Gra Gryning

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen


Andrea's face looked scared.

"Andrea what happened?"

She took a deep breath.

"There was an incident, a bad one."

Her face was dark and shadowed.

"What kind of incident?"

She took a deep breath.

"There was a protest, it ended badly."

I stared at the mirror, a part of me didn't think it was possible that anything would happen in my small boring hometown.

"How badly?"

"Father tried to calm things down but..."

She grimaced.

"The night watch commander though."

She grimaced.

"He ordered them to disperse, and then he fired into the crowd."

Her voice was empty.

"Some people died, men, women, a couple children, people are really angry here and I keep hearing from uncle that it's even worse in the capital."

I looked away from the mirror.

"The americans paid off the debt so things should be fine now right?"

Andrea shook her head.

"That helps us pay off our debts but things have gotten bad, the price of bread keeps going up and there are shortages, it's been getting worse and the queen's parties haven't been making the mood better."

Andrea looked at me.

"Father is worried, I, I think you should come back here and get me."

I blinked at her, surely it wasn't that bad.

"It's a little early isn't it?"

Andrea looked at me with emploring eyes.

"Louis, it isn't safe here, not anymore, the people are angry and desperate. The nightwatch is getting meaner and crueler, this town is a bomb ready to go
off."

She looked at me.

"Can I talk to your father about this?"

She closed her eyes and sighed and got up the mirror went dark. I heard a knock on a door and saw my former master in his night cloths, then I saw the ceiling, the image changed and I saw Monsieur Chabot.

"We're taking this into my office, sorry."

The mirror went dark and I watched as a candle was lit, the face of Monsieur Chabot look at me with tired eyes. I saw how bloodshot they were, the lines
of worry.

"Andrea told you about the incident?"

I nodded, and he looked up at the sky.

"The man who commanded that action is in custody and is going to trial."

I thought about it.

"That's good news right?"

"I need you to get here and pick up Andrea before that trial is over."

I stared at him, wondering just for a moment if it was just nerves or a real problem.

"Why?"

"Because I know for a fact that he will cleared when the trial is finished, and when that moment happens our town will riot and Andrea will not be safe."

I looked at him.

"Sir."

"Jacque is out of town, learning how to be a man of arms, He's safe, or as safe as I can make him. Andrea isn't safe."

"But she isn't 16 yet and-"

"Louis."

He took a breath.

"You're a good boy, no, no a good man, I trust you to do right by my girl. Please, just get her out of here, take her to America where it is safe."

I took a breath.

"The next ship to France is in three days."

"Then please get on that ship while you still can, and thank you Louis for everything."

He pressed the run and the mirror returned to normal. I looked out of my window and at the water.

"Mr. Winkle, cancel my apointments, I have things to settle."

For Andrea? I would do anything.

"What kind of things?"

"An issue in France."

I made a promise to steal her away and I firmly planned on keeping it, and if this wasn't a real problem then it would be nice to see her again.

 

[Cherico]

Louis Le pen


I paced back and forth on the ship.

Initially I thought that Andrea was just feeling nervous, anxious, that she just needed me to comfort her. I thought that things would just blow over. There had been incidents before, protests gone wrong, mostly in other towns and they all blew over in the past.

Or at least I thought so, but Andrea thought that things were different this time, that the mood was more toxic. France had lost a lot of ships in the last war with the british, a good portion of our fleet had the misfortune of running into a hurricane, rebuilding a navy was expensive. There also conflicts and border skirmishes, and rumors of huge parties being held in the capital by the queen.

I didn't want to believe it, didn't want to believe that my mother could be in danger, that my Andrea could be in danger, that the Chabots would be in danger, but Andrea kept me informed and she showed me the mood of our small town and it was ugly.

I took a breath. It was raining, I didn't mind the rain, being surrounded by my element, by my power was soothing, it was reassuring and if I didn't want to get wet then it wouldn't affect me. I looked at the captain, he looked back at me with a look of apprehension.

I had used my magic to get the ship to France faster, volunteered my time to help any sailors with medical issues but I wasn't entirely trusted. I found that the crew was uneasy around me, I ignored that and brought out a small sack of gold coins.

"I'm going to land. I need you to remain outside the docks, if there's trouble this is the payment to go a little bit out of your way to another safer location."

The Captan took the bag brought out a coin and bit it and nodded.

"Aye boy, consider it done."

I blinked.

"I expected more um..."

He looked at me.

"You told us that you were worried about a riot, I'd rather not risk my ship, my men or my life going somewhere dangerous, if I can avoid danger and get paid for it at the same time? I'm not going to say no."

I could not fault that logic, I snapped my fingers and my trusty magic carpet leapt off my back, and landed unfurled at my feet. I stepped on it and rose
into the air. I brought out my mirror.

"Andrea?"

Her paniced face looked at mine.

"He was declared innocent, father is trying to get everyone out of town. I-"

"Head towards the window near the roof, I'm flying in."

She took a breath.

"Thank you."

I poured in mana, willing my faithful carpet to go faster. I heard yelling screaming and sped towards the largest house in my small hometown, there I saw a mob of men and women marching forward, they did not see me, whether it was because of the rain or the fact that people rarely looked up was immaterial,, what mattered was that I was unseen.

I smiled when I got to the window, Andrea, my mother and the Chabots were waiting for me, Master Chabot looked at me.

"How many people can that carpet hold?"

"Two at a time sir."

The man took a breath.

"I'm going to lock and bar the doors, get the women to safety."

I nodded.

"Yes sir."

He put his hand on my shoulder.

"Keep my wife and daughter safe."

He took out a sword and opened the door lock.

"Mother?"

She looked at me.

"Save Andrea first?"

Andrea shook as she got on my carpet I held her close to me as we sped off, she she started crying in the rain.

"It's all gone so wrong."

I patted her on the back and then landed on the ship, I looked at her beautifully drenched in the rain.

"I'm going back."

I left her on the ship and flew towards the town, the mob was getting closer to the house I looked at the two remaining women.

"Save your mother."

I blinked, Mrs. Chabot had never struck me as a brave woman but she looked at me defiantly.

"This is an order Louis, save your mother."

My mother nodded and got on my carpet we flew back to the ship, my mother held me tight.

"Thank Jesus you came back in time."

"I'm glad I'm here too."

"Thank Mother Mary we sent you to that school."

We landed on the ship and I looked at her.

"I need to go back."

She nodded and Andrea looked at me.

"Please save my mother."

I nodded and sped up, willing my power into my carpet, when I got to the house I saw the mob banging on the gates outside the house, I looked at Mrs.
Chabot.

"We need to leave now."

She got on my carpet without argument and was silent as we sped towards the ship, with her off I looked at the women.

"I am going back for Monsieur Chabot."

"Louis it's too dangerous."

I looked at my mother.

"I am a wizard mother, a proud graduate of Compass academy of magic, I studied under Merlin himself, this is my duty."

I stepped hard on my carpet and flew back to my hometown. I saw damage, I saw looting and I saw battles between the enraged mob and the guard, and
under the sheer weight of numbers the guard was losing, when I got to the Chabot's estate I saw the mob again.

Mr. Chabot's face was defiant as they dragged him to the nearest tree. I saw the rope being tossed over a branch, I rushed foward, my hands moving as quickly as possible and I guided a lance of ice at the branch that was going to be used to hang Mr. Chabot. As I sped forward I sighed in relief as the branch was demolished by my attack. The crowd froze and my hands moved once again.

I wasn't content to use my normal elemental range not when someone's life was at stake. I pulled hard, using every ounce of mana in my bracelets, draining the quarts of all their power. The rain formed into hard rocks of ice, of snow and I sent a swirling maelstrom around Mr. Chabot. I watched as the mob was forcibly removed as they stood there in shock as the vortex of swirling ice protected their victim.
I landed on the ground.

"Louis, I told you to get to safety."

"Get on the carpet sir."

"But."

"That was not a request, your daughter deserves to have her father there at her wedding."

He looked at me and chuckled, my hands continued moving and I stared at the mob, they looked at me and my power.

"Leave."

They scattered and the two of us rose up into the air and flew towards the ship. Mr. Chabots hands shook, but he didn't scream or show any visible signs of fear.

"Thank you Louis."

We landed on the ship and the captain looked at me.

"That everyone witch boy?"

I nodded, he looked at the sailors.

"Well I don't know about you lot but I'd rather not go into a rioting city."

The men nodded and we set sail. Mr. Chabot looked at the city as we left.

"I think you need a butler."

I blinked.

"What?"

"You're a man of standing now, with a castle yes? You need someone to oversee your other servants and keep your household in order. I have some experience with servants already."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

"France is not safe, and I think fate has an ironic sense of humor, as your fortunes have grown ours have dwindled. Now the master is the servant and the servant is the master. That's storybooks ends, yes?"

I looked at him.

"I accept your offer Mr. Chabot you will always be welcome in my home."

He gave me a hug.

"Thank you for saving my family."

I turned towards Andrea, she hugged me tightly.

"You made a promise."

I looked at her and smiled.

"Of course."

I grabbed her in a bridal carry stepped on my carpet and laughed.

"OH HA HA HA HA."

She giggled in my arms as I laughed like a madman, when we landed back on the ship and I let her go. She smiled at me, grabbed the collar of my shirt and kissed me hard.

"I missed you Louis."

"I'm not letting you go Andrea."

She smirked.

"Wouldn't have it any other way my mighty wizard."

We held each other and hugged in the rain.

 

[Cherico]

Captan Evans 1810


It had been over 30 years since the colonials left the empire.

Since then the french lost their minds, and we have been dealing with that bloody mess, that isn't to say the empire hasn't shown her lost children her displeasure, with tarrifs, arming of native tribes, messing about with their ability to trade with neutral nations, that sort of thing. Actions that have made the lives of merchant men like myself much more difficult.

"Don't like this."

Captan Wake, of the british army, currently missing an arm.

"You want that arm back or not?"

He frowned, but kept his eyes forward as we got closer to shore, in the distance I saw the glowing tree.

"Witchcraft."

Well yes it is witchcraft, it's a school of bloody wizards that's kind of a given bloody git.

"Your point being?"

His eyes were haunted.

"Fought a few of them in Spain, that vanguard of his lost a lot of good people to them, I lost my arm in that fight."

"Which fight?"

He looked across the water.

"The one where he sent his bodyguard in."

"Which one, Nappy has a lot of them."

"Him."

My eyes widened.

"Lightning Jacque?"

He rubbed the nub where his right arm used to be.

"The same, he charged right into us with that horrid sword of his. We shot him over and over again but nothing we did seemed to work. I got lucky, tossed him over a cliff, thought that killed him."

"And?"

"Next week he was back right as rain, chopped off my arm, slaughtered my men with that horrid little sword of his."

"Justice."

He nodded.

"Aye saw the demon blade myself, felt the lightning run through me. I was one of the lucky ones."

He continued to stare forward.

"He's still out there you know alive, Nappy's little monster."

The glow of the great tree came into view, I looked at the wounded soldiers.

"OK fellows you know the rules, if you have any weapons on your person get rid of them now, there's a british consulate on the mainland. They have magi
lined up to pay what ails you, then march your way north, british ships will ferry you back home."

Back into the war was left unsaid, I didn't like this but this was part of the price of doing business, we would go to Zone with wounded, then leave with far more profitable goods and return home a little richer or at least that was the plan.

"AHOY!"

We looked up and saw a man in a white and blue outfit, he held a staff that glowed at the end.

"Name of ship?"

The soldiers looked frighented.

"The Corgie, we're a merchant ship."

The man stood on a flying carpet that slowly landed on the deck of the ship, his skin was a pinkish white and he had green hair.

"Just need to see you manifest."

I brought out the paperwork and he looked it over.

"They know the rules?"

"Any military personal are to disarm before going into Zone for healing, no attacking locals or foreigners even those we are currently fighting against, and follow local laws."

The man looked at my manifest.

"Everything seems to be fine, are you purchasing from Zone or the Academy."

"Academy."

The man sighed.

"Right, there is a line for Academy, there will be an opening in dock A15 in 130 PM."

He handed over some paper work.

"Please put a black checkmark in what you're looking for and write how much you want to buy, prices are listed in the paperwork."

He looked at the crew.

"Thank you for your patience and welcome to the city of Zone New Hampshire."

He rose into the air and the captan looked at him as he left.

"Dangerous."

I shrugged.

"He's just doing his job, honestly as bureaucrats go I have dealt with much worse and."

The captan motioned with his missing arm.

"The americans, they're dangerous, that city, that school, it's a threat."

I sighed.

"Nothing the navy can't handle."

The man was silent.

"What?"

The caption looked at me with wary eyes.

"Just thinking."

We sailed up the river and then waited for our turn. My men's bellies grumbled but they held firm, avoiding hard tack until we arrived, when we got to the docks. My men were hungry, the injured soldiers faces lit up in panic as monsters with tentancles and arms floated towards us.

And promptly gave us all menus, I looked through mine.

"Steak, medium rare, potato's au gratin, and some salad."

Other sailors likewise ordered things on the menu, the soldiers froze in place.

"You know if you order something you will be covered by the laws of hospitality."

The soldiers quickly ordered meals and we all sat down on the trip. Honestly this part of the journey was the best, one of my men brought payment and the strange monsters brought us a load of tea, sugar, and vanilla. I relaxed and enjoyed my steak. The captain ate his own meal, staring at it.

"Is it safe?"

I took a bite.

"Look, one of the benefits of coming here isn't just the magical goods, manufactored goods, or even the spices its the free food for the crew. We have all had a long journey lets just enjoy the meal."

As we ate dessert menus were brought out my sailors of course ordered their favorites or tried out new things. The soldiers having overcome some of their fear decided to finally start eating, the captain stared at me.

"And this happens every time?"

I shrugged.

"We prefer to eat on the boat, others prefer to eat inside, its one of the fringe benefits of coming here rather then sailing off to India."

I stared at his plate.

"You really should eat that."

"Or what?"

I took another bite of steak.

"Or you won't get dessert."

 

[Cherico]

Ralph Essen

"Where are we headed?"

"Kore."

My ship's chief frowned.

"The Japanese homeworld."

I nodded as a portal opened. We vanished through it.

"Yes."

"Why are we here?"

I looked at the map, it would take us awhile.

"When I was in the war I knew a guy, he was older then me, dangerous but he knew his shit, one of the most dangerous Jarheads I ever knew."

"Oh, so who is he?"

"LaRusso, funny thing after the war he moved to Okinawa, from what I heard he's a handyman over there, just fixes stuff up for a living. One of the most badass magi I ever knew just becoming a handyman."

We sailed forward.

"What's he like?"

I thought about it.

"Odd, but a good man, you have a problem with the Japanese Lee?"

His face was thoughtful.

"The ones who fought in the second world war yes, everyone else no. Though looking back on it, with the exchange and the Rapture it's petty and stupid compared to that."

I nodded.

"Yeah the exchange changed a lot of things."

The water rippled a little bit and we looked at the horizon.

"So what's it like in China these days?"

Lee leaned against the ships walls.

"Chaotic, we're still dealing with a massive refugee crisis, and the Rapture, and changing our entire economy, educational system and pretty much everything else to deal with all the changes."

"So it's a rough time?"

"Times of great change are by definition rough, in the long run we are better off but in the long run were all dead."

And wasn't that the truth.

"So I saw you have a copy of that book, the one from the hotel founder."

"Yeah, I skipped through a lot of it, especially after he got out of school."

"It's not for everyone."

I shrugged.

"I learned some stuff from it but I didn't get the answers I was looking for or I just got a small chunk of the puzzle."

"What puzzle?"

"Why, why did the exchange happen? Why did the world end, that's the question. I bought a whole bunch of books looking for why but I haven't found them."

"Maybe you're looking too hard? Maybe the communists were simply crazy?"

"I doubt it's that."

Lee raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Crazy is a perfectly reasonable reason why bad things happen. Why did the woman kill her babies? She's crazy, why did Mao murder millions? He's nuts, Why do bad things happen, well the whole universe is insane."

"If the universe is insane then what's the point of being sane?"

Lee smiled.

"To be contrary of course, sometimes one's lines get crossed and one must stand up for themselves. That the universe is a crazy bully doesn't mean we shouldn't stand up for ourselves right?"

"I see your point, but I think it's more then that."

"Maybe so, can't exactly say I'm exactly all there either Essen, I mean I decided to leave my very comfortable job to go with you."

"So we're both crazy then?"

Lee shrugged.

"Probably."
​

 

[Cherico]

Ralph Essen


We landed in Okinawa and we started seaching for Larusso.

"Rattle Kai?"

I turned around and looked at Lee. He held out a pamphlet.

"What is this about?"

I felt confused.

"It's a picture of a rattlesnake."

"So?"

I activated a translation spell, my confusion only got more pronounced.

"This is odd."

"What's odd, strike first, strike hard, no mercy."

"So?"

I shook my head.

"Whoever's running this school doesn't understand the philosophy behind that school of magic."

Lee looked at me.

"Kind of like kung fu."

"Hmm maybe, there are schools of magic that use the rattlesnake as their symbol but their philosophy is fundamentally against starting a fight. It's a defensive style, not an offensive one. I expected don't tread on me, or something like that but this..."

I shook my head.

"I don't think we're dealing with a legit school, at most I think were dealing with someone who took a couple lessons, used some symbols they didn't understand and decided to set up shop back home."

"Kind of like how some americans will take a kung fu class in China and proclaim themselves to be a great master."

I cringed just a little.

"Yeah... it's... it's pretty much exactly like that."

I looked up at the street signs.

"So where are we?"

"Nago, Larusso lives somewhere around here."

"HEY!"

I looked up, a boy looked at me, he wore a T-shirt with the rattlesnake symbol, I noticed a book of shadows.

"What you doing here?"

I looked at the boy.

"Trying to find someone, and find a restaurant. Know any good ones?"

I paused.

"Preferably ones that are not Jollybee."

"I think you should leave yankee and take the China man with you."

"Well if you can show me to a restaurant I will."

Energy crackled around his hands.

"That wasn't a request."

I looked around, good nice soft ground, Lee stood his ground and I let my hands go loose, feeling the earth.

"I'm not looking for trouble."

"Well you have."

"CHOSEN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

He froze and sighed.

"Showing this Yankee to stick to the tourist parts of town."

The other boy ran up out of breath.

"There's a match coming up soon, I don't want you get yourself and our school disqualified because you had to have it out with a couple foreigners."

"Like with Miyagi?"

Sato frowned.

"That's different, Miyagi got into my business."

"You mean Yukie."

Sato closed his hands, I decided to interviene.

"I'm just looking for a place to eat."

Sato turned around.

"My mother works at a restaurant nearby, if Chosen can back off I'd love to show you the way there."

The other boy shrugged and walked away and we followed Sato.

"So um Rattle Kai."

The Sato boy smiled.

"Best magic school in town, I won the all island champion 3 times in a row and it's going to be 4 soon."

I walked next to him.

"Rattle kai, um never heard of the school."

The boy shrugged.

"It's a japanese style."

I nodded, that sounded wron,g human beings didn't have an genetic connection to magic, you needed someone else to give you a jump start. All known magical schools traced their linage back to Compass. Every now and then someone would claim that their system of magic predated Compass but so far all of those claims have been debunked. It could be that I just misheard it."

"So you're a mage?"

"Yeah."

"What season?"

He looked at me in confusion.

"What?"

I frowned.

"What season do you draw power from? Winter? Spring, Summer Autumn."

"What are you talking about?"

I stopped walking and moved my hands, a dirt wall rose from the ground.

"I'm a spring Magi."

I looked at him.

"Not bad, it's too bad you won't be able to do that for the rest of the day but-"

I frowned and motioned with my hands, the wall went up and down up and down acording to my will, I altered its shape at various times and the boy stared at me.

"Um how did you do that without a book of shadows?"

I frowned.

"So you don't use a season?"

"No."

"That's what a season lets you do."

"Yeah that's cool."

He opened the door for us.

"Hey mom I brought customers."

We were seated in a corner and given menus, my translation spell was still going so I understood things. I looked around and took in the restaurant. I saw trophies, medals, newspaper clippings and a photo of Sato with a girl.

"Why do you look worried?"

"Qliphoth."

"Um."

"Or Vanecian, the style of magic the kid uses."

"Why do you have a problem with it?"

I took a breath.

"You know how magic has four seasons?"

Lee stared at me.

"Yeah?"

"Magi like to compare seasons to a fruit, the seasons are the meat of the fruit, but let's say you just wanted to eat the skin, that would be a Qliphoth style. Because you're not directly connected to a season you don't get as much power, and because there's less to it it's easier to pick up, and because it needs foci it's easier for governments to control it, it's upside is that it doesn't have our weaknesses."

"Weakness?"

"We magi are bound by contracts, our word. It physically hurts us to break it, at some level we think in contracts and one of those contracts is the social one."

"So it's an evil art?"

I frowned.

"No, but since magi who use that style aren't bound by those same built in rules it has a reputation for being the style of bullies, bad men and worse. In Japan the style was used during the second world war, with one unit being-"

"Unit 731."

Lee interupted me.

"Yeah, which is why the style has a bad rap, normal magic punishes you if you go too far, a Qliphoth art doesn't. We don't know if this rattle Kai is associated with them but chances are they were involved in the second world war."

Lee's mood got darker as he stared at the trophies.

"So what do you want to eat?"

We looked up at the tired and smiling waitress.

"Chicken bowls."

"Two chicken bowls coming up."

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


I was 12 years old when my father was murdered.

12 years old when I saw my father's dead body. In that moment, in that instant, more then anything I wanted revenge. I wanted the man who murdered my father to pay for his crimes, but he ran away, he escaped, fled the country like a coward.

But I would not be denied my justice, my revenge.

My mother was against it, she had lost Philip and then my father. She didn't want to lose me too, but I didn't care. I left behind polite society, I left behind my parent and went to the one place that would give me power, the one place that would give me my revenge.

For 3 years I trained under Merlin himself, for 3 years I spent every waking moment studying, training, preparing myself for my revenge, then I searched for him.

For the man who murdered my father, I searched through his old homes until I found a bit of his hair. Armed with the power of autumn, armed with a piece of his hair I forged an enchanted compass. I took my old white and yellow uniform and dyed it black. I went aboard a schooner and helped their ship move faster, all the while searching for him.

For the cowardly criminal who ended my father's life, to bring the man who wronged the Hamilton family to justice. This is the cause I lived for, I finally found him in south america. I looked at the house, it was built well, a rich man's house.

I was weighed down, with weapons, with armor, and a black casket with a cross on it. Lots of things are heavy though and I will not let a little weight get between me and my goal.

I walked past the walls to the door, a butler opened the door. I saw a gun at his side.

"I'm here for Aaron Burr."

The butler looked at me, as the glowing signals and symbols on my clothing and frowned.

"I assume you're John Church Hamilton, son of the late Alexander?"

I frowned at him.

"Yeah I am."

We stared at each other the tension was thick.

"He's expecting you."

"Yeah I bet he is."

The butler sighed.

"He told me not to interfere, that this is a private matter, a personal one."

I shrugged.

"It doesn't get more personal then this does it?"

The butler opened the door.

"He's in his study."

I walked past the butler, past paintings of Aaron Burr during happier days, with him and his wife. I walked with the butler to the study and then the butler left, the two of us were alone.

"I knew sooner or later you would come for me."

I gave him a sad smile.

"What can I say, I don't let anything stop me."

The former vice president chuckled sadly.

"Just like your dad, should have known."

He looked at me with defeated eyes.

"So anything you want to talk about before we get to business as it were?"

I frowned.

"The duel, I want to know about the duel."

He looked at me, for a brief moment I saw panic and then regret.

"Well that nonsense, you know neither of us were in the right when that happened, sometimes... sometimes two men they have a conflict and they have to settle it. I'm not proud of what I did that day John. I'm not proud of hurting you're father."

"I know your not proud of it, but as his son, I kind of deserve to know why it happened."

"That isn't important John."

"It is to me."

He collapsed.

"You know everyone I love, ever one I care about, they all die and leave me in the end, my wife, my daughter, my friends, in some ways death would be a mercy right now."

He looked so old, so defeated, and tired.

"You're changing the subject old man."

He nodded.

"That I am, he stabbed me in the back, I thought we were friends and then he campaigns for Jefferson? For my rival, for a man he hated? I was angry, I was just so incredibly angry, and he refused to apologize for any of it. Because that was the man he was, defiant to the end, so we met there on that dueling ground."

He sighed.

"Your father had on his glasses, he raised his weapon, and... then I punched him in the face."

Aaron Burr chuckled.

"that could have gotten so much worse, but I got a letter from the old bird that explained things, talked about how he felt about Philip dying, about his death wish. So two adult men fought, and I kept punching him."

"I was angry John, angry that my friend chose me to be his executioner chose to die on the same spot his son died. When the fight was over, we finally talked about things. Maybe that's what we needed to do, have an old fashioned fist fight."

He sighed.

"Things were better after that, we were slowly getting along better slowly forgiving each other and then he was assassinated"

"Reynolds."

"Yeah, he tried to pimp out his wife to your father and then extort him, the old bird though had some kind of vision and warned your dad ahead of time, and your dad having very little tact exposed the attempt. Ruined the man's life and he came back for revenge. Which spawned your little trip to Compass and your trip to south america."

"The man needed killing."

"That maybe so, so is that out of the way?"

I nodded, and opened the casket, Burr looked at the body with unfathomable sadness.

"I miss her so much."

Theodosia burr, daughter of Aaron and Theodosia burr, died at sea, it took a lot of hard work to find her body, a lot of hard work to bring it back here, to her father. Aaron Burr cried, he got up and hugged me.

"Thank you."

I let him cry, let him get it out of his system, I knew what it was like to grieve, to loose someone you lost. He slowly regained control of himself.

"I'm a man of my word, I have connections as of today you are Lieutenant John Church Hamilton of the US army."

He handed me the paperwork.

"It's not much of a command but it is a command."

"Thank you for telling me about my father even if it wasn't nice, I like hearing about him."

The old man smiled.

"You're welcome back here any time John."

We shook hands, I would have loved to have stayed longer but I had a command to start and a new life to lead. Vengeance while sweet unfortunately does not pay the bills but the army for all of its faults would.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


It's a misnomer that magic lasts forever.

Its all based on mana, how much you put into it determines how long those enchantments last, unless of course you have some way to put in more, or make it so it aborbs ambiant magic.

Take a flying broom, all you need to make one of those is a bird feather, a knife and a broom. It's uncomfortable as hell to actually ride, and lasts around 3-5 years at most, a smart person who wants to fly gets a carpet made, those things take longer to make but they last 30 years at minimum and can be recharged.

That's what I use by the way, a carpet. I suppose I could ride a horse, I know my mother would prefer it, but there are costs to a horse, stabling, feed, and a bunch of other factors, and you can't just fly over trees, over hills, all things being equal I think I will stick to my carpet thank you very much.

I had letters of introduction, and my paperwork sealed. I was now a commissioned officer in the US army. My older brother said it was a mistake to let people buy commissions, that it led to bad officers and would bite us hard if war ever did came.

My brother was an idealist, I lived in the real world thank you very much. I looked below me, I had been traveling for a couple days, traveling west, looking for my new post in the west. It was a pity there wasn't any postings for me in the east, but one had to make due.

"Huh."

I checked the ma,p Mackinac island, I was finally here. As I got closer to the island I noticed massive stone walls, not just one set of walls, lots of walls, and barracks also made out of stone, men in purple uniforms looked at me as I landed outside the walls.

"John Hamilton, I was sent by Aaron Burr."

The doors opened and a bored guard looked at me, I stared at his uniform.

"Papers?"

I handed them over and he looked at them.

"Hmm ok, come on follow me."

I followed him and looked at his uniform, I had been away from my homeland for awhile but I didn't think they would change the uniforms, the boots at least looked decent.

"I have been gone for a long time, why are the uniforms not blue?"

He turned around and looked at me.

"The old bird."

I stared at him.

"Yes?"

"Well some students went into the dye area, for the Compass uniforms. Apparently they broke something and now it only makes purple dye, which Compass doesn't use, got the old bird real mad that did. So he mailed DC and offered free purple dye if they wanted it. Well, faced with the decision of whether to pay for dye or getting it free Congress choose free."

He waved his hands.

"And of course the people who make our uniforms are allowed to use the excess as they see fit, in exchange for a discount. That's why all of our uniforms are purple, Navy has the same issue."

We walked up to an office and a man looked up, I handed him my papers and saluted him. He shrugged at me.

"Sir I'm ready to-"

"No need to be respectful Hamilton, we're of equal rank both of us are lieutenants."

I looked at him.

"Where's the commander?"

"You're looking at him, Lt Porter Hanks."

"They have a leutenant in charge of a fort?"

He shrugged.

"No one of higher rank wanted to be here, so I'm in charge. Huh, your papers said you graduated from Compass with honors, you a mage?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

He smiled.

"Thank providence, another mage."

I looked at him confusion, most people tended to take that the wrong way, the magic business as it were.

"Really?"

"Look, I don't know what it's like back east, but here in the west we deal with indian attacks at least once a week and sometimes they're better armed then we are. The capital gives us the cheapest rations they can, our pay is lousy, our guns are second rate and the only thing that comes here on time is the coffee."

"Coffee?"

He shrugged.

"The old bird insists that no fighting man should go without a cup of coffee, he also sends glass bottles to flavor it as we see fit, personally I like hazelnut but I recommend trying them all, which you will because between the stark raving terror of yet another raid you get to deal with boredom."

He grabbed a bottle and poured some whiskey into two cups, then he brought out another smaller bottle.

"Personally I like the fact that you can use the syrups in your whiskey, it manages to make this rotgut somewhat edible."

I took the offered cup.

"As for your sorcery, it's quite the opposite, officers like myself like to collect magic folk like you."

"Truely."

"Oh yes, I have 4 spring magi, and one winter one, I've been trying to collect a summer one and a autumn, one you know complete the set but I haven't been able to manage a proper trade."

"You trade soldiers?"

"Yes, it's not uncommon, what you do is when you get a magi in the ranks you do your best to hold onto him. If you don't you will surely lose him to another officer."

"Really?"

"For example take these walls, my spring magi are here to officially oversea construction on the fort, but if that construction ever ends they will go away. That means all the useful things they currently do for the fort will stop."

"Useful things?"

"Mosquito wars, air conditioning, a hundred useful things all of them gone in and instant. Speaking of which your season?"

"Autumn."

He sighed.

"Oh well it's not as useful as winter or spring but they will find some use for you."

"Any advice?"

"Yes, they will saddle you with a sergeant, if you have any brains in your head you will listen to him, well that's it then best get you a uniform of some sort."

I had the sinking feeling that perhaps I had made a mistake.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


Hanks, or Hank as I had taken to calling him showed me around.

"So this is the first wall."

I looked up at the gate.

"Alright."

"And then after that you have the others."

I passed wall after wall.

"Isn't this excessive?"

Hank shrugged.

"Probably, but if construction stops that gives my higher ups an excuse to-"

"You mentioned that."

"Right."

We passed another wall.

"Do you really need that many walls? Can't you build store houses, or barracks or?"

"They're apparently really easy to built, and um I was bored, really really really bored, seriously bored. Watching walls go up is pretty much the only entertainment we get around here."

I froze and stared at a mural, carved into the stone wall. It was a picture of a group of men from the navy and army working together to hang a man.

"What is that?"

Hank shrugged.

"Oh that, that is a story, so my spring magi he was courting this girl and when he came back well she told him that she had been with someone else. He was angry as the devil about it but he appreciated her honesty. They ended their engagement and he decided to find out if this cad went after anybody else's woman."

Hank yawned as we walked through another gate and I saw the stone mural again.

"So he found out that the cad was going after military wives, army, navy, militia when the men left he tried to seduce their women, some of these were officiers' wives, high ranking officiers' wives, so he snuck into the fellows house seized his letters and gathered up all the cuckholded men, they got together and hanged him. Naturally there was a trial and a sympathatic judge gave them all a slap on the wrist. Matter should have been over right?"

I nodded.

"Not to my man, no he wanted people to know what would happen so anywhere he goes he immortalizes the story of the cad and the concequences of messing with a fighting man's woman while they're away."

"What was the cad's name?"

"Jody, well anyways my man's actions ended up getting him traded from officer to officer. When he got to me I decided to punish him by making him take on seven apprentices rather then trading him on again."

"Did it work?"

"Oh yes, I increased the number of magi from 1 to 8, I did some horse trading and was able to get a winter magi to work with us."

We walked through the last gate and into the chow hall. I stared at a gorgeous woman drinking a cup of coffee, then I noticed her purple uniform.

"Why is a woman in uniform?"

Hank frowned.

"Warrent officer Goodwitch is quite clearly a man."

"She has massive tits."

"Oh no those are not tits those are quite clearly tumors, it's quite unfortunant that he has them but I am told their benign growths and not cancerous."

"She's wearing make up and earings."

"So he's a little infemninate some men are like that."

"She just kissed a man."

He shrugged.

"It's a shame that some men feel compelled to turn to homosexuality here, but considering how remote our post is I am willing to forgive any buggery that happens in my fort. We can't spare any men."

"That is quite clearly a woman Mr. Hanks and women have no place in our armed forces."

Hank put a hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Do you know how many medical personal I have?"

"No."

"None. The only person here who knows anything about medicine is warrent officer Goodwitch. I have paid a physician in Detroit a princely sum to produce papers assuring everyone that Officer Goodwitch is in fact a man. I had to trade away four of my newly trained spring magi to gain her services for my fort and my men. You will not cast any unfounded asperations that might result in my men not having medical care, is that undersood?"

I sighed, the logic was compelling.

"Yes sir, what is officer Goodwitches first name?"

"Glenda."

I walked up to him.

"Mommy."

I stared at Hank as a little girl sat next to her mother. The man she kissed sat on the other side of the small girl.

"Mommy?"

I frowned at Hank.

"Sometimes men get pregnant Mr. Hamilton, perfectly natural I assure you."

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton

I tried to deal with the day's nonsense by going to bed early. When I arose I put on my new purple uniform. I used a spell to create a mirror. Satisfied that I looked decent enough I went into the mess hall. Lt. Hanks stood in front of a row of glass bottles with metallic pumps.

"You lot know the rules three pumps per meal, don't care which ones you use but only three, you got that? We want enough for everyone and we only get a damned care package from the old bird so often so don't waste it. Also WAIT YOUR DAMNED TURN! When it comes to coffee rank does not matter everyone waits their turn ,GOT IT!?"

I walked up and grabbed a cup and some coffee from the chef and blinked at the pleasant smell.

"Hnn."

I waiting my turn in line and decided to talk to the man in front of me.

"So officer Goodwitch."

The young man saluted.

"Yes?"

"What can you tell me about her."

"Him."

I stared at the boy.

"Her."

"Sir with all due respect officer Goodwitch has a doctor's note that clearly tells everyone that he is a man."

"Are we really going to do this son?"

He looked at me.

"I got an arrow to the knee, they were forced to amputate it, Glenda grew it back for me. The only reason I'm not a cripple right now is because of him."

Great....

"Very well, can you tell me anything about him?"

The boy nodded.

"Officer Goodwitch was a member of the first class of Compass, I think she was about 2 years old then, he was raised by the old bird himself, he's a really great guy. Him and his husband."

"So you're saying Goodwitch is married to another man, what kind of place would allow two men to get married son?"

The boy shrugged.

"Boston sir, they're a little bit odd over there, something in the water I suppose."

Having been to Boston I didn't have a response to that.

"So the coffee?"

"Oh that, sent by the old bird himself. We get extra Syrup because of Goodwitch, personally my favorite is the banana flavoring, but others prefer other syrups, vanilla and chocolate being the most popular."

"And the pump rule?"

"If we didn't have it we would run out, three cups with one pump each, one cup with three pumps mix and match, it's the highlight of the day."

He smiled and put three pumps of a yellow liquid into his coffee. I looked at the mutlitude of glass bottles. Hank looked at me.

"Only three pumps a meal."

"To a fellow officer?"

"We have to set a good example for the men."

"And the bottles in your office?"

"My private selection bought with my pay, there's a selection of mail order catalogues if you're interested. I recommend Zoners, they don't just sell magic they also sell other things, and they offer a 10% discount for military personal."

"I thought you said the mail rarely comes?"

"I did, absolutely terrible, which is why I make of point of hoarding what is mine, and making sure that the public goods are properly rationed."

I sighed.

"Your advice?"

"Vanila and chocolate."

I put in a splash of vanilla.

"Remember to stir it around with a spoon."

"I will."

I went over the mess hall and looked at the chef. I was promptly given some gruel and some hardened bread, I looked around at the others who were also eating the watery stew. I took a seat and sat down, my attempts to eat the bread with my teeth proved to be a failure.

Lt Hanks sat down across from me.

"Dip the bread into the gruel, it softens it up a bit."

He gave me a smile and I did so, I ate the now edible bread and frowned.

"This is terrible."

"I know."

"Dont officers get better food then this?"

Hanks shrugged.

"In some places yes, we do get some discressionary budgetary items for food but I decided to spend that on soap."

"You spend your food money on soap?"

"Yes, you see I managed to get my earth magi to magic us up a bath house, roman style if a bit warmer for men coming back from long marches and it simply would not do to not have them have some soap to get clean with."

"Very charitable of you."

"Truely the other reason is that dirt is just swimming in germs, horrible vile things Lt Hamilton."

I sighed.

"People keep saying that germ theory isn't true Hanks."

"I have looked through one of those new fangled microscopes and I assure you they are very real Lt Hamilton, very real and very evil."

"That doesn't disprove misasma theory."

"Oh god, please don't tell me you're a damned anglophile."

I frowned.

"My father fought in the revolution, I just think that more study needs to be done Mr. Hanks."

"You go ahead and do your studies, I will have my men wash my hands and take a bath because at the very least it makes this fort a less smelly one."

I shook my head.

"So my assignment."

"Oh that, the quartermaster has some orders from command."

"Already?"

"No they're old orders, the man you're replacing is quite dead, and it was decided that whoever replaced him would take up the sword as it were."

I took a sip of coffee and sighed.

"Only good part of the meal."

Hank smiled.

"I know right, everyone should have a little sweetness in their life."

He happly sipped his coffee and I looked around at the other bored troops in the dinning hall.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton

Orders, my orders were simple, grab some men, go to the mainland, talk to the settlers and try to deal with the raids. I looked at a man who had the look of being perpetually disheveled and stank of whiskey.

"Seargent Oxhorn."

He was on the shorter side, overweight and reminded me somehow of the walruses I saw in the zoo in Compass.

"Lt Hamilton, we heading out soon?"

The man shrugged.

"When you're ready."

"How many men do we have?"

"The fort has 60 fighting men, our expeditionary force has 20, including you sir."

"Our weapons?"

"Official or unofficial?"

"Official."

"1795 springfield rifles, when we got them they were half rusted pieces of trash, our magi fixed them up so they're not half rusted anymore. We also have working bayonettes, we don't use them."

"Why not, they have been issued to you."

"We haven't gotten a shipment of gunpowder in months sir, we haven't gotten any communication with Detroit for at least two months, the only thing that comes on time are care packages from the old bird, mail, and our pay."

"Why haven't we recieved gunpowder?"

Oxhorn sighed.

"We have had 30 years of raids and they have only gotten worse, our position is pretty safe so Hanks ordered us to save the gunpowder for the cannons and rely on the stuff Glenda and her boy's cook up for us."

"And you're ok with this?"

The man brought a wand out of his pocket and my eyes opened as an icicle flew out and slammed into the wall.

"The 1795 springfield musket has a maximum range of 300 yards, it's really only effective at 50 to 75 yards. Don't get me wrong it's a fine weapon, it has better range and accuracy then the british brown bess rifles we run up against in the field. But they have the disadvantage of being loud, of being heavy and you need to reload after a single shot."

He pointed the wand and I saw icicle after icicle slam into the wall.

"These are ice drinker wands, they have a effective range of 50 yards, a maximum range of a 150 yards. They can shoot out 108 Ice bolts before they need to be reloaded, and you can reload them by simply putting the tip into a body of water, which seem to be damned near everywhere. They weigh less then half a pound. The enemy uses cover, surprise attacks, ambushes. The terrain is heavely forrested, and the enemy knows it better then we do."

"It's regulation that you bring your assigned weapons, but since this our first patrol together I will allow this Seargent Oxhorn."

"Thank you sir."

With that I was introduced to the motley crew, I stared at them and they stared back.

"I am 1st LT John Hamilton, today we are to go out on a patrol, if any of you wish to use your proper issued weapons instead of these wands of yours raise your hands and I will requisition some gunpowder for your use."

Not a single hand was raised.

"If you wish to use these haphazard jury rigged wands instead of your proper guns raise your hands."

Every single hand went up.

"Recharge your weapons in the water."

I shook my head and hooked my rifle in place.

"Very well any questions?"

A hand went up.

"What school did you go to sir?"

I stared at the man.

"Compass academy of magic."

I steadied my stand and glared at my men defiantly, I was surprised by a collective sigh of relief.

"At least this one won't be useless like the last one."

"I expect all of my men to respect the chain of command."

They shrugged, the lack of discipline disturbed me but I decided to focus on the task at hand."

"Yes sir."

Another raised hand.

"Sir? Um are you a winter mage?"

The men had looks of hope on their faces.

"No."

"Spring?"

The looks of hope on their faces were diminished but still there.

"No."

"Summer?"

They were grimacing.

"I am a autumn mage."

And the look of disappointment was right back.

"Still more useful then the last one."

I was going to have words with Hank after this patrol about the lack of discipline.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


The men, as I discovered had a tendency to talk.

"So Yekcha you're an injun, right?"

"Cherokee, but yes."

"And we're fighting Injuns."

"Your poing being Yancy?"

"Well aren't you fighting your own kind?"

The man's voice was exasperated.

"Under the Jefferson treaty the five civilized tribes were annexed by the United States, in exchange we were given full citizenships and all rights and privileges that pertain to such. Including landownership. We're american now."

"So you're the good injuns."

"If it keeps you from shooting me in the back Yancy yes I am one of the good injuns, though I prefer to think of my self as a member of the smart ones instead."

"Why?"

"All Tecumseh is going to do is get his people killed, if you want to keep your land you don't fight on the battlefield, you fight in the ballot box and in court."

"So you think we're going to win?"

"The americans have numbers, superior technology, and when their medicine men ask for fire people have a tendeny to be burned alive."

"Everyone says the brits are backing them."

"For how long? They have their eyes on us, on Europe, on India, on Africa, and on Asia, America just has their attention on the west, there's focus there."

"Guess you have a point Yekcha, maybe you can pray to your native gods for help."

I heard an influx of breath.

"You know I'm christian right? I mean I wear a cross it shouldn't be that hard to figure out."

"I'm sorry."

I closed my eyes and raised my hand.

"Five men coming towards us."

I shouldered my rifle and moved my hands, I used a translation spell just in case.

"This is Lt. Hamilton of the US army please idenitfy yourselves."

They were not within our field of vision but I could sense their displacement in the wind, I used my powers to amplify my voice.

Arrows flew out the brush, I moved my hands and pushed the arrows away.

I then brought my gun up and aimed.

"If you do not surrender we will be forced to shoot."

More arrows, they missed. I aimed and hit one of the men, I ripped open a cartridge to reload the wepon and watched as a hail of ice rushed past me, I stared at my men.

"Enemy down."

We walked towards the underbrush and saw the dead bodies of the warriors, I brought out my shovel.

"Well men we killed them we bury them."

My seargent looked at me.

"Any others?"

"No, I don't sense any others."

I cast a force spell and my vison changed as I looked into the forest with new eyes.

"Don't see their body heat either."

I put my shovel into the earth.

"Come on people, they might be the enemy but we're all still civilized men."

They reluctantly decided to help me dig, our patrol continued and I noticed it getting darker. I held up my hand.

"We set up camp, over there."

We undid our bed rolls and started building up our tents, Oxhorn brought out a pocket watch and then brought a mirror to me.

"Sergeant?"

I was hitting in a tent peg.

"Why aren''t you helping?"

"LT Hanks wants to speak to you."

"Sergeant, I am-"

"Hey friend how are you doing?"

I frowned at the image of Hanks.

"What is this about?"

"Look since you're going to be out there anyways I thought well why not have my new friend get this mirror over to Detroit so we can figure out why we haven't gotten resupply or any communication with the mainland."

"I was not informed that you had a magic mirror."

"Yeah I know, I was able to find some iron ore on the island and other reagents and my boys built this thing. Now I know Detroit has a lot of mirrors but one more set isn't going to hurt."

He burped.

"Are you eating?"

"Yes, the old bird sent us all care packages. I got a couple jars of jam, mine is made out of something called dragon fruit."

"Dragon fruit."

"Its also called Pitaya, but Dragon fruit is just a much better name."

He spread some onto his porrage.

"So if you could do me that favor, that would be great."

"Fine since I'm heading to Detroit any ways."

"That's great, well everyone at the fort wishes you luck, oh and if you and your men use the ladies of the evening there? Um have officer Goodwitch take a look at you when you get back. The working girls over there are just swimming in disease."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Wish you luck."

The communication ended and I looked at my troops.

"I'm taking first watch."

They shrugged and started cooking some salted beef and hard tack, maybe we together they would create a stew that was at least edible.

 

[Cherico]

Ralph Essen

I put down the book, Sato's mother's search through a phonebook gave us Larusso's place. We walked over there to the edge of town. I saw a small house, crystals were growing in jars. I saw an older man with snow white hair, tied back. I saw a purple crystal around his neck with the symbol of Pi on it.

"Larusso?"

"Essen."

His eyes were not open.

"Um what are you doing?"

"Communing with the seasons."

He looked up and opened his eyes, they briefly glowed blue and then settled into a dark brown.

"You started sailing because you were lost, do you still sail aimlessly?"

He closed his eyes.

"No, you have a cause."

"I need your help."

"I am needed here."

"Why?"

"There is someone who needs my guidence here Essen."

"My task is important Larusso."

"The great spirit gives a person what they need, not what they want, this is the first principle of the Waashat faith."

Lee looked at him in confusion as Larusso closes his eyes and started breathing, the crystals glowed.

"Waashat?"

"A syncretic faith discovered by the profit Smohalla, it is also called the dreamer faith, we call ourselves dreamers."

"Never heard of it."

Lee looked confused.

"Sit down."

We did so.

"Do you wish to hear the principles of my faith?"

"Um sure."

"Smohalla was a young boy of the wanapan tribe. When he was young he traveled North America, he studied at Compass under Merlin. He wandered the great lakes, he studied the religious books of the long lost phoenix people, he learned from medicine men, and brimstone preachers. He traveled long and far and in Death valley he had a vision."

He paused.

"The great spirit talked to him and told him that the great spirit gives people what they need, the phoenix people were a people of the spirit. They however did not pay attention to their minds so the great spirit gave them a faith based on numbers. However they neglected the principle of the body and were destroyed, Only Merlin survived, sent by the great spirit to come here."

The crystals dimmed.

"The white man the west were people of the mind, of science, of rationality of thought, they were weak in the principle of the body, of making action follow word and thought. Prophets were brought to them to motivate them to act according to principles, but they neglected the spirit. Finally the natives of North America were strong in the principle of the body, the great spirit gave them spiritual strength but they neglected their minds."

The crystals glowed brighter.

"Mind, Body, Spirit, each in harmony. The phoenix, the indian, the white man all lacked something the other had. All were brought together to make the people whole, the world whole. The principle of the body, the principle of action, the principle of the mind, the principle of thought, the priniciple of spirit of wisdom."

"I'm trying to find out why the world ended."

"The great spirit decided that our childhood is over, children must leave the family home and venture out and create homes of their own. That the spirit was so rough with us is a sign that maybe we were putting it off too long. In time the great Earth mother will be healed, green and verdant."

"So she hates us?"

"No, this was tough love, sometimes mothers have to be harsh to make their children strong enough to face the universe, she sheltered us for a time but that time is over."

"I still need help, I need a winter magi."

"You want a complete year?"

I nodded.

"There is someone else who will help you, my aid is needed here."

"Miyagi?"

"Correct, he is going to settle his issues with Sato in a magic match."

"Um Rattlekai."

"I know, it is a false art that is not in balance, it is a thing created out of war, fear, and pain. The students are not bad, their shaman is corrupt and is not in balance."

"So what started this mess?"

Larusso smiled.

"What else? A woman, neither of them will get her of course, too much time fighting each other instead of actually bothering to win her love. Both of them will learn and grow from the experience."

"So I can't convince you to help?"

"No, my days as a brave are over, it is time for me to walk aside and help usher in the future."

I sighed, I hated it when Larusso got spiritual.

"Thank you for your time sir."

 

[Cherico]

Ralph Essen

We walked back to the boat.

"So is Larusso even, you know um indian at all?"

"On his mother's side. His mother was navaho."

He nodded.

"So did his father meet her on the rez or?"

"We don't have reservations that's a canadian thing."

Lee stared at me.

"Really?"

I grit my teeth.

"Yeah, america had a LAD policy towards it's native population."

"LAD?"

"Leave, Assimilate, or Die, it goes back to the war of 1812. Tribes had the choice of leaving American territory, swearing an oath and becoming citizens or war. It was honestly a pretty brutal and shameful part of american history."

Lee nodded.

"Not proud of it?"

"Not really, its still controversial to this day, Canada says our policy resulted in the death of a whole lot of innocent people which is true, and some people say Canada's policies ended up creating a cycle poverty and political disenfranchisement that lasts to this day."

"And they're doing better in Aamerica?"

"President Ely Samuel Parker replaced president Lincoln after he was assasinated, and president Jacob Little Bear beat Woodrow Wilson and undid pretty much all of his racist policies, ended up dying of a heart attack."

"Really?"

"The man was in his 80s and deep fried everything, which is a shame because Coolidge was pretty much useless, but getting beyond that Larusso is pretty into the whole dreamer religion, which is this bizare mixture of christianity, native faith and some of the phoenix religion."

"Is that common, the old phoenix religon?"

"No, the faith is basically one page long. There is one god, if you cause more suffering then good you go to hell for awhile, if you cause more good then bad then you go to heaven for awhile, you're reborn randomly after that and get to try again. There is one god and you can reach him through math. The rest of their holy books are math textbooks, lots and lots of text books. It is literally one of the most boring and dull religions of all time. No one practices it straight up, at most some people borrow elements of it."

"Oh."

We got on the boat.

"So we can't get a winter Magi?"

"Um no, I know a guy in the swedish navy, maybe they can let us borrow him for a bit."

"Think they would?"

"Don't know, it's worth a shot, and even if it's impossible I have a few books to read."

"What a waste of time."

"Don't know about that, I got to meet my old commander and saw how he was doing. We had a good lunch and we got to visit another world. It was fun."

"It didn't get us any closer to our goal."

"I know, but life's like that sometimes."

We got to the docks and looked at Jupiter in the sky.

"Miss the moon."

"Yeah I think we all do."

We got into our boat and set sale to the swedish homeworld, hopefully a trip of adventure daring do, and if not hopefully a chance to eat at a place that wasn't Jolly bee.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton



I miss the boots I had at Compass.

Thick rubbersoled boots that lasted, and were comfortable and didn't let in small rocks that just irratated you the entire walk, but alas I had the boots I had. We finally got to town, and I use that word in the loosest sense, 5 buildings and 20 people do not make a town as far as I'm concerned but it was the frontier and allowances had to be made.

I walked into town and saw a sign that said "Wizard for hire."

I sighed and walked in. A man looked back at me, he looked bored.

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

"We're looking to see everyone's ok and-"

"If any of the tribes are causing trouble, should have known, you are a purp after all."

"Purp?"

"Yeah we have been taking to call anyone from the army that because you know, you all wear purple. We don't hate you or anything it's just a common nick name."

"Fine then, so any trouble?"

"Not lately, things have been quiet as of late, too quiet."

He looked at me.

"Fellow Magi?"

I smiled.

"How did you know?"

"The Compass patch on your uniform, don't know why they're all black, be nice if you could know what someone was just with a glance."

"Autumn."

He smiled.

"So am I, though you really should have gone into the navy, they love autumn magi over there."

"Really?"

"Control over the wind? An autumn mage can make a ship at least 3 times faster, pretty much any blockade runner has to use one."

"Then why are you here?"

"Family, there was a raid, a bad one so everyone got together, pulled lots and I was sent to Compass, it's actually very common here on the frontier."

"So what do you do?"

"Air milking mostly, take the nitrogine out of the air and use it to make fertilizers, explosives for mining, and... hmm I have to show you it."

He motioned and I followed him to a glass metal and wooden table, he took a breath and pulled out bottles of milk, of some kind of flavoring.

"What's your favorite kind of ice cream?"

"Never had it before."

"Vanilla it is then."

I recognized the bottles from the fort. He poured in the milk and then the flavoring and then some substance that covered the table with mist, he used a metal spoon and soon I looked at ice cream.

"New Hampshire style Ice-cream."

He put it in a wooden bowl, I took a bite.

"It's good."

"I know, most popular thing I sell here, honestly without the ice cream I couldn't possibly make it here."

"You use the power of magic, a power from beyond our sun, from a long dead civilization to make ice cream."

He smiled.

"I know, Merlin taught me how to do that himself."

In my opinion magic should be dignified, the art should have pathos, be respected and respectable, lowering outselves to making ice cream.

"Oh right he does that, always the pragmatist."

The other magi frowned.

"You're sounding a lot like the stick in the muds over in Salem."

I sighed, I did not need enemies.

"I'm not, everyone has to make a living, just wondering how much it would be to get all of my men a bowl of ice cream."

I had money from my family I could afford this.

"Oh that... just bring them in."

Hated this lowering the art like this, demeaning it.

"Gents."

I stared at my men.

"I have decided to buy each of you a small bowl of iced cream, just one each small."

The men smiled and went inside, I turned over a couple glowbacks and the magi stared at my money, he brought out a candle and snapped his fingers the candle was lit and he put my bills into the fire.

"My money is good."

"I'm not questioning your honor, there are a lot of men of questionable intent on the frontier who try to take advantage of men of honor."

The bills didn't burn.

"Good, ok everyone enjoy your ice-cream."

Did the man have to be so joyfull about it? I watched as he happly made my men ice-cream, I took a bite of my bowl and was forced to admit that it was excellent

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


I groaned with pain and opened my eyes. My vision was blurred as I staggered. I didn't know where I was, I looked up and saw a white woman. By white I didn't mean normal white, I mean a pale ghostly paper white. Her hair was also white, her eyes though were a warm purple. She was beautiful but in a way that was off, as if there was something wrong about her.

"Oh you're alive, I will go get my father."

She left the room, I looked around and waited. Everything kind of hurt, I felt weak, I struggled to get up, a man with ghostly white skin walked in, his hair was cropped short, and he was tall, and seemingly made out of muscle.

"The girl's father?"

"Her husband, or brother."

I felt a sense of disgust.

"It's more complicated then that. My name is Adam Frankenstein, welcome to the Frankenstein estate."

"The name?"

"Our father came from Germany, it's thanks to him that you're alive."

I suddenly remembered how this happened.

"My men?"

"They're in one of the rooms of the house, Sergeant Oxhorn told me to tell you that he told you so."

I got up and followed the ghostly white man.

"So you're um."

"Artificial, as is my sister, our father always wanted children but he was well infertile and then his wife died of some disease. I think that broke him in a way, he did everything to keep her safe but it was all for naught."

"How did she die?"

"A waterborn pathogen, like the one that almost killed you, your men are by the way perfectly fine."

I walked with him and saw Sergeant Oxhorn talking to a man of middling years, the man looked up at me. I looked down and saw boots, Compass boots.

"And who are you?"

"Doctor Victor Frankenstein."

His accent was german.

"I was talking to private Oxhorn about your little bout of stupidity."

I frowned.

"Miasma theory clearly states that the water I was drinking from was perfectly safe."

"Miasma theory is wrong, it gets people killed, it killed the woman I loved, it almost killed you and it's resulted in the death of thousands of people. It's wrong."

"So your a proponant of Germ theory then?"

The doctor sighed as if he was talking to a particularly stupid child.

"I have a microscope, and a stool sample, I can literally right now show you the disease that almost killed you."

"It could have been something else, perhaps a morning chill or-"

The doctor got up.

"Adam, get the sample, I'm grabbing the microscope."

I was suddenly alone with Sergeant Oxhorn, he gave me a look that was all too smug, and I remembered the conversation.

"Lets get some water."

Our cantenes were out and there was a river.

"Right, recharge wands boys."

I was feeling just a little bit miffed. After the ice cream we got some water and I put my cup inside to get a drink.

"All right boil the water."

They brought out a pot and put the water in, red runes glowed and I felt insulted using magic, a power beyond the stars to boil water.

"That water is perfectly safe."

Sergaent Oxhorn stared at me.

"It is standard operating procedure to boil all water."

"According to miasma theory that water is perfectly safe."

"The orders come from General Dearborn, all water is to be boiled before drinking."

I remembered a feeling of exasperation.

"It's river water, clear river water."

"And we're going to boil it."

I frowned at him.

"This is nonsense."

"Do you know how our last leutnant died? He drank from a river without boiling his water, got sick and died before we could get medical help, don't make the same mistake he did."

"I will prove that this water is perfectly safe."

I remembered drinking from my cup, then I remembered getting sick that night, then I didn't remember anything. Sergeant Oxhorn leaned against his chair.

"So much for miasma theory."

I glared at the man, the doctor came back and put my eye on the microscope lense. I saw a wriggling thing.

"That's a germ, that's the germ that almost killed you. I have all ready shown this to all of your men."

"It could be a trick of the light."

I got up and looked at the doctor who seemed almost prepared to strangle me.

"If you admit that miasma theory was wrong I will wave the entirety of your bill."

I paid the man thanked him and marched away, Sergeant Oxhorn rolled his eyes and shook his head at me. I didn't look him in the eye or talked to him at all until we finally got to Detroit

 

[Cherico]

America and the Romantic era
William Blake


The romantic era, a time period spanning roughly from 1800 to 1850, it was period of time that was a reaction against the enlightenment, and the excesses of the french revolution. In Europe this meant a new respect for the medieval history, folk art and ways and the importance of emotion as a way to express the soul.

America however did not have a medieval history to fall back on, and when the romantic era came american writers, artists, and poets were forced to look for their own inspiration. In the end the two competing poles of the american romantic tradition proved to be the frontier and the fallen phoenix empire.

To the american romantics, the frontier was a place of rugged simplicity, an exotic place populated by noble savages. In New Hampshire romantic writers, poets, artists and students of every stripe were able to marvel at the last creation of a dead race.

They were able to see distant start system and planets, they saw the wonders of the ocean, zoos with creatures of Earth and some from the lost phoenix home world. It was a place of wonder, America had been gifted with the history, knowledge, and knowhow of a dead race and had been declared their heirs. To the romantics the phoenix were grand but in some ways a cautionary tale.

They were a smart cultured people who were ultimately doomed by their lack of ambition and red tape. The noble savage was a race ultimately doomed in this romantic outlook by their inability to move with the time, to accept progress.

Confronted by the remnants of a glorious dead civilization and the frontier the romantic movement created the cultural identity of americans as a people in the middle trying to balance the two extremes. This period led to an explosion of writing, and the development of arts in the americas, but it was not without its problems.

This new identity didn't leave room for compromise with america's tribes, since they were doomed anyway the best way to perserve them would be to conquer them and make them into fellow americans. Those that could not adapt were either killed or driven off into Canada or Mexico.

There would be no treaties, there would be no peace, the land would be united by force. However tribes that surrendered and took an oath of citizenship were allowed to keep some of their lands, and gained the rights of americans, including the right to free speech, religion, and gained access to America's growing educational system.

To those that surrendered they were able to use the cultural myth of the middle people to carve out a place for themselves and maintain some of their traditions, and even culturally influece their conquerors. One of the most famous of these was the Seminol writer Osceola. His writings blended native american myth, reality, and a study of the natural world and human nature.

His books would go on to found the magical realism genre, sadly he would die at the age of 35 from Malaria, but his works would go on to inspire other writers, like Egar Allen Poe, and L Frank Baum

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton

Detroit city limits.

The conversation I had with Hank in some ways disturbed me, just like my near death experience. I didn't talk to the Sergeant or the men, instead mullling it over, but now feelings of guilt and shame finally got to me. I stopped myself and my men and looked at them.

I took in a breath and puffed myself up.

"After a long period of deliberation I have decided that I owe all of you an apology."

The men froze and stared at me.

"I thank all of you for saving my life, and getting me medical attention,. I should have trusted that General Dearborn's command was made in good faith."

Oxhorn smirked.

"So are you willing to admit that germs are real?"

I grit my teeth, I hated admitting I was wrong about anything. A part of me fought down the feeling of shame and revulsion.

"Yes, in retrospect germ theory is real, I tried to be fair to the other side, after all the greatest doctors and physicians of England all insist that germ theory is complete bunk and that Miasma theory is how disease is spread."

I sighed.

"The american people proved the british wrong at Valley Forge, we proved them wrong at Lexington, at Concord, and we have proven them wrong again. I apologize in not having more faith in my fellow americans and I apologize to each and every single one of you."

The men looked at me and smiled, Oxhorn nodded.

"Well we might just make a proper officer of you yet sir."

I nodded and we walked into the city, and I used that term loosely. Detroit was small, it was dirty and I was left unimpressed by it. It lacked the life of New York, the education of Boston, and the mystic majesty of Zone. It was a dirty cold little town with little, if anything in the way of actual culture.

Our uniforms were clean as the 20 of us marched through town, our purple uniforms got the occasional glance but were otherwise ignored. We walked to the fort and we stopped.

"Lt. Hamilton."

A man in a guard shake got up, I noticed that he had black skin, and a branded R on his neck. He looked at me and my papers. I stared at the brand in horror.

"Why are you here?"

The man looked up from the paper work.

"Excuse me?"

"You have a runaway brand on your neck why are you here? The army should have returned you to your former master."

The man smirked.

"Oh that, I ran away as a child once and then when my master died I was freed. I loved my country so I decided to go to Compass and get an education and of course serve my beloved country."

It was then I noticed the Compass patch on his purple uniform, I also noticed that he was clearly lying about being freed.

"Maybe we should check that story, it is illegal for slaves to join the army."

He continued to smile smugly at me.

"The Captain of this fort has already investigated the matter quite closely."

I frowned and looked away. The doors were opened.

"Oh and please go to the communication room and give a debriefing, have to keep an eye on the savages after all."

I clenched my hands and tried to ignore the smug confidence of the guard, the men split off from me to collect their pay and enjoy some leave and I wandered around looking for the communication room. I was led to a stone building, and I opened the door. It was then that I saw mirrors.

Lots and lots of mirrors, in the center of them I saw an image of a glowing owl.

"So you're certain that your people don't need more purple dye?"

A bored man, with thinning hair leaned back in his chair.

"The Detroit office has enough uniforms Merlin."

"If you could store some dye over at your fort..."

The man took off his glass.

"No, no no, I heard what happened to that fort in Virginia, we are not making that same mistake."

Merlin's voice was a little desperate.

"Look if for some reason you sold the dye, no one would ever have to know."

"Not happening. One, all of the tailors around here already have too much purple dye, two, Congress has clearly stated that the purple dye belongs to them and they're not giving it up."

"They're also not storing it somewhere else, that incident flooded entire floors of my school with purple dye. It took months to turn those machines off."

"You have my sympathy sir."

"You don't get it, I have over a cubic mile of purple dye, that has to go, that's over a billion galleons of purple dye."

"And that isn't my problem sir, the army has enough uniforms, the navy has enough uniforms and in the civlian market there's so much purple that people are sick of it. Speaking of which why don't you simply export the bloody stuff."

"Between the british blockade and the french continental system there basically isn't a possibility of exporting nearly enough dye to regain access to those floors."

"Well are the machines fixed at least?"

"I got them to stop spewing out purple, but they're busted and I can't fix them."

"Why not?"

"Because they're over a million years old, from now on all they will make is purple dye, I'm absolutely furious about it."

"Well your country thanks you for your generosity sir."

"Thanks for your time officer."

The mirror went blank, and the man moved his chair.

"Oh...who are you?"

"Lt Hamilton."

The man nodded.

"I have come to tell you that fort Mackinac has not recieved gunpowder in ages."

The man sighed.

"Great, just great, look I'm going to be honest with you Congress is a mess and none of us are getting enough of anything, except uniforms, we're doing fine on that front."

I frowned as a screeching sound came from my mirror.

"Um."

"Go ahead."

I pulled out my mirror and looked at Frank.

"Um friend, kind of have a problem here."

"I'm talking to the communications officer, this better be important."

Frank stared at me.

"Are we at war because it would be very nice to know that?"

I looked at the officer he shrugged.

"No we're not at war."

Frank grimaced.

"Then can someone please inform the british of that fact? Because right now they're shooting cannons at us."

"Frank if this is a joke it's-"

I heard the rumble of distant cannons.

"Oh."

"Yeah, kind of have a problem here, if you could get some reinforcements that would be really nice, because this fort only has 60 people in it."

The communications officer rushed to another mirror and I looked at Frank.

"So this just started?"

"Yes, they have been shelling me with cannon fire all afternoon, it's really quite rude of them."

He sighed.

"And they just broke through my wall."

"That's bad."

"Yes it is, now they just have to get through the other 17."

He shook his head and slammed his hand against something, then the mirror shook, I heard a massive explosion.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Oh that, the outermost wall um is explosive."

I stared at him in horror.

"You purposely made a wall explosive?"

"Well it's more built to explode if I decided to make it explode, more then just being a bomb ready to go off."

"Why would you make a wall explosive?"

"Because I was bored John, really really really bored, there is nothing to do here and anyways that should have frightened them off and-"

I heard more explosions.

"Oh no turns out that I have not frightened the british off ,I have just made them intensely angry at me."

The communications officer came back he looked worried.

"Right um so bad news for you and your friend, um it turns out Madison and Congress declared war on the British Empire and they um kind of forgot to tell us about it."

We were both silent as the horror of the situation sunk in.

"Lieutenant Hanks, you're under orders to hold fort Mackinac at all costs."

"I barely have any gunpowder at all!"

"I know... we salute you for your sacrifice. I'm sorry."

He turned and looked at me.

"Lieutenant Hamilton, you're under orders to go east with the rest of us."

"Why, if the british are attacking we are needed to defend the state."

The communications officer sighed.

"The governor of the state assures us that the militia are more then enough to repeal any attack from the british and that our services are not needed."

I stared at the man.

"Yeah it sounds just as stupid to me."

I looked at the mirrors and had a sinking feeling that I put aside, my country needed me and I would serve as best I could.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton

December 25th 1812

As christmases have gone, this one was one of the worst.

Spain has declared war on us,Demnark has declared war on us andMichigan is completely lost. Our attempts to invade Canada have all failed horribly, the battlelines have however become stable, the complete route is over and in the west with our battlelines becoming a stable front in Ohio.

I haven't written anything down in way too long, haven't had the chance, it's all been moments of drudgery interspaced with absolute chaos. There isn't enough gunpowder, there isn't enough, food, there isn't enough money and there are not enough of us.

I was one of the lucky ones, I survived, my men have survived and we have somehow managed to survive the ambushes, and the worst of the british army.

"You there?"

I brought out my mirror as I wallowed in the tent.

"Yes, how are things going on your end?"

"Not particularly good but not that bad either, with the civilians that we were able to grab we have around 300 people now. I've ordered Glenda and Mack to train everyone how to use magic."

"Really?"

"Well in between having them doing all the things that need doing."

"How are you guys doing on supplies?"

"Well actually better then before the war started, the old bird has been sending us giant logs full of what we need, ironically we have more food and supplies now then before the war started, and the Limeys basically gave up trying to take the fort after the 4th wall. How are you doing?"

"Michigan is completely lost, Maine's been taken, Spain and Denmark have joined the war and our east coast is being blockaded, So over all it's been a terrible year, by the way any idea why we're fighting against Spain of all people? I mean we used to get along just fine, we bought Florida from them not that long ago so it's not a territorial dispute, and Denmark why are we even fighting Denmark?"

Hank sighed.

"Spain and England are allies and they're currently working together to fight Napoleon and kick him out of Spain proper. They also kind of blame us for the whole Vanguard situation, and all of the rebels in their colonies who learned how to fight in Compass."

"Denmark?"

"If they win Denmark gets Florida."

I felt a sense of desperation.

"So they have more men, more ships, more money, how the hell are we going to win?"

Hank lifted a cup.

"By surviving."

I stared at the mirror.

"Excuse me?"

"Spain's dealing with revolutions that are happening throughout its empire on top of being occupied by France, the british are dealing with a massive continental war that they consider a war of national survivial and Denmark's only in the war because they think it will be easy."

He paused.

"We are a sideshow of a much more important conflict."

"You think you're going to um?"

"Make it? I don't know, we're cut off from everyone else and other then the occasional air raid and spy work the only thing we're doing for the cause is tying up a couple of thousand troops. Wish me luck I guess and merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Hank."

I shivered in my cold tent and stared up at it.

"Hamilton."

I got up and left the tent I stood up ramrod strait and saluted the Captain, I didn't know who he was but he was a captan and was to be saluted anyways.

"As ease."

I relaxed my posture.

"You an autumn mage?"

I nodded.

"Well sorry about this then."

He handed me a letter I opened it and stared.

"You want me away from the front? But you need me here!"

"All autumn magi are to go to the city of Zone, no exceptions."

"But sir."

The man looked at me with tired eyes.

"Bring your men with you."

"But-"

He looked at me.

"You're going to talk about how your powers can help us right?"

I nodded my head.

"Well guess what? What we need are magi who can heal people which you can't do, build instant walls which you can't do and set people on fire which you can do but not for long because you will run out of power. If we were in the Navy you would have a point and all naval autumns get to stay right where they are, but you you're needed elsewhere."

"For what?"

"I don't Lieutenant and I'm too tired and cold to care, take your men and get to Zone, hopefully whatever their cooking up over there will save us all."

 

[Cherico]

General Isack brook

On the siege of Mackinac, it was a necessary action for our victory in Michigan, which was complete and utter. You see at the end of the day our success required us to be able to work with our native allies and that meant we had to get rid of any forces that got in the way of that alliance.
Both sides had bad apples and bad actors, people that would ruin our chances of victory in the west, fort

Mackinac was where we sent those bad apples. I had intelligence reports, I knew that the fort itself wasn't as important as the island itself, and how limited their supplies were.
We could put the fort to siege, keep the troublemakers from bollocksing up our plans, and our plans were simple, use our native allies to cut off their supplies, use british and canadian regulars to attack and crush their militia forces and then use overwhelming force to crush the actual american military forces.

We spread misinformation, we made them chase ghosts, we used natives to launch surprise attacks on their magi forces and do the dirty work that was necessary for victory. Through out the war in the west these tactics worked but they required an iron will, knowlege of the lay of the land and teamwork.
We held Michigan throughout the entirety of the anglo-american war and I like to think I was a part of that, the americans celebrate the siege of Mackinac but I consider a small fort to be a much lesser prize then an entire territory.

Then came the next part of the campaign, the Ohio campaign, our work with our native allies was our greatest strength but it also proved to be our greatest weakness. I met Tectumsusia and deeply respected him, he in my opinion had more vision and clarity of mind then any other native leader in the conflict, and in those early days probably had a more organized government then the americans.

I honestly think that with our victories in Michigan and main and other fronts that we probably could have gotten a negotiated settlement with in that year. The empire did have the napoleonic campaigns to deal with and this sideshow, and a drawn out conflict with a nation that had more then 8 million people and held the greatist concentration of magic in the world was not in our interests.

Unfortantly Techumsa's control over the numerous allied tribes that made up confederacy was at times sporatic at best, and massacres, rapes, looting and other atrocities were unfortunately the norm despite our efforts to prevent it. There were even cases were surrendering troops were tortured and murdered. We punished the men responsible of course but by then it was much too late.

That magic I talked about earlier made communication from occupied Michigan to the rest of the country rapid, their newspapers reported all of it, much of it exaggerated of course but it pretty much crushed any chance of an easy settlement at that time, and the defense of Ohio proved to be a lot stronger then Michigan.

To this end we asked for allies, with more money, men, and ships. It was thought that we could get a negiotated settlement eaiser the war was now much harder to win. Spain at that time was our ally and deeply resented the fact that many rebels against their authority recieved magical training in Compass. Deeply resented the rampent smuggling, it didn't take that much effort to convince them to join our cause.

Denmark was a surprise, they had been a neutral country during the napoleonic campaigns but with two great empires at war with a far weaker country they thought they would be able to recieve a colony with a short victorious war.

With this alliance in place we thought the americans would immediately come to the negiotating table, and then our war aims would be met. The americans would stop smuggling goods into Europe, the whole issue of impressment would be put off until the conflict was over, our native allies would form a buffer state that would protect Canada and block american expansion, the danes would receve a colony, and for Spain only people from an approved list would be allowed to study magic.

Unfortunately those massacres convinced the americans that the conflict was a war of national survival, the rather unfortunatet killing of surrendering american troops convinced their military that surrender was not an option, and what should have been a limited conflict that was a sideshow of a much greater one turned into something that proved to drag on.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton

1813, a new year. It was still cold and still snowing as we made it to New Hampshire. As we went east the roads got better stronger, wider. Most major roads were made with massive stone blocks, they were good solid roads built to last and I wondered secretly if they would outlast the country that created them.

I saw burned villages, wounded and signs of conflict all around me. Men walked around nervously with guns out in the open, what buildings I saw were boarded and ready for attack, one time we saw a woman's corpse, her head had been scalped. We worked together to bury her. We went to Zone through a southern route to hopefully avoid most of the fighting and we had been ordered to do that.

All of us felt a sense of weakness, of impotence, of frustration but we kept that to ourselves as we marched. When we finally got to Zone we saw corpses, thousands and thousands of corpses. I felt worried terrified, the bodies were mangald, burned and in pieces, then I saw men in purple uniforms digging holes. They looked at me with dead eyes.

"What happened?"

One of the men walked towards me.

"The british attacked, about a week ago, we won."

He put his shovel into the earth.

"Do we know what their plans were?"

"Knock Zone out of the war quickly as possible, the militia men were damned useless, they ran instead of fighting or they broke or they were just terrible, and there were not enough of us."

"So?"

"When Maine fell a lot of people started running, there was no organization and not enough actual troops, everything was a mess. Then it was mostly defense, they didn't move. Should of known they were gathering up troops, preparing for something big, they cut through us like a knife through butter."

He looked up.

"Then they attacked Zone."

"So prisoners?"

"None... the magi they killed them all, they didn't run, they didn't hesitate they just killed. I've known people who have trained for war their entire lives, seen them hesitate or not actually shoot the enemy. It takes a lot to train people not to do that."

He looked at the city warely.

"The magi though they just killed and killed and then they were fine, like it was all normal, like it was part of a deal, like a part of a contract or something."

"We're in the middle of a war, isn't that a good thing?"

He put his shovel in.

"Maybe so, it's still not... it's not natural."

We passed the man and let him continue his digging, we saw a glowing bird in the air and then we were stopped by a man in purple.

"Business?"

I showed him my papers.

"Good, wish you had gotten here a week ago. Follow me."

I followed him and saw a giant wall. Doors were opened and I saw men in uniforms, strange ones, wearing glasses that were strapped to their heads with rubber straps. Then I saw strange contraptions, they looked like ships but they had something that looked like a sausage above them, they were also purple.

"Sir what's going on?"

"You and your men are not longer in the US army."

New uniforms were brought to us, I saw men load small cannons into the contraptions.

"Whats going on?"

"We're in a new war now, we have responded to that by creating a new wing to the military, a new way of fighting. Welcome to the US Air force Lieutenant Hamilton. Let's pray to god we all survive."

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton

I was walked around the strange contraptions.

"What are these things?"

"Airships, not the first ones of course, the old bird's been experimenting with them for awhile trying to make something for the postal service."

"The postal service?"

Building flying machines for postal workers, it was insane until you thought about the possibility of raids, accidents and other disasters.

"Yes, well anyways when the war was declared, without informing us about it by the way, that old project was put into production. The result are three models of airship, Crow, Seagull, and Pelican."

I nodded.

"Crows are the smallest ones, their job is to act as scouts and transport mail."

The Crow was the smallest of the three.

"This is the Seagull, medium sized its job is to act as a bomber. It carries one 50 poundColumbiad cannon, rifled for accuracy. This ship's job is to help destroy enemy ships."

"A single cannon isn't going to sink a man of war."

"It isn't supposed to, your job is to take out their masts, take away their abilty to maneuver so that it will be easier for the Navy to sweep in and actually destroy them. If a gull actually sinks an enemy ship we won't complain but that's not what they're built to do."

"So solid or scatter?"

"Solid shot, scatter isn't accurate enough from the distances you will be firing at."

"So?"

"Your ship will be a Seagull. Last of the three the largest is the Pelican, its job is to help transport troops and goods. We need Autumn magi to control the air around the ships in order to guide the. Iif we don't have one they would just go with the wind."

"Which would be bad, I gathered."

We followed the officer as he led us outside and to a boat.

"Where are we going?"

"To get trained on how to fly and use these things."

"Wouldn't it be best to go to the fort or um..."

"The airfield and no we do not have enough time to do that. We need fully trained crews yesterday, fortunately the old bird finished a major project."

"What kind of project?"

"Something that lets you learn a whole lot faster, we won't be the only ones using it of course."

Our ship sped off into the water and landed at the tree. Servitors looked at us and waved us past. We were marched into an elevator and put into a dark room with things that resembled a peapod.

"And this?"

"Welcome to your classroom."

The pods opened and we were put inside, the world changed and I saw a warped human and a strange wooden room.

"Well.... Well well... welllcome to your.... your training...training... simulator we,we will start your train... training now."

Needless to say I was not filled with confidence.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


The training was odd and dull but it did work, the secrets of fighting in the air, of cannon,of firepower and codes had been drilled into us, the process seemed to take months but only actually took a couple of days, then we were shown to our airship and allowed to train on it for real.

After the time in the pod it was easy, others were put into pods and then the army, the navy and the newly born airforce came together, a mirror was placed before us on a field, and we saw in that mirror President madison. Only those of higher rank were allowed to talk. A large area in the middle was cordoned off. When Merlin landed we understood why.

"These are dark days for our young republic, the british empire has come back to destroy us, to steal our liberties, they come with an army of savages. All of you know what happened to Michigan, you understand what will happen here."

We had read the newspapers and we nodded.

"They do not come alone, other despots have agreed to join them in our attack on our nation, the spanish and the Danish the survival of the republic of our country is at stake, Merlin what do you think you can do?"

Merlin tilted his head.

"Both Spain and England have some magical defenses, not strong ones not dedicated ones but enough to keep me from doing anything big, and portions of their leyline network are tapped which makes it even harder, Denmark though is completely undefended."

"Then as president I command you to take them out of the war."

Merlin stared at the president.

"How do you want me to do it?"

The president had bags under his eyes in my spot I could see the weariness.

"I want you to bring darkness to the land, I want you to silence the voices of war, I want their navy destroyed I want to make sure that the Danes will never forget what happened when they crossed the united states of america."

Merlins voice was hesitant.

"Are you sure about that? There is no taking this back sir it will make enemies."

"This is what I command as president of the united states what congress demands."

Merlin shrugged.

"I will try my best to limit civilian casualties then, so about my request."

Madison sighed.

"In lieu of financial repayment for your loans and services, we will allow you to take one island of choice from the enemy to do with as you please, we have also considered your proposed amendment and it is likely to pass."

"Great, well good luck gentleman I have work to do."

The president looked at us.

"As I said war has come to our doorstep, we are outnumbered and we all must work together to survive this great crisis. In light of that, in the west the great savage army is lead by a man named Techumseh I promise to promote any one in the military who successfully kills him to the rank of general or its equivalent. Please fight hard and pray that god helps save our country."

His image vanished and two men carried the mirror away. We went into our air ship, our duty would be to patrol the sea lanes in the gulf of mexico to damage spanish ships and report them to the navy so they could be finished off. Even with these new machines we had had nerves, but as I saw the world below us, as I observed the sky I felt like it was maybe worth it.

"It's beautiful."

Yancy's voice was full of awe.

"Yes it is."

I put my hands on the wheel and guided the ship with my magic.

"What will we call her? The ship I mean?"

I thought about it.

"The purpose."
​

 

[Cherico]

Christian the 8th of Denmark


It was on the 13th day of the 13th year that Merlin came to Copenhagen.

I watched as the palace guards fired everything they had at him, and watched as the bullets froze in midair. We froze too then, silent. The creature was huge, bigger then a horse, he glowed with power.

"I heard you have declared war on my country."

His danish was flawless, his voice reminded me of someone's grandfather, he spoke to us as one would speak to a disobedient child. The then current King, my half cousin Frederick, stood firm.

"Yes we have."

He looked at the king who looked at him defiantly.

"Good then I'm not wasting my time."

He looked at us.

"You have 3 days to surrender, do so and this conflict will be over."

"And if not?"

"Well I already destroyed any Danish ship heading towards the Americas so I guess I would finish the job and just sink your entire Navy."

The King crossed his arms.

"You wouldn't dare."

The creature the monster shrugged.

"I can be very daring when I wish, you have three days, see you soon your highness."

With that he flew away, the bullets we had shot at him fell to the ground.

"This is nothing to worry about Chris, it's an empty threat that monster can't hurt us."

Three days later on the 16th day of the 13th year he came back, we were ready for him though our men sprang up we used muskets, cannon and then watched as every cannon ball, every bullet froze in the air, we felt cold and none of us could move. The creature looked at us at the king.

"Are you ready to surrender your highness?"

"Never."

The creature sighed.

"Very well, but I am not without mercy, I will destroy your navy, your armies, your ability to fight, but I will not harm a single place of worship, a single place of learning, and try to spare many innocents as I can."

He flew away into the air, our cannon balls, our bullets fell to the ground, and then it started raining. I had never seen a hurricane before, never seen just how terrifying and dangerous they could be, for three days there was rain, for three days we watched every ship we had be destroyed before our eyes. We watched as fortresses were ripped from their foundations.

But true to the creature's word not a single place of prayer was damaged, not a single school, the palaces of the nobility, the great fortresses of our country were demolished but the houses of the common folk were passed over. For three days this happened, on the third day the creature came back.

"For the sake of your country, for the sake of your people surrender King Fredrick of Denmark."

"FIRE!"

The palace guards had even more guns, even more cannons, they did nothing. The glowing creature the monster stared at us in boredom.

"Fredrick of Denmark if you had surrendered when I first talked to you, you would havemerely lost some ships, because of your pride your navy is destroyed, your army in ruins you are defenseless, surrender now and this will be the end of it."

The proud king of Denmark stared at the monster in defiance.

"Never."

"Fredrick of Denmark, I know that you love the stars and the sun in the sky, because of your pride I will take them away. Fredrick king of Denmark I know that you love music and conversation because of your pride I will take them away. Fredrick man of Denmark I know that you love the outside world because of your pride I will take it away from you."

He stared at us.

"I will see you in a month, take care."

He flew up into the air, it was noon then the sun high in the sky, the world went dark. I was a young boy then and I was frightened so I screamed, but no sound came out. None of us could speak, none of us could make any noise. Merlin had brought darkness and silence to our country.

We learned though that we could still communicate with the written word by candlelight. Our people tried to escape to the outside world but found that some strange invisible wall prevented anyone from entering and anyone from getting out.

We spent that month rebuilding our countries fortresses, rebuilding our army in darkness and silence, the people of Denmark would not be cowed. When that creature came back to Copenhagen the entire danish military was there, we used every cannon we had, every bullet we had. We watched as the bullets flowed around him

The bullets and the cannon balls became red hot and melded together, a statue was built out of these bullets, an exact replica of the king. Then he landed. The King stood his ground defiant.

"I give you permission to talk King of Denmark."

My cousin the king cursed the monster, he used every insult he knew, none of us could move, none of use could speak.

"Are you ready to surrender?"

"Never monster."

"See you in a month then."

The silence returned, the people of Denmark took the second month harder then the first, but we were still determined, still willing to bravely resist the monster, but we prayed more, and the mood was more somber. There was just the darkness, and the silence, but we worked together.

The monster returned on the second month, the people of Copenhagen were ready, we threw bombs, we used missiles, we fired cannons, and guns, some of us used arrows and even balistas, we used weapons blessed by every holy man we had.

They did just as much damage as last time, we watched as our weapons did nothing watched as an even bigger statue of the king was created. The creature landed and yawned.

"So are you willing to surrender yet?"

The creature snapped its fingers.

"Never."

"See you in a month then Freddy."

The silence returned, the mood of the third month was much uglier, sadder, the look of defiance on our faces faded the monster returned, once again we tried to kill him once again, once again we failed and once again a statue was created.

"Are you finished with this nonsense yet?"

The king shook with rage.

"Go to hell."

The monster cracked it neck.

"Oh I talked to the people in Norway, lovely people by the way, they declared independence so I don't see a reason to include them in our little grudge."

A book floated towards the King, he read it and in the torchlight I saw his face go red.

"See you in a month."

A depression covered the land of Denmark, the silence got to us I think, the monster came back on that forth month another statue was created and another month passed.

When the 5th month came people started to go mad, there were suicides, murders, and bouts of madness. People got angry they wanted the light back, they wanted to live in a world without silence. When Merlin came back people from around the country came to shoot at him, the entire country stood as one and once again it did nothing.

The King gave a speech in front of his people he talked of god, he talked of country, he talked of our willpower and our history.

"So you're not surrendering then?"

Merlin shrugged and flew away, the silence returned, the 6th month was when the attacks began, when the revolts against the king against us began, they were small in scale at first and then grew as the nation became madder and madder. We were able to put them down successfully but at great cost.

When Merlin came on that 7th month we didn't fire a single shot, our people looked at him with eyes filled with defeat. The King looked at him, he didn't stand up straight he just kind of slumped.

"What do you want monster?"

"Going to surrender?"

The King of Denmark my cousin looked down in defeat.

"Yes, what do you want?"

"Well, before you became stubborn I was only going to ask that you stop your war with my country but now that you have wasted 7 months of my time? Now I think I want an Island. Greenland sounds nice as my personal property to do with as I please."

"So be it."

The proud people of Denmark surrendered that day, our ministers, our king, our royalty, we surrendered, and then the light came back to our land, then the noise came back to the land, we had surrendered we had been defeated but we were so glad to have light and sound that we had great celebrations and parties.

My cousin was less proud after that, less haughty. We never got Norway back, not within my life time at least, and those of us who lived through it never forgot that dark year.

 

[Cherico]

General Isack brook


1813 proved to be a much more difficult year for us.


The Danes proved to be completely useless, yes they got hit by a storm yes much of their navy was destroyed yes many of their armories were destroyed but the storm only lasted 3 days, the vast majority of their cities were completely untouched, but for the next 7 months all they did was mope.

They didn't talk to our diplomats, the people were extra rude and standoffish, for 7 months and then they surrendered, and no I don't believe this 7 months of darkness and silence nonsense that the danes insist happened. I had family members who visited Denmark, the sunshone the entire time, if anything people were too loud while they were there.

People from other countries were there, traders, merchants, diplomats and students, and they all agreed that the sun shone in the sky, that there was plenty of noise, and it was pretty easy to move back and forth between the country. It was just the danes being overly dramatic about one storm, and anyways Norway would have gone through the exact same thing except they mentioned they just remembered feeling depressed for a couple months and declared independence because of the war.

If Merlin was capable of covering the land with darkness and silence why didn't he do it to England? Why not Spain? And why was it that only the danes saw this darkness? I attribute it to a collective bout of madness and cowardice.

Meanwhile for me I had to deal with the american's new warmachines and their selfrighteousness.

Which bothered me because they started the whole bloody war!

So on the western front and our eastern front we fell into a stalemate. We couldn't get past their lines and any time there was an advance into our lines we cut off their supplies and knocked them out. The new american air force made life more difficult for us, but not in the way every one thinks.

The seagulls guns proved to be wildly inaccurate when it came to hitting men on the ground, I don't know of any one who actually got killed by their cannons. The americans, to their credit stopped, using them on us within three months, but its those three months that somehow defined the campaign in the british imagination.

No the real threat to us where the damned Ravens. I loathed seeing those little puffs of purple because it meant that the americans would know we were coming, and there always seemed to be at least one of those bloody things around. The second threat were the pelicans because they allowed the americans to redeploy troops quickly.

This meant that any advance would be caught and that troops would be there to meet us, we couldn't advance into american territory and they couldn't advance into ours. The wizards and witches and magic didn't change that. The americans put most of their magic users into either the navy or the new airforce. When we encountered magic users it was normally as a part of a much larger unit.

The only time we encountered a mass of them working together was the Zone campaign, which I advised against. With Denmark out of the war and with a stalemate on the ground Spanish and English forces decided to focus on a naval campaign.

The new airforce though meant that their ships always knew where we were, their communications were better then ours, and with magic their ships were faster, but we had more sailors, more ships and more production. It was thought that in time we could push the american's into a negotiated settlement, but with the loss of Denmark that possibility became more distant. The fact that the entire spanish empire was on fire only made things worse.

With that said we need to get to the elephant in the room as it were, the battle of Zone. I respected General Drummond or as I called him Gordy he had quite easily smashed an attempted advance into canada by the americans and then successfully managed to captureMaine before being slowed then stopped cold in New Hampshire.

He had been told to behave defensively, but he thought that it would be best to defeat the americans as quickly as possible, to this end he thought it would be best to gather a goodly amount of native allies, and canadian forces and attack the City of zone directly and quickly. With the city of magic destroyed the rest of the country would fall with it.

I advised against it but he had a secret plan, and I learned some thing that deeply troubled me.

Project Rubbish

After the revolution and the creation of compass a decision was made to disrupt the school. It was thought that the best way to do it would be to overwhelm the school with sheer numbers.

So a collection of british PMs gathered orphan children from around the isles, scotland, england, wales, Ireland and sent them to Compass to zone. We would be free of useless beggars and the school would collapse under the sheer weight of our garbage.

This did not work, so project rubbish decided to look for damaged children, the blind, those who couldn't walk the sickly the insane.

This also didn't work, so we decided to send deaf children everyone knew they were unteachable the term deaf and dumb existed for a reason this also didn't work. One of the members of project rubbish had a membership on the board of the East India company.

He decided that if the rubbish of england wasn't enough then maybe they should go to india, so he asked for beggar girls, girls because it was known that girls were not as capable as men, he even put a bounty on them, with bounty's rising according to how disabled they were.

Blind, deaf, missing limbs, and female, was the gold standard, project rubbish didn't have a lot of money so the india project was only able to get maybe 100 girls from india a year but it was quality over quantity in their case, point is none of this worked, and after 30 years of failing their official task project rubbish became more about removing england's trouble children.

But we had agents in Zone, and even if they were unwanted they were still english children and General Drummond believed they could be turned towards our cause. Our agents contacted these now grown up children with a plot to take the city from within.

They would be rewarded with land in the homeland, the indian girls would be returned home to their former lives of begging. The agents reported success and General Drummond moved in.

It was a trap.

Those children? They were no longer english, no longer welsh, no longer scottish, no longer irish, most of them had been sent as small children and either didn't remember the motherland, or had distant memories, some of them deeply resented and even hated us for abandoning them.

They didn't think of the head master as a monster, to many of them that creature was a father figure, their teacher, in some cases their god. The city was warned, troops melted away and the city of Zone murdered every single man we had, General Drummond included.

The loss of men, material, and the sheer shock of our loss ended up causing us to lose Maine. It was only with quick thinking and luck that we were able to save canada.

When I found out about the Zone massacre I was faced with a sick realization that we had crafted the weapon that might ultimately cost us the war. At the beginning Zone had at most a population of 4,000 people. Because of our efforts Zone was at that time the third most populated city in the americas.

51,000 people rounding down, most of whom were magi, the largest concentration of magic in the entire world, and it hated us.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


We were the first men to ever truly fight in the air in a dedicated manner.

"Its overrated."

Oxhorn looked bored as he looked through the telescope.

"Its a brilliant masterpiece how can you say that?"

Yancy looked offended by my second's beliefs.

"First of all I didn't like the so called hero of the story."

Yancy made a coffing sound.

"He was a man of poetry and love."

Oxhorn sighed.

"He was an overly pompous fop who fell in love with a woman. Thats fine, everyone falls in love but then he finds out the woman is engaged."

"Yes tragic."

"No no it isn't, the girl he's in love with, Charlotte? She has family to look after she has responsibilities yes she was marrying another man an older man but Werther actually got to know him and finds out he's actually a good man."

"I know torn between his love and his duty."

"When he found out he should have left, this ruse to befriend both of them? Its unsettling."

"Its love."

"Yancy I have been in love, I am married I have three children two of them are girls. If my girl was engaged and I found out some other boy was trying to get up her petty coats? I'd punch him, I'd punch him right in the face."

"You would get in the way of young love?"

"I would be protecting my daughter and her reputation in a harsh world, so going on this Werther ok maybe he thought he had a chance while she was engaged but they got married, at that point he should have moved on with his life, the only thing he could do at that point was make things worse for every one."

"That's sad. Its tragic."

"Its life, my wife wasn't the first woman I loved there were others but it didn't work out. That doesn't mean there was anything wrong with them or with me it just was not going to work out. They married other men, good men. It may have hurt at the time but I learned how to move on from it. Grow from it, I didn't kill myself."

"But it was the only way to settle things someone had to die."

Oxhorn looked up at Yancy.

"No, no it wasn't. People deal with unrequited love every day and they don't kill themselves. The only admirable thing he did was not follow through with those feelings and destroy a perfectly good relationship."

"She mourned for him."

"Yeah having your friend kill yourself has a tendency to make people sad. I honestly don't know why this tripe is so popular as it is."

"Goethe is one of the greatest authors of our time."

"Boy if thats true we clearly live in dark times."

"All right Oxhorn sir what do you consider to be great literature."

Oxhorn continued to study the ocean below us.

"I brought a couple books about appletrees and all the products you can make out of it, the cider section was very useful."

"A book about apples."

"My family owns an orchard its practical, this book about a lovesick idiot who kills himself isn't practical its just kind of annoying."

He sighed.

"We have ships, they're spanish."

I looked outside at the darkness.

"You sure?"

"You specifically enchanted this thing to see in the dark, Im seeing spanish flags, and we definitely have a warship."

"Is it heading north, west, or south."

"West, to Mexico."

"Lets sink it."

"Our guns don't have the power to do that by themselves."

"We can use the cannonball I've been working on, the one I carved runes into."

"Which would require us to actually hit the ship, we normally miss a couple times before we land a direct hit."

I thought about it.

"I can alter things make the possibility of a hit more likely, it would take time."

Oxhorn shrugged, the wind was with us, so when I sat down and drew circles on the airship we continued to follow the spanish warship.

"You know this ship has friends right?"

I smiled.

"And none of their guns point up."

Killing a galleon took luck, a lot of fire power and patience. We lingered over the largest warship of the small floatilla as I cast a spell to minimize the sound. Sure the drain would not be fun but it prevented what was about the only way to locate us at night.

"Yancy?"

"Lining up the shot in my sights, aiming at the center mass."

The cannon flashed and I looked at Oxhorn, he waited and then we smiled as bright lights and fire filled the view.

"What did you do?"

"Made an enchanment, so it would explode after impact, one that would set the ship on fire."

Enchanting cannonballs was quite simply time consuming, finding targets also time consuming, properly aiming a shot time consuming. It would often take 2 weeks of work to set up the destruction of a single ship.

"Well they know we're here by now."

My men pulled the gun back and reloaded the cannon, I moved the ship until Oxhorn told me we were in position. We used normal shells and after that first hit we mostly missed, but we were able to damage the flotilla, hit their masts. As the sun rose in the sky we flew away, we were too far from any american ships that were capable of finishing them off but the damage we caused would have to be fixed.

The spanish would have to go to the nearest port and fix that damage and in that time more ships could be lost, and since mexico was in rebellion that meant that the loyalists would have less reinforcements. Or that was what I told myself to keep going.

"How are we doing on cannon balls?"

"Out again."

I sighed.

"All right back home gentlemen time to restock."

Every little bit helped.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton

New Orleans I felt the sense of unease as our ship landed, the city had been chosen to be one of the major bases for our new air force, but that didn't mean I particularly cared for the city. It had at one point belonged to spain, then to france, then to us and the result was a city that didn't feel like it belonged anywhere. If cities were books then new orleans was a jumbled up mess of stories that didn't quite fit together.

I split off from my men and went to an officers club, to relax, to get my bearings. As I walked in I saw a woman on the stage, I frowned at her purple uniform but I let those feelings of frustration go. We were in a time of war and had no choice but to tolerate this nonsense.

I sat down in an empty chair and listened to her as she played some odd instrument. While the other patrons listened to her play, I noticed her skin was dark but it wasn't the darkness of the african slave, her features were white maybe she was a mullato, or spanish, or indian I couldn't quite figure out what to make of her. As the light of the windows struck her body I noticed that her hair was a vivid shade of green. I looked away, as my nether regions reacted to her figure.

I dismissed those feelings as being caused by too much time away from the fairer sex.

"What do you want?"

"A Largar, some thing light."

The serving girl shrugged, the service might have been terrible but the air of this room of the bar was cool and refreshing even in the dismal heat outside. A glowing blue mass of crystals in the center of the room was responsible for that and radiated out coolness. I noticed that rank grew higher and higher as you got closer to said blue crystals.

When my beer came the music ended.

"You're in my seat."

I looked up at the green haired woman I was tired and perhaps didn't feel like a gentleman at the moment.

"I don't see your name on it."

"Its on the back of the seat, Kalki cant miss it."

I got up and turned the chair around and saw her name carved deep in the wood.

"I apologize then."

I looked around all the tables were full. blast.

"Mind if I take a seat?"

"Its a free country well unless we let the damned Limeys ruin every thing."

I took the seat opposed to her and sat down.

"So um the song I don't reconize it."

"Vivaldi summer I thought it was appropiate."

I noticed the compass mark on her uniform.

"Magi."

She nodded.

"Summer, and you?"

"Autum."

I prepared myself for a little comment.

"Hmm good season."

She sipped some thing and we sat there in akward silence.

"So, Kalki I never heard that name is it spanish or something?"

"Indian."

"Oh what tribe?"

She frowned.

"Actual india, india I have no idea why you call the tribals indians they're nothing like actual indians"

I shrugged.

"I don't know, so I have never met an actual indian before, I heard your pagans."

"Yes so?"

"So what are your gods like?"

She studied her drink.

"I don't have any Im an atheist."

I felt a sense of shock and horror.

"Why?"

I mean I could forgive her being a pagan but not to believe in any god?

"When I was a child, I was a beggar. I lived on the streets with other children and begged for money because I was born into the wrong caste, and it was the will of the gods that I be born into absolute poverty and be treated like garbage my entire life."

She sipped her drink.

"A life time of suffering and pain because I had the wrong parents, funny isn't it? But that didn't last when I was oh I don't know 6,7,8 I didn't know when I was born so I cant tell you my age some big burly men came and took me. I screamed for help and no one came, I prayed but those gods never helped me."

She paused.

"I was taken into a dark room, my arms were placed on a board and then they chopped them off, my still bleeding arms were shoved into hot coals. They let me rest after that for awhile, but then they brought out a red hot poker and well put it into each of my eyes, they finished it by using a mallet to break my back so I couldn't walk. After that they took me to the docks to those good christian englishmen and sold me like property."

She picked up her cup and swilled it.

"You see there was this school run by an evil monster and they wanted to destroy this school so these men of god bought girls like me and put them into the school to weaken it, to force it to collapse."

"Compass."

She nodded.

"Yes, we traveled there in the hull of the ship most of us died, a few of us lived, I spent months in that horrible darkness unable to see, unable to move, and with out my arms taken away from every thing I had ever known. My whole life had been nothing but pain and suffering but I was still alive. When I got there I prayed for death."

"And?"

"And I met him, Merlin, he told me that I could have my eyes back, my arms back, be able to walk again but I would lose my black hair."

"And you choose green?"

"Its a good color, I had my arms back, I could walk again, I could see and he made me an offer I could walk away or I could become his student. If I became his student he would feed me, cloth me, I agreed. For my entire life no one wanted to help me. Its strange a so called monster did more to help me then any human ever did."

She smiled.

"Best years of my life, he taught me how to read, how to write, he made me strong and helped me get started in my new life. When I finished my education he helped me find a job, it was a good living."

"That doesn't explain why your an atheist."

"Well some preacher came by and told me Merlin was a monster sent by the devil. Thought about him and his god, who always seemed to need some money, thought about the old gods of india who just wanted me to suffer and die because I wasn't one of their damned chosen ones, and I realized some thing. There is no god, it's all just stories humans made up so they can feel superior, to puff themselves up."

I may not be a pious man but I felt scandalized.

"Maybe god brought you here to be a mage to improve your life."

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes yes gods mysterious plan which involves lots of people suffering for some reason, I have heard that nonsense before."

"I think I can convince you its true."

She finished her drink.

"Tell you what, I'm stationed here in New Orleans, this is where I spend my free time, playing music, I will let you try to convince me about your invisible sky god if you let me try to convince you that it's all a load of nonsense."

I gritted my teeth.

"Very well, I will be back."

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton



"Reading that book we got you?"

Oxhorn turned the page, as yancy talked to him, one of our quieter members had the duty of searching for ships for us to hit.

"Unfortunately yes I am."

Yancy smiled.

"Great isn't it, the bard's a classic."

"Eh its all right I guess?"

"All right? this is romeo and juliet the best play ever made."

Oxhorn shrugged.

"Im not a big fan of plays to be honest."

"It's the greatest love story ever told."

Oxhorn stared at Yancy.

"Did we read the same story? because this looked like a cautionary tale to me."

"What are you talking about Oxhorn, it's a tale of tragic romance."

"No Yancy this is a story about two hormonal youths who ruined their lives because they thought with their lower halves instead of their brains. If their parents had been remotely responsible it never would have happened."

"You look at a story about two starcrossed lovers and that's what you see?"

"Romeo starts the story moping about some girl who rejected to him, got attached to the first pretty thing he saw, married her without asking for her father's consent while, remember this, their families are having a lethal feud and then he doesn't think to tell any one about the marriage."

Oxhorn paused.

"Which is forgivable because clearly their parents are not doing their job."

"All right Oxhorn how did you meet your wife since you're clearly a romantic."

He looked up.

"There was an add in the paper of women looking for husbands in america, I wasn't courting any one at the time so I decided to put in my name. The marriage agency gave me a chance to write to the girl and we wrote letters. She paid for my passage to the united states and we got married."

Yancy stared at him.

"You're not american?"

"Scottish actually I think, I grew up in glasgow."

"But you don't have an accent."

"It's easier to get promoted if you don't have one."

"So the family farm?"

"Was some thing my wife set up and created before I ever came to this country."

"And then once you married her you left her."

"Excuse me?"

"Well you joined the army."

"Because the farm wasn't doing very well and we needed money, I love my wife and my family deeply, but the apple orchard never sold enough apples or cider to really be a going concern to survive. Kentucky has a few forts so I joined up."

"And ended up in michigan, you live on the frontier what would happen if the indians attacked?"

"Lots and lots of dead savages, Yancy that's what would happen. My wife's a witch compass trained."

"Oh, so you um married a witch. How do you deal with well the issues that causes."

Oxhorn turned the page and looked up with boredom in his eyes.

"Can I tell you a secret Yancy? All women are witches mine is at least honest about it."

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


I was reading from my bible as we headed back home, we had run out of cannonballs again which meant going back to New Orleans.

"I assume you're going to talk to Kalki again."

I looked up with a look of annoyance at Oxhorn.

"Yes, your point being?"

Oxhorn laid back on his hammock.

"My point is that you should be honest about your true intentions with her."

"Im trying to save her soul."

Oxhorn rolled his eyes.

"You are the last person who should be spreading the word of god to any one."

"Why would you say that Oxhorn?"

He got up and sat on his hammok.

"You litterally spent close to a 4th of your life obsessed with revenge."

"I admittedly had a misspent youth but I have prayed to god for forgiveness and changed my former ways."

"You bragged about how you murdered him last week."

"Admittedly this was a recent change but I am dedicated to this new path."

"You bragged about how you killed him a straight razor yesterday, when Yancy dropped a cannonball on our heating system."

"Its damned cold up here, it was a moment of weakness."

Oxhord leaned back and groaned.

"Some times I feel like I am the only adult in this bloody contraption."

"I am very mature thank you very much."

"Then just admit you fancy the girl, every time we go to New Orleans you go out and talk to her every day."

"I am trying to spread the word of god Oxhorn."

"The woman is a firm atheist, she is very open about that fact and you are not going to change her mind and I think you know it. This is an excuse to go see a girl you fancy."

"I do not fancy her, my motives are entirely pure."

My sergeant put his hands under his head.

"My wife will be visiting New orleans."

"How, isn't the farm um?"

"Its being protected by my son, he learned how to fight from me and how to use magic by his ma, my girls are all witches too so the farm is safe."

"Good."

"But if you meet her you need to remember one thing, don't mention her voice."

"Good to know."

"She's very sensitive about it."

"I gathered."

"Also don't mention her height."

"Is she short?"

"Very, she isn't a dwarf but she is very short."

I looked over at Oxhorn who was a massive bean pole of a man.

"And you're very tall. How did you manage to have children at all."

Oxhorn smirked.

"Well when two people love each other very much they do a special hug and."

"Stop, I already know the mechanics of how it all works I was being sarcastic."

"If you don't want disturbing answers then don't ask disturbing questions John."

I sighed as my ears made a popping sound.

"Almost there."

We got up and opened the door, I took over the wheel and started guiding the ship back to land.

"By the way how do you control the ship when you're sleeping?"

"I don't."

"So um why didn't we just end up anywhere then?"

"I put the ship on a leyline, think of them as being like rivers of power, from there we can linger or just follow the river, theres a pretty big leyline that goes through new Orleans, nice nexus there."

"Really."

"Too bad about the rest of the south though."

He leaned forward.

"What do you mean?"

"Theres a big giant magical dead zone going from the states east of missipi river, south of Virginia, and north of florida."

"And florida?"

I shuddered.

"Some things wrong with the network there it just feels off."

I landed the ship and streched we walked outside.

"SCOTTY!"

A young girl ran towards us and hugged my lumbering ox of a sergeant.

"I missed you so much."

She had a high squeeky voice, something normal for a girl her age, and chestnut brown hair. She nuzzled into his chest.

"Missed you too lynn, this is my wife John."

I looked at her.

"Oh um so you married her young then?"

Oxhorn cringed and the girl stopped and frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"Well um you look."

Her eyes flashed with anger.

"I'm three years older then him."

"I didn't mean any offense M'am."

I felt a brief flash of power and had the sinking realization that her mana reserves were far, far larger then my own. She moved her hands and her voice changed, becoming older, sultry.

"I bet you didn't."

The illusion was broken and I saw that yes she was a full grown woman a short one and the voice.

"I apologize."

She nodded.

"Well come on Scotty we need to head to the hotel now."

"Lass I just got home."

She smiled.

"I know, I hope you have gotten a very good look at the ground because you're not going to be seeing anything except the ceiling for awhile."

She waggled her eyebrows.

"We're in public woman."

"I regret nothing."

"Shameless."

She shrugged.

"Come on I brought your dress."

"Its a kilt woman not a dress."

"Kilt, dress don't really care what you say it is. What I care about is that you look damned good in it."

I sighed.

"I give you leave Oxhorn."

The man shrugged.

"From one master to another then, well at least this one is better looking."

I faked offense and let him go off with his wife, arm in arm.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


"In this part of the bible he walked on water."

Kalki looked at me with an amused expression.

"Both of us can do that, I don't know a single magi who can't walk on water."

I frowned.

"The miracle of the bread and fish."

"Charmed baskets that used closed space to hold more then it should. You're familar with the topic, we use to the same principle in all of our airships to hold guns and your sleeping quarters."

"That's secret."

"We have been selling enchanted mirrors and cabinets that do the same thing in zone for over 30 years now, that's not much of a secret."

"It's still a secret."

"We can always say its just a rumor like the one where our magi rediscovered the secret of greek fire."

I stared at her and she shook her head.

"Greek fire, the byzantine empire supposedly had that and it could set water on fire? Did you litterally just spend your entire time at compass obsessed with revenge?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Every one knows about that John, you talk about it when ever you get drunk."

I frowned.

"I don't."

Kalki sighes.

"Hey Brownie tell em the story."

The darkskinned bartender rolled his eyes.

"I tracked the scawlywag all the way to Brazil and brought out my straight razor and then I put my razor against his neck. The man looked up at me in horror and I said you said I am John Church Hamilton you killed my father prepare to die."

Kalki turned to me.

"See."

I may have told that story a few times, Kalki looked up as the crowd fllled the bar.

"Well this seat isn't going to earn itself."

She snaped her fingers and fire leapt from her finger tips and lit the candle. She walked towards the stage, her hips swayed back and forth. She stood on the stage.

"Im warrant officer Kalki Green, US army, and I'm going to play a song for you. It's a very old song, from a dead world and a dead people but tonight we're going to make this song live, this is Save Tonight an old phenix love song."

Ghostly images formed behind forming a band, she blew on her saxophone an instrument of a long lost people, of an era and people that were gone forever, the bartender put a hand on my shoulder.

"We understand."

I stared at him.

"If you fancy her."

And then I looked away.

"Shame she's a witch, scares people away, but you're a brave man and a wizard."

"I um am just trying to save her soul, thats it."

The bartender rolled his eyes and served whisky to sailors, airmen and soldiers in the bar. Wewatched Kalki as the ghostly images played music. Some of the men cheered, others listenedpatiently. Soon she returned to my table as the entire bar clapped.

She sat down across from me.

"What did you think?"

"It was alright I guess."

Kalki rolled her eyes, her hand brushing up against mine.

"So another sermon preacher man?"

I sighed.

"Ok rainbows thats a sign of god's love and."

"Is caused by the refraction of light by water droplets as they fall from the sky, before you go into it rain is caused by the the sun evaporating water with its heat and that water vapor coming down through condensation."

"And how do you know this stuff?"

"I actually paid attention in school, and took classes that didn't just involve punching things. You should try it some time."

"How long were you at Compass?"

"Hmm roughly ten years or so, finished the basics in magic in three so he taught me other things, science, engineering, music. More magic, eventally I grew up and I joined the miltary because there wasn't anything else to do preacher man."

"Going to keep calling me that?"

"Going to keep preaching?"

She sighed.

"Better get back to base."

"I better escort you safely back then."

Kalki laughed and then blinked.

"Oh you were serious."

She laughed harder.

"New Orleans is not a safe place for a woman."

Her hands lit up in fire.

"I think I can handle myself just fine preacher man."

"I'm still escorting you."

Kalki shook her head and smiled, my heart skipped a beat.

"Fine preacher man lets go."

We walked down the now dark streets close to each other Kalki's hand would periodically brush against mine.

"Kalki what does that mean?"

"Destroyer of filth, so naturally when I finished my education it was either join the army or become a maid. What does John mean?"

"I don't know."

"You know thats completely unfair."

"Why is it unfair I honestly do not know."

"Yes but I did, therefore I deserve compensation."

"I give you permission to feel smug and superior."

"I feel that way all the time anyways John, I want some thing else some thing special."

"Like what?"

She grabbed my shirt and pulled me down, her lips crashed against mine, my arms went around her back and we kissed. Too soon it ended there was a silence and awkwardness.

"A little forward?"

Kalki smirked.

"When you're dealing with a dense object a direct approach is always warranted. See you again soon preacher man."

She walked away, I watched as her hips shashayed back and forth, it was only then that I realized she called me dense.

"HEY I AM NOT DENSE!"

I had a feeling that would be much more effective if I had said the words sooner.

 

[Cherico]

John Hamilton


"We have a job for you."

My commander looked at me.

"We need you to move some things for us."

"My ship's a bomber sir."

"This is an offiicial order Hamilton. Are you questioning it?"

I frowned.

"No sir."

"Your ship will be filled with goods, these goods are classified. You are not to open these goods, you are not allowed to touch them or have any of your men touch them, what you're supposed to do is fly to Zone at a reasonable speed and then come back home."

My commander looked at me.

"But we did so much in the sea of mexico sir."

"I know and thats why we trust you with this mission. Don't ask questions about it, just do your duty and come back to New Orleans."

I took a breath.

"I understand sir."

"I know it's not as glorious as going into battle but everyone has to play their part."

With that said and done we waited. Oxhorn kissed his wife one last time and she got on her carpet and flew off back home, we got into the Purpose and flew towards zone.

He drank from some odd kind of cup.

"What is that?"

"Something my wife made for me."

I stared at it, it looked odd. Its color was somewhere between white and yellow.

"Glass?"

Oxhorn smiled, finished his cup and threw it to the ground, my eyes opened in shock and then the cub bounced harmlessly off the ground and settled down.

"What the devil is that?"

"Plastic, my wife learned how to make it out of corn husks in compass. Don't you know how to make it?"

I closed my eyes trying to remember my lessons in compass and frowned.

"Hmm no, I may not have paid attention to that lesson."

"Why not?"

I sighed.

"Because If it didn't involve tracking things, or hurting people, I didn't pay attention to it."

Oxhorn shrugged.

"Sounds about right."

I frowned.

"I'm not stupid."

"Didn't say you were but you do have a pattern of behavior. But it does make you a great warrior."

I smirked.

"Damned straight."

"But what happens to a warrior when the war is over?"

I looked away, feeling a sense of panic in my veins.

"There will always be war, there will always be conflict."

"But what if there isn't? What if peace comes to the land to the world what then."

I couldn't think of anything to say to that.

"Maybe instead of moping about this mission you should think of it as an opportunity. If the war ends then there will still be use for you."

"And what's your use Oxhorn?"

"I'm a father, a farmer, a tinkerer, a lover and sometimes a slayer of spiders."

"Slayer of spiders."

"They get very big in Kentucky."

"Your wife is a witch."

"And yet the task of slaying the mighty spider is still my task, and sometimes when the moon is full I also open jars."

I rolled my eyes, but remained silent. I continued to fly onwards, thinking about those words. What would happen to me if the war ended, who would I be? It disturbed me more then It should have.

In the distance I saw a bright glowing light.

"We are here."

We landed the ship in one of the airfields, Oxhorn handed over a manifest, men carefully moved barrel after of barrel of material. On of them dropped it a black substance leaked out.

"Move it."

The damaged barrel was removed quickly the black goo was removed, my crew was moved off the ship. We walked aimlessly around the base, and suddenly I froze. A newspaper was on the ground. I stared at the headline filled with both hope and a sense of desperation.

"Denmark Surrenders."

I stared at the headline.

"Two more to go."

The roof of my mouth was dry at Oxhorn's statement.

"Yeah two more to go, thats great."