Gra Gryning

[Cherico]

The Monroe Pact

1870-1948


The late 1800s saw a convergence of interests in the americas. After the civil war America was worried that a foreign power would intervene in it's interests or even invade like mexico had. In south america and the caribean the young republics had just defeated several waves of milatary coups, often backed by foreign powers, and did not trust their own militaries any more. Israel just wanted a stable trading network to compensate for repetitive international sanctions by antisemitic countries.

The Monroe Pact came out of these negotations. The nations of south america agreed to a military alliance with both each other, the united states and Israel. If one nation was attacked they would all agree to fight as one.

Then the countries who had unreliable militaries scrapped their army and Navy to the bone, making sure that the only ones left were strictly controlled. In some cases a military officer could only get ammo for practice shooting from the chief of police, who strictly rationed their ammo.

The money that would have been spent on the military was instead thrown into education, infrastructure and the economy. Soon after the establishment of the pact the problem of Tarrifs risked the destruction of the newborn pact. It took careful negotiation but there was an agreement to limit tarrifs to a maximum of 10% on Pact members.

Half of this tenth would be given to an infrastructure bank that came to be known as the PIB. The PIB would give out loans to various pact nations at low interest, zero interest and even negative interest based on the nations behavior during corruption.

If the money was pocketed by corrupt bureaucrats or obviously misspent then the country would be slapped with a 5% interest rate. If there were incidents but the government punished anyone who misused funds the interest rate would be 0%, and if everything was above board there would be a negative 5% interest rate.

This meant that a country that used their funds responsibly wouldn't have to pay the PIB back at all. Some countries like Columbia,Brazil, and Chile used the money to build up their countries. Others struggled but were able to mostly get their loans to Zero, like Paraguay and Haiti. Some openly cheated the system whenever they got a loan like Argentina.

Argentina would default on said loans but would be forced to repay their loans through their tarrif income. Out of all the nations involved Argentina cheated the system the most.

In 1875 Ireland petitioned to join the Monroe pact. The United Kingdom tried their best to freeze the Island from any continental based system for security reasons. Because of it's status as a catholic nation and because of pressure from Irish americans it got in, after some negotiation with the british empire to gain their blessing.

This blessing came at the cost of the pact being forbidden from allying to any european power. The Monroe pact, founded with the idea of keeping outside nations out of the western hemisphere, agreed. Over the next couple of decades this military alliance and trading network would help the young republics establish strong institutions, build up their economies and give the countries involved a long period of peace.

The pact also served to check the power of it's strongest nation, the united states, keeping it from abusing it's power over pact nations by preventing gunboat diplomacy or coups, further promoting stability. The pact would be challenged with the first world war and would help lead the allies to victory. the second world war would likewise end in victory.

The cold war between Russia and the United States ended the pact. The vast majority of members did not want to get stuck in a series of conflicts between the united states and the soviet union. The pact was for this reason dissolved in 1948, though the member countries stayed on good terms with the united states.

So, after more then 50 years of history, what is to be said about the monroe pact's results? The member countries became wealthier and more stable, their democracies became intrenched and the member states gained entrance into a stable trading network.

South america, and the central american states like Panama, gained a much increased standard of living and became developed nations. America gained a series of allies that helped them win the world wars. Ireland and Israel, who both had problems with outside nations messing with their trade, gained stable trade partners.

There have been talks about bringing the pact back but all of these talks have failed. In the end the pact made it's member nations wealthy and powerful enough to no longer need it anymore. It was in many ways a victim of its own success.

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs



August 4th, on August 4th the peaceful world I lived in, the peaceful Belgium I lived in, was destroyed by the Jerries. We didn't expect the attack, not really, not after so many years of peace.

"HOLD THE LINE!"

I saluted the propaganda poster showing a naval man, a sailor, an airman, a army boy and of course a wizard, with his wand out. The trench shook as another bomb hit.

"Bombardment!"

The line doesn't refer to the battle field line, it refers to the Namur line, a 50 kilometer long and 3 kilometer wide ley line, longest in belgium, our only real natural defense, or should I call it a supernatural defense.

On August 4th the Germans invaded. We lost every single battle. on august 20th in the city of Namur we finally stopped them.

"SECOND WAVE, SECOND WAVE!"

It took every single one of us, civilians, hedgemagi, actual miltary magi to do it but we stopped the hun in his tracks and by the time reinforcements came to crush us, the world was there and the lines of the war had been created.

Everything beyond Namur was held by the Jerries, every thing behind it was what remained of free belgium and our allies. We were so proud of our victory, sure that the end of the war was in sight.

"AMMO TO THE FRONT, AMMO TO THE FRONT!"

It's been close to a year now and it's amazing how much the world changes in a year. I went up to the front and saw that our unit was intermingled with some Tommies.

"DOES ANY ONE HERE SPEAK ANY BLOODY ENGLISH?"

I looked at the man.

"I do, we're heading to the front, enemy advance there, bringing Jagers."

"Oh Bloody."

We put on our gas masks as the ground shook from the bombardment. Holes opened up and we went up the ladders. The light of the moon shone down on us as we went up the hole.

"INCOMING! AIRSHIPS!"

I heard the scream of our guns and saw a fireball in the sky as the Jerry airship fell down in a firey wreakage. I looked around and saw the scattered hellscape beyond the walls of the Namur line. Out of the darkness, we saw them, 10 meter tall golems encased in blacked steel holding guns and swords.

Bagpipes played from the Tommies side of the wall and I looked for my suit. There I saw a giant dismembered corpse of a statue. I ran to it and jumped inside, willing my magic into the suit, and felt a sense of strain as it repaired itself.

"Guns."

A quartermaster shook his head. I saw a giant hammer and sighed in my suit. My vision blurred with a spell every thing in red, orange and purple as I picked up the hammer.

"TO BATTLE, MEN! OVER THE WALL!"

I climbed over the wall, my hammer strapped to my machine's armor with ramshackle leather, others followed me and we went over the wall. The world was filled with explosions and I saw my enemy number amongst the blackened jagars.

"Let's Dance."

He wouldn't have heard my words, not without me using mana I simply did not want to waste. My hammer lit up with the power of fire and his sword crackled with the sound of of lighting.

The Jager rushed forward, eager for my blood, I side stepped his golem and hit the back of the Jager's knee, a lucky strike, a lucky hit, the Jager went down and I continued hitting the blocky golem with my firey golem, finally cracking open the golem to reveal the man in side.

He was begging for mercy.

"Not tonight."

My hammer came down and I faintly heard him scream as he was crushed and burned alive at the same time. The remaining jagers retreated and we heard the screaching sounds of artillery.

"BEHIND THE LINES!"

I grabbed the offered rope and climbed up over the walls. It was going to be another long night.

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs


"So we're not going to shoot them down?"

I sighed as I looked at the chess board.

"No we're not going to shoot down those airships."

"Which are bypassing our blockade. Can you please explain why?"

I sighed as I heard the sound of gunfire in the distance, probably another barrage from the hun.

"There's a pair of binoculars somewhere around here."

"I know what airships look like."

Great, just lost another rook, it doesn't help that I'm terrible at chess.

"Then you know who those airships belong to."

"Yeah the yanks, the Irish, the jews."

"Israel, not jews."

"They're all jews."

"All Israelis are jews but not all jews are Isralis, we have plenty of jews in our unit."

"Like Disralli, the damned cheapskate."

"Disralli isn't a cheap skate, He just doesn't want to lend you money Nathan."

"Why not. I'm good for it."

Great, lost another pawn.

"You really aren't, I've bought you how many rounds? Ever buy me a drink?"

"You don't drink."

Because, If I did, I don't think I'd ever stop.

"You can still get me a cup of coffee or some tea or something. It's a pattern of behavior Nathan, you keep saying you will pay us back and you never do. And the reason you don't is because you blow all your money on whores."

Nathan frowned.

"I send my money to my mother."

"My point still stands."

"Up your's Liam. And anyways isn't your mother with a married man?"

I shrugged.

"Yes one married man, how many men has your mother been with?"

Nathan took another one of my knights.

"She's not a whore."

"She slept with our commanding officer."

Nathan looked away.

"You should have the decency to not talk about the incident."

"If you want me to have that decency, let me win a game."

Nathan shook his head.

"Never, oh and check mate."

Damn it.

"Another game?"

"Sure, so why can't we just shoot down the airships, they're bringing the enemy food, ammo, medicine."

"Because the Monroe pact has over 20 countries in it. You pick a fight with one of them and they all fight you. Remember how spain got dogpiled?"

Nathan grimaced.

"So we cant do anything?"

"Not without costing us the war."

"The british navy is huge and with the french."

He's already killing my pieces like crazy, what am I doing wrong?

"The Brits can defeat the German navy, they can defeat the american navy. They can't defeat both at the same time, and anyway there's a good chance that Fritz will mess up that relationship, like they did with everything else they touch with diplomacy."

Nathan frowned.

"They're not that stupid."

"The Brits hate the Russians, Fritz managed to get them into an alliance. The French didn't have a problem with Fritz until they screwed that relationship up and managed to get the French to join an alliance with Ivan. They somehow managed to make the serbs sympathatic."

Nathan sighed.

"Damned Serbs, how are they doing?"

"They're being bailed out by the Greeks and the Russians."

"Weren't the Greeks neutral?"

"The Turks invaded, and then Fritz allied with them."

I smiled. I took out one of Nathan's pawns...and then lost my queen.

"So are the Italians going to join up?"

I shook my head.

"The King consulted some astrologer and they said that joining the war would bring doom to the country so they're firmly neutral."

"Cowards."

I sighed.

"Can you really blame them for not wanting to join this mess?"

"No, but still everyone's joining the war, it's like being invited to a bad party. sure it's terrible Liam, but it's rude not to show up."

I shook my head and the table shook as a bomb hit some place nearby.

"I lost again."

Nathan shrugged.

"If it helps you're getting better."

"I'm terrible."

"I didn't say you weren't Liam but now you play at the skill level of a 9 year old. Keep this up and you might be able to beat a sober adult who has never played the game before."

I hate chess

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs


The ye old Prisoner of war camp.

The front does allow you some amount of leave and rather then spending mine drinking or boozing I'm spending my first day here.

"So I'm told you're the best chess player in the camp."

How the mighty have fallen, I was of course speaking of myself. Normally being the worst chess player of a unit isn't something to worry about. Except chess has become the game of choice these days.

Mostly because command took our playing cards and our dice, but it's still left me in a pickle.

"Yes."

"Good I'm terrible."

The man was older.

"I'd like to note that you're the enemy."

"A pack of cigarettes for your trouble."

"And that I'm a lovely person for being able to overlook that fact."

He brought out a chess set and I handed over a pack of cigarettes. He took black and I took white.

"We will play a practice game and see where your skill level is, hold nothing back."

I started playing the game and the old german sighed.

"And for a moment I was worried about losing the war."

I glared at him.

"We have one of the greatest alliances of nations on earth fighting against you."

The man shrugged.

"Yes, the work of the very best prussian diplomacy."

"You do realize there was a time when you were not at war with every one."

The man destroyed another one of my knights.

"I know, that was a result of Bavarian diplomacy, they are good at magic and beer. People like beer. Prussians are good at war."

"And?"

"Look they're a very simple people who are good at one thing and need lists and charts to do any thing else, including making love to their women."

I sighed as a lost a rook.

"Shouldn't you be more patriotic?"

"There was a germany before Prussia. I care for that Germany deeply, that is the country I fight and am willing to die for, but we are stuck with the prussians. Hopefully, after we defeat you, we can put proper germans in charge of running the country."

"I don't think you will win."

"I respectfully disagree and you really are rubbish at this."

I sighed.

"I know, but I am not an officer."

"Good because you have no head for strategy...Hmm I know a few tips, I will write them down."

I looked at the board taking my time.

"So why attack us?"

"Because you were in between us and France. The idea was to go through you, knock the french out of the war then defeat the russians and be home by christmas. It really was incredibly rude of you to get in the way of the plan. We could have all been home by now."

"Belgium is a country, not a road."

The old man lit a cigarette.

"And don't I know it, it's mud every where here. I'd much rather be home."

"I'd much rather you stay there."

The man took a deep puff of his cigarette.

"We are in agreement yes? Unfortunately our leaders feel differently and I am here instead of with my lovely wife and my lovely children."

"Planning on escaping?"

The old man shook his head.

"Heavens no! I fought honorably and lost a leg, which is slowly being regrown. I did my duty and have no desire to go live in the mud again."

I sighed.

"Checkmate by the way."

He pulled out some paper and started writing.

"You're too aggressive."

I frowned.

"Really?"

"Yes really. You're so eager to go on the offense that you risk valuable pieces for less valuable ones. You see only your next move and not the entire board. You play checkers before this?"

I nodded.

"It gave you bad habits, checkers is a lot more forgiving then chess. I wrote down a list of tips, now excuse me, I have to go brag to the others about defeating the enemy in the battlefield of the mind."

I sighed and got up.

"More lessons another day?"

The old man shrugged.

"If you live we will talk about it."

With that I left the camp. I didn't hate the Hun, not really. I hated him on general principle but if they stayed out of my very lovely country with it's lovely chocolate, waffles, fries and beer I would find them to be some what tolerable. But they decided to come in uninvited and rude guests simply must be shown the door.

"Liam!"

"Nathan."

We shook hands.

"Went to mock the hun?"

I shrugged.

"It was some thing to do, so your plan?"

Nathan smiled.

"To go visit the whores of course."

I smiled at him.

"You think your mother will bake cookies for us."

Nathan punched me in the shoulder.

"Bastard."

"Guilty as charged. now let's be off."

 

[Cherico]

Ralph Essen



"Reading a book?"

I looked up.

"Yeah, guy has the same name as you Liam."

He sat down next to me.

"Heard you had some kind of crazy mission that you wanted to do?"

I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I'm going to head into the soviet union and try to find out what the hell happened. You in?"

Liam closed his eyes.

"You do realize that sounds completely crazy right?"

"I know."

Liam sighed.

"I'm in."

"Really?"

"My other choice is spend my time on base wasting time. I'm in, hopefully I can keep you nutcases alive."

I got up and streched.

"I'd love to say that you won't regret this but."

"I understand this is going to be terrible, but I kind of want to know why the soviets went crazy myself. So I'm in."

I took his outstreched hand.

"Any good restaurants around here."

Liam grimaced.

"This shithole is in the middle of nowhere, the best place we have is Jollybee."

"And there isn't anything better?"

"Do you like pickled Herring?"

I sighed.

"Jollybee it is."

We walk side by side through the small naval town.

"By the way Ralph? how did Jollybee get so big?"

I shrugged my shoulder.

"No idea."

"Really? Wasn't the philippines an american colony?"

I grimaced.

"Wow, what did you people do to them."

I sighed.

"Spanish american war? we won easy, right?"

"Yeah?"

"So the Philippines initially revolted and they lost and lost badly. A lot of people thought this was the beginning of the american empire. Thing was someone sued the american government and the supreme court said that the constitution follows the flag."

"So?"

"So that meant that Philippino's had all of the constitutional rights that american had and that they could esssentally become a state at anytime, which would completely destroy the political balance of power."

I sighed.

"We then essentially had to bribe them not to become a state, and under the table tried to find a bribe big enough for them to make them become their own country."

"So it backfired?"

"The two countries get along just fine these days but yes it backfired hard. You will notice that there were no attempts at american colonies after that incident."

"I did."

We opened the doors and went inside the Jollybee.

"So new book, what's it about?"

"World war 1"

Liam nodded.

"Sounds interesting, but I'm glad sweden was able to stay out of it."

I nodded.

"Some times the best way to win is not to play at all."
​

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs


"So who has the worst rations...our side by the way, not the hun."

I studied my beer as I thought about nathan's question.

"Normally I would say it's us, national pride speaking on that front but...hands down the british."

Nathan frowned.

"Really the british?"

I shrugged.

"Have you seen their rations? Eaten them? they're terrible, I mean by god they still use hardtack."

"That was due to a clerical error Liam."

"How long has that clerical error lasted Nathan? I just feel sorry for them. Sometimes I share my rations with them."

Nathan shook his head.

"Really how much did you lose gambling?"

I sighed.

"I have to give up my chocolate rations for another two months."

Nathan sighed.

"You really need to stop playing chess games for keeps."

"I know, give me a game of poker any time."

I heard an explosion and our tables shook. Aambulances rushed past us and I took another sip of my beer.

"Paris gun?"

I shrugged at Nathan's words.

"Probably, though if the hun insists on calling them that then he really should have the decency to target actual french men rather then our civilians."

I heard a buzzing sound and looked up.

"Nathan am I seeing this."

He sighed.

"Yes you are. That looks like one of those airplanes."

I grabbed my beer.

"I paid good money for my beer Nathan, I'm not giving it up...time to run?"

We grabbed our beers, and got ready to run, and then I noticed the symbol on the plane as it got within straffing distance.

"FUCKING FROGS!"

I heard laugher as it flew overhead, ignoring the terrified populace and heading to the front. I studied my beer, which was thankfully still more then half full. We shook our fists at the plane.

"Really hate pranks like that."

Nathan nodded.

"It's really quite rude Liam."

"Well they're french it comes naturally to them."

"Quite so...MOTHER ANOTHER ROUND!"

Nathan's mother was the owner of the bar. Rumors circulated about her having a dark past of some sort but she was only a widower who had a penchant for officers, older officers....our officers.

I would like to say that her relationship with our officer began with the war, in an effort to protect her only son, but that would be a lie. That relationship had been going off and on for some time now.

She walked out. She looked good for a woman in her 40's as she placed some beer on table.

"There you go my little prince."

Nathan gave her some more money.

"You know you don't have to do that son."

"It's the principle of the thing."

His mother smiled and took the money, an older man ran up to the bar panting and then smiled at her, she smiled back.

"Nathan? mind flipping the sign over to closed?"

Nathan sighed and got up while the two locked arms. He closed closed and locked the door and the two of us sat alone in the bar as the roof started shaking.

"Not a word Liam."

A bit of the roof's concrete landed on the ground.

"Nathan."

"Not a bloody word."

I sighed and took another sip of beer.

"So um...he got you into the exchange program?"

Nathan nodded.

"Yes, compass was a good experience for me."

He winced as another chunk of concrete fell off the roof onto the ground.

"Need help fixing that nathan."

He sighed.

"Probably....at least the noise cancellation enchantments are working."

The two of us finished our first beers and got on chairs, I used some cleaning magic while Nathan put the small chunks of concrete back into the bar's ceiling.

"So compass what's that like?"

Nathan sighed.

"Difficult but I learned a lot. Originally my plan was to go into construction but I managed to get home just as Jerry crashed the party."

"Got drafted?"

He sighed.

"Yes...same as you."

We went back to our drinks.

"So your mom and the commander?"

"Dad created the bar before I was born and got killed when someone got angry during a card game. He tried to calm them down and the man stabbed him in the throat."

"The man?"

"Was obviously hanged for it. Mother continued the business and met up with the commander, who was a widower, and they have been unofficially official ever since."

"Think he will ever marry her?"

"No..mother's big on a woman only marrying once, and it would mess with his children's inheritance in theory. So they're together but not officially...and that doesn't make her a whore."

"A Strumpet?"

Nathan punched me in the arm.

"Your mother's not that much better, really a married man?"

I shrugged.

"I will have you know my mother plays doubles with my father's wife all the time. Theyre all friends."

"Sounds positively french."

I shrugged.

"To the bastards then."

We clinked classes and had a sip as another chunk of concrete landed on the ground. Making our previous hard work completely worthless.

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs

Night duty, wasn't bad.

Well it was absolutely horrible if you were an unarmored sod. But I had my own golem so It wasn't that horrible for me. I looked at the perpetual Yellow mist that existed in No man's land.

The hun was the one who decided to try gas and it killed a lot of people at first until we realized we could simply have an autum mage push the gas to the german lines. That killed their advance in a pretty literal manner but Jerry doesn't like giving up so he tried again.

These days our magi pretty much keep the various types of very lethal gases in no man's land, managing to make a horrible place just a little worse. I checked my mask again and slowly crept up into no man's land. It was hard to see in the gas covered darkness.

Flares periodically lit up, I hugged the ground to avoid any concentrated artillery fire. Periodically the Jerries would sweep the land with machine gun fire, for safety reasons and to relieve any sense of boredom.

I continued to move slowly and changed my vision to infrared. I smiled as I looked at a nearby tree. I crawled around it, moving as silently as I could to the other side of it. I got up and brought out my hammer, I brought it up over my head and Smashed the tree hard.

The man inside the tree screamed as I bashed it over and over again.

The tree wasn't real of course. The hun liked to build artificial trees made out of steel and then made to look like real trees, snipers would hide inside the trees and spend their days waiting for someone to kill.

There were two ways to deal with that. Either hit the tree with a dedicated artillery strike or send out a golem fighter to handle it in person. It was cheaper to send me out, so off I went.

It's actually not a bad job to have. Snipers have it worse, the men who have to march in here without a load of enchanted steel plate have it worse and the poor bastards in the northern front?

Yeah...they have my sympathy. I'd much rather live in my very comfortable walls than have to live in dirt trenches. I hugged the dirt as the hun sent up another flare and moved along the ground. I slowly made my way to the next tree and discovered.

"Huh."

It actually was a tree, sure it was completely dead but it was a tree, I felt a sense of confusion for a bit and then crept up closer to it, and using the sharp point of my hammer carved a rune into it and crawled away, the tree burst into fire and I watched it burn into nothingness.

It wasn't that I hated nature but, if the real trees were gone, that would just leave the fakes which would make it a lot safer for my comrades and friends and less safe for our own snipers.

But to be perfectly honest? Every sniper I have met has been a rather lousy arrogant sort. I respect their job but no one really particularly cares for them. Maybe it's different in other countries but every sniper I've met so far has done a stint in the congo and has stories about their time there.

I'd rather not give such people a hand, they have already have way too many of those.

"God...God please get me out of this."

I smiled and crawled towards the noise.

"I, I just want to see mother and father again, please god I just want to live."

German, he was praying in german, I brought out my hammer and crawled towards a crater, the hun was praying on his knees in the crater, shaking, in the yellow haze he looked like a creature from another world.

"Please Jesus, I just want to get home alive."

It would be so easy to kill him, to snuff out his life. If I did so no one would really care and if I did bring him back alive command would force me to write some paperwork about it and I would have to go through a debriefing. Officially taking prisoners was an acceptable practice, unofficially we had to feed, cloth, and house them.

It was a use of resources that our country would rather not spend on people who invaded our country. So they forced us to fill out paperwork to discourage the practice.

"If you get me out of here I promise to live a good life."

Ugh, so much paperwork.

I put my hammer on my back and grabbed the man with my golem's arms.

"Hello."

My voice whispered into his ear and he squeeked.

"You have a choice, you can spend the rest of the war in a camp with your friends or I can kill you now. Shake your head no if you want to die, nod your head yes if you want to live."

The man nodded his head.

"Oh good. Well we will be off then."

I got up and ran to the wall, I heard some sputtering of machine gun fire as I ran to out lines, I banged on the wall and was let in, still holding the hun with my other hand. A officer walked up and stared at me and then frowned at the Jerry.

"You brought a prisoner."

His voice was laced with disdain.

"I felt like he might have information."

The officer shook his head as I placed the man on the ground. Some of my fellow troops gathered him up and dragged him away. The officer shook his head.

"You do realize I'm going to have to give you a full debriefing now."

"I'm sorry to trouble you."

The officer sighed.

"I'm going to give you extra paperwork for this, you know."

I got out of my golem.

"I figured as much sir."

"You lot really need to stop gathering up strays, all you're doing is making everyone's life harder."

"I'm sorry sir."

"I know you're sorry but you G-boy's keep doing it. The camp's full enough as it is, if we keep this up then we're going to have to be forced to ask the Tommies for help."

"Not the French?"

"The french have told us that it's time for someone else to deal with the prisoners for a change."

"Fair enough I suppose."

"Well come on, we have work to do."

I hated paperwork.

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs


I hated the moon.


When the light of a full moon was out it meant that German guns, big and small, could see you in no man's land. For some reason natural sunlight wasn't as bad, the constant yellow haze that consumed no man's land obscured people.

This didn't mean attacking during the day was safe. But moon light....moon light was something where you had to be careful.

"We're attacking tower two."

The orders had been relayed, the hun had a tower that spewed forth mustard gas and helped keep said gas from their trenches, we likewise had enchanted towers that kept gas from our trenches. The effect made no man's land an even worse hellhole because the gas was prevented from dissipating. Instead it just hung on, lingering over the land like a curse.

I volunteered to be sent in alone.

Was it a smart move?

No, no it wasn't. It was actually objectively stupid but if I didn't go then they would have sent in a mass of mundanes to handle it. Many of whom were fresh meat and didn't understand the first thing about how things really worked on the battlefield.

I couldn't save them but I could give them some more time, more time to figure out how to survive, how to live and give them a chance of surviving the war and going home.

At the very least I was able to put in yet another request to command, the same request I gave them every time I went out on a mission like this. The same request that would be sent to a general and then the draft board.

I hugged the ground as an explosion hit nearby and then crawled a little closer. It was slow, so agonizingly slow, but I was patient. Then I got to the first trench.

I prayed my noise cancellation charms still had juice as I walked over the barbed wire. Then I hugged the ground again and got to the first trench. Two huns were manning a machine gun nearby and they were asleep. It didn't happen very often that I would get lucky like this but I didn't question it.

Instead I carefully got into the trench and then climbed out of it into the second trench and the third one, eventally I got past the last trench and was finally behind enemy lines. It was terrifying here, in the moonlight, hoping against hope that a mixture of gravity and silence spells would hold out.

But hold out they did even if it had taken a week's worth of work to make them. As I jumped around the Hun's base I got closer to the tower. Once I was there I took the pile of explosives off of my back and placed it on the tower. Then I carefully snuck back.

Once I was in no man's land I heard a distant poof as I crawled I saw the gas thin and then I heard the screaming.

It wasn't just mustard gas in the cloud, it was a variety of gasses to burn the skin, the eyes, to kill, murder and maim and now all of it was passing off into German lines. I got back to the wall without a scratch.

My commanding officer looked at me.

"I saw the gas thin... you pulled it off, congratulations Liam."

I got out of my golem my face covered in sweat as I took off my gas mask.

"It was difficult but I did it."

"That you did."

"My request."

My commanding officer frowned.

"You're not necessarily doing your brother any favors."

"My request still stands."

My commanding officer sighed.

"Albert Lannoy will once again be exempted from military service and banned from joining the military for another 3 months."

I nodded.

"Thank you sir."

"I don't know why you would do this. You're a bastard, he's the legitimate heir. Shouldn't you resent the man, even a little bit?"

I remembered Albert's smile, his kindness, his friendship while i was growing up.

"He's still my brother, sir."

I know command likes to manipulate me with that stick but Albert is a sickly man, a man with a good wife, a man with small children. He took care of me when I was a boy and now it's my turn to take care of him.

"When morning comes there will be an advance, you're exempted. Good work Liam."

I streched and went to my bed, I slept soundly through the artillery strikes, through the fighting. When I awoke from my slumber I was informed that there were no survivors.

Five thousand men from around the world had died, gaining nothing in no man's land. You think that would shock me, the horror of it all, the pointlessness of it all but by now I was just resigned to the madness of war. I think in the end we all were.

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs



The old hun nodded at me.

"Your chess is getting better."

Checkmate.

"But you're still terrible."

I shrugged, it was important to me to get better, I was tired of losing my cigarette ration every week. Sure I didn't smoke but it was the principle of the thing.

"I know."

"I met the boy you spared."

I looked up.

"Boy?"

The old man nodded.

"Yes boy, turned 15 and decided to lie his way into the army, foolish but all boys are foolish at that age."

I shrugged and we started another game.

"There are no wizards in the camp."

I blinked.

"What?"

The old man looked up.

"There isn't a single wizard in the camp. I know there aren't any camps specifically for magi, so why aren't there any magic folk in camp?"

I shrugged.

"I think it's the same reason why you keep losing in chess."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I have played against magi before, the seasons change them, influence their playstyle. You're a summer magi."

I frowned. I wasn't wearing a patch that told that.

"And you know this how?"

"Hard agresssive play style, Autum prefers speed, winter magi have a flexible playstyle and spring is all about defense, but I knew it even before we played."

I set up the board.

"How?"

"Because you magi always have tells. The magic affects people, changes them. A normal man gets loud and rowdy when he's drunk. A magi gets quiet, gets polite. Put that drunkard behind the wheel of a car and a normal person swerves and is dangerous, a magi will painstakingly follow every single stupid rule of the road."

I lost another piece.

"You're creatures of order, and that worries me."

"I thought Germans were all about order."

"A secret for you little belgian. Societies, all societies, loudly crow and exhalt the feature of their society that they lack the most. Americans scream about freedom and liberty while their society is a crazy quilt of rules and the tyranny of the neighbor. The british scream about politeness but actuallity wield rudeness like a scalpel. The french talk about logic."

I groaned.

"But a less logical people I can not find, and germans? We are children of chaos one and all. We hide it well but it leaks out despite our best efforts. The order is artificial."

He paused.

"You make it seem almost praiseworthy."

I lost another rook.

"In order to improve, one must acknowlege one's faults and compensate for them. stop."

My hand froze.

"Look at what you are charging into."

I sighed.

"It's a trap."

"Yes it is a trap and at least you reconize that fact now. Temper your fire with the waters of patience if you want victory."

I sighed as I lost another round.

"And that is the last game...you now play at the level of a small child."

"You're full of praise old man."

"You used to play at the level of a small stupid child, but there is improvement. Now leave, I have other people to swindle out of their cigarettes."

I handed over another pack and walked away, I sighed as I looked up.

"Damned yanks."

We had managed to successfully embargo the germans by sea, the americans for their part seemingly took it as a challenge, a reminder that though our alliance ruled the seas, they still ruled the skies and would do as they damned well pleased.

An illusion of an american flag trailed out behind the airship and it tipped its wings as if to mock us. I scowled up and looked at the camp commander.

"Any way to shoot it down?"

"Planes are scrambled but by the time they get here the damned thing will be past enemy lines...again."

I shook my head.

"They're just making the war longer."

The man nodded.

"People who sell to both sides don't ever seem to have a problem with that, but I'm not worried."

I stared at the guard.

"You're not worried about countries smuggling supplies to our enemies?"

The guard leaned against the wall.

"There are many oxymorons in this world, coldfire, slow winds, and german diplomacy. Sooner or later the Jerries will do something to get the pack right and angry and then, when they are pushed too far, those same airships will be dropping bombs."

I nodded my head.

"We can only hope and pray, speaking of which how goes the eastern front?"

The man frowned.

"Officially our brave russian allies are holding on, unofficially the great russian steam roller has sand and grit in its engines. They're losing a lot of people."

"We have the greeks on their side."

"The greeks are currently spending most of their efforts holding off the Ottoman invasion which is also going badly. Honestly sometimes I wonder how this whole mess happened."

"The serbs are bastards."

The guard looked at me.

"Officially I rebuke you for talking ill of our noble serbian allies, unofficially I agree with you. I mean seriously blowing up a hotel full of people? They deserved to get a swatting. I just wish they didn't get the rest of us involved in their nonsense."

He paused.

"Honestly what have the Serbians contributed to the world."

"Nikolia Tesla."

The guard paused.

"Fair enough."
​

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs





My golem was trashed and I was missing both an arm and my left leg below the knee. I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and got hit with an artillery strike. On the front it was known as a lucky injury because it would take a couple months before your limbs would grow back and back to the front lines you would go.

Nathan, like me, was also lucky and lost both legs below his knees. He laid down on the bed next to me as we stared at the ceiling of a French hospital.

"I heard that French girls are more open about things."

I turned my head to look at him.

"I heard they're swimming with disease because of that."

"Stop being a downer Liam, we just lost our legs it isn't anything serious."

I shrugged.

"True, so I guess to pass time we should talk about things....rule of thumb not chess."

Nathan nodded.

"You really are rubbish at the game, but you are improving. Why, before the advance, I actually had to think a few times to beat you Liam."

We were silent for a bit.


"Liam....I can't remember the advance, the attack."


I gripped the bed with my remaining hand.

"I can't remember it either. but then again all the attacks, all the charges, all of the fights seem to roll into one horrible whole Nathan."

We continued to stare at the ceiling.


"So...compass what was it like?"

Nathan closed his eyes and smiled.

"Huge...as in bigger then some towns huge, it goes high in the sky and deep below the earth and it's just massive. You could explore the place an entire lifetime and keep finding new things."


"Oh."

"And there are people from all over the world and lots to do. They have this aquarium that's just massive and it's hundreds of years old, there are zoos, a recreation of the library of Alexandria, a massive library, and the planetarium."

"Yes?"


"You're able to see alien worlds and stars. It's beautiful and awe inspiring...I spent my free time there just seeing the worlds Merlin once saw."

"How long did it take you to finish that?"


"You can't..."

"Can't what?"


"There are billions upon billions of stars in our galaxy. Billions of worlds, of planets, and life is rare out there. So very rare. It's beautiful."


I closed my eyes.


"Do you think we're worthy of it? Of magic? I mean considering how we abused that gift...maybe we just were not ready for it. For that kind of power and responsibility."

Nathan sighed.

"Merlin once told me that no one is ever really ready for anything, that life just kind of threw stuff at you."

"That's...not very inspirational...."

I closed my eyes.

"So you think the war will be over when we're finished healing."

Nathan paused at my question.

"Probably not. But knowing how these things work we will be able to spend Christmas away from the front, which all things considered is rather nice."

Christmas. I remembered my last Christmas. Cold, shivering and fighting some Hun on the battlefield. Christmas in a medical hospital out in France, that seemed rather lovely actually.

"So I have never been to Paris."

Nathan let out a breath of air.

"Well bad news you still haven't, I found out from the nurse that we're in Lille."

I turned towards him.

"Never heard of it, then again I never traveled much."

Nathan frowned.

"It's known for textiles, protestant revolts and the plague. Really, as French cities go, it's quite lovely."

"A city known for revolts and the plague is lovely."

"The textiles are really quite lovely Liam. Why, the city's industry is so lovely there's a saying about it. Caves de Lille ! on meurt sous vos plafonds de pierre !"

I sighed.

"I really should have learned how to do translation spells."

Nathan nodded.

"There is a reason that it is a standard part of Compass' curriculum. Really, your family did not get their money's worth."

"I wanted to stay close to my family."


"Fair enough, I miss my family too, I... Before this war happened I thought about settling down, getting married. and you Liam?"


"Never gave it much thought. I had just finished my education when the hun decided to ruin things."


Nathan leaned back.

"She, the girl I mean, lived in the east. Whole area is controlled by huns now."

"I'm sure she will remain faithful."

"I rather doubt it Liam, I never told her how I felt, I swore I was going to tell her about it after I got back from a business trip but...well the Hun came and here we are. She's probably married to someone else now."

"Oh sorry."

Nathan moved his hand in exasperation.

"A nice French girl would make a decent wife. And if that isn't possible then we shall find bad French girls for a one night stand."

I laughed at his joke and stared at the ceiling.

"I'm glad you survived Nathan."

"I'm glad you're alive too Liam."


I stretched out my remaining arm.


"You're my best friend Nathan."

He shook my hand, and then held it tight. I don't know how long we held hands there, in that dark hospital room, until we fell asleep.

 

[Cherico]

Germ Theory and american culture

Hedrick Gruber



The discovery of Germ theory in the late 1700s was quite possibly one of the biggest contributions Compass ever made as an institution to humanity as a whole. Merlin's decision to freely share the phenix people's knowledge about virus' and bacteria is credited with saving millions of lives around the world.

And Merlin made sure to share this knowlege as much as he could. The patent for microscopes was released to the public. Microscopes were mass produced and men hired to spread the word about Germ theory.

There were worries about rural areas not getting this message, so free microscopes were given to parents and children in remote areas to spread the word. Language was put in a way that a layman could understand, photos were put in newspapers and teachers given extra pay to spread the word.

This messaging happened to take place during america's first religious awakening, rural priests, pastors and religious leaders took to germ theory in many cases more quickly than America's medically trained doctors who were skeptical.

The idea of disease being caused by 'evil' bacteria, and good bacteria doing things like helping make bread, cheese and other things appealed to their sensibilities. Disease was caused by bacteria corrupted by the devil and this was ingrained and imbedded in American culture.

As winter magi started to travel rural areas fighting disease, sometimes using the infamous spirit method, people saw magi fight bacteria infecting their loved ones in the spiritual realm. Many times they could volunteer to fight alongside them, deputized to fight this battle.

Because of experiences like this americans developed an odd personal loathing of germs. Germs became the minions and emissaries of Satan in the rural mind and culture. It wasn't an impersonal disaster anymore, the enemy of disease had a face in the public mind.

Stories of families gathering together with their guns and a winter mage to destroy a virus that went after a family member were told with pride. Oddly enough this made hiding disease less of a factor in american culture. Disease wasn't considered to be the result of a personal failing.

It was in many places considered the devil attacking good christian men, women and children, causing harm and death for his own sick amusement. The devil in the american mind was a plague bearer spreading illness and disease wherever he went.

In many respects this was helpful. Institutes that studied disease were often aided by religious communities, quarantines were often complied with more readily. But in many respects it was detrimental. American doctors, nurses and medical professionals magi and mundane developed a personal loathing of their stated enemies.

Outbreaks were not treated with the cold clinical detachement that was common in europe. Instead they were personal affronts which meant that resources were often wasted on people who were far beyond help. With diseases being treated more like gangsters and criminals than mindless bacteria and viruses.

This cultural issue would play out in the media. In children's cartoons viruses were malevolent monsters. At times bumbling, in others disturbing and evil. The stereotype of the crusading doctor, winter magi or nurse with a personal vendetta against a disease became ingrained in the popular imagination.

For better or worse Americans took sickness personally and developed a kind of perverse glee in wiping them out. This tendency at times led to misuse of resources but it also led to good things. Polio and scarlet fever were wiped out because of this approach to medicine. but the lack of objectivity sometimes led to bad preventable results.

At the very least having coworkers who became doctors because they swore vengeance on a particular disease is not helpful. What the americans gained in passion, they lost in objectivity. It is up to the rest of us in the European world to balance that tendency out. Together with American passion and European objectivity we may just wipe out disease once and for all.

 

[Cherico]

South Africa and Rhodesia

Zackery Hinds


South Africa and Rhodesia are respectively the last remaining white british colonialist states.

South Africa was colonized by afrikaners and british settlers later on after the british seized the colony. Rhodesia was thus created by a mixture of british settlers and middle eastern christians who were evicted from the ottoman empire during the 1880s. It was named after Cecil Rhodes, who helped reach the compromise that allowed these christians to flee the empire with their lives and property.

These orthodox christians also settled other African colonies held by the british and french empires. With the collapse of these empires the orthodox christians in the French empire fled to Algeria along with other French settlers, creating a majority population.

Likewise with the collapse of the british empire in africa Orthodox christians and british settlers concentrated their numbers in South africa and Rhodesia. South Africa prevented orthodox settlers from entering it, Rhodesia however welcomed them.

In time this made the white orthodox population amount to 80% of the population with a 20% black population. South africa's numbers were about the opposite with a 20% white population and an 80% black population.

The native black african population deeply resented and loathed being turned into a minority in their own country and started a revolt that lasted from 1962 to 1972. This revolt had several rebel leaders but the most well known was Robert Mugabe.

The Zimbabwe alliance was backed by other African countries, the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. Rhodesia was backed by south africa, India and other western countries.

The Zimbawe alliance fought well and would become the cause celebrity for black nationalists and pan africanist but in the end the result was perhaps inevitable. Rhodesia was the recipient of orthodox christians who had been kicked out of other african countries, they had indians who had been kicked out of other african countries, europeans kicked out of other african countries.

These people felt like they had nowhere else to go, they had more magic, they had more money, they had more people and it was a war for their survival. The war became more and more brutal and the democratic government that used to control the country was removed and replaced with a dictatorship.

The new regime matched the rebels in brutality and then exceded them. Robert Mugabe was captured and publically executed in 1972 and with him his rebellion died. The regime then realized that it was a multi-ethnic hotspot just waiting to boil over again into another rebellion.

To prevent this from ever happening the dictatorship took a page from paraguay and instituted forced integration. Interracial marriages were no longer acceptable, they were mandatory. Black, arab, white and indian children couldn't just play together, they were forced to play together.

The only thing the regime saw as a common theme for the country was christianity and so the regime based itself upon it. It is hoped that in time Rhodesia becomes a democracy again but for now that seems unlikely. It is also unknown if their policy of extreme intergation will work or just cause a new rebellion in the future.

What is known is that with the rapture the black african population was given land grants on the new world, often in prime areas, in exchange for peace. And if peace doesnt come, the regime has no problems in using violence.

South Africa, by contrast, doubled down on their apartheid tactics, creating a superficial democracy where the franchise was limited and racial superiority was baked into the legal framework. Blacks were third class citizens at best and the regime became an open police state.

In the long run it looked like apartheid was doomed to the dust bin of history for reasons of population if nothing else. But the apartheid regime hitched its mast to america and, with the rapture, gained 100 million vat bred afrikaners. The black population saw that the fortunes had changed for the worst and, in desperation, revolted.

South africa became the first country in human history to use nuclear weapons in anger against its own people. When the dust settled over a million people were dead and the policies of apartheid only became more entrenched and brutal.

Both South Africa and Rhodesia are brutal regimes with a history of violence, but in time I think Rhodesia might become a democracy again, if one with a checkered and bloody past. I do not hold out hope for South Africa though, nor do many others who have studied the country.

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs


"Hello."

Nathan winked at a a french girl in her nurse uniform, who looked at his wounds and walked away.

"Didn't work."

"Not this time, no. In fact I am very much sure that if I talk to 100 girls, 99 will reject me."

I frowned.

"So why do this then?"

"Because the 1 out of a 100 is really fun Liam. life is a numbers' game that can not be won unless you play."

"So you have reduced love into a mathematical equation, you're quite the romantic."

Nathan smirked.

"I will have you know that the phenix people considered math to be sacred and holy. Love is one of the most important things you can have in life, therefore mixing the two is romantic and sacred."

I sighed.

"I really wish I knew how to use a translation spell."

"I'd teach you but it requires either two hands or making some runes which would be a bad idea because you lost your dominant hand in the incident."

Nathan paused.

"Also why is it that you do not speak french? French is one of the national languages of belgium, you really should know how to speak it."

"I grew up in the north we all speak dutch over there, French is more of a southern thing."

"You're stationed in the south, how do you function?"

I sighed.

"They point at things and I smash them, it's not that complicated Nathan."

"Bonjour Mamoselle!"

The woman saw us, raised her nose, and huffed away.

"How many does that make?"

"13 but it's an unlucky number, there will be more girls."

I looked around.

"Notice how there, um, are not..."

"A lot of men? I noticed that too, French government has been drafting the men closest to the front."

"And the country's ok with that?"

"We're not really ones to talk, I don't know many belgian men who aren't in uniform."

I thought about it.

"So why are we having so little success? I mean if there are more women then men we should have our pick of the fillies."

"Well we are kind of crippled, that does seem to turn ladies off a bit."

I sighed.

"To the whore house?"

"I have no idea where that is liam."

"But you gave me that speech about textiles."

"Which doesn't mean I know anything about the geography of the place. Also, asking where the whores are is considered to be kind of rude."

"It's france there has to be a whore house some where."

"That goes with out saying liam, but the french expect people to just know where the whores are. It's one of the secret powers of the french."

"So french men have the power to sense where whore houses are?"

Nathan nodded.

"Along with knowing how to make a thousand kinds of cheese, how to tell where a wine comes from with a taste and bake bread that's extra crusty."

I sighed.

"I wish I had my hand back."

"Stiff upper lip Liam. you just lost a couple limbs, it's nothing serious."

"I know that. but it's still dreadfully inconvenient..."

I smiled at a passing girl who saw my limbs, turned white, and walked away.

"How the devil did people manage to get by before magical healing?"

Nathan shrugged.

"Maybe they just killed themselves or died in the streets or I don't know. I'm thinking about getting clocked."

I sighed.

"It doesn't take that much time for limbs to grow back just a couple months, think of it as a vacation."

"No seriously Liam, I'm thinking about getting clocked. You know, replace the legs with clocked parts."

I frowned.

"Only four places in the world make clockwork limbs, the yanks, the Israelis, the jerry's and the poles, and we're not on speaking terms with half of em."

"I know, I was thinking of getting something made by the yanks. they're pretty good about weatherproofing stuff."

"And the Israelis?"

"They're better at cold weather gear but I just want some thing that can handle a variety of stuff. I won't go for anything made by the jerry's."

"Because they're invading our country?"

"Because their clockwork limbs are overly complex pieces of crap. Seriously, even before the war, they had a reputation for breaking over the slightest nudge. The poles go for stuff that looks pretty, the Israli's stuff is too expensive."

"But they look real."

"I'd rather have some thing that will last. American clockwork looks like shit but it lasts. Want to go see if we can go get some limbs?"

"No, thank you Nathan. I'm going to enjoy my vacation and wait for my limbs to grow back."

"Up to you."

We wheeled ourselves forward, I looked at a newspaper.

"What does that say?"

"Price of starfish at record high, but that always happens whenever there's a war."

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs



We wheeled ourselves to the local magic quarter and I frowned.

"It's deserted."

Nathan frowned, staring at the now empty shops many of them boarded up. Occasionally we found the impoverished sleeping on the ground but, other than that, it was empty.

"I know..."

We continued onwards until we got to a shop that had it's lights on, Nathan opened the door and we walked in. A man looked up.

"Here for some clockwork?"

Nathan nodded.

"I was looking for something american."

"Which brand? Oxhorn, Lazerwolf, or Zildjian?"

Nathan blinked.

"Zildjian?"

"They used to make musical instruments. According to their pamphlet they used to be based in the automan empire where they were founded by an alchemist. And, when compass formed..."

"They left to learn magic?"

The man sighed.

"No, they had to flee the country because alchemy became punishable by death. and hey, if every one thinks you're up to witchcraft anyways? Might as well move to where it's common right?"

We nodded.

"They're a decent company but their gear is strictly civilian make."

Nathan nodded.

"What do you recommend?"

"What are you thinking of going up against? For cold weather gear nothing beats Israli made Frumkin clockwork. If you're a navy man, or just like water, my advice is go for Lazerwolf they make some of the best waterproof clockworks out there and all their clockworks include a gill system so you can breath underwater."

Nathan blinked.

"Really?"

"Yeah, Lazerwolf is based on the west coast in Portland. They got started after the civil war, the army used Oxhorn clockwork parts and the Navy wanted to be contrary so they offered contracts to anyone who could make some thing speced for ocean travel."

The man paused.

"So Lazerwolf put their hat in. it's cheaper to just use the same enchantments than recreating the wheel so they decided to focus on sailors, merchantmen and any one who likes traveling by water. They make good solid stuff which never rusts and will keep you from dying in the water."

"But."

"But in a shooting war on the ground? Go with Oxhorn, good solid company based out of Kentucky."

He pointed at the boxes.

"What is that?"

"An apple with a spider on it, I don't know why Oxhorn has it on all their merchandise but they do. Maybe it's a religious reference, apple of knowlege and spider? Maybe that's some thing about industry. All I know is that they make damned good stuff."

Nathan frowned.

"Anything else?"

"I have a few limbs from Zeller, Bavarian company but I don't recommend it."

"Because of the war?"

"Because the germans make over engineered crap, you see they try to compensate for their lack of magi by trying to science things up as much as possible. And it works, it's less intensive to make."

He sighs.

"Magically speaking. But all of the articulations makes them fragile as all hell, they're prone to breaking at the worst times and they don't give you the dexterity that other brands give you or the sense of touch. And they're too fucking expensive. Sad thing is, Zeller's the best brand the Germans have."

"Anything else?"

The shopkeep opened up a box and we stared at a human arm.

"Skarbek, for some one who wants to go clockwork but doesn't want people to know about it. Great brand."

He tapped the arm.

"It looks like artificial skin but it's made out of alchemical plastic metal alloy, it has self repair features, it has human touch, and looks and acts just like the real thing."

He put the arm away.

"But it's not military quality and I find that most clockers want to advertise that they're clockers, so I don't recommend it."

Nathan nodded and forked over a military issued IOU, the man frowned.

"I'm sorry, I don't take those."

"The belgian military will gladly pay you."

"That's the problem, I'm not allowed to sell clockworks to you guys because of... Well, the whole congo incident."

Nathan glared at him.

"Really? We cleaned up our issues after we took the colony away from Leopold"

"Doesn't matter, Baha's one of the most important states the republicans have and they're still livid about what happened. I can sell to you as an individual but If I take that IOU I'm not going to be allowed to ever return home without doing serious jail time."

"So you're not going to sell to us because of an incident."

Nathan frowned.

"You guys killed over 10 million people, that kind of gets people really really angry."

"How many indians did you americans murder?"

The man frowned.

"A whole hell of a lot, but the thing is? Once they surrendered they gained the rights that all other americans had. We've had an indian president, we have had indians in congress, the senate, as governors and mayors. Can the congoleze even vote in your elections at all?"

We turned away.

"Yeah thought so. Look, this isn't personal. I'm pretty damned sure that you two didn't have anything to do with that business. But the folks back home determine who I'm allowed to sell to and Im not allowed to sell clockwork limbs directly to the belgian army."

Nathan looked him in the eye.

"The belgian people remember their friends."

"I came to europe to make money, not friends, but if you're able to trade that IOU for a french one then I might be able to help you."

"That's all you can do?"

"No direct sales folks. Private individuals yes, direct sale to the military no."

Nathan sighed.

"I thank you for your time."

The man shrugged.

"It's nothing personal."

"Anything you can tell us about the city?"

The man yawned.

"The magic district is dead, literally dead. The french basically drafted all their magi."

"Even the women?"

"Mostly in support roles but yes."

"Notice any differences?"

He sniffed the air.

"It's more polluted here, not as bad as London but it's polluted. Back home we get most of our electrical power and heat from the ley lines. Here in europe coal is everywhere. It's harder to breath here, sometimes you can't see the sky, don't know how you lot handle it."

"You get used to it."

The man shrugged.

"Wish both of you luck but it is what it is."

"Any other clockwork shops?"

The man sighed.

"Yeah but they're all staffed with Expats like me. Nearest place that's locally owned and operated is probally in Paris."

"Which is too far away."

The man shrugged.

"It is what it is."

We left the shop in ill spirits.

"Bloody Leopold ruins everything."

I put my remaining hand on Nathans shoulder as he quaked with rage.
​

 

[Cherico]

Clockwork

Tomas Veil 1958



Clockwork limbs and enchantments go back before the napoleonic wars. Out on the frontier people could and did lose limbs to infection, injury and other incidents. Often times people either didn't have access to, or could not afford, a potion regimen to regenerate their limbs. This was, after all, in the early days of magic when magic was rare.

Some Magi decided to use their training to make artificial limbs. These craftsmen were rare, their market limited at first but then the napoleonic wars changed that fact. soldiers, sailors and others lost limbs on the battlefield and with the british blockade getting a reliable potion regimen to fix these injuries was difficult. Smuggling clockwork limbs into europe was just easier, faster and didn't waste valuable healing potions.

The early clockwork limbs were more like articulated gantlets than the wonders they became in later years. They allowed people to use their arms and legs again but lacked the enhancements that later models had. Still these limbs served their purpose and, for some men, a metal limb was more useful to have in the field than comparatively weaker flesh.

After the napoleonic wars ended the clockwork industry had unfettered access to European and global markets again. This prompted more american magi to go into business but these magi faced competition. Winter magi or potion regimen could regenerate limbs. It wasn't enough to just replace flesh if one wanted to make a sale. Clockwork limbs had to be better then what they replaced.

The demand for quartz went up as these craftsmen added in more enchantments. They used material alchemy to make the metal stronger and lighter. They added enchantments to make them rust proof and tougher, gadgets and other enchantments were added into the limbs.

These enhancements convinced some people that clockwork parts were better then original parts and some people started to purposely maim themselves to replace their limbs with superior clockwork limbs.

The world saw the birth of the clocker subculture, the craftsmen banded together to create companies so they could keep up with demand. Clockwork parts were mass produced in magic rich america, in Israel, in desperate poland and, to a degree, in bavaria.

Each country developed their own ethos, Israli clockwork developed a reputation for being tough, hardy and weather proof, Polish clockwork was made to be invisible and look like real flesh, German clockwork often had the best aesthetics and american clockworks often had more enchantments.

Even with a dedicated subculture though the market for clockwork was always limited and manufacturers got ran out of the market by debt and other issues as time passed. These days there are only seven major companies worldwide that manufacture clockwork limbs.

The three american brands are Lazerwolf a west coast company, Zildjian an east coast company, and Oxhorn the clockwork manufacturer of middle America, all of them known for their skillfully made products, all of them surviving through lean times on military contracts. The companies used the military's rivalries to survive lean times.

Oxhorn got into the military market early, securing the army as their benefactors, Lazerwolf convinced the navy to be their patron and Zildjian used their proximity to local airforce bases to get their patronage. With there patrons secured the companies were able to grow and use these connections to export around the world, but they did have competition.

Frumkin an Israeli company would stake their claim to their countries markets and use that as a base to expand exports. Poland's Skarbek corporation would become the prime makers of hidden clockwork parts.

After the korean war, the oncekorean brand would enter the clockwork market and would dominate much of the sales of clockwork parts to east asia. And finally, in europe, the Zeller brand would be the only clockwork manufacturer to survive the world wars.

Albeit with a severally damaged reputation and the excution of their CEO for warcrimes, their board of directors for war crimes, and most of their senior management for war crimes. It's actually surprising the company survived at all considering its dark past but it has managed to continue on.

These days the variety of clockwork limbs has grown and you can find clockers in almost any major city in the world. They have taken their place next to beatnick, greasers and punks as one of the major subcultures of the world.

 

[Cherico]

Magic and industy


Malcom Little- professor of economics
1970



American industry is the envy of the world, producing goods magical and nonmagical of pretty much every type and, despite facing competition from lower priced labor in the third world, still holds its own.

One major factor in this is an educated populace, and the largest magical community in the entire world, but in order for magic to be of use in an industrial economy you need economies of scale.

America allowed anyone to learn magic without restriction and, outside of the south, was rich in leylines and magic. Unlike europe were magic was rare, magi were common and were forced by competition to diversify into different industries. Magic wasn't just a tool of war, or just the domain of the upper classes like in europe. Magic was a tool that was open to the working class.

These magi decided to use the power of the leylines for industrial uses, they created sawmills for lumber, perpetually moving grindstones to grind grain. They figured out how to make plastics and other materials and with open access to the secrets of the phenix people science and magic mixed together.

When electricity was put into industrial use magi discovered it was child's play to turn the power of the leylines into electrical energy. Buildings built on leylines had free power, as did factories. Magic power plants provided pollution free energy to areas that were not on leylines and this power was incredibly cheap.

The coal fired plants that dominated europe and asia could only survive in the deep south. The gasoline powered plants also found that they couldn't compete with the non polluting plants. Both industries were forced to rely on exports and transportation systems to survive.

This however was a good thing. Without the pollution caused by oil and coal powerplants american cities were cleaner then their european counter parts and ,as magical industry grew and coal was phased out in favor of cheap magical power, they just grew cleaner and cleaner in time.

To this day, even with our higher labor costs, the incredibly low cost of electrical power and the lower logistics costs still makes it cheaper to do manufacturing at home in the united states rather than moving manufacturing into other countries.

The benefits of magic in industry outside of electrical generation are plentiful. There was a time were diamonds were considered to be valuable. These days, thanks to the ease of transmuting carbon, diamonds with their complete and utter uselessness in storing magic or use as a medium for magic is regulated purely for industrial use.

Aluminum manufacturing is also cheaper in the united states, and that's just scratching the surface of magic in material science. When it comes to the new computers the ability of magic to cool temperatures is astounding and in the field of space travel magic can allow you to manipulate gravity, making it much more cost effective then the pure chemical program the soviets have.

Who knows what else will be discovered in the future as the power of the lost phenix people is mixed with good old fashioned human ingenuity.
​

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs


I flexed my newly regrown hand and then sighed as I looked at my nonexistent legs.

"Bother."

"There's a shortage of starfish, Liam."

"I know."

The two of us wheeled ourselves around the hospital.

"LT Liam jacobs, LT Nathan Petters, I am Captain Chabot, french army."

We turned around and saw a french soldier, he had a blade strapped to his side.

"Yes."

"Both of you are familar with runecraft correct?"

Nathan and I nodded.

"Good, your skills are being wasted."

He handed us both some paper work, I looked through it.

"What is this?"

"You're being taken off the front lines and are being put into a support position."

I looked through the files.

"You're benching us?"

"Neither of you have legs, both of your battle golems got trashed during the advance and we need every and any enchantment we can get. And of course the price of starfish has skyrocketed so regeneration potions are being saved for the worst cases."

He sighed.

"Normally this would be handled by someone from the belgian military but they're a little busy at the moment."

I couldn't help myself.

"The hun's a terrible guest sir, no table manners at all."

That earned me a smirk.

"Well said, I'm going to help get you closer to the front."

We followed him out of the hospital and then he helped us into a car, our wheelchairs were stowed away and we started driving. It was silent, Nathan looked outside while I tried to think of something to do.

"So are you one of those Chabots?"

The man tilted his head.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know lightning."

"Yes...I am descended from the man, it's a bit of a tradition for us to join the army."

I looked at his sword.

"Is that?"

"It is. Justice, my family's ancestral blade."

"They say he traded his sister for it."

"Oh that nonsense? Jaque wasn't the heartless monster the pulps make him out to be. His sister fell in love with the magi, his father honored the match and, by all accounts, they were all good friends. I visited america once, the other side of the family owns a chain of hotels and they're lovely people."

"So that's Justice."

One of the most famous swords in world history like excalibur, I felt a sense of awe.

"So you inherited it?"

"Yes. When the war started my eldest brother inherited it. He died in no man's land. The army thought justice was lost forever then the very next day it shows up on my older brother's dining room table none the worst for wear. Then he also died some time later."

"And the army retrieved it?"

"No. Then, the very next day, I found it in my bed right next to me. This isn't the first time this has happened. Every time the sword has been lost, or stolen, it always makes it's way back to our family."

"Like a dog."

"Justice has served my family longer and more loyally than any dog ever could, but I see your point."

He patted his sword.

"Good girl."

"So, the job?"

The captain sighed.

"We have been moving bulls up to the front for their meat but there's no reason to let it go to waste right? So you will use them to make volunteers stronger and tougher."

"I would need more regents to get it done right."

"Unfortunately the war means we can't get those regents, we have to make due with what we have. Especially since the number of magi is plumeting pretty much everywhere in europe."

"Except Italy."

"Ah Italy, they bragged so much about how though and dangerous they were and the minute things get a little sticky? suddenly they're a peaceful people who value their neutrality. Cowards, an entire nation of them."

"Do you feel the same way about the yanks?"

"The americans are selfish and greedy but they're not cowards. A coward doesn't cross enemy lines just to sell their wares and at least they're open about their desires to make money off both sides. The Italians have this annoying holier then thou way of doing things that just rubs me the wrong way."

I nodded.

"So are we shooting down their blasted airships now?"

"Absolutely not."

I blinked.

"But we issued warnings, they should be fair game."

The captain nodded.

"And officially they are. But unofficially the americans have the third largest navy in the world, the largest airforce in the world and have two continents' worth of allies who will fight by their side. If they join the hun the war is over for us but if they join us the war is over for the hun."

He paused.

"That said, I wouldn't get too worried. This whole mess will be over by christmas."

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs


"You're doing better."

I had lost another game of chess, I looked over the hill at our half finished Golems.

"How long have we been at this Nathan?"

"Couple months Liam."

I looked at the stumps where my feet should be.

"And we still haven't finished our new golems."

"Metal's hard to get, even scrap metal, and the price of quartz is insane Liam, you know this."

I nodded.

"Of course I know this, I've been making crystals by hand, it's all just rather frustrating."

I looked up and saw a flaming airship go down a ways away. I could hear the screams of the dead and dying germans, the sirens in the distance as ambulances rushed over there. Nathan shook his head.

"The Jerries really need to stop using hydrogen and start using alchemically treated helium like everyone else."

I looked at the board and sighed. I had been so close, I needed to find a way to win.

"Well the biggest producers of Helium are the yanks and they're not exactly willing to trade their supplies by airship. And we're blockading the Hun by sea so they really do not have access to it for the most part."

And checkmate, I sighed as I lost another game.

"Set up the board?"

"You did really good that time, you almost won after all."

I nodded.

"Thank you nathan."

"Think nothing of it."

I turned to look at our golems.

"That isn't going to make them finished any quicker Liam."

"Just frustrated."

Liam took a sip of his now cold coffee.

"We're all frustrated. We spent months empowering poor sods so they can go die meaninglessly in no man's land."

"We gained five inches."

Nathan glared at me.

"Over 2 years of fighting and over a hundred thousand people dead, maimed and wounded, an entire generation of magi dead for five inches...does that seem remotely worth it?"

I turned my head.

"I'm just trying to think positively."

"I'm sorry that this war is positively batty."

I sighed.

"The brits are singing again."

I put on my artificial feet.

"Going to see what they have going?"

"Of course."

Nathan followed me and we saw the british singing around the still burning hun airship.

"Don't they know any songs other then Tipperary?"

I shook my head.

"Be nice to the squadies Nathan or they will steal your stuff and bed your girl."

Nathan looked at me.

"They're squadies. They would do that anyway."

I nodded.

"Yes, but we're all hoping to focus them onto stealing from the hun and bedding their women instead of doing that to us."

A man smiled and waved at us.

"Come on."

We walked to the crash site and saw the Limeys roasting marshmallows over the still burning airship. We were given a small stick and a marshmallow. I saw other soldiers, french, Indian, african, even a couple of people from south china come in. Marshmallows and sticks were handed out and we put them over the fire.

"Silent night, holy night, all is well, all is bright."

I looked and nathan and we smiled. We sung along with the squadies as we roasted our marshmallows. When the song ended I gave him a hug.

"Merry christmas Nathan."

"Merry christmas Liam."

 

[Cherico]

Liam Jacobs



My foot had finally recovered as had Nathan's. We smiled at our Golems.

"Finished."

Our hands slammed together and we did a little dance.

"There's a chess meet-up going on Liam...you in."

I smiled.

"Yeah I'm in."

I had spent my long convalescence studying chess, studying all the strategies, learning lessons about the greats and working on my game. The two of us walked towards the front, we saw people from every nation in the alliance playing games.

We filled in some forms and took our seats, I smiled at my fellow soldiers as the games started.

"Winner moves, loser stays."

I smiled and then the games began...and I started losing, a lot. I felt my frustration grow. They came from all over the world, from the mean streets of london to the boulevards ofparis, to the far east of india and china, and they came from all walks of life but it didn't matter.

I kept losing. Then a young man showed up, green as I was when the war started.

"Um...I have never played chess before."

I smiled.

"It's ok, we all have to start somewhere."

I set up the board.

"So you're a wizard?"

He looked at my coat.

"Yes."

"You don't see a lot of you guys these days."

I shrugged.

"It's been a rough war."

The boy nodded.

"Everyone else says that there used to be a lot of you guys on the front."

I remembered when we were an omnipresent force on the front...had things changed that much?

"Like I said it's been a rough war."

"What's it like?"

I blinked.

"Being a wizard. I mean, you're the first one I ever met."

That can't have been true? sure we were rare on the ground but the french had a lot of magi here on the front, the british, the...

I looked around and the only two magi here were me and Nathan. I suddenly felt smaller, felt diminished. I concentrated on the game.

"Your vision changes, your senses change, I can see in the dark, see lighting run through electrical cables, sense the temperature in a room and see the living lines of magic that crisscross our world."

"Really?"

"Want to see it?"

The boy nodded and I spent some mana, his eyes opened in wonder.

"Why is it so blue?"

I smiled as I took a rook.

"That's a ley line, the biggest strongest leyline in Belgium."

He looked around his eyes wide.

"It's beautiful....this is."

"How I see the world at all times, that line there is what gives us power, that's the line that let us build the wall. What remains of free belgium exists because of those invisible lines of power."

He continued to look around the world in a daze, it affected his game and I exploited it ruthlessly, taking his bishop. Eventually I took his king.

"Checkmate."

We shook hands and I smiled, I lost all of the other games that day but that didn't matter. For the first time in my life I finally won a game of chess. After years of always losing, after all that hard work, I finally won.

Nathan and I walked back to our barracks.

"How was it?"

"I won a game Nathan."

Nathan laughed and gave me a hug.

"See...told you that you would eventually win."

I smiled, enjoying the night air.

"So we're both going to the offensive tomorrow?"

Nathan nodded.

"Yep, they say it's going to be a big one. I think we might actually win this one, they have more than twenty thousand people. It's going to be massive, we have been shellling the hun for over a week now."

I nodded.

"Hopefully this will be the year we finally win it."

"I hope so too."

When we got back home I decided to write down my experiences, for my children or grandchildren. It's only a few pages but I'm sure I will have the time to write a much more involved journal after the offensive.

Liam Jacobs

-----

Authors afterword

Liam Jacobs would die in the 1916 offensive. The great war would continue for another 2 years. His friend Nathan saved his notes and donated it to the national belgium library, as a way to remember the war to end all wars.

Nathan would later be killed during world war two by the SS for the crime of smuggling the children of resistance fighters out of the country before the SS could punish them for their parents crimes.

Nathan's name is inscribed on the wall of heroes in Brussels. As per his request he was buried next to his best friend Liam Jacobs.

 

[Cherico]

The end of the Golden age of magic

Peter Dinklage 1982


The 1st world war marked the first time that magic and technology was truly used on a mass scale by both sides of a war. It also marked the end of an era. Magi were the first to be drafted by both sides of the war and also fought the hardest, thus they had the vast majority of thefirst casualties.

Magic in europe, especially seasonal styles, was for the most part practiced by those of noble birth. At first it was something done by third and forth sons but it slowly spread amongst the nobility and the idea of the gentleman magi became engrained in that era.

There were exceptions of course, those who had enough money to go study in america, scholarship students and those with connections to the upper crust. This was done on purposeas the ruling classes of europe had watched the Irish rebellion and feared that an army of proletariat magi would rise up and claim power.

Those that did teach magi did so for the purposes of war, like the british empire, France, Germany, Italy and spain. They Made sure to settle their underclass magi in their empire, both to secure them and to make sure they didn't cause trouble at home.

This restriction of magic to the unlanded nobility created a new class. At first they were feared by the common people but as time went on many discovered they preferred dealing with nobles who were compelled by unnatural forces to keep deals and behave honorably rather than the often more arrogant mundane nobility.

As the official powers of the nobility waned more and more noble families went into the mystic arts. By the time world war 1 came the noble houses in europe were in a clear period of transition where it looked like magic would become the defining hallmark of the noble classes.

The first world war dashed these hopes completely.

It takes over a decade for a seasonal magi to be fully trained, and at least 3 years to become competent if specialized. Europe's magical community took over a century to be built, for their customs and culture to be defined. In 4 years nearly 95% of them were dead.

The great empires, the major powers and the small powers all threw their magi into the blender with reckless abandon. Thinking only in the short term, just like they spent the lives of mundane soldiers, the generals were so consumed with each battle, with the war, that they didn't think of the future.

When the war was over there wasn't enough people to staff the existing schools of magic on the continent, much less expand education. In fact most schools ended up being shut down due to a lack of available teachers. In europe only Italy was able to keep the aristocratic magical culture that was created during the 1800s, having made the intelligent decision to stay out of the war.

With the war over countries either had to rely on the Qliphothic arts to revive their magical traditions or travel to the americas and once again learn from the original source.

France and Britain made the decision to send students to Compass and other american schools to rebuild their magical communities. Germany, for it's part, chose to focus on the Qliphothic arts. While others, like greece, used their surviving magi to rebuild at a slower rate, somecountries decided to neglect magic and let it die out in their country.

Belgium was one of these countries, with the war over the new post war government of Belgium blamed their magi for not doing enough to save their country. Despite the fact that it was only through their efforts that the germans were stopped at all.

This was partially for class reasons, the new government leaned much farther to the left and disliked their noble magical class and partially because magi were unfairly associated with much of the horrors of the war and were used as scapegoats.

When the tides of fascism rose, France's magical community had recovered and decided to build a wall to defend themselves from german agression. The Maginot line was state of the art and covered the border between france and Italy, the entire border between france and germany and came close to covering the border between france and belgium.

When the French started building the line upwards to the Belgium border the nation of Belgium complained that the french were abandoning Belgium to future german aggression. They enacted a public relations campain to shame France into not building the wall up further.

The french reluctantly agreed to fund the creation of a wall between belgium and Germany instead of building up the maginot line. Belgium agreed to this and then the government put up token defenses and pocketed the rest of the wall money to help repair their shattered country and economy.

When World War 2 came Belgium was completely undefended and this time they didn't have nearly enough magi to stop a german advance. The German troops marched through belgium and attacked an undefended france.

It was only through the bravery and sacrifice of the foreign legion, french troops and France's elite vanguard which was composed entirely of magi, that the country was able to evacuate their leadership and most of their military. France would fight on in Algeria for the rest of world war two.

Belgium's quick defeat and surrender caused it to lose the respect of the allies, and most of the world. To this day Belgians are called waffle eating surrender monkeys. Especially by the french who are still bitter about the events of world war 2.

In Germany they turned to the Qliphothic arts.

The Thul Society led this charge and, after the war, the sheer number of atrocities commited by Germany during the war would stain the art forever.

As for european culture, there was the idea that magic was now a dying art. That the age of magic was over. This idea formed the basis of many fantasy books and influenced cutlure. Many magi thought of themselves as relics of the past, a dying breed.

This wasn't true and the number of magi would grow significantly during the 20th century. But the idea remained and was supported by books like the lord of the rings, the twilight trilogy and the last spellslinger. Magic was associated with a lost arcadia destroyed by the might of industry.

On the flip side of this is that this influenced science fiction, many authors imagined a world without magic, or where it had died out completly, replaced by the modern and technology.

This trend started with Amazing stories and became widely mainstream and dominated mainstream science fiction from the 1920s to the 80s. It is only now that authors are finally realizing that magic isn't a dead art, that it's recovered and grown stronger.

With new authors like william gibson acknowledging the survival and prosperity of magic in the modern age and future, the art of urban fantasy is starting to come back into the fold.

The future was here and we brought our robe and wizard hat.

 

[Cherico]

Baha the black promised land

Tyron Lebron



The Baja territory after the civil war had a population around of around 120,000 mexican citizens, it also had 55,363,000 square miles of land. The black population of the united states stood at around 4.5 million people. Most of whom lived in the south.

During the civil war Mexico had decided to intervene in american affairs and they were punished for this slight with a border adjustment and the loss of the baha peninsula.

With the civil war over there was a discussion on how to handle the former mexican citizens and the members of the confederacy. President Lincon advocated for a merciful peace to heal the country as quickly as possible. Then he was assassinated.

With his death President Ely S. Parker, the first native american to ever become president, gained his office. Ely was far more cynical than Lincon was and considered the former president to be a close friend. Lincoln, in death, became a martyr and feelings towards the south were tinged with extreme anger.

This was due both to the assassination and General Forrest's policy of victory through terror. The supreme commander's order to purposefully commit war crimes to terrify the weakwilled yankees into submission backfired and the border states, who suffered the most, wanted their pound of flesh.

This isn't to say that Ely was entirely focused on revenge. He was a firm abolitionist and wanted to make sure that the freed slaves would not be disenfranchised. He also wanted to deliver a message.

So to deliver that message he enacted the infamous Missippi and baha edicts. The mexican population in baha were ordered to be expelled. Their land would be confiscated and they were all to be returned to mexico, by force if necessary and force was indeed used at times.

There would be no compensation for this seizure of land. Then Ely targeted Missippi, General Forrest's home state. Every plantation owner who supported the confederacy had his land confiscated, every soldier who had fought in the confederacy had his land and property confiscated.

Then the land in Missippi and Baha was given over to the former slaves and the free people of color, as reparations. This was done both to secure the new territories and as a warning. Ely did not believe that the former confederates would ever treat their former slaves as equals, or even as second class citizens. So he made the controversial plan to create majority black states.

In the black community this was treated as a cause for celebration. The former slaves had grown up on biblical tales and exodus had been a favorite for many in the black community.

They treated these land grants, baha especially as their promised land, during the next ten years 95% of the former slaves would move either to missippi or Baha. Baha, with its mediterranean climate and its magic rich environment, would prove a boon for the newly freed slaves.

Through the use off magic sea water was turned into fresh water, and many freed slaves decided to build vineyards. The early efforts had mixed results but in time Baha became one of the biggest wine and grape producing regions in north america.

The black community thrived in their territory and new state, and would later on go on to create the neo egyptian architecture, create artistic styles, novels and music. Lincon became the matyred hero and Ely his righteous avenger. Few, if any, former slaves felt any sympathy for the people who had been displaced to grant them their promised land.

To them mexico had been in league with their oppressors and it was only right that they be punished for their transgression. In mexico however they saw the loss of Baha and the eviction of its population from the peninsula as a crime. Because of the lack of stability in mexico the country remained poor.

Mexicans watched as former slaves became wealthy in one of their former provinces and grew resentful. Black americans who came to visit mexico were often the targets of racist attacks. Black americans raised on the bible considered Mexicans to be their philistines, their natural enemies, and often treated visiting mexicans with contempt.

To this day the relationship between the latino and black communities remains toxic though not as bad as it used to be.

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim Boo-Kyum

1931


It was hot and humid in our office. Most of the other officers were huddled near the window. One of them was drinking and a few were napping. One officer, designated by the others as lookout, watched the door. As for myself I was doing paper work. I was the only one doing paperwork. I looked through the stacks of police reports and wrote down notes.

"Kim, want a drink?"

One of my coworkers held out a beer, the bottle was warm and covered in spit.

"I'm sorry but I'm behind, I need to keep up with my cases."

The man shook his head.

"I don't understand you Kim. It's not like the japs give a damn about what happens to Koreans."

"The harder I work, the faster I can get back on the beat, where it's not as hot."

The man sighed.

"So I take it you're not going to go drinking with us again?"

I smiled weakly and shuffled some papers into my brief case.

"I can't handle my liquor you know that. It's best if I leave the booze to the people who can handle it."

The man shook his head and went back to the window. When the clock hit the mark we got up and punched our time slips. we walked towards the offices on the otherside, the oppressive heat vanished and we entered a room with glowing blue crystals.

This is where the japanese worked, they looked at us with disdain as we handed over our punch cards. Officer Yuki gave us another speech about how lazy and stupid koreans were and sent us off with our pay.

I couldn't help but notice that he took ten percent off the top again, like he always did. We left the station as a singular force. We had to, for safety reasons. As we walked past, mothers clung their children closer to them, store owners flipped their signs to closed, flipping them over when they thought we were out of eyesight.

Everywhere I noticed the barely hidden looks of disgust and barely restrained loathing. I split off from the other officers as they marched to one of the few bars that would do business with us and looked at a commotion. I walked up near the crowd and saw a japanese officer on a podium.

An older white man was chained up in such a way as to force him to kneel. I noticed from his robes that he was a priest, catholic to be exact.

"God damn it, he's army."

I should have known. There were no women at all in the crowd, just angry silent korean men. The man spoke out in a frothing rage about how the priest refused to worship the emperor. He continued ranting, waving around a cheap mass produced katana as I made my way through the crowd. He raised his blade above the priest's head and I pulled him back.

His sword hit the ground.

"UNHAND ME DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"

"A 1st Lieutenant, the lowest rank of the officer class, you do not have authorization to conduct executions."

"This man defies the emperor, he SHAMES our great nation."

Ah shit, a samurai. I hated dealing with them. Now, when I say samurai, I don't mean the class or actual samurai. I mean the delusional nutcases who think and act like they're still living in feudal japan. I hated dealing with them, every one hated dealing with them. I forced him away from his half cocked site of execution.

"Be that as it may, that's something that the police should deal with, not the army."

"I WILL KILL YOU, KILL YOU TO DEATH!"

I shook my head and forced the sword out of his hands, we wrestled and I pinned him to the ground.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS, I AM A PROUD OFFICER OF THE JAPANESE MILITARY."

I cuffed him, strapped his sword to my back and forced him away.

"Tell it to the MP's."

The crowd untied the priest and dispersed. the officer struggled, trying to kick me, trip me and yelling obscenities in japanese as I manhandled him back to the base. a bored guard looked at me.

"Hello Toshi."

He gave me a salute and sighed.

"'Nother incident?"

"Almost, this one tried to execute a priest."

Toshi shook his head.

"Did he?"

"No, I got there in time."

"Thank god Kim. The last thing we need is yet another international incident or another riot. Look, I'm going to call this in."

Toshi got on the phone as the officer's mouth foamed in incoherent rage. I put his sword on the MP's desk as he talked to command. Then Toshi sighed and looked at the officer.

"You were drunk."

"I AM NOT DRUNK. I FIGHT FOR THE GLORY OF JAPAN!"

Toshi opened the MP shack and loomed over the officer.

"No...you were drunk. You are going to the drunk tank, there you will take some time to think about pacing yourself."

The Man continued to rant and Toshi sighed and then punched him hard in the stomach. the officer went to the ground and Toshi looked at me with annoyance.

"Thanks Kim, I really do appreciate it."

The officer cried on the ground from the pain.

"Don't worry about it."

Toshi dragged the ranting officer away and I traveled home. It was starting to get dark and the looks of loathing became more pronounced but they mostly ignored the traitor in their midsts, instead focusing on their shopping and daily lives. A bored shoeshine boy's eyes opened up and he walked into the middle of the street, he brought out a red handkerchief and tossed in the air.

The people scattered. Women of all ages were dragged inside and hidden from view. After a few moments all of the women were gone then, a few minutes later, a group of bored japanese soldiers walked through the streets. When they were gone the women came out of hiding.

I continued walking towards my apartment. My landlord came up to me with a scowl on his face.

"It's."

I handed over the money.

"Got paid today, we good?"

The man nodded.

"Yeah, you're one of the few people I have that don't drink away their pay checks."

I shrugged.

"I know my limits sir."

I walked upstairs to my appartment, it was near the roof. I waited for a bit and then walked up the fire escape to the roof top. There I waited in the night, I brought out a cigarette and smoked it slowly savoring it.

I sighed as I felt a blade against my neck.

"The sun has fallen."

I responded.

"And darkness has covered the land."

"But when the sun rises again."

"Korea will be reborn."

I sighed.

"They sent someone new didn't they?"

The knife left my neck and a man stared at me in his black clothing and eerie white mask.

"You have the intelligence?"

I opened my briefcase and handed it over.

"I always do my part for Korea and the Jayu sir."

He took my notes, gave me a salute and flew away into the night.

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim Boo-Kyum


I went to sleep after doing a couple push ups and stretches to keep myself limber and then went to bed. When i woke up I smelled eggs and coffee. I got dressed and walked out into my kitchen. There a masked man in a black outfit looked up at me.

"Made breakfast."

I sighed and sat down at the table.

"Why didn't they send you Seagull?"

He shrugged.

"They wanted to give the new guy some experience."

I looked up at him.

"So how did he do?"

I took out my chopsticks and started eating the eggs.

"Badly. He was kind of rude and confrontational, and he put a knife to my throat."

Seagull shook his head and sat down.

"Sorry about that, he just finished basic and we wanted to start him off with something easy and hard to screw up. You never know what a nervous rookie will do."

Seagull took a bite of food.

"Oh."

He put a hand into his coat and pulled out some coffee beans.

"Here you go, strait arabica from my own personal stash."

I looked at the bag.

"I don't take bribes Seagull."

Seagull sighed.

"I get it, you're a champion of justice."

"I'm glad you understand."

He pulled the bag away.

"On the one hand that trait really does irritate me. On the other hand command loves you for it."

I nodded.

"So the new guy's name?"

"His code name is dodo."

"Because he's stupid."

Seagull shook his hand.

"He's not an complete idiot."

"I just told you about the knife."

"Yeah, and I'm going to slap him for playing stupid games later for it, but he isn't stupid. He's just new and takes things personally. A cop raped his little sister."

I froze.

"Officer Hu....the Bun family?"

"You're really not supposed to know that Kim, but yeah thanks for tipping us off about him. If you didn't tell us we wouldn't have been able to handle things."

"He went after little girls, he needed to die."

Seagull nodded.

"No disagreements there."

"So Seagull."

"Galmaegi was taken, so I had to use the english version of the word."

"Really?"

I took another bite of eggs.

"Yeah, the Jayu require all of its operatives to have the name of a bird as their code name but pretty much all of the good names are taken. So you have to get creative."

"Sounds complicated."

"A couple bases have international thesaurus so the new guys can have names in other languages."

"And you chose seagull."

"All the good birds are taken. Eagles, crows, and expecially owls. Mind if I change the subject?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks for helping out the priest, he's a good man."

"Is he..."

"In the movement? No, doesn't have a clue we exist but he does a lot for the community. Runs an orphanage, educates the kids there. He's a good man."

"Any dark secrets?"

"Some dirty magazines under his bed, other than that he's clean."

I nodded.

"So the officer?"

"Name Lt. Suemori Kawamoto he's being sent to Manchukuo."

"The japanese are going to send that maniac to Manchukuo? Do they want an international incident?"

Seagull shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe they just want him far away from the homeland? put him where he can't embarass the empire? But my gut tells me that the empire is planning something nasty."

"They're always planning something nasty, that's why I work with you. Because your people are the only ones willing to punish japanese nationals for incidents."

"And we appreciate that but we're not gods, merely very talented men. Speaking of which."

He pulled out a slip of paper, I opened it up and looked at it.

"The docks, and a time?"

"The soviets are smuggling in some guns."

"And you want me to keep the police away from it."

"No...we want you to bust them, they're not selling guns to us they're selling them to the Chil-Sung-Pa gang. We don't want them to have that kind of ordnance."

"Why not? You both hate the japanese."

"The Jayu are a resistance group, the Chil-Sung-Pa gang are criminals. We don't mess with their organization unless they cross the line, this is true. But we also don't want them to be armed with military grade weapons."

He paused.

"Sooner or later Korea will be free and we don't want a country where the people live in fear of entrenched gangs. So you're going to gather your guys and bust them."

I nodded.

"Fair enough."

Seagull looked at his finished meal.

"Also Kim...you need to have more then eggs and rice in your diet, get some kimchi or some bread, or some vegetables, something green, or some fruit."

"Eggs have protein."

"Berries are cheap. Just eat something else and fix your diet."

"You're changing the subject from the raid."

"The subject's closed. Now we're talking about your health. Seriously Kim we're friends."

"Aquaintances."

"Sure, whatever. Just promise me you will eat a little more healthy."

I sighed.

"Fine."

"Good, well I will be leaving....so."

I crossed my arms.

"Look away?"

"I'm not letting you do that thing were I turn around and you're suddenly gone."

Seagull lowered his head.

"Come on Kim, just this once."

"No."

"I live for that."

"It's annoying and rude."

"Fine, ruin all my fun kim."

He opened a window and slowly turned invisible. I smirked, sure it was a small petty victory but I took what I could.

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim Boo-Kyum



Officer Subaru


The japanese officer in charge of our department looked at me.

"I already heard about the incident you don't need to make a report."

He looked at me with tired eyes.

"So there wont be any charges then?"

Subaru massaged his greying temples.

"Of course not. He's army, if we charged him the damned Samurai wanabees would blow up the station. So officially we're charging him with public drunkenness before he's shipped out."

"He tried to kill a man."

"Kim.."

He looked at me with defeated eyes.

"I like you, you're the only one in this station who actually walks his entire beat, you're the only one who actually bothers to do his paperwork and from what I can tell you're the only one here who hasn't taken a bribe."

He sighed.

"You're pretty much the only person I can trust in this horrid little shithole of a country."

"If you do not like it sir then why are you here?"

The man closed his eyes.

"A politician had been assassinated with a bomb, I was working in Tokyo then. The man was a pacifist, said we should focus our efforts on making toys instead of making bombs. So they blew up his entire family. I decided to do some investigative work, found the culprits and brougth them to justice."

"Army or Navy."

"Three men, all Army, one of their fathers was a major. They got a slap on the wrist and I was 'promoted' to work here, offficially as a reward but unofficially as a punishment."

He sipped a cup of cold tea.

"Like I said, I like you Kim, but the Army...they're crazy, there is something horribly, horribly, wrong with those people. It doesn't matter if you're a politician, doesnt matter that you're a cop. They will kill you Kim, kill your entire family and then cover it up."

He held his tea cup carefully.

"And I can't afford to lose you, you're the only person here that I trust."

"I thank you for that honor."

"Don't. I'm going to make you go over the patrols with a fine tooth comb again, find out who's slacking off. anything more?"

I took a breath.

"I might have done some independent investigative work after my shift was over."

Subaru laughed bitterly.

"Damn it Kim, don't you have an off button."

He took a breath and stopped laughing.

"All right. so, what did you find out?"

"The seven star gang is getting a weapons shipment from the russians."

Subaru frowned.

"How did you find this out?"

"I might have roughed up a few unsavory charaters."

He sighed.

"All right I'm in, we will get together a task force and stop that shipment, um."

I put down the note.

"I was able to get a date, time, and exact location."

My superior looked at my notes sadly.

"I'm sorry Kim."

"Sorry for what sir."

"That you're not going to get credit for this, that you're not going to get promoted for this."

"Was it some thing I did sir."

Subaru opened up his files and pulled something out.

"Sir?"

"Those are the commendations I gave you, and every request I made to get you a promotion, every letter I wrote on your behalf."

The file was thick.

"I have to get permission to promote people and I'm not allowed to promote a Korean above the glorious japanese master race."

His voice dripped with venom.

"This will be the biggest bust of the year but the papers are not going to give credit to a korean for it. No, they will give me the credit."

"You must be honored sir."

"Honor based on lies isn't honor at all Kim."

He sighed.

"Like I said I'm sorry."
​

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim Boo-Kyum


I opened up my secondhand refrigerator and sighed.

"Berries."

I looked at a hand written note.

"Get some vitamins in your diet. love, S."

I sighed and reluctantly made some rice and eggs, I cooked them up and put the berries inside the bowl it. Tasted terrible but I probably did need the vitamins, but I also made a point of never getting myself in the position where I would be forced to rely on bribes.

This is why I still wasn't married and why I probably would never get married. I looked at a photo of my parents and gave them a polite bow. I pulled out a cigarette and cut it into pieces, I put the small edge near the photo and lit it.

I bowed to the photo and ate my meal. I probably should use incense but it was too expensive. Cigarettes, especially the cheap low quality japanese cigarettes we were forced to buy, were cheap.

I looked at my parent's photo and continued eating. When I finished my meal I brushed my teeth and carefully shaved my face. Then I got dressed and looked at my gun and shook my head. I carefully loaded my type b nambu pistol and went out into the night.

It was dangerous to go out, especially in uniform. The electric lights in Busan flickered when they worked at all. Except in the portion of town where the japanese lived. That part of town was lit up in neon, in modern light and of course every building was airconditioned with winter crystals imported from america.

I turned away from the glowing lights of the japanese district in the distance and walked though the dark streets of busan, passing streetlights that flickered, each one waiting for their turn to die. When I got to the docks I found other officers waiting for me.

"Chief Subaru."

"You're early."

He smiled.

"Good, I didn't have to call you. So we're waiting?"

"The Russian boat will give a signal."

"It will flash a spotlight 3 times, I read your report Kim."

There were only ten of us in the end. Other officers flickered in, many of them stinking of booze, cigarettes and loose women. I hate to admit it but most of us were cowards so the idea of facing people who could actually fight back would more or less ensure we would be undermanned.

"Three lights."

Some Japanese boats blocked the russian vessel as it docked, their lights were out and the boats were painted Navy blue to hide them from the light. Normal eyes couldn't see them. My eyes could, even without the light of the moon. I saw a group of gangmembers walk out and talk to the russians.

"They're here."

"How do you know?"

"A couple of them are smoking, I can see the cigarette lights, must be expensive stuff."

Subaru frowned.

"When you're willing to do anything for money it's suprising what you can afford. Good eyes Kim. Split up people group of threes...oh."

"I can handle myself, we have rookies, keep them safe."

I readied my gun and charged out. My footsteps made no sound as I ran off alone, when I was sure that no one was following me I holstered my gun and brought out a knife.

It was the smart thing to do, the standard issue type B nambu pistol used an under powered 7 millimeter round. Even the most basic mystic defenses would be able to shake off a couple rounds, I had heard of cases were homemade armor laughed them off and people wearing heavy winter clothes being untouched.

The gun was, in my opinion, like a small yapping dog that barked loudly before the aggressor stomped it into the ground. I jumped on top of a large pile of boxes and moved through the night.

My knife had been painted to hide its glint, which I was thankful for as I saw a gangmember. I recognized him, he sold heroine near the school. I had almost caught him but I had to let him go. I couldn't out myself, couldn't use my full strength.

I jumped off the high boxes and onto his back, I covered his mouth with one hand and slit his throat with the other. He died quickly and painlessly then I moved in the shadows towards my next target.

In the darkness I saw him, my eyes widened in horror and I moved against the wall of boxes to avoid being seen.

"Thompson."

The Tommy gun, I don't think there was an officer alive who didn't dread the possibility of going up against one of those. It was then that I heard gunfire in the distance. I recognized the sound of a nambu's firing. The gang member rushed towards the firefight. Carrying a weapon that would single-handedly spell the end for my comrades.

I jumped on his back and took him to the ground, I stabbed him over and over again and made sure he was dead. Once I was finished I took his gun and the spare ammo drum he had hooked to his waist and headed off towards the meeting.

A part of me wanted to spray out the lead, to end the fight as quickly as possible. I ignored that instinct and forced the gun into single fire, and jumped up high onto the rows of crates. I carefully aimed my gun and took out the sentries. I didn't trust my skill to do anything fancy so instead I aimed at the center of mass.

I was rewarded for that with direct strikes but I kept moving, kept shooting until I was close enough. I saw the russians mobilizing, trying to get moving. I aimed at the leader and heard a clicking sound.

"Damn."

I put in the fresh clip and looked around, no witnesses. I rose into the air and flew towards the boat, landing on top of it. I aimed at the men trying to remove the landing gear and killed them instantly. The russians fired their weapons aimlessly. Not able to see in the darkness, not like I could. I moved fast, aimed for the body mass and carefully aimed.

When it was over the crew of 30 was dead, I had only missed 15 times, I still had 5 rounds left. Then I sat down and waited, when Cheif Subaru arrived he looked at me in shock and then laughed.

"Got here first kim?"

I shrugged.

"I got lucky, one of the bangers had a tommy gun."

I patted it.

"His friend stabbed him for it and was in the process of getting drunk, killed him with his own knife. From there it was a straight run. You guys?"

The Chief sighed.

"We lost five good men today, I will write to their families tomorrow. now let's see what's in this piece of junk."

The five of us wandered around the ship some one took out a crow bar.

"Guns."

Subaru shook his head.

"Mostly Russian crap, Great War from the looks of it."

We opened boxes of ammo and more guns. Shotguns, rifles, pistols and the ammo for it. None of it was impressive by military standards but all of it was better then what we had. As we went through it all we ended up in the hold of the ship. There, in the center, was one large crate barely small enough to be lifted by a team of men out of the ship.

"Open it up."

We turned on the lights and did as our chief commanded, then his eyes opened in horror.

"A battle Golem."

He fell to his knees.

"Sir."

"I know this golem...Kim...God."

"What's a battle Golem?"

Subaru closed his eyes and took deep breaths.

"They're weapons, one of the strongest weapons they used during the great war. You can't mass produce a battle Golem they have to be painstakingly made by a seasonal mage, by hand."

He got up.

"This one....this one has history, I met the man who made it during the war. After he died other people used it. His last work of art."

"Sir?"

He walked up to the Golem.

"I used to play chess with him, before he died. He was one of the few people who didn't treat me like I was a stupid monkey because I was japanese. He always lost, he was terrible at that game."

He ran his hand against the left leg of the Golem, and it opened revealing a chair, no a cockpit.

"Finest Golem ever made, never ran out of power, it could regenerate damage. It took the concentrated power of a german artillery barrage to kill him. And then, by the next Day, the Golem was fine, no it looked untouched."

His eyes teared up and we looked at a small inscription, I couldn't read most of it but I saw a name.

"Liam Jacobs."

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim


I was given a pat on the back as my stomach sank. The others invited me over for drinks but I told them that I couldn't handle my liquer and eventually they relented. I had a reputation for being a stick in the mud, sometimes it helped. This time it did. I peeled away from the group and wandered to the foreign district. Where the westerners lived.

I remembered when I first agreed to this pact, four years ago, when I made that deal with the Jayu, when they gave me my gifts. If an emergency ever happened go to the June Vienna cafe. Well it was an emergency and I needed to talk to the Jayu now.

I marched through the streets and watched them go from mud to concrete, and looked through the window. It was dark, it was closed, I shook with fear and knocked on the window on the giant Jay, I knocked three times, waited and then knocked four more.

Sweat poured down my forehead as my palms sweated and my heart pounded a white woman walked out, her hair was short, she wore a shawl and a robe over a white nightgown.

"Franzeska Donner....I need your help."

She looked tired.

"With what honey?"

Her accent was terrible but her korean was still understandable.

"Darkness covers the land, the birds need to fly."

She peered outside the door and looked both ways.

"Come inside now."

I marched inside the store, she locked it.

"Were you seen?"

"No."

"Who are you?"

I pulled out my badge and initially she was frozen in fear until she saw my name.

"Oh thank god, I will bring some one in shortly."

She took me by the hand and took me to a room, she opened the door and closed it. I waited inside, my guts turning, and then seagull walked in just a few minutes later. In his white mask, his black cloak.

And then I noticed he was wearing a white undershirt and underwear, I stared at him.

"Um...was I interrupting some thing?"

Somehow seagull's body just oozed smugness.

"Let's just say, this better be important."

I could hear an undercurrent of rage and frustration in his voice.

"There was a battle golem on the ship."

Seagull froze.

"God."

"Sir."

"They don't make those anymore."

"Sir."

He took a breath steadying himself.

"Takes too much effort, takes too long, it's too expensive, but by god..If we had one of those that would make a difference."

He took a breath.

"And the police have it?"

"Yes."

Seagull sighed as he leaned back.

"This is going to bring in every one Kim."

"Yes the japanese are."

"No...you do not get it, Battle golems are some of the best magical weapons out there. We can't make them, the japanese can't make them. A battle golem takes months at best to make and you need a lot of reagents, lots of supplies."

He took a breath.

"Do you know anything else about it?"

"There was a name inscribed on the machine, it said Liam Jacobs."

"The relentless..."

"Sir."

"The relentless was one of the toughest battle golems ever made. No matter what you did to it, it would always repair itself. The damned thing is probably the single best Battle Golem the belgians ever made."

"Then how did it get here?"

Seagull steadied his breath.

"There was a robbery in a museum by communists. The belgian navy blockaded the baltics to make sure it wouldn't end up in soviet hands. Apparently they decided to go the other way around."

Seagull took deep breaths.

"So this is going to bring in the belgians, this is going to bring in the commies, the anarchists, the gangs, the japanese and the nazi's."

I stared at him.

"Political party in Germany, they have a presence in Busan. And by god do they hate that machine."

"And the Jayu want it."

"Of course we want it, we don't have a single battle golem, and those machines are perfect for the kind of combat we do in rural areas. One battle golem would change a lot."

"Not everything?"

"No but it would make a difference, it would make a difference to a lot of people at the very least we can't let the japanese have it."

He tilted his head.

"You were right to come here Kim."

He got up and I grabbed his hand.

"Seagull."

"Kim, what is it?"

"The western girl....the white woman...that's dangerous. You know it's dangerous."

He chuckled.

"I'm Jayu Kim, we live for danger."

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim



The capture was put into the paper. As Subaru predicted I wasn't given any credit but everyone involved in the arrest was invited to a party. I wore my best suit, which looked shabby and threadbare when I was surrounded by the city's elite. I kept my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut. I had a glass of water in my hand and, whenever it looked like I was noticed, I took a sip of water and staggered around a bit.

Most of the conversation was boring and meaningless. There was talk about celebrities, pointless gossip about who was sleeping with who and the occasional bit of bragging. Then I noticed two soldiers, officers by the look of them. I stayed out of sight but within hearing.

The officers flirted with pretty japanese girls who lived in the colonies, from their introduction I learned that their names were Toshiaki Muka and Tsuyoshi Noda. When their fumbling attempts to bed the girls failed they went to drink.

"So Noda, what are they going to do with it, give it back to the belgians?"

Noda laughed.

"Absolutely not. We found it, we get to keep it. No don't tell anyone but they're going to gift it to a member of the imperial family."

"Who?"

"Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, he's the emperors uncle."

"Never head of him Noda."

"Heh yeah, the emperor censured him for having a bad atitude."

"That's bad."

"Don't be that way, Muka. Asaka is our kind of people . It's true he doesn't have the manners that other people in the imperial family have but I respect him. He gets us, gets how we think and understands what needs to be done."

"Really?"

"Yeah really. He understands that sometimes, out here in the colonies, on the frontier, you have to get rough with people, that there's a lot of pressure on us. Honestly Muka, I would march with that man through hell itself. Maybe, if we're lucky, we will serve under him."

"Sounds good, when do we move it?"

"I'm not supposed to know this but I have a lot of friends. they're moving the golem in five days."

"Not wasting time, are they?"

"For the Emperor's uncle no expense is too much."

I straightened out and walked towards the back of the room.

"Oh hi...I'm sorry I don't speak korean and I have no idea if this translation spell works."

I cringed and turned around, someone talked to me. No one here talks to koreans, we're invisible. I looked at the man and he smiled. I bowed lowly.

"Hello sir."

"Oh none of that nonsense. we're all friends here."

I blinked.

"Um...what can I do for you?"

The man smiled warmly at me, he was balding, a little pudgy and a westerner german by the sound of it.

"I just want to talk."

"Why sir?"

"Because no one is talking to you and I think it's a bit rude, you're one of the officers in the case?"

I nodded.

"Good, I want to shake your hand."

I put my hand out awkwardly and he shook it vigorously.

"John Rabe."

"The diplomat?"

"The same. I just got here, It's a shame I can't stay long but I have a job in the chinese embassy."

"Then why are you here?"

He smirked.

"Officially speaking to talk to our japanese allies. Unoficially I wanted to see a little bit more of the world, speaking of which I have never had korean food before. Do you know where I can get some?"

I knew where the servants were fed.

"Yes, but it's not going to be anything fancy sir."

"Glorious! Mind showing me the way?"

I walked beside him and noticed the armpatch that he wore.

"Are you a buddhist?"

"Oh no, why do you think that?"

"The manji, it's a little off center but."

"Oh that? it's a swastika. it's ok if you don't know about it, I belong to a political party back home and it's my way of showing support."

"And they are?"

"A great group of people. You see, we had some problems with the communists just like you."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, by the way you did great work stopping them from getting that golem."

"You're not angry about japan Keeping it?"

"Officially no comment, unofficially that blasted device killed a lot of good men and some of them were friends of mine. I have no doubt that we will attempt to buy it from you but it's much better to have the relentless here than causing a mess back home."

I opened the door and asked for bowls of food, something safe. He looked at the dish.

"I will warn you sir, this is peasant food."

He smiled and sat down next to one of the servants.

"Great."

He motioned for me to sit down.

"Really?"

"Of course. Peasants of the volk are the lifeblood of a people, the center of their culture."

He took a bite and smiled.

"Sir."

"Call me John."

"John, are you ok?"

He took a sip of water.

"A little spicy but good."

We sat down and ate a small meal as he talked about Germany and trade and history. It was fascinating but eventually the meal ended and he shook my hand again.

"Do you have a dream?"

I looked at him.

"What?"

"Dreams are important, you need a dream. My dream is that people will never, ever, forget that germany created the nazi party. That it will define us for over a hundred years."

I nodded.

"My dream is a world of justice, where the strong do not prey upon the weak."

The old man smiled.

"A worthy dream."

He held up a new glass.

"I hope your dream comes true officer."

"I hope yours does as well John."

 

[Cherico]

Australia after the second world war

John Hines


World war 1 was the war were Australian nationalism was born.

The australian people were born from the cast offs of the british empire, convicts, prostitutes, people too poor to pay off their debts and magi from project rubbish who had outlived their usefulness.

The magi moved into the magic rich interior while everyone else stayed on the coasts for the most part. The Mandi's, as magi would be called, built up castles and edifices, grand estates in the middle of the harsh outback. They trained their children in the mystic arts and as more magi were sent to australia their numbers grew.

It was a harsh culture, one with a sense of pride but also a sense of resentment. This resentment bloomed during the great war. Australian troops were used on every front. From the battles in the Mediterranean to the trenches of belgium, to wars in the middle east, to the battlefields of china and the worst parts of africa and the green hells of the pacific.

These troops were often treated as cannon fodder and many of them died in battle. It would not have been so bad if their lives were not wasted so pointlessly and in so great numbers.

Australia exited the war with deep feelings of resentment towards the mother country. The Magi population suffered the worst with their numbers being cut in half from all the fighting and blood shed. Perhaps despite this australia could have remained a part of the empire. The desire for self rule was there but it wasn't quite the majority opinion.

This changed with the great depression and the japanese invasion of australia during world war 2. With the empire's growing weakness and Australia's feelings of abandonment and anger, self rule was more or less garenteed. These days the two countries relationship is much better. With australians content to beat the mother country in sporting events rather then directly opposing the UK in other ways.

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim


I knocked three times at the cafe and was taken to the basement. There I was blindfolded, put into a box and moved. The security was a bit intense but it was Jayu, I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this. I waited in my box until it was opened.

The moon was slightly visible in the sky and the assembly of Jayu looked at me.

"This is your contact seagull?"

"Yeah, this is him."

A man stepped forward and loomed over me.

"The golem gets moved in 5 days."

They nodded.

"It corroborates what our other spies have said."

They looked around each other.

"Right, so both the army and the navy are competing for the honor of giving the golem to the prince."

A map was put out.

"The army doesn't want to share credit so the navy told the army that they're not letting them use their boats."

I blinked.

"Isn't that incredibly petty?"

The other Jayu stared at me, the leader shook his head.

"Have you been paying attention at all? The Japanese military runs on tea, bravado and sheer pettiness."

He brought out a map.

"All right gents, this is a map of korea. We own and control all of the territory in the Taebaek Mountains, the sobeak mountains, and the Baekdudaegan mountains. We own the spine of korea, that's something to be proud of."

He traced a line.

"The Japanese own all of the coastal cities, we have agents there but the fact is, in order for the army to move that golem, they have to go through Jayu territory and they know it."

Another Jayu spoke up.

"Can't they just use a civilian ship?"

"The Navy is forcing the hand of all the japanese ships. Anyone who transports that Golem is going to experience consequences, bad ones."

"And yet, somehow, they still control most of the country."

The lead Jayu nodded.

"I know it's depressing. Let's hope that the left and right hands keep fighting each other. Point is, at the end of the day...they're going to have to use a foreign ship and they can't afford to tell them what they're actually shipping. So we just need to find out which foreigners get the position."

"What if they cut a deal with the navy?"

"The army does not share credit and it does not accept blame. They're going to run a shell game. We need to crack that game."

He looked at me.

"We don't expect you to ferret out which ship has the golem, we just need a way for you to distract the police."

I thought about it.

"A drug raid...something big."

The leader sighed.

"Yeah...yeah I think we can gather information, find out where a major drug stash is hidden. Think you can get your boys on it in around 5 days."

I took a breath.

"I don't think sir, I know."

"Thank god....oh and Officer?"

I looked at him.

"I know you sacrificed a lot for our people, that it's a thankless task and people hate you for it. But your hard work means something and, when Korea is finally free, we will remember you."

I looked at him.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I don't care about glory, I don't care about some far off event I really can't imagine. All I want to do is protect my people from criminals, whether that be koreans, japanese, westerners or anyone else. That's my only goal."

They were silent but then the lead Jayu nodded.

"A worthy goal officer. A worthy goal."

 

[Cherico]

Officer Kim


When I got home from the meeting, I noticed a man sitting inside my apartment, he wore a black outfit with a black peaked cap and I noticed the swastica patch on his arm.

"What are you doing inside my home."

The man yawned.

"Sorry about the rudeness, Mr. Rabe left and with him gone, I can talk freely."

He clapped his hands and a big westerner appeared. His eyes were pure black, it was unnerving and creepy.

"I assume you represent the germans."

"Hmm, a portion of the german people. I come from a little organization called the Thule society."

"And you decided to invade the apartment of a police officer."

"We just walked inside."

I looked at the door and the now broken lock, I saw just a little of my door's white pain on the thug's jackboots.

"Was that before, or after, your man kicked open the door?"

"After, thought you do deserve credit for figuring that out."

He tilted his head.

"I'm here to make an offer."

"Why?"

"Because John, while being extremely naive, is a good judge of systems if not individual people. You're a korean officer who was instrumental in getting the golem. You have received no credit for this act, no promotion and your country is being occupied by another one."

"I'd like to note that Japan and Germany are allies."

"Hmm, actually at the moment we mostly do trade. We have more of an actual alliance going on with china at the moment. Why, we're even training an entire brigade of soldiers for them."

My eyes narrowed.

"Get to the point."

"We want the location of the golem. You see it's a one of a kind device, a fluke really, and we want to study it and see if we can replicate it's enchantments."

I crossed my arms.

"It's currently in the hands of the army, I don't know where it is."

The man looked at me.

"Oh well, thank you for your time."

He got out of my chair.

"You're not going to threaten me?"

"Why would I? You don't know anything about where it is and you have helpfully pointed us to the people who do know where it is."

He pulled out a wad of bills.

"Thank you."

"I don't accept bribes."

He blinked.

"But your door."

"I will fix that but I do not accept bribes ever. Please leave my room."

He looked confused.

"You're an odd man officer, but I respect you despite your racial handicap. Fritz, we are going."

The man with pure black eyes stared at me and licked his lips.

"Fritz."

He got up and followed the man but as he left he put a hand on my neighbor's cross. I watched his hand smoke and he glared at me and vanished from sight.

I looked at my destroyed door and got some tools. My father taught me a little bit about being a handyman and I thought I could fix that much.