "Thanks but... um can you put on some clothing?"

    Jaque nodded.

    "I will...so I assume you're taking the next ship out?"

    I sighed.

    "I have one more year at Compass."

    He nodded and we both went into the house, we had been forced to rush, the next ship to compass was coming much to soon and there wouldn't be another one for a couple weeks. We both gathered our things and headed to the docks, my mother gave me a final hug, Jacque shook my hands and finally I looked at Andrea. She kissed my cheek.

    "Don't forget to talk to me with the mirror."

    I smiled.

    "I won't."

    She smiled at me and then frowned.

    "And don't forget that you belong to me, I won't share you with some hussy."

    I ruffled her hair.

    "I fully plan on stealing you away."

    She leaned into my hand.

    "Don't forget me Louis."

    I hugged her and then left, the journey was a long one. It was night when I saw the glowing tree, saw Compass.

    "Home."

    I just needed some help to figure out how to get some land.
     
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    • Louis Le Pen


    Governor Arnold sighed.

    "You always bring me the problems, Merlin."

    "Louis Le pen wants to buy some land, and-"

    He sighed.

    "And there's a bunch of unclaimed land, because a lot of people died during the Portsmouth massacre, because the tories fled after we won, and because a lot of people just left after they found out you were putting Compass right in the center of the bay."

    Arnold brought out some maps.

    "We need to hire more people."

    I leaned forward as he brought out some maps and I saw plots.

    "I want something close to the water."

    I stared at the plots.

    "This."

    He pointed at a squiggle of land.

    "70 and a half acres, it's a peninsula on the northern side of the bay, we call it Adam's point. Currently no one owns it."

    "How much?"

    I brought out my money.

    "Gold."

    He brought out something and measured the gold, he used an abacus and sighed.

    "Well the dollar's pretty much worthless, and gold actually means something so, sorry."

    He wrote down sums and started doing math.

    "Hmm 10,000 Livres for the whole point."

    I stared at him.

    "Is that fair?"

    He sighed.

    "It's pretty much just wilderness, you're going to have to get labor to build a house, or build it yourself, clear land for farming. But you're young, and you will figure things out in time."

    I nodded and handed over the money, papers were drawn. I was given a deed which I put into the bank and then I got on Merlin's back. I was officially a landowner, and I felt good about myself as we flew towards Ccompass.

    "Is the governor always so grumpy?"

    Merlin sighed.

    "He's had a rough life Louis, and he has a lot of work to do, don't take it too seriously."

    I nodded as we landed on the ground.

    "I um need to hire people to make my home."

    Merlin streched.

    "That can wait, for now you have your studies, it's your last year at Compass, and then you need to figure out how to make a living, and a bunch of other important things."

    I smiled, the future seemed bright. I would miss France, I would miss my mother but I would make a new life here.

    "I'm ready Sir."

    We landed and I smiled as I entered the school. My last year at Compass, it would no doubt be a difficult one but I felt like I was ready for anything.
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le pen



    Paul knocked on my door and looked at me.

    "That money you told me about?"

    I looked at him.

    "Yes?"

    "I have a plan, one I've been working on for awhile, but I need money to make it work, 80 thousand Livres would make it work."

    I frowned.

    "Paul, what are you planning?"

    "Something big, are you in or out?"

    Paul was my friend, and I had already bought the land, 10 thousand livres should be more then enough to hire someone to build a house, and I had some money in the bank.

    "I'm in."

    Paul nodded.

    "Good, I'm going to need to get everyone together, we're going to meet in the Thai restaurant this Saturday, tell no one what you're about to hear."

    I nodded, no one really went there so this had to be iffy but Paul was my friend, I didn't think about it until Saturday came.

    "Bring the money."

    I shrugged and put the money into a bag of holding and went to the restaurant. It was deserted and Paul opened a door, I saw two older men, John and a bald man I didn't recognize.

    "Good, they're here."

    We were seated across from them and John looked at us.

    "We are here to talk about a financial deal."

    John brought out lists and information.

    "As we all know Compass sells spices, chocolate, vanilla, rubber and a host of other products but one product was overlooked."

    He pointed at it.

    "Saffron, Paul here noticed that no one has seemed to figure out the school sells it, he also figured out something else, it's horribly underpriced."

    He took a breath.

    "90% of whole sale price to be exact, Paul also found out that in the by laws students of Compass are allowed to buy things at a 90% discount."

    He pulled out more charts.

    "The price of a livre is roughly 50 dollars american, but Compass pegs the dollar to the pound."

    He smiled.

    "The price of a pound is normally 13 livres but due to an oversight compass treats the two currencies like their equals."

    He looked over at the bald man.

    "If we exchange dollars for livres we could buy 40 million pounds worth of Saffron, but if we use our student discounts, that number goes up to."

    "400 million pounds worth of Saffron."

    The bald man blinked, his words heavy.

    "Paul here has connections with the polish government and it's shipping companies, they would buy the saffron from us at market rates and then sell it at the retail rate in the spanish empire, and throughout Europe. But we need someone better connected, someone who can gather that many continentals."

    The baldman smiled.

    "And that would be me."

    John nodded.

    "I know you from our past dealing, Louis here brings the seed money you get the continentals, and we use our student discounts to buy Compass' entire
    stock of Saffron, and then Paul's people buys it from us."

    John nodded.

    "But this will only work once, and it must be done in complete secrecy, if anyone figures this out..."

    The bald man nodded.

    "I understand."

    I put out my hand.

    "Louis Le pen, I'm in."

    "Paul Kalinowski, I'm in."

    "John Smith, I'm in."

    The bald man smiled.

    "Arron Burr, I'm in, I assume we split this evenly four ways?"

    We nodded.

    "Fair enough."

    I put the bag of holding on the table.

    "It's all here."

    Monsieur Burr studied the money.

    "Well gentlemen I don't know about you but its' time to become very very wealthy."
     
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    • Louis Le pen

    3 months passed before Monsieur, no Mr. Burr came back.

    We went up together to the headmaster's office, my palms sweated and my knees quaked as our headmaster counted out the continentals. He looked at the 4 of us.

    "Nearly every single one of these bills is counterfeit."

    I slumped and we looked defeated, he looked at Burr and then the golems scattered.

    "These bills right here are legitiment continentals, notice the fade on these here and here, the misfilings here and here."

    My stomach sank, our heads lowered but a few golems raised their hands.

    "That said I'm willing to make a deal with the four of you."

    I blinked.

    "I don't have 400 million pound's worth of Saffron, in fact I want to get Compass out of that industry. You see this whole operation is essentially a way to rid the economy of counterfeit bills and stabilize America's economy."

    Paul looked confused but nodded his head.

    "That is officially semi secret so don't pass that around, the problem is Pennsylvania has a Saffron industry, a successful one. An industry I really do not want to destroy or have as my enemy. So I have pretty much buried the fact that I even make Saffron as much as possible, but I haven't been able to stop production so I'm stuck with litteral tons of the stuff."

    The headmaster sighed.

    "So this is what I'm going to do, I'm going to sell you my entire stock of Saffron, which is worth about 100 million british pounds. We are going to leak the fact that you got one officially over me in the press, we won't mention that the bills were counterfeit though."

    He glared at us.

    "Understood?"

    We nodded.

    "After it hits the presses the 90% student discount will turn into a 50% student discount. I will tell everyone that so much of my stock was sold that I can no longer make Saffron, and Mr. Burr will tell everyone that he did this to save America's Saffron industry."

    Burr nodded.

    "Giving them free press and Burr their Gratitude, you will all exit this 25 million pounds richer, I remove a massive political liability and the school will get its mention in the paper and hopefully bring up enrollments."

    I looked at him in confusion.

    "But the money..."

    "I prioritize the school over money, I want more students. You 4 want to get rich and we get over 4 million counterfeit bills out of the economy so they won't cause more chaos. Are we in agreement?"

    We nodded our heads.

    "Paul, contact your people and tell them you got the saffron."

    Paul nodded.

    "It was always a risky plan, even if it's not as much as we dreamed its still a lot of money."

    Our headmaster nodded.

    "And stop looking so glum, you'er rich men, celebrate it."

    We left the office, as a group and then released our held breaths, Paul smiled at me.

    "Worth it?"

    I thought about it, 25 million pounds.

    "Worth it."

    He slapped me on the back.

    "Not what we dreamed but better then we feared."

    I nodded, I had a letter to write and a conversation to have with Andrea. I stopped and smiled, a castle, I always dreamed of having my own castle. When the money came in I would have to talk to the spring magi about making that happen. I looked at my comrades.

    "What will you do?"

    Burr had by this point walked away, but Smith remained.

    "Patriot clocks, my own company. I want clocks to be some thing the common man has access too."

    Paul smiled.

    "I want to bring over more Poles to Compass, I think around 70 thousand magi would be enough to secure our country."

    I smiled.

    "How about you Louis."

    I smiled.

    "I still want to be a doctor, I will just be a rich one."

    I didn't see a reason to change that dream just because I made a bit of money.
     
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    • Louis Le pen

    There was a price for my impudence, for becoming rich. That price was my Saturdays. Merlin had decided that I needed to learn how to manage money, so I learned about how corperations worked, I learned how to balance my books, and I learned about accounting, taxes and a hundred other money related matters. For someone who valued money so little Merlin knew quite a lot about the subject.

    On top of this the third year focused on learning how to cast the bigger spells, more crafting skills, and how to cast the bigger rituals in our speciality. For those of us in third year we found that we were tasked with a final spell, our masterpiece, something that would prove that we had sufficiently mastered what we had been taught.

    To that end after morning church after classes I went on my flying carpet and went to Adam's point, which was thankfully on a leyline. There I would take out small knives and command them to fly out and carve runes, occasionally one would fail but I kept up at it, preparing myself for our final task and final test, it took me months wandering around those woods but when August came I was prepared.

    The third years showed off their bits of magic, I saw pottery wheels that turned stone into sculptures, I saw tornados, I saw lightning storms, I saw golems and miracles of art. What impressed me most of all was the Korean's work. An-kor Park smiled and we looked at him in awe as he stood on a flying ship.
    Merlin studied it.

    "It will only fly on leylines but this is sufficient, I will give you some maps and get everything packed for you."

    An-kor bowed.

    "I thank you master Merlin, I will keep my word to you."

    He looked at the sky and laughed as he jumped off of the ship, he gave his best friend at Compass, John Smith a hug.

    "Thank you for the ship."

    Smith hugged him back.

    "Wish you the best of luck getting home Kor."

    He shook all of our hands and then stopped at me.

    "I will miss you too little frenchman."

    "You don't want to stay?"

    He shook his head.

    "No, when I was kidnapped all those years ago I wondered why this happened, why I had to suffer so much. I didn't know."

    "Know what?"

    He smiled.

    "I should have known, in stories in fairy tales great heroes often suffer before they are victorious. My suffering wasn't pointless, fate brought me here to make Korea strong."

    He looked up at the sky as his ship landed, servitors brought books and supplies onto the ship, I thought about his words.

    "Yeah you have a point."

    He smiled and cracked his neck.

    "There is a plan Louis, the wicked will be punished for their evil and new heroes will be trained, your task of fighting disease? This is also noble."

    He turned around.

    "I will miss all of you but I have been far from home for too long."

    He shook hands with John one last time and got on his ship, as it rose into the air his coat billowed out behind him, he laughed as his ship flew east, back
    to his home in Korea. Merlin looked at me.

    "You're the last one."

    I took a breath.

    "My masterpiece is on my land to the north, um I kind of want the others to see it."

    They nodded, flying carpets were gathered and we flew towards the edge of my land, I had studied architecture for this task from Merlin, I kept my plans mostly a secret, I put on two bracelets and clapped my hands together and then raised them.

    The trees had been gathering mana for months now, I knew that the power I needed was beyond me so I cheated, and entire forest gathering mana, gathering power. What I needed required a mastery of Matter, but if I used enough force, enough spirit, if I used other spells I could overcome my weakness, only using the barest hint of matter.

    The land changed, stone rose as the land was changed according to my will, summoned the spirit in the Earth, used the power of the forest, the power of prime and I smiled as my plan finally came together. When it finished I looked at my creation, Castle Le pen was finally finished. The headmaster looked at me as we flew in the air and nodded.

    "I give you an A, you are now a fully trained mage, Louis I am proud of you."

    It may not be a flying ship but building an entire castle with magic, that was impressive too, I just wished that Andrea was here to see this.
     
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    • Louis Le pen




    Paul sat next to me on the edge of the stone dock on the edge of the castle.

    "So this is what you were doing."

    I nodded.

    "Yes, I was told to do this by my master, if I got some land, built a house, and managed to find a way to make a living I would be allowed to marry his daughter when she turned 16."

    Paul looked at me.

    "You're what, 15?"

    I smiled and laid down.

    "Yes, Andrea's 13 now."

    Paul sighed.

    "You know you could probably marry a yankee girl of good standing."

    I watched the clouds.

    "They don't know me."

    Paul lifted an eyebrow.

    "So?"

    "Andrea was there for me at my worst, when I was nothing, she supported me through out this entire trip. If I must marry then I want a woman who I can trust. I don't just want someone who is pretty, I want a friend, my best friend."

    Paul grabbed his heart.

    "You wound me Louis, greatly wound me."

    I shrugged.

    "I'm sorry but I knew her longer."

    Paul chuckled.

    "It's fine."

    I looked at him.

    "Are you still leaving?"

    Paul nodded.

    "Yes, and soon."

    "But you could buy land here, be rich here."

    Paul looked me in the eye.

    "This is a good country, and the people are tolerable, but it is not my home. Poland needs me."

    He streched out.

    "I will try to visit from time to time though."

    "Visit?"

    Paul smiled.

    "Did you know that Merlin lets you do group projects?"

    I blinked.

    "No."

    Paul got up and I got up with him.

    "We had to clear it with the american government but that island there?"

    He pointed at it.

    "Is the new Polish embassy to America, they call it Footman Island and it is officially now a tiny piece of Poland in America."

    I stared at him.

    "So?"

    His hands moved and Paul created a small iceberg I sighed.

    "You know we can walk there right?"

    "I know but this is faster, come on."

    I jumped on the iceberg with him, and the sheet of ice sped to the Island. I saw forests but I also saw buildings, in the center was a large building. A man in a uniform saluted Paul.

    "Paul?"

    "Everything I own is already packed, and on the other side."

    "Otherside of what?"

    We went under ground and saw a multitude of arches, I saw blue glowing light.

    "What is this paul?"

    "A group project, Mr. Burr was instrumental in making it happen. We needed approval from your government, we needed approval from the polish
    government. You see I used to think Poland had nothing to protect us from our enemies."

    "Paul."

    "We were wrong, Warsaw has one of the largest leyline Nexuses in Europe, the only nexus that surpass's it is the one in Stonehenge."
    He grabbed my hand and we stepped through, then we walked up stares in the darkness, my eyes opened wide.

    "What is this?"

    I saw a city an old one, a massive one.

    "Welcome to Warsaw."

    I turned around and stared at him.

    "This was expensive, but with 25 million pounds I could afford it. Now students will stream into Compass, there they will train and with their 50% discount they can buy spices, sugar, other desired goods, we will sell them in Europe and use the money to fund a new army, a new navy."

    "The americans..."

    "Are selling us food, selling us clothing, gunpowder, weapons, we are not ready, not yet but when the time comes we will strike our enemies with our magic and the best weapons we can buy, and we will have our revenge."

    I stared at him.

    Paul put a hand on my shoulder.

    "Poland will remember its friends, we did support their revolution after all, when we are victorious, when our land has been liberated we will know who to thank."

    He smiled at me.

    "I thought you hated the americans?"

    Paul shook his head.

    "I hated small minded idiots, every country has them, but America? No I do not hate them, in fact I wish them well, with their help the foundation for a free Poland has been laid."

    His face was serene and calm.

    "And we will finally have our revenge."
     
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    • Paul Kalinowski - The Prince of hell
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    • Paul Kalinowski - The Prince of hell

    If Poniatowski had listened to Kalinowski Poland would have remained free - Polish saying
    Russians have a place in Poland, in our grave yards- Paul Kalinowski

    After the first Partition a group of nationalistic Nobles looked for a way, any way to gain an edge over their enemies. Surrounded by three countries this small group of nobles were desperate. When rumors of a school of magic in the Americas arrived the decision was made. A group of children, 4th and 5th sons of nobility would be sent.

    Paul Kalinowski was one of these students, he wasn't the oldest, the biggest or necessairly the smartest but he was the most motivated, the most filled with hate. He had lost a beloved relative during the 1st Partition who had died in the fighting and felt a sense of personal rage.

    He worked with the other polish students, and used every connection he had to set the stage for a polish revival and his personal revenge. To this end he is credited with the now infamous Spice scandal to get seed money for his plans, he also used his connections to establish a polish embassy on Footman island, linking the nexus on the island with the Warsaw mage nexus. Kalinowski had a direct link to America and Compass.

    His goal was to create an army of Magi, a cadre of over 70,000 that would bring Poland victory when war came to Poland once more. His efforts though were blunted by Polish nobles who were in Russian, Prussian and Austrian pockets.

    So he took his money, invested wisely and went behind their backs, he took in serfs, orphans, Jews, and even women, and started up his own network of Magi. Together they called themselves the Midnight society, and in the shadows they cached weapons, bought ships, cannons and prepared for war.

    In 1792, Kalinowski was 22 years old, he had spent time studying war, building his forces and brought out an armed force of 10,000 Magi who were willing to fight. They proved to be the single most destructive force in the war. Russia attacked Poland with 98,000 troops.

    Only 48,000 of them would return home alive, Kalinowski's magi used hit and run attacks, they cut off the russian army from supplies, they burned their food, they fought in the dead of night, they used illusions to get them to attack each other. Their greatest moment was saving Warsaw from a russian siege.

    If the king had kept his nerve it is possible that Poland would have remained free, but he feared Russia's raw numbers and surrendered. One of Russia's demands was that Paul Kalinowski's head would be delivered to the russians and their Magi forces disbanded and either killed or exiled. The king fearful of their influence agreed, but when his forces went to find Kalinowski he and all of his magi had vanished.

    Convinced that Poland was now helpless the country was then partitioned for a second time and reduced to a rump state. In the darkness Kalowski and the Midnight society plotted eager for revenge.

    In 1794 he got his wish, Tadeusz Kościuszko revolted against the king and the Midnight society rose to help him. It turns out that Kalinowski had lied about the number of magi he had trained and with his money and resources he had created a spy network, with Magi and normal soldiers working together the revolt lasted six years and proved to be one of the most bloody conflicts in Russian history.

    Fearful of the new liberal Poland, Prussia and Austria joined in the conflict. Kalinowski was forced to flee to Warsaw, he was however prepared, he had spent years crafting a secret under city, crafting unparallelled magical defenses. The allied army was unable to breach Warsaw's defenses, and the city declared that they would fight on.

    Outside of Warsaw Magic in poland was declared illegal, punishment would be death. Inside the city Kalinowski was able to convince the scared populace that magic was the only way Poland would survive, by government mandate everyone in the city was forced to learn magic.

    When the Napoleonic wars came Warsaw was liberated and got their revenge on Russia, the country would lose 589,000 people in the war, with the wars end once again an alliance of countries drew together to contain the army of magi.

    This time though Russia would be forced to contain them alone, neither Prussia nor Austria wanted to be tasked with the sheer expense of the siege, convinced that victory and vengence was close Russia took over the siege. It was 1814 and the siege would continue on to 1914.

    Inside of the capital the republic of Poland was declared, the republic had only one trade partner, the United States, and what they could bring inside Poland was a trickle of goods, Kalionowski won the presidency. He improved Poland's defenses, institutied rationing, created Casinos to draw what little wealth he could from the United States.

    From Warsaw he masterminded a guerilla war against Russia, a public relations war against Russia, and a war of spies against Russia. Future presidents of Poland would continue this shadow war. To this day Kalinowski remains a controversal figure.

    In Poland he is a national hero, in Russia he is their great monster, and boogieman. Romanticised and demonized, the Prince of hell's influence still shapes the world to this day.
     
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    • Ralph Essen
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    • Ralph Essen


    "Mr. Essen?"

    I looked up at a man in a suit, he was thin, had dark skin and pale blond hair.

    "Yes?"

    "Professor Thomas Hearns, you can just call me Professor Hearns."

    I got up.

    "What can I do for you professor?"

    He looked at me.

    "It's going to take awhile before your ship is properly outfitted, and you need to get some housing."

    I thought about it.

    "Maybe I could borrow a dorm?"

    "Those are for students, faculty and their families only, Mr. Essen."

    I sighed.

    "I have money for a hotel."

    "We know but you're not local, I will show you around."

    I followed him as we got lower into the tree.

    "So what are you a Professor of?"

    He smirked.

    "Black history, we are a university on top of many other things."

    I walked next to him into an elevator, when the door opened we continued to talk until we got to a subway station. We waited and he stared at a clock.

    "So black history?"

    He nodded.

    "Yes."

    "Um..."

    The professor smiled at me.

    "You're thinking of apologizing, aren't you?"

    I grimaced, and he shrugged and stared at a poster for a boxing match.

    "Tyson's fighting."

    The professor nodded.

    "I know, the black hope, I thought about going into boxing myself at one point."

    "And?"

    He shrugged.

    "I had a black mother, education education education, I know it's a steotype but it has some basis in truth."

    I looked down.

    "Where do you think it all went wrong?"

    He looked at me.

    "You're going to have to be much more specific then that."

    "Earth, the world."

    The man shrugged.

    "That's outside my field of study Mr. Essen."

    Our car arrived and we went inside, the subway car was mostly empty, we rode on in silence. I looked at his hair.

    "Slavery."

    I blinked.

    "What?"

    "During the Antebellum Era in the South, any freed slave was forced to under go a procedure that would turn our hair blond, it's the same process used to fix-"

    "Spinal injuries."

    He looked at my book and nodded.

    "Yes, that process permanently alters your genes, and those genes get passed on. It was a way to make it easy to see who was a slave and who was free."

    "That's messed up."

    The professor shrugged.

    "In the modern era yes? But to a recently freed slave? Golden hair meant freedom, quite a few people gladly volunteered for the procedure, even in free states, especially after the fugative slave laws passed."

    The subway car stopped and we walked out.

    "So even after slavery's over it's still causing issues."

    The professor nodded as we walked out.

    "People at the time thought that 40 acres and a mule would fix it all, as if a plot of land and a donkey could fix the damage caused by over 200 years of slavery."

    "Yeah in retrospect it does seem kind of naive."

    The professor smirked.

    "It had much less to do with being naive and much more to do with security and politics. The republicans had just beaten the Confederacy and their mexican allies, they needed to settle the Baha territory, and secure the Mississippi river basin. If you look where the 40 Acres came from it was in Louisiana and Baha, which then became republican strong holds."

    He paused and frowned.

    "There were plots outside those states but we ended up quickly losing any land we had outside of there. A plurality exchanged for two majority states, and we left in droves, the Jubilee generation going to the new promised land."

    "Baha's nice."

    He nodded.

    "Absolutely beautiful, but for those of us outside the two states with our much reduced numbers we found outselves frozen out of most of the economy.
    So we were forced to learn how to save our money, we went into money lending, which became banking, education became our salvation."

    "And it didn't stop um...."

    "Middle man minorities, the chinese in southeast asia, Parsis in india, and of course the jews, black america ended up fufilling that role in the south. The hated moneylender, the scheming hustler, I have a bit of rasict art from the 20s."

    "Why?"

    He looked up at the night sky.

    "Because it's important to know your history, it's this piece of art of a black man kissing a stack of dollars."

    I stared at him.

    "I know, it's stupid."

    I looked around and tensed up, the writing was in spanish, the professor went silent as we walked in silence, when the spanish changed to english, and I saw smiling black faces I let out a breath of air.

    "You relaxed."

    I cringed as he smiled.

    "The media makes hispanics all look like criminals and rapists."

    "And that isn't fair."

    He shrugged.

    "To be fair this new drug, the grieta epidemic is just destroying the community."

    He chuckled.

    "One time I was out late in the Barrio and I bump into this little old white lady, she looked at me in terror and then said."

    He paused.

    "Oh thank god it's a nigger."

    We laughed awkwardly and the professor sighed.

    "It's not all the outside honestly, I gave up boxing because all the other kids were saying I was acting white."

    "You regret your decision?"

    He shrugged.

    "A part of me does, I liked boxing and I gave it up over such a stupid reason. I don't think I would have been a champion but I was good at it. I suppose there's a lesson in there somewhere."

    We stopped at a massive castle.

    "The Le pen hotel one of the best hotels in the city."

    I cringed.

    "Maybe something cheaper?"

    The professor put a hand on my shoulder.

    "All of it covered by the school."

    "Thanks."

    The professor looked me in the eye.

    "Don't thank me for this son, this isn't free you signed a contract and you're going right into that nightmare world."

    I sighed, the professor had a good point I followed him and let the professor do the talking. I was given a room with a window view and sat down, Compass even from a distance looked absolutely beautiful.
     
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    • Louis Le pen

    "How bad is it doc?"

    I looked at the man's leg, speaking out loud.

    "Wound on the leg in three places, leg was broken, were dealing with wet Gangrene, internal bleeding, and sepsis. Wer'e going to have to amputate his leg below the knee."

    The screaming sailor started crying, his friends looked at me in panic.

    "It's going to take about a month to regrow his leg."

    The sailors sighed, and they put a piece of metal between his teeth.

    "What are you doing?"

    They stared at me.

    "The bullet so he doesn't bite off his tongue."

    "I have drugs to help him sleep."

    They held him down while I grabbed a syringe. I plunged the needle into a vein and watched the sailor fall asleep. I cut open his pant leg and brought out a bonesaw, the patient slept as I cut off the leg, my hands flowed into the signs, and I sang in the high tongue.

    Fresh water rose from a nearby barrel. I motioned for the water to flow into his leg, I drew the infection out of his veins, and then heated the water until it cauterized the wound. The wound was cleaned. I used a cleansing spell to removed any bacteria from my operating room. Then I went to a chest, and measured carefully.

    I looked at him. 30 days, white and pink.

    I put the pills into two bottles.

    "The sailor?"

    "Fred?"

    I nodded.

    "If you want his leg to grow back properly put a pink pill into normal water, wait until it glows red and then have him drink it, he also needs to swallow a white pill."

    "Why?"

    I looked at them.

    "The pink potions allow a patient to regenerate but you can't get something from nothing, the white pills have the needed nutrition to help him survive the process. Using pink without white can do bad things like make all of his bones weaker, or make him sick or in extreme situations even death."

    "Isn't this um magic."

    I looked him in the eye.

    "Even magic has rules and limitations, take sailing for example I assure you, your skill in that matter is infinitely better then mine."

    The men visably puffed up.

    "But even you have to respect the limitation of the ocean, weather and other issues. Magic is much the same way."

    They nodded and brought out coins. I didn't charge too much but I did charge for my services, the men left and I started cleaning up. My home state
    wasn't doing too well, before the revolution the state's economy revolved around agriculture and lumber.

    The state was poor and was often bullied by Boston or Philly, who often charged large amounts of taxes. One of the reasons why Compass ended up here was because the state was too weak and poor to resist. So they did the next best thing and crafted the county of Zone as a form of protest.
    It's amazing how things change in 4 years. The rest of the state may not love us but they did appreciate the money we brought into the economy. I looked at my new clock and smiled, I brought out my key and wound the clock. I walked out of my surgery room.

    "Any other patients?"

    The elderly man shook his head.

    "No sir."

    "Thank you Mr. Van Winkle."

    He nodded and went back to doodling. Van Winkle swore that he had slept through the revolution after drinking an enchanted drink from some dwarves. Personally I think it was far more likely that he fled into the wilderness to escape his nagging wife, but I wasn't in a position to judge the man.

    He may hate physical labor with a passion, but the man was a very good secretary and worth every cent I paid him.

    "Ever thought about studying magic?"

    The old man shook his head.

    "I'm happy with my current job son."

    "Very well. I think I'm finished for the day, we're closing up."

    My secretary yawned and I walked out of the castle and looked up at the sky. Along the shore line I saw the beginning's of a community. With the graduation of the first class many of us decided to stay in Zone. If you wanted to learn more, talk to other magi and trade with them that's what you needed to be. Speaking of that I got into a boat and commanded the water to move, eventually I left my lands and got to a house that seemed to be growing out of a tree.

    I smiled as I greeted the couple.

    "Simon, Julia!"

    I gave them a hug, it is true I lost touch with my fellow expatriots but they were good people.

    "How is little George doing?"

    Julia patted her belly.

    "He isn't due for some time, need to buy something?"

    "Starfish."

    At first when we graduated pretty much all of us tried to do everything ourselves, this turned out to be a bad idea, and we learned to specialize. I concentrated on medical work and the Martins concentrated on growing and breeding reagents.

    Reagents like starfish.

    The price of starfish had skyrocketed in Zone, they were used in regeneration potions, in waterbreathing potions, and in a host of other substances. It was second only to Quartz in the reagent market. Julia frowned.

    "I'm sorry Louis but were out."

    "Surely you have some of them."

    "Yes but they're oue breeding stock, if we sold them to you we wouldn't have starfish to sell in the future."

    Dejected I thanked them for their time and went to the market.

    "Starfish?"

    Store after store said no. I sighed as the sky went dark, I sailed home and looked at my tiny stock of starfish, sure lizard could do the same thing but the regenration it provided wasn't as good and it took longer to make. I pulled out my mirror.

    "Andrea."

    "Louis."

    I smiled at her.

    "You're looking as beautiful as ever."

    She blushed.

    "Trying to seduce me?"

    I smirked.

    "Of course, is it working?"

    "4 out of 10."

    "My lady wounds me."

    She stuck out her toungue and we laughed.

    "So did you get more starfish?"

    I sighed.

    "Everyone's out again."

    Andrea smiled warmly.

    "Eventually there will be more."

    "But my patients...."

    "Will understand, don't beat yourself up my love, you're doing good things."

    I sighed.

    "How did I get so lucky as to get you?"

    She smiled her eyes full of miscift.

    "You went on a quest to earn my love and my hand."

    "Oh right."

    She giggled.

    "I'm glad to talk to you, things here are getting worse."

    I blinked.

    "Worse?"

    "Taxes have gone up, the estates general has been called, it's pretty bad right now."

    "Oh."

    "Father is worried about us."

    "I'm sure Monsieur Chabot will be fine."

    Andrea looked at me with concern.

    "I, I think father is right, it's not safe here anymore."

    "What happened?"

    Andrea looked away.

    "I, I don't want to talk about it, I'd much rather talk about magic, and trees and wonders then things like this."

    I smiled and told her stories of my medical work, Andrea's face smile and I watched her worries vanish. I treasured these moments.
     
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    • Ralph Essen
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    • Ralph Essen


    It was raining, I was at the lobby eating some eggs and toast, I preferred to keep things safe.

    "What part are you at?"

    I looked up from my book at the woman in question, her eyes were a golden yellow, her hair was pink, she had brown skin, and a figure that was stunning. I looked up calmly, the pub slub deduction if a pretty girl comes up to talk to you she has an ulterior motive.

    "He's just doing medical stuff right now, it's pretty boring slice of life stuff."

    She looked at me as if studying me.

    "Wizard, spring Magi."

    Her accent was polish, explained a couple things.

    "Pink hair, yellow eyes, brown skin, your mother was a homunculus or your grandmother."

    She frowned.

    "Mother."

    The silence was awkward, but I ignored it and continued to eating my oatmeal.

    "How did you know?"

    "Making a homunculus is illegal pretty much everywhere except Poland, but all homunculi have white skin albino, alabaster white, if it was made."
    "She, He, not it. They're people, not things"

    There was anger in her voice I repeated myself.

    "Making a homunculus is illegal pretty much everywhere except Poland, but all homunculi have white skin.either alabaster white,like an albino, or they were made by a winter magi who knew what they were doing you get a normal white, but no one has ever been able to crack pigmentation so that means your father was human, don't know the ethnicity."

    "Never met him."

    I shrugged.

    "Point made, pink hair though is not found in nature neither is purple, if you had blue or green hair it could just be the case that you had a nasty accident or one of your ancestors had one, but pink, purple, orange, colors not found in nature? That means homunculi. Also you're way too pretty, general rule of thumb if it looks too good to be true it is."

    I paused.

    "Your kind of looks? Magic, plastic surgery, an alchemical regiement, or you have a homunculi parent or relative, someone specced for beauty. Am I right?"

    She frowned.

    "I didn't ask to be born, I didn't ask to be a freak."

    I stared at her making a point to maintain eye contact.

    "What do you want?"

    She frowned.

    "I just wanted to talk about a book."

    I didn't trust that.

    "What do you really want to talk about?"

    "Just a book."

    She pulled up the sleeve of a business suit, I touched her arm scanning it, I touched her arm, scanning it. Ward. nasty one, used invisible ink.Goddamned.

    "Really, a book."

    I wrote a message on my napkin.

    (You want that removed?)

    "I like literature."

    She sat down and nodded her head.

    "But that's not all of it, is it?"

    (Let me guess, pimp?)

    She nodded, this was illegal, massively illegal Poland may have legal Homunculi but they had strict rules against sex slavery.

    "Books are nice, they let a girl get away from it all, if you want I can keep you company."

    "How much would this company cost?"

    "50 dollars, I'm good company."

    (This will hurt a lot, you understand?)

    She nodded.

    (It will take a couple hours, is the Pimp listening in?)

    She nodded again.

    "Maybe 3 hours? It's only couple thousand dollars Im worth your time trust me"

    Her voice was sultry and I nodded back.

    "Fine, I'm in."

    We walked together to my room, I wrote down a message.

    (Take off your shirt, and lay on your back.)

    "I'm ready."

    She laid down and started moaning, I went to my suitcase and brought out some markers. She had arrays on her upper thighs, both arms and her back, nasty stuff, stuff that could kill you. The arrays allowed the owner to torture, kill, and track the target. All of it was blatantly illegal, some of this stuff was a capital offence.

    However it was also an amateur effort, and because the array was covert it was also more vulnerable. I drew arrays to the sides of the ones on her arms, the back of her legs and the one on her back.

    (Bite the pillow.)

    She winced and screamed in pain as I activated my runes, I didn't bother working against the magic itself instead I worked against the ink. She howled with pain as the ink was erased, I tried to manage some of the backlash but it wasn't possible.

    She sat there crying and I went to the phone.

    "Police, I have an incident to report."

    The conversation was too long. I reinforced the door just in case and prepared for a fight, when the knock came and the officers arrived I sighed in relief, I opened the doors and two men in roman legionaries outfits walked in.

    "Officer Sands, and Officer Rameriz."

    They looked at the still crying girl.

    "You took off the arrays?"

    I nodded at officer Sands.

    "Good work, we will take it from here."

    I left as quickly as I could, this was something big and nasty, and I didn't want to deal with the Kielbasa Posse. When I got to the ground floor I heard
    gunfire.

    "Fuck."

    I looked up, 2 armed men, guns were off the shelf AKs, now I knew I wasn't dealing with the Kielbasa Posse, I was dealing with the Russians. The patrons of the restaurant looked up and stared calmly at the men with the guns.

    "Everyone do-"

    Lighting, stone, and water rose almost as one, the men got off a few shots but in return they were obliterated, when the cops got down one of the men was still screaming.

    "Sands! We have a live one."

    He went to the russian on the ground.

    "Tell us who your working for and we can save your life."

    "Fuck...you."

    Suddenly his mouth foamed and his eyes went blank, the officer brought out a radio.

    "Dispatch? We have a problem."

    I sighed, I had heard about those pills in the movies but I didn't think any one would actually use them, but given that his options were at best deportation to back to earth or being held by the angolans I understood.

    "Ok everyone, building is on complete lockdown."

    I sat down and brought out my book, this was going to take awhile.
     
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    • Ralph Essen
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    • Ralph Essen


    "So what is this about?"

    It was of course too much to ask that I be allowed to read in peace. Honestly I give this hotel 2 stars, sure the food was ok, and I got enough sleep but getting shot at automatically lowers your score.

    "Russians."

    The man in the cheap tan suit sighed.

    "Should have known."

    I looked at him.

    "What?"

    He sighed.

    "What do you think happened to all the russian diplomats? All the spies, their entire foreign service after the exchange? They didn't just die, no they scattered like rats, and they became the russian mob. So what did they do this time?"

    "Prostitution, sex slavery, blackmail they used magic, highly illegal shit."

    The man looked at me.

    "Damn, its like their just begging to be sent back home to earth."

    He leaned back.

    "There was a vote you know, to kick the ruskies out of the UN."

    "And?"

    "It passed, India just got their old seat on the security council, the diplomat publically burned the former diplomats chair."

    "I thought Brazil wanted it?"

    "India has more people, a larger economy, and there are what 20 thousand, maybe fewer surviving pakistanis to protest the decision, if that. They have bigger problems now, everyone on Earth has bigger problems."

    "Any other news?"

    "Tibet was pretty much untouched by the bombs and remote enough that they mostly survived intact, Merlin's moving their cities to around Neptune, the Sikhs petitioned Merlin for help moving their cities to another world, to start a homeland of their own."

    "And India and China are ok with this?"

    He sighed.

    "Both of them have decided it's just easier to have a peaceful divorce, and anyways there's like what, 2 million tibetians? and 15 million Sikhs."

    "What does Merlin get in exchange?"

    The man sighed.

    "Same deal he gave New Israel, professors and security guards, personal and to look after his school."

    I stared forward, the old bird was preparing for the end.

    "Wonder why he's doing that?"

    "War shakes people up. The old bird probably took the exchange hard."

    The man shrugged.

    "Meh it's Merlin, old bird's invincible. It's bad now but 200 years from now he will be teaching our kids all about what fuck ups we were."

    I felt a sense of guilt, he was dying. A world without Merlin, how would we deal with that? Far as anyone remembered he had always been alive, would always be here.

    "Mr. Essen."

    I looked up at a police officer with his armor.

    "You gave your deposition, your part in our investigation is over."

    I got up and left the dinning hall and went outside, when I did so I saw the woman from before, she had been covered up with a towel, she looked at me and nodded and went away in a police car.

    "Her name's Marie."

    I blinked and turned over and saw an officer with folded arms.

    "She was from Krakow Poland, tourist, her mother was-"

    "A homunculus."

    "Yes, she said she came here looking for her biological father."

    "And?"

    "The officer took off his helmet and brought out a cigarette, his hands shook as he lit it.

    "Apparently I'm a father."

    His hair was a curly black, his face was lined with worry, and his head was shaved exposing black skin, he had thoughtful brown eyes that looked exhausted.

    "I owe you one for getting my daughter out of that, that mess."

    "You believe her?"

    "She had a photo, it-"

    The man took a breath.

    "I was in college, went over there as an exchange student, we fell in love but then she ended things. If I had known..."

    He took a breath.

    "She could have told me, I would have been there for her."

    "Married?"

    The man shook his head.

    "I went into the force and there just wasn't any time, if I had made different choices... I don't know."

    He sat down and motioned for me to follow him, I did so. The officer stared ahead of him his eyes unfocused.

    "So the men."

    "Janitors at a Russian embassy, fled after the exchange. We're going after them, it's personal now, real personal."

    He looked at me.

    "Thanks for helping my girl out, she's had a rough couple months, she's going to need a lot of therapy after what happened. Not a lot of people would take that risk Essen, thank you."

    I nodded.

    "She did say you were rude."

    "I spent 20 years in the Navy."

    The officer laughed.

    "Yeah that would do it, wouldn't it, you navy boys are rough round the edges but maybe that's what my girl needed thanks."

    I looked at my watch.

    "I have an appointment in Compass with the old bird."

    The cop nodded.

    "Officer Jacob Brown, thanks for everything."

    With words exchanged I left. I waited for the ferry, which took too long and then waited at the school docks. The old bird greeted me, his breath heaving, he was wheezing.

    "You ok?"

    "Went... to Tibet....moved another town."

    "Is that um...."

    "Not... safe... .but...that's not really... my concern."

    He looked at me, a servitor gave me a box.

    "A writ of passage, can be used as a passport, don't abuse it."

    I saluted him.

    "Thanks."

    With that done my eyes widened as I stared at my boat.

    "It's different."

    "Put in a lot of enchantments, this girl's made to travel through the lines, I wish you a good journey Mr. Essen."

    I stood ramrod straight and saluted him again.

    "Thank you Sir, it's been an honor."

    "We...need....to...refuel it....also some one wants to talk...to you."

    I walked next to the boat and sat on a box waiting for my chance to set sail into the future."
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le pen



    I made a point of travelling back to Compass. Working in the medical field proved to me that I needed to learn more. As the great tree's glow vanished with the rising sun I saw sailors eating at the makeshift docks as servitors loaded and unloaded goods from their ships.

    The experienced ones had bored looks on their faces as the fuzzy tentacled servitors floated and moved things in silence, the inexperenced ones looked worried and scared. I calmly walked on the water back to the great tree, some of the younger ones got up startled, one brought out a sword, an older grizzled sailor sighed.

    "Put that down boy."

    "It's witchcraft and deviltry."

    The old sailor looked at the young man like he was a fool.

    "It's a school of magic, ever listen to a fairy tale boy? The old ones? With the kindly ones the actual fairies, well we broke bread with them, when you took that first bite that meant you were protected by the rites of hospitality. You use that sword and you put not only yourself at risk but the whole bloody crew."

    The young sailor put his sword away as the other sailors glared at him.

    "Plus this is the first decent meal we have had in weeks, don't ruin this for everyone."

    The man looked at me sheepishly.

    "Sorry."

    I shrugged.

    "No offense taken."

    The older sailors continued their meals as I walked passed them, the younger ones looked at me nervously, I went into the tree, I saw a line off to the side.

    "Showers? What's a bloody shower?"

    A sailor looked at him.

    "A chance to get cleaned, you get soap, a towel and you get to control the water as you scrub away the grime, don't worry we will get our chance soon."

    I walked past sailors sitting down at tables, eating various breakfast meals. I noticed some sailors eating something I didn't recognize. Little rings covered in frosting and decorations.

    "What's that?"

    The sailor looked up at me and smiled with a dutch accent.

    "A donut, a traditional dutch treat, the old bird heard of them but he couldn't get the recipe so he guessed."

    He took a bite.

    "Maybe we should give him the recipe then."

    The sailors looked at me as one and glared, the dutchman frowned.

    "Don't."

    "But it isn't well um correct."

    "There are exactly two recipes that we have all agreed that Merlin must never get, the actual recipe for Donuts and Ketchup."

    I blinked as he brought out a red bottle.

    "That's ketchup? It looks completely wrong."

    "Tomato Ketchup."

    Tomatoes, you used mushrooms in ketchup, or fish parts or- He poured some out for me and cut up a slice of sausage then offered me a bite. I chewed the ketchup covered sausage and looked at the dutchman.

    "I understand."

    "He has cookbooks, we know how to make it and the donuts in case someone ruins this for us, you're not going to ruin this for us, will you?"

    I shook my head.

    "No, sir."

    The dutchman took another bite of his donut and smiled.

    "Jelly filled, I love jelly filled."

    I left them and took an elevator up to the library. I showed my Compass alumni ring to a servitor and walked into the huge expansive library. Merlin bought books, lots and lots of books, I saw servitors hard at work translating texts from all over the world and sat down.

    I filled out a request form and went to the study, there were other people there, students, alumni, locals, tourists and people in the military. It was pretty easy to tell who was who with a glance. There had been talks and a new fort had been built recently with the help of magi near the river entrance on our side of the border with Maine.

    I picked up a newspaper and smiled, the new constitution had passed, there were some concessions, a bill of rights had to be passed. I frowned when I saw that the attempt to ban slavery failed, as did the 3/5ths compromise, but I noted that a sunset clause had been put in.

    Every one born after 1850 would be born free, this frustrated me, the South gained extra votes for essentially free. 1850 was more then 50 years away. I took a breath and tried to steady my nerves, at least it would end, and I had heard people say that that horrid little institution would die a natural death in time.

    I thought about it critically. I saw that Monsieur Hamilton's reforms had gone through and...

    "Debt repayed?"

    A golem sat across from me.

    "Yes."

    "Headmaster, I'm-"

    "It's ok, this is a place of learning."

    I looked at him.

    "I thought the country was broke."

    The golem shrugged.

    "It is."

    "But how?"

    "Have you ever heard of Aluminium?"

    I shook my head.

    "It's not common on Earth you know, and what little you can find is difficult to process, but the galaxy is a very big place and there are places I visited where it was as plentiful as iron is on Earth."

    I stared at him.

    "You payed off the national debt?"

    He nodded.

    "I needed all the nations debts consolidated into one coherent whole, then I used up well pretty much my entire stock of Aluminium."

    I looked at him.

    "What do you get sir?"

    Merlin looked up.

    "A simplified tax structurer hard coded as an official treaty, 10 percent of the schools income to the federal government, 10 percent to the state, and the county of Zone is now officially also the city of Zone which means instead of Porstmouth and the other villages fighting over who I pay taxes to they now have to share it all."

    I gulped.

    "Anything else?"

    "Water rights, an expansion of my land in the great bay, and the federal government is going to use something I developed."

    He brought out a bill.

    "Behold the new dollar."

    It was green, he gave it to me and it felt odd.

    "It feels weird."

    "Because it's not made with paper, it's made with rags, now put it somewhere dark."

    I did so and watched the bill glow a dull green.

    "It glows in the dark."

    The golem nodded and he brought out a candle.

    "Burn it."

    "Sir, it's money."

    "Burn it."

    I put the bill over the flame and blinked.

    "Alchemical ingredients sourced from Compass, the bills are fireproof, and glow in the dark."

    I stared at the bill.

    "Incredible."

    "I have a feeling that the new dollars will be much harder to counterfeit, don't you Louis?"

    I smiled and nodded, the future seemed to be a little brighter and a little more secure.
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le pen


    Monsieur Burr, no Mr. Burr, I needed to think like an American.

    "I have bad news."

    The couple looked at me.

    "What is it?"

    Mr. Burr's voice was controlled, but I could sense his heart beating faster, sense the increase of sweat and sense his fear and panic. Some days it was harder to be a magi then others, being able sense a person's mood like this felt like an invasion of privacy. Most of the time I was able to keepthose senses in check, but that was always harder when it was someone I knew.

    Without Mr. Burr's help I would not be a wealthy man. I owed him quite a bit and a part of me pitied the man. Behind that brave facade was pain, and fear.

    "Cancer, stomach cancer to be exact."

    Burr's eyes opened in horror for a moment before his control returned, his wife squeezed his hand.

    "Please tell me you can fix this, cure this."

    I took a breath.

    "We caught it early, we are very lucky, we can cut out the cancer filled cells, give your wife a potion to help regenerate the lost tissue."

    He sighed.

    "Good."

    "But that won't be the end of it."

    Burr looked at me.

    "What do you mean?"

    His voice was cold.

    "Cancer."

    I grimaced.

    "It's not like bacteria or a virus, with those I can fight them directly, cancer isn't like that."

    "Why not?"

    How to put this nicely.

    "Viruses and bacteria are not a part of your body, they're little microscopic invaders."

    Burr's other hand gripped his chair.

    "I have seen those horrid things under a Merlin microscope, then I looked for them under the microscopes not built by him. I am well aware of what they are, why can't you just fight them?"

    "Because Cancer is caused by your own cells turning against you. Like I said we got lucky, the amount of cancer in your wife's belly is about the size of a
    small tumble, but it grows, corrupting more of your body until it kills you slowly and painfully."

    I grit my teeth.

    "Cancer can come back at any time and because this happened at a young age it will most likely happen again."

    "There has to be a way to cure it forever."

    I really wanted it to be otherwise.

    "I'm sorry, but this is all we can do, cut out the cancer when we see it, regenerate the lost tissue and hope it doesn't come back."

    I tried to think of a way to help.

    "Maybe you should think about moving."

    Theodosia looked upset.

    "Our life is in New York."

    I turned towards her.

    "The only place in the world right now that has the people with the ability to see if your cancer has come back is here in Zone, the only place where people have the ability to effectively treat it is here in Zone. If you choose to live in New York, I don't know if anyone will be able to help you."

    "We can convince someone to move or train or-"

    I looked at the woman.

    "And where would he get the equipment? Where would he get the reagents? The problem right now and the one we're all learning the hard way, is that we can't do everything on our own."

    And wasn't that a pain to find out.

    "Our numbers right now are too small, the reagent market is too limited, As an art, as a science, as an industry, as a community we're only 4 years old
    Madame Burr."

    The two of them looked at each other.

    "Can you fix her?"

    I nodded.

    "Yes, do you want to get this taken care of right away?"

    They stared at me.

    "Right."

    I walked them into the operating room and I washed my hands, and then cleansed them. I sighed at the limited amount of painkillers, my needles were pretty much all in strong disenfectants. I took out a clean one and looked over the math, double checking i.

    "Madame Burr, please lie on the operating table. Mr. Burr please do not interfere."

    He nodded.

    "I understand."

    I took my supplies out and put a needle against her arm. I pressed the plunger and waited for Theodosia to fall asleep. Then I lifted her shirt, I disinfected
    her belly with a alchohol covered wipe and then summoned some water. I carefully cut her lower abdomen open. I searched for the bit of intestine that was damaged, then I carefully used my control over water to slowly cut way the cancer infected portion of her stomach. The little bit of white infection was placed on a metal tray.

    Then I brought out a potion of regeneration. I made sure to direct the red liquid to the affected areas, then I put everything back in place. I put the skin back and used the red liquid to seal everything back up, there wouldn't be any scarring.

    "Done."

    Burr stared at me in awe.

    "Done?"

    "The cancer is on the tray, please make sure to keep having a mage check up on her, Cancer isn't a joke."

    "But it was so easy for you."

    "Because we caught it early Sir, if you had wasted time it would have been much, much worse."

    The man looked at me and dipped his head.

    "Thank you, she's everything to me, if there is anything I can do."

    I looked at him.

    "Starfish."

    He blinked.

    "What?"

    "Starfish, everyone is running out of starfish, if you could spread word that we need more, that we're willing to pay that would help."

    "Starfish."

    "It's one of the most useful reagents out there, there simply isn't enough of it,. We need more quartz too if anyone is looking to make money."

    Mr. Burr nodded.

    "I know a few people, they could help."

    I bowed.

    "Then that is it, I wish you the best."

    Burr nodded and smiled.

    "Some day when I'm a senator I will remember what Zone did for me, what it can do for America. I won't forget you."

    I decided that I liked the man, even if he was a bit on the quiet side.
     
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    • Louis Le pen
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    • Louis Le pen



    "You wanted to visit me, yes?"

    We were in a different room, something I had grown to call the star room.

    "Um yes, I guess I just wanted to know more about your people, the phoenix."

    He took in a deep breath, looking at glowing images, paintings in the air.

    "I don't know if that's a good idea."

    "Isn't the whole point of this school to preserve what's left of your people?"

    Merlin closed his glowing golden eyes.

    "My relationship with my people is, complicated. I love them, I hate them, I see both our glories and our mistakes."

    He opened his eyes.

    "This school this ship is a testament to our failure Louis, the last vestage of a people too arrogant and lazy to save themselves, it is a lesson learned too
    late."

    His voice was solemn.

    "The future does not belong to us Louis, it belongs to humanity."

    A set of claws were outside his wings, I noticed extra legs, no arms with five talons.

    "Um."

    "My arms are normally covered by my wings, the phoenix had 6 limbs not 4."

    He was tapping on something.

    "What are you working on?"

    His eyes were unfocused.

    "Your inheritance, I..."

    He took a deep breath and I heard pain in his voice.

    "I won't let what happened to us happen to humanity. I had a million years in this ship, I wasn't idle, but the work is unfinished."

    He continued tapping.

    "Ok can you talk at the same time?"

    "Of course, with Compass I can handle over a million seperate lines of thought."

    I took a breath.

    "What did your people worship?"

    Merlin froze.

    "I am a very bad person to ask about spiritual matters Louis, if you have questions about god go ask a priest. Your god or gods have served you well, don't abandon them for a passing fancy."

    "It would be easier for me to understand you if I did."

    Merlin shook his head.

    "Math."

    I blinked.

    "What?"

    "The Phoenix, my people were monothesists, we believed in one god, and we believed that there was a grand calculation and that if we solved it we be able to be close to god. Our prayers were equations, our priests mathematicians, math was everything to us."

    "That doesn't sound too bad."

    "When we discovered Algebra we had a 200 year war that killed over 30 million people over it."

    I froze.

    "Please do not assume that the Phoenix were wiser then you, that we knew everything. We didn't and I don't. I want the best for humanity, I know exactly how rare and precious life is from personal experience."

    "So did your people believe in heaven?"

    The headmaster's eyes were thoughtful.

    "We believed in good and suffering, that if you brought more good into the world then suffering then the great equation would allow you to go into paradise, that if you brought more suffering then good then you would be punished."

    Merlin looked up at the ceiling, the words vanished replaced of an image of a pink and green world, of the phoenix homeworld, the home to his lost race.

    "Do you think that you will go into heaven?"

    His voice sounded lost.

    "I do not know, I have killed people during the revolution. Those people had families and loved ones, some people will misuse the skills I taught them, maybe I'm making everything worse, maybe it's arrogant to think that humanity needs my help. Maybe I'm making things worse, I don't know."

    His voice was hollow and haunted.

    "Or maybe I'm making the universe a better place, maybe I will succeed and humanity will find its proper place in the universe."

    I looked at him.

    "And what is our place?"

    He looked at me.

    "Dancing amongst the stars."

    An image of the galaxy formed, we watched it for awhile, soothed by it.

    "No one really knows what will happen when it's all over, some day though I too will be judged for my actions. Am I doing the right thing Louis? I do not know, but I am trying and I suppose thats all I can do."

    I nodded.

    "Thanks for talking to me Merlin."

    The screens returned.

    "Maybe I should print out a translation of our history some day."

    Merlin chuckled.

    "Nah, who would bother reading it?"

    He continued tapping on those glowing portraits, working on some unfathomable plan and I smiled.

    "Take care sir."

    I walked away feeling somehow more secure, no one seemed to really know what was going on, all we could do was our best and for me that was good enough.
     
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