Law of Shadows, page 28
Then I suddenly have an idea. “Adam, why don't we think of this area as a war zone. After all, the fae were involved and we Old Ones are practically at war with them. It wouldn't be your responsibility to treat this as a murder case.”
Adam's grim expression immediately lights up. As far as a Krampus's face can show delight. “That's a wonderful idea!” He turns around and walks back to his men. “Guys! Stop wasting your time here. Get out there and find the naughties who ran away!” There is some mumbling among the other police officers, but hunting evildoers is more to their liking than doing boring police work.
Eva also comes over to our group. “I want you to find out what the fae and hobgoblins were up to. Tonight I lost eleven of my people and I am not happy! Not happy at all! Three were good friends!”
I wince. “I am sorry for your losses, but the Old Ones decided to do nothing offensive about the fae. You know yourself that the only real solution to the fae problem would be to wipe out Fairy. They had thousands of years to change their ways, but they didn't. I highly doubt that they'll now.”
Magnus snorts. “I can tell you what they wanted to do. They tried to stage a PR event! Wouldn't it have been nice if they had solved the problem with the hobgoblins to become the heroes? They just didn't expect that this territory has several supernatural groups who are heavily invested in the city's affairs!”
I turn my attention to Samantha and the cameras. “Maybe we should talk about such things in private.”
Samantha smiles dashingly. “Please keep going. Don't mind us.”
I want to, but such discussions could easily lead into territory which we don't want to discuss in public. “I am sorry, but since we are the representatives of the supernatural communities in this city, we'll have to talk to all groups before we decide on how to proceed.”
I excuse us and, together, we leave the reporter behind.
37. ~Uncomfortable~
“There isn't even a single secret that's kept with the intention to protect others.”
A memory of the Old Ones.
Carinthia
Magnus
“She ate that poor lady's dog! It's a public relations disaster!” Eva complains.
I roll my eyes. “Really? Lindwurm eats a single pet and you call it a disaster? What about the people we lost?”
Her face shows pained displeasure. “That too!”
I dismiss the matter with a gesture. “Be glad that she didn't eat one of those voyeurs who came to watch the aftermath of the carnage. I'll never understand why the humans like to watch the sites of accidents and violence. Lindwurm gets her food on a rope. The dog's leash made her think that the woman was offering her a tasty treat.”
“The woman is in the hospital because she had a heart attack!” Eva goes on.
I chuckle. “That's hardly Lindwurm's fault. I even told the people that Lindwurm isn't just a pet. Listen, I'll explain everything when I see that stupid reporter the next time.”
Eva covers her eyes with both hands and groans. “That's exactly what I am afraid of. I'll do that. Just make sure that it doesn't happen again.”
“Sure. You are our woman who is in charge of public relations. Do whatever you deem necessary,” I reassure her.
Eva nods and leaves the room. I am sure that she'll find her way outside. If not, one of the spirit guardians is following her.
As if I could promise that Lindwurm wouldn't do what she wants. Lindwurm isn't just any pet and certainly not an oversized dog which can be trained to do some stupid tricks. It may look as if I am the one who is giving her commands, but there is a lot of negotiating involved. In her own way, Lindwurm is very smart. She has the intelligence of a small child, so she understands when I am telling her that something is bad for her health.
Lindwurm already ate the dog and nothing bad happened to her. If I go now and tell her that eating dogs is bad, then I'll lose credibility with her. She may not listen to me the next time when it's really important. The gawking human who came to watch the scene is at fault for standing there like a sheep.
I lean back on the living room's sofa and sigh. At least we are all back at home.
Cecilia joins us in nothing more than a bathrobe. Her hair is still wet after washing off the grime and blood. “That was refreshing. I already feared that the people of this time and age don't have any good fights! And I am proud of you, Sely. Your approach was a lot more 'hands-on' than I am used to in battles, but you certainly stood your ground.”
That reminds me of why I interfered at all. I turn to Sely who is sitting on the sofa next to me. She looks a little embarrassed. “Yes! Why did you join the battle? You are carrying our child. I came very close to completely losing it when I saw that! I am so glad that you weren't hurt.”
She crosses her arms in front of her chest and scowls. “I am not even showing yet. Aside from a little morning sickness, I feel fine. You were late, so I decided to lend a helping hand!”
Fiacre follows Cecilia into the room. She also cleaned herself up, but at least she had the decency to put on some casual clothes. I suddenly feel very aware of the fact that I am in the same room as three beautiful women. Okay, two are a little older than me and one is my aunt, but once I thought about it, it's very disturbing.
I focus on a spot on the wall. There must be something I can distract my mind with. Something like, “Let's talk about something else. Fiacre and Cecilia, you weren't there, but at the gathering I fought and killed Emil.”
“You already gave us the short version,” Cecilia urges me on.
“Yes. During the fight, I lost it and gave in to my rage. When I do that, my vision narrows down and my physical abilities are greatly enhanced-”
“He is also enveloped by a red aura,” Sely adds helpfully.
As if I would forget to mention that. “I am not doing it consciously and I am certainly not casting a spell. Tina thought that I was using a spell called 'Berserker'. She also had the theory that I found a way to cast it instinctively, like wild magic. And that it might be dangerous if it goes wrong. Do you have any thoughts on that?”
Fiacre shakes her head. “I've never heard about such a thing. I always thought you devised the body enhancement on your own. But if what you say is true, then you should have researched the matter long ago! We are talking about your body.”
I shrug. “It only happens when I am angry. And to be honest, so far it has saved my ass in several life or death situations. The thought that it could be related to wild magic never crossed my mind.”
Cecilia tilts her head in thought. “It's hard to say for sure without actually seeing it, but my sister might overreact. It could be a natural ability of yours, unlocked by the ordeal you had to go through when your cousin tortured you. Natural magic is quite different from wild magic. What we are afraid of, is magic in an uncontrolled state. Many don't realize the difference, but natural magic isn't uncontrolled. We could try to analyse it in the training room.”
I shift uncomfortably on the sofa. “That might be a bad idea. I am not particularly reasonable when I am in that state. And what do you mean by a natural ability? I've never heard of such a thing.”
Her expression turns smug. “Those are the benefits of having an old mummy like me around. It's extremely rare, but our kind is able to develop, or should I say unlock, certain abilities when we are exposed to extreme situations. I've known a guy who could read minds. He grew up with a clan of real savages while he himself was rather puny. Anticipating his opponent's thoughts and moves was his only chance to survive.
“The concept isn't that unreasonable. Take your wyrm as an example. A creature like her could never exist on land, let alone be able to take flight. If she wasn't constantly using gravity magic to counteract gravity, she would be crushed by her own weight. She is certainly not casting a traditional spell to do so. Her body found a natural way to channel magic in order to achieve a beneficial effect.”
That sounds better than the theory about wild magic and a lot more reasonable. If my ability had felt like wild magic, I would've done something about it.
She continues, “Furthermore, how do you think we Old Ones developed magic and spells in the first place. We didn't just pop into existence and know all the spells that exist. The world forced us to study and observe in order to survive. We watched our prey and other creatures, noticing their impressive abilities. Especially magical creatures. We also developed the ability to read the energy patterns of those creatures. This ability was very useful to hunt in the dark, but the first spells weren't cast by an Old One.
“By copying the energy patterns of other creatures, we learned their effects. After a long time of study and failure, we gained the knowledge and understanding of which patterns do what and how to combine them with each other. It was learning by doing. So if magical creatures can develop such natural magic, then why shouldn't we be able to?”
I furrow my forehead, still not completely trusting her explanation. “So why aren't there more cases of people who develop such a natural magic, or an ability as you call it? And how can we discern such an ability from the dangerous version of natural magic, wild magic?”
Cecilia pouts. “For the first question, I have no good answer. I wish it would be so simple as to beat a random person within an inch of his life to awaken an ability, but it isn't. Apparently, there is an inherent affinity for an ability and the situation that forces the ability to the surface has to match.
“The telepath I mentioned, he might have never developed his ability had he fallen into a lake and drowned. The person in question must be exposed to matching circumstances.
“But who wants to risk his life for such a purpose? Without knowing how to check ones own preposition, we have to blindly devise extreme situations. With the amount of possibilities to cause someone mental stress, gambling one's life again and again to maybe gain an ability doesn't strike me as a smart thing to do.”
She shakes her head and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “There might also be other unknown factors. I am an old hag, even by our standards, and I've seen less than fifty people with a genuine ability in my entire life. I myself was in more than one life or death situation, and I don't have an ability. No Old One ever dies a pleasant death, so that alone tells me that the requirements to gain an ability must be very situational.”
Sely tilts her head. “But haven't you talked to those other people? Aren't there similarities in how they developed their natural magic?”
Cecilia smiles. “It's not like they gave me a detailed story of their circumstances. Who would want others to gain the same power? I wouldn't be able to trust what they told me.”
For a moment she just stands there, considering her next words. “On the other hand, discerning natural magic, or in other words an ability, from wild magic is fairly easy. We just have to get close to you while you are using it. If the spell matrix is contained within your body, then it's natural magic. If it's outside your body, then it's wild magic.”
She clears her throat. “The important point about wild magic is that a functioning spell matrix is formed without any form of containment. Once it unravels in an uncontrolled manner, the effects are equally uncontrollable and unpredictable. That doesn't happen if the magic is contained within yourself, or within an object.”
“I guess having an elder around isn't so bad after all. Though there is still the issue that I feel uncomfortable about testing my circumstances without someone who deserves my rage. When I lose control, I do it quite literally with a haze of red in front of my eyes. In particularly bad cases, I wake up afterwards and don't have any memory of what I did,” I explain.
Sely studies me for several long moments. Then she starts grinning and performs an obscene gesture with her hands. “You mean like in our first encounter when you tore off my clothes and ravished me until my mind went blank? There might be a possibility to focus your energy on something other than killing and destruction.”
I quickly glance at Cecilia and then at my aunt. Both of them look at me as if I am to blame for something. “I think we shouldn't risk your health over an unproven theory. Apart from that, I never before tried to forcefully activate my ability. There might be repercussions which we aren't aware of.”
Sely purses her lips and strokes her hair which is running down her shoulder. “Then I'll keep your outstanding performance from that time in good memory.”
It takes me a long moment to put any meaning to her words. “Do you want to say that I didn't manage to please you since!?”
She shrugs.
I raise a finger, but stop myself in time from saying something stupid. “I know what you are trying to do, but it won't work.” I point at the other two, “Especially not with them watching!”
Cecilia raises both eyebrows. “But I would have to watch in order to confirm-”
“No.”
She tries again, “It's not like I am not well versed in the various techniques-”
“No.”
Fiacre clears her throat. “Theoretically she could even join the action. She isn't-”
“No!” Sely cries in outrage. “I can watch his magic in the act.”
“Finally we are on the same page.” I hug Sely. “Just to make it clear! That will never happen.” Although, why not? It's not like Cecilia looks bad. There are plenty of clans which think of polygamy as normal. Just because it's a Bathomeus tradition, it doesn't mean that it has to stay that way.
Suddenly the door bursts open and Annia storms inside, holding hands with Kath. “Have you seen the news?”
38. ~Chaos~
“They are unlike any other species. Their mind says forward, while instinct tells them to run away. The leg twitches sideways while the arms fight for balance. Can nature really create such a nonsensical creature?”
A memory of the Old Ones.
Carinthia
Sely
“...countries are under martial law. Like the USA and China. They were followed by France and several others as you can see by the countries which are marked in red on the map. In those countries, the majority of high ranking politicians is of the opinion that the only way to uphold our society, is to regulate supernaturals. The opposition argues that proceeding in this direction would likely lead to a situation that resembles the witch hunts of old...”
“That's awful!” I turn my attention to the others. They are watching the report with the same concentrated attention as I do. “What can we do to stop this?”
We weren't the only ones who got hit by massive attacks. This can be called the first real strike in a war that was fought in the shadows for a long time. The fae instigated a massive campaign to discredit supernaturals as a whole.
Our city wasn't the only one which was struck. While we stopped them here, they succeeded in enough other places to force a massive reaction from the humans. The reports of what happened in our rural area are drowning in the chaos of international information. Though some news channels are showing Lindwurm, the impact drowns between all the other stuff that's going on.
The world went chaotic over night.
Magnus doesn't seem concerned. He leans closer and places an arm around my shoulders. “Don't worry. So far, only the ones who feel big and powerful declared martial law. We are in Austria. The politicians of this country are pussies. They wouldn't declare war, even if I held a sword to their throats.”
Fiacre shakes her head. “It still could become very bad, very fast. What if the humans really start a witch hunt? They will destroy their own society if we don't stop them.”
Cecilia uses her sleeve to polish her nails. “I've seen the witch hunts. The humans mostly caught other humans to burn them at the stake. It was very rare that they caught one of the weaker supernaturals. They made up some ridiculous nonsense about how to identify a magic practitioner.
“It never troubled me, but now that I think about it, they used the witch hunts mostly to burn those who think differently. Inventors, alchemists, philosophers, people who tried to change the system, they were the first ones who went up in flames. If it weren't for those dark times, humanity's wisdom would be at least a thousand years ahead of today's knowledge.” She thinks for a few moments. “I wonder why they ever got the idea that they can restrain a being that's vastly more powerful than themselves.”
Fiacre is of a different opinion. “I've also seen the hunts, but the humanity of today is vastly different from back then. Today, they have guns, explosives and telecommunication. Maybe they can even find ways to quickly identify supernaturals.”
I try to consider all the implications. We should have foreseen it. Humans never, ever, are of the same opinion on something. They always split into two sides. Some countries were bound to do something stupid. The question is how the various clans within those countries will react to the humans.
“Will they start fighting among each other?” Annia mumbles.
I am a little baffled at the thought, not understanding Annia's reasoning. “Why should they do that? I thought that the humans will most likely start working together. From their perspective, they are faced with a threat that concerns all of them,” I reason.
Annia raises both eyebrows. “I think you are giving them too much credit. The countries who declared martial law will most likely turn on the countries which didn't. They will see them as a threat and suspect them of being influenced by supernaturals. They may perceive us as a threat that concerns all of them, but we aren't a clear opponent.
“We aren't some specific spot on the map which they can point their finger on. We are hiding right among them. Those countries which declared martial law are encouraging fear in their population. Once they are done with their internal problems, they have to focus the suspicions away from their government. Preferably on someone with a different ideology. Nothing is worse for a politician than a distrustful population.”
The outraged voice of the reporter draws my attention back to the television. “...was struck by lightning! I repeat, France's president was struck by lightning on a clear, sunny day! When he left the congress and crossed the parking area, a lightning bolt struck exactly at his position! Just mere minutes ago, he declared martial law to answer the supernatural threat and...”
