Kalli!

I felt her panic even more intensely through the new connection than any emotion I had ever felt in group chat. Melvin. How did you? What is this? No, wait. That’s not important. The man in red. He grabbed me. He can teleport. I don’t know where I am?

She showed me what she was seeing. She was sitting at the foot of a canopy bed in a room filled with antique furniture. Intricately carved molding near the base of the walls where it met the patterned maroon carpet gave the room a fancy feeling.

Now that she was back in my group, I was once again able to see Kalliphae on my map. It wasn’t exactly a group. I couldn’t invite someone else to our chat. The entry on the map was different too. Instead of a golden dot, she now appeared as a glowing red heart.

The problem was that Kalli’s heart was quite a ways away.

Hey Kalli, can you send the phoenix to come get me?

She burned with embarrassment and anger. He took the dress, Mel. He stripped it off of me and gave me this.

She looked down at herself revealing a pink bathrobe. Kalli quickly looked away as my mind started to wander. She cleared her throat. Ahem. I also don’t seem to be able to use magic here.

It appeared I was going to have to find my own way to get to Kalli. I fished out the M-Phone again to call a ride. I remembered the card that the cab driver had given me. I was a bit farther away this time, but he did tell me to contact him first.

Kalli’s frantic voice in my head made me pause. Mel, what are you doing? Are you getting help?

Just the sound of her words reassured me. So long as I could talk to her I felt that anything was possible.

I’m working on a plan right now.

I felt her fear. I know I told you not to broadcast your every thought, but I want you to do it now. I don’t care if you have to go to the privy. Just don’t leave me alone.

You got it. You know, peeing feels good. I don’t know why people wouldn’t want to share that feeling with others.

I could feel Kalli’s blush from two towns over. Peeing is private. One doesn’t share their private intimate sensations with other people unless they are in a serious committed relationship.

We are mates now. That’s a serious commitment, isn’t it?

I felt a wave of annoyance from the pyromancer. How exactly did you do that by the way? Did you somehow marry me without my consent?

No. Nothing like that. I just remembered you telling me that married people were always in a group. I sort of hacked it.

Kalliphae was confused. What is hacked?

I made it work without having to get married.

I could feel her exasperation. So you cheated…

It took me a while to find the address from my internal map. While it was great for seeing where somebody close to me was, it was not Google Maps. It didn’t show addresses or city names. I pulled up a map on my M-Phone and matched up the location.

I sat in the back of the taxi with the familiar driver. He looked back at me and asked, “No girlfriend today Mac?”

I sighed, “We are going to rescue her right now.”

Kalli helpfully supplied. Tell him I am not your girlfriend.

I replied, “Why do I need to tell him that?”

The cab driver gave me a bewildered look, “Tell who what?”

I groaned, “Oops. Sorry, I was just thinking out loud.”

Kally barked in my head. Tell him now.

The cab driver spoke over her, “You need to tell me where we’re going. Time is money.”

I grabbed my head in frustration.

You’re not helping.

I handed the driver the address on the map. He punched it in and replied, “El Cajon huh? You never make it close, do you? This is going to cost ya. I hope you got another one of those hundo’s in your bag.”

I took one out and handed it over the seat. He smiled and added, “This should take care of the trip to get out here too.”

While he drove, I pulled out the M-Phone and debated who to contact first.

I decided to call Shara. I didn’t have a number for the rest of the Shaws. She picked up right away, “Melvin. We are still trying to find Kalli. It’s like she vanished into thin air.”

We raced down the highway as I replied, “That’s because they teleported.”

Shara gasped into the phone, “How do you know that?”

“It’s a secret”, I confided, “The important thing is I know where she is. Can you send help?”

“Where is she at?”, the kid blurted out.

I informed her, “She’s somewhere on Hidden Knoll Court. I’m not sure if it's 1323 or 25. It’s hard to tell on the map. That’s in El Cajon.”

Shara was astounded, “You managed to get her back in group? How?”

I grinned even though nobody could see me, “That’s also a secret. How soon can you send help?”

She didn’t answer for a minute, but then she said, “Mother is eating right now. I think I can get her to help. Just don’t tell her that we’re friends, okay?”

“Sure”, I hesitated, “I think.”

She sighed, “Trust me. I’m not supposed to make friends. I think she will help though. Especially because it's night now.”

“Who else should I call?”, I asked, still unsure of the best way to request magical help.

Shara replied, “The administration is already looking into her case, but depending on who took Kalli, they might not have the manpower to deal with it.”

“Then who does?”, I asked incredulously, “The guild?”

She hesitated for a moment, “Well, if you had enough money, you could offer gold for her safe return, but you’d have to wait for someone with enough rank to take the quest. I hate to say it, but mother is probably your best bet right now.”

My heart was racing at the revelation, “How is your mom going to save Kalli?”

I could hear both pride and bitterness in Shara’s voice when she replied, “Mother is a named mage. There is nobody in this part of the world stronger than she is with perhaps one exception.”

I sighed, “I’m headed to where Kalli is now. Can you tell your mother to stop eating and come?”

She sighed loudly, “That’s not possible. Nobody can approach her while she’s eating. Just wait for her. I’ll call you when she’s on the way. Don’t go in by yourself.”

Are you going to be safe while we wait?

Kalli’s thoughts filled my head. I don’t know. That man hasn’t been back since he brought me.

I nodded and replied to Shara, “She’s safe for now, but I don’t like the idea of just waiting. Why aren’t there magical police for this sort of thing?”

“You don’t get it, Mel”, Shara began, “If he can teleport then he’s probably more powerful than any magical police would be. It would take an equally powerful mage or an army to face him. And if he’s a bounty hunter working on a quest then whoever paid him has to be very influential.”

I hung up with Shara feeling very frustrated about the magical world.

Some protection. This world sucks.

Kalli agreed. It’s like that in my world too. Noble families ignore the laws and do what they want. Local guards have no power over them.

I don’t care what it takes. I’ll get you out of there.

Kalliphae was terrified, but she tried to stop me. Don’t put yourself at risk. Wait for Shara’s mother.

I’m coming. Maybe I can get you out of there without anyone noticing.

Kalli’s soft voice requested, Mel, would you mind contacting Mrs. Hodgins for me. I want to let her know I won’t make it home tonight.

She knows what happened to you. I called her. I’ll let her know you’re okay.

Her reply was a faint thought. Am I okay?

I wiped tears from my eyes as I called Mrs. Hodgins. She was still noticeably upset when she picked up the phone, “Melvin. Did you find her yet?”

“Sort of”, I replied, “I know where she is now.”

She screamed into the phone, “Great. Call the wizard police. Send in the cavalry.”

Kallie laughed in my head. I love her.

She is great. Isn’t she?

I explained to Mrs. Hodgins, “I’ve already contacted someone. They are sending a powerful mage to get her.”

Mrs. Hodgins bellowed, “Make sure they get her. Tell them to send more than one mage”

I sighed, “I’ll do everything that I can.”

She didn’t say anything. The constant silence was killing me. I was starting to understand why Kalli didn’t want to be alone. Finally, she whispered, “Melvin. You stay safe too.”

We arrived faster than I thought we would. I sat quietly in the back of the cab looking at a gated facility where I knew Kalliphae was being held. The cab driver looked over the seat at me, “Well, we’re here Mac. Do you want me to wait while you get the girl?”

“I wish it was that easy”, I mumbled as I debated who else to call.

He rubbed the back of his balding head, “Look, I know you’re in some trouble, kid. I couldn’t help but overhear. It sounds like either you’re playacting some medieval renaissance voodoo or you got some weird trouble on your hands.”

I sighed, “That pretty much sums it up.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”, he asked.

I could tell he meant it. I shrugged, “It might be dangerous.”

The cab driver swallowed and replied, “You’re sure your girl's in there? And she’s in actual trouble?”

“Yes”, I replied.

He stared me down, “Okay. My name's Lou. What do you want me to do?”

I grinned, “I’m Melvin. Nice to meet you. Before we start, I need to prove to you that magic is real.”

I tried Shara one last time before I put my plan into motion. The machine picked up, “If you’d like to leave a message…”

Kalli, I’m going to get you out of there.

She sent a warm feeling through the connection. I heard everything. I’m ready.

I stood next to a 10-foot high wall behind the house. I focused on the wall until the menu popped up.

Item:

Perimeter Wall

Components

Stone, Cement

Item Rank:

F

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Thompson

I growled into my connection with Kalli.

This wall says it belongs to someone named Thompson. Does that name ring a bell?

At first, Kalli was confused. Then outraged. Do you mean that little twerp had me kidnapped?

I growled out loud.

It looks like it.

I edited the wall by removing both the cement and stone and replacing them with dust. The wall turned to powder and fell to the ground. I walked through and then removed the edit, leaving the wall completely intact in my wake.

I looked up at the house. It was much larger than it had appeared from the street. There was a pool house next to an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The main house appeared to have three stories and multiple sliding doors leading inside.

I tried to zoom in on the map, but all I could tell was that Kalli was inside somewhere. I couldn’t tell which floor she was on or which specific room she was in.

Are you next to a window or anything that can help me find you?

I felt her shuffling as she got up in her pink robe. She clamped it firmly around herself as she made her way to the door. There’s no window and the door is locked.

Do you know if you’re upstairs?

She shook her head. We teleported in. I can’t tell.

I snuck my way over to the house and peeked in a sliding glass door. I scanned the items around the house.

Thermostat

Not what I was looking for. I walked over to another door. I didn’t bother trying it. I looked inside for a specific panel. I didn’t get lucky until I got to the fourth window.

Security Panel[Armed]

I made a simple edit.

Security Panel[De-Activated] (Edited)

With the alarm shut down, I decided to unlock the door. Another edit and I had gained entry.

I’ve disabled the alarm, but there still might be magical enchantments I don’t know about.

Kalli’s voice whispered in my mind. Be careful, Mel.

It was strange. It felt like I was sneaking around in a house where everyone had gone to bed for the night. I tiptoed through the house toward the stairs. I was halfway up the stairs when a floorboard creaked. I stopped in my tracks and strained my ears for any signs that I had alerted anyone to my presence. The only thing I heard was the distant sound of a clock ticking.

I held my breath and continued to sneak up the stairs.

If I’m on the right floor, you should be close.

I made my way over to a door. If my map was anything to go by, Kalli would be on the other side.

Door[Locked]

I made the edit.

Door[Unlocked] (Edited)

I slowly turned the doorknob and pushed it open. The room inside was completely dark. I knew that Kalli wasn’t there. However, the lone occupant of the room couldn’t evade my God Eye.

Seeing that I was now higher level than the person in front of me, I pulled up his menu and tweaked his traits.

Silenced (Edited)

Petrified (Edited)

I walked over to the kid in the bed and whispered, “Hello Eddie. You’re going to tell me where Kalli is and why your family kidnapped her. If anything happens to her, I’ll make sure that you regret it.”