Chapter 12: Firearms Won’t Defeat Every Foe

I slowly made my way back home. I had been carrying my 44 magnum carbine and wearing my holster but I decided I wanted to make a new permanent addition to my wardrobe. I went to my room, opened a large wooden box that was in my closet there and dug out an asp with its scabbard for my own use. The next time I had to accept someone’s oath, I would be ready for it! Since smacking someone with a fork isn’t very satisfying. I was wondering what kind of enchantments that I could come up with, to put on the asp?

After adding to my wardrobe, I went to my cave and enchanted four freezer-firestones and their associated boxes over the next hour and a half. I was getting faster but a big part of my productivity increase was because I didn’t have to charge these stones up; they would instead gather their own heat. Glen had dropped the rocks and boxes off yesterday, because Steve had been hoping that I might have been able to take some of my time, away from my sick patients and enchant the freezing/heating devices that were needed for our new giant size freezers, needless to say Steve hadn’t gotten his wish. I hollered at Jennifer to get a message to Steve that the units were now ready. Within fifteen minutes he had a crew inside my cave, and picking up the magical devices.

I then started on the acetylene torch kit. It took me over an hour to perfect what I wanted and when I was done, I had Jennifer send it over to the shop with the instructions that they had to figure out some way, to feed it with compressed air and only compressed air. They could use air tanks or make a direct connection to an air compressor, a standard air fitting would probably be best but they could figure it out. I instructed Jen to tell them, not to attempt using the enchanted torch until I instructed them in its operation, which I would do later today. I guess that the newly enchanted torch, counts as the first magic wand that I’ve ever created, since only someone with Fire Magic can utilize it.

I had a new runner today; she was an orange screen and surprisingly the granddaughter of Martin Kilmer, the man who literally shot my balls off. She seemed very anxious to please. She and her family; were now living in Faith’s trailer which was still parked in my driveway. That was actually excellent accommodations for them, considering our current housing shortage. Faith thought it was necessary because of the great anger that certain people felt towards the deceased Martin Kilmer.

Melissa had brought back my order from the machine shop. It was a rather thin metal box containing a quarter inch thick piece of steel plate. It was to be my prototype for a hot plate/refrigeration device. The enchantment, if designed correctly, will hopefully cool things down to thirty four degrees Fahrenheit if the side panels on the box are opened. But if the lid is opened, exposing the steel plate inside, it would then heat up to five hundred degrees, becoming in essence a magical hot plate. I don’t know if five hundred degrees is too hot or not hot enough for cooking, but we will just have to see. I’ll need to come up with a temperature regulator but I haven’t yet figured out a way to do that for those people without Fire Magic. When I finished the device, I threw a quick quarter charge into it and gave it to Jen. She was pleased with the new kitchen appliance and promised to evaluate it for me.

Melissa hung back against the wall and intently watched whatever I was doing. Because of her obvious fascination with magic, I secretly assessed her for any hidden talents. Magic wise, she had less potential than Jennifer but she was still above average. However her latent physical abilities were absolutely crazy. As far as I could tell, if she somehow managed to unlock them she would get a boost in all her body’s attributes, I just wasn’t sure by how much.

It took me over an hour to enchant the six shells and an arming band that George had requested for our new Air Guard. I really didn’t like the destructive power of the shells. I might have been a closet gun nut and a death dealer when it came to paper targets but all this killing, except for Martin Kilmer, just purely sucked. The new shells or bombs, gave a fire mage the ability to concentrate several minutes worth of their magical energy into an item and then have it all release upon physical contacted with their target, there was no wasted energy in the process. I certainly didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of those bombs. Thinking about it, I decided to test an idea that I had previously come up with, when I had first thought up the enchantment for the heat/explosive shells.

I found a piece of scrap metal and enchanted it with the fire-explosive runes or least my own version of magical runes. I then put some different marks on a piece of scrap wood and went outside, carrying the wood, the arming band and my scrap metal. I had Melissa position the board against a rock while I charged that small piece of metal. When it was charged, which took less than a minute, I had Melissa stand behind me as I telekinetically launched the metal through the arming ring and into the board, where it stuck. The board started to char but it did not immediately blow up or burn up. My idea had worked as I had expected it to, and they thought I was mad when I decided that the perfect accompaniment to a fine, single malt scotch whiskey was chocolate chip cookies and not a cigar.

I had feared the power of my explosive fire enchantment so I had built into it a backdoor or loophole for exactly this type of defense. Of course to gain any benefit, you had to know the backdoor was there and how to utilize it.

“Melissa please keep an eye on that board and don’t let anyone come closer to it than fifty feet, it might blow up. I expect it to catch fire, but there’s nothing nearby to spread any flames about, so just let it burn. It’s that small piece of metal that we have to worry about, so even when the board is totally consumed don’t let anyone get close to it. Tell them, that I’m commanding that no one approaches that spot. I’ll tell Jennifer what you are doing so she can spell you, if you need a bathroom break or something. I’ll ask you to report what happens to the board and that piece of scrap metal, when I come back.”

“I’ll keep watch, Mister Standish. Sir, I’m really sorry that my grandfather shot you. Do you think it’s possible that I could learn any magic?”

I looked at her. “I think it’s possible for you to learn magic Melissa. Probably a good way to start is to study some basic science and to meditate.”

“Mister Standish, could you teach me how to do magic.” She was looking at me with big tear filled eyes, which wasn’t fucking fair and she was an orange screen too, damn it.

“Melissa because I’m a hermit, it’s expected by whatever magical rules that exist in this altered world, that I be a grouch. And in all honesty, I am one. I hate that there are so many people living here and to me, two people is too many! Because of my nature and the magical system, I actually do a better job of teaching any students that I have, when I get mean and nasty. You should ask Faith Harper, Jim Lopez and Ron Lewis what I did to the three of them. I am not a nice person. I might consider teaching you but first I want you to try learning magic on your own and before asking me again you have to get your parents’ permission as well. I warn you, that I still might say no.” Before she could say anything else, I retreated into my cave and left her outside. Cute little girls with tear filled eyes should be outlawed by the Geneva Convention!

I went to the machine shop and showed Ron how to use his new wand, that doesn’t sound right. I showed Ron how to use his new magical tool and that sounds worse. I showed Ron how to use his new magically modified welding torch kit, okay that will work. It’s a good thing that I did tell them to wait for me; the thing has real potential as a short range weapon, an exceedingly scary weapon. Compress air goes in, add magic and blazing plasma comes out, it’s efficient and powerful. Ron was able to blast things up to twenty feet away.

It took Clyde and I, four hours to fix the Hellcat. I engraved my new enchantment on to the tank. In fact, I did that to all of the vehicles there, including the tractors. I only told Clyde and George what I was doing.

“The new explosive fire enchantment worries me. A friendly fire incident could destroy any of our vehicles and worse yet, kill the crew inside as well. Even when I was considering this for a mortar round, I had thought it to be a problem, so the enchantment has a built in failsafe that can be activated by the enchantment that I have just engraved on all of our vehicles. The new enchantment will prevent the shells from instantaneously releasing all of their heat. Instead, the projectiles will release their charged energy over several hours and thus hopefully prevent any mass destruction. Sadly, they will still produce enough heat to start fires but it’s better than going boom. Please keep this new defense measure a secret; you never know when we might need some kind of edge in a battle.”

Both Clyde and George were happy about the failsafe enchantment, in fact George was pretty damn enthusiastic about it. As I had time and opportunity, I would scribble or engrave the low power enchantment on everything in the Stronghold, including the fence!

I went back to my home, grabbed a shovel, relieved Melissa from her assignment and buried that piece of scrap metal which was still radiating heat. I would check on it tomorrow morning, by then it should be out of energy and cooled down.

Jennifer fed me dinner cooked on our new hot plate. Her opinion was that it didn’t get quite hot enough and it needed some kind of temperature control. My thinking was that it would be easier to enchant four different hot plates with each one being a different temperature. I could manage a magical on and off switch but temperature controls for someone who does not possess Fire Magic was beyond me, at least for the time being.

After eating, I went around my home, removed various pictures, scribbled my failsafe runes on the walls and re-hung the framed artwork.

Sometime later that evening, I was out in my cave enchanting a revolver chambered in 45 Long Colt; when I had some expected visitors. I had already enchanted the matching lever action rifle that went with the revolver. Storm Wind and Night Storm came inside, they both bowed to me. Surprisingly they spoke English when greeting me.

“Hello Vincent, as Captain Mesquida told us to, we have come to you to swear our oaths and become your sworn warriors,” said Chief Storm Wind, he bowed again. If he does it one more time, I’m going to smack him. I’ve got my asp now!

Second Chief Night Storm spoke next. “Greetings Great Healer, thank you again for saving my daughter. I too wish to become your sworn warrior.”

“Hello and welcome, I find your ability to speak my language to be amazing. Can you explain your proficiency to me?” They glanced at one another and Storm Wind began talking.

“Our people are naturally good at mimicking sounds; we also have a tradition of recording history through song. This gives us the ability to quickly learn unknown languages but in our case, our ‘gift of communication and understanding’ has dramatically accelerated the speed for us in becoming fluent in English. You will find that it will take the rest of our clan at least a month to reach our level of skill.”

“Even doing it within a month is amazing to me. George should have already informed you, but you will need to swear a fairly powerful oath in order for the magic to work. Please speak honestly if you have any reservations, I will not hold it against you. Also, I can only do one of you at a time and you Night Storm will need to come back in about two hours. I am sorry for that inconvenience.” The two flyers again exchanged a look and Night Storm spoke once more.

“May I stay and watch my chief swear his oath to you?”

“Of course you may, there is no great secret in this. And Storm Wind, please do not kneel if that is something that Captain Mesquida instructed you to do. That is an act that I think would be difficult for someone like you, who has wings, and the custom of kneeling during this formality is something from our ancient history and not strictly needed.” Though, it does give me a better chance to give someone a good smack in the head.

Storm Wind stood before me and began to speak. “My Lord Standish, I Storm Wind, Chief of the Terran Sept of the Long Flight Clan of the Mountain Flyers. Do faithfully swear to serve you, in these perilous times, to defend your lands and possessions; and to protect those sentient beings who peacefully reside upon them, so long as they obey your laws and commands.”

He seems to have been coached in what to say but I wasn’t going to sweat it, however the words “Terran Sept” had me wondering. I used my 44 Magnum carbine rifle to knight him. “I accept your oath and I dub thee Sir Storm Wind and I name you a Lieutenant in the Hermit’s Guard, may you serve long and honorably.”

DING

Idiots this world is filled with idiots, not only that but now you’re even importing them from other worlds.

Sir Storm Wind, Chief of the Terran Long Flight Clan, for swearing such a powerful oath and having it accepted by the Hermit King Vincent Standish, you have been ennobled and granted the following skills and enhanced attributes to help you fulfill your duties. Betray your oath and you may lose all of your new gifts.

True Sight: Every good leader and military officer needs to be able to tell truth from fiction; and accurately see what lies all around them.

Fire Magic Level One

Air Magic Level One

Plant Magic Level One

Body Augmentation Magic Level One

Hearing is 2.3 times as acute

Crud, their eyes have just gotten really big. I hadn’t mentioned to anyone my new title. Well it’s too late now. “Congratulation Sir Wind, as a token of my esteem for you and your position as Chief of your clan and as a Lieutenant in my Guard, I gift you with my personal weapons, this 44 Magnum rifle that I used to ennobled you and a revolver in the same caliber. I understand that Sir Mesquida has been training you in the use of firearms. May these weapons, serve you well.” I handed him the rifle, the holstered revolver with a belt and a box containing a cleaning kit and ammunition.

“Thank you Great Chief, excuse me I mean King Vincent. I will do my best to fulfill your trust in me and bring honor to your weapons.”

What a suck up, I should have smacked him with the rifle barrel. “I’m sure you will Knight Chief Lieutenant Storm Wind.” I grinned, “We’re going to have to figure out your proper formal title since that is a real mouth full. As for your new magical abilities, please experiment carefully with them. I suggest you speak with your fellow officers in the Guard since their talents were awakened the same way as yours. If you have any problems either as Chief of your people or as a military officer please come to see me. Now that you’re officially my flunky, I can be just as rude to you as I am to everyone else. Get out of my garage, so I can get back to work and have a nice night. I’ll see you Night Storm in two hours if you’re still stupid enough to swear an oath to me. I’m a mean nasty rude person and you might want to change your mind.”

I turned back to my work table and ignored them. They stood there in silence for a few minutes and then quietly made their way out. I had another rifle and revolver to enchant, something to replace the firearms I had just given up. I started with the revolver, a Taurus Raging Judge which can shoot 410 shells, 45 Long Colts and more importantly 454 Casull cartridges. I was still debating which rifle I was going to start carrying but I was leaning towards my pump action Remington 7600 chambered in 30-06. I liked that it had a detachable magazine. I hoped that our new gunsmith would tell me that my idea of making larger magazines for it would work; I don’t see why it shouldn’t. I already had one spare four shot magazine for the rifle.

After finishing the revolver, I started engraving the 7600. I was adding a new enchantment to the two firearms; hopefully the new magic would make the guns materially stronger and help them resist corrosion. I would have to keep them magically charged up, just like we did with the fire pins but it would hopefully make the barrels and other parts last much longer.

I was just starting to enchant my last carbine, which was a 357 Magnum lever action and had been my favorite all around rifle; that is before we were forced to switch back to black powder. There was a knock at my cave’s side door and I yelled at whoever it was to come in, I wasn’t getting up from my chair. The door opened and Night Storm timidly looked inside. I used my hand to motion for her to come closer; surprisingly she was followed by Lady Murphy of all people. Perhaps Night had changed her mind? She just might have some common sense. Candace began talking.

“Boss, I was wondering if you might have a better rifle for me. This Springfield is okay, “she held it up in her hand. “But I would like something with more power and accuracy. I’m not bragging but I am probably the best shot in this Stronghold, my mother’s good too and my dad’s better than average. I’ve seen combat as a sniper and I’ve won numerous competitions.

Steve Monet had in the village armory, a Winchester 70 in 300 Win Mag but one of our sergeants spotted it first. He’s a good shot and I don’t want to pull rank and take it from him for my own use, it wouldn’t be good for morale. What I would really like is to go back home and get my own rifles but the Captain says it will be at least few days before we may attempt something like that and perhaps longer. So I’m hoping that you have something available that is better than a Springfield?”

I sighed; I knew it would come to this. I pointed at a very fancy green hard sided gun case which was lying on top of a row of bookcases, which were lined up against the garage wall. Night Storm looked on in interest. I could see Lieutenant Murphy’s eyes light up. She grabbed a chair to stand on, grabbed the gun case and put it on one of my worktables. She turned to look at me anxiously and I nodded my head that she could open it.

She got it open and sighed like a school girl meeting a handsome movie star. “Oh Boss, it’s gorgeous.” She looked at me again and I motioned with my hand. Carefully she picked it up. The rifle was a Weatherby Mark V Safari, chambered in 378 Weatherby Magnum with a Swarovski 2.5x – 15x scope. It was a beautiful gun and for many years it was my dream rifle which I never thought that I would be able to afford. I have only fired it ten times or so. Truthfully, it was too much of a rifle for me and beyond my meager talents to do justice to it. Before the Warnings came I would sometimes put it on my kitchen table and eat dinner with it as my dining companion. It was truly a work of art. I didn’t want to give it up nor did I want to risk marring its appearance with my inferior engraving ability when I enchanted the firearm but necessity can force the most, ugly acts upon us.”

“Boss, can I really use this rifle?” Candace’s eyes were sparkling like she had found true love, that bitch!

“I still need to enchant it, so you’ll have to leave it here for now. With luck I’ll have it done around noon tomorrow. You’ll need to get Glen, Steve or I guess even your father to make you some ammunition for the rifle. I only have one hundred and forty rounds for it and someone will have to pull the bullets and reload the brass shells with black powder. But if you get your own rifles or find a superior weapon then I want it back. I’ll understand if it gets destroyed in combat. I’ll cry but I’ll understand.”

Because of the necessary delay, Candace quite sadly put the gun back down in its case, but she eagerly picked up the ammunition once I told her where to find it. I expected that she would immediately be pestering her father to load the cartridges for her.

Night Storm approached me. “Second Chief Night Storm, you seem most nervous around me now. You do not need to swear an oath to me and I will not force you to. I might say rude and cruel things but I don’t think I’m a villain.”

She came to stand before me. “King Vincent, I am sorry but I find this world scary, this situation scary and you being a King, scary as well. Please ennoble me and awaken my talents; I need this for my family, my clan and myself. King Vincent Standish, I Night Storm, Second Chief of the Terran Sept of the Long Flight Clan of the Mountain Flyers. Do faithfully swear to serve you, in these perilous times, to defend your lands and possessions; and to protect those sentient beings who peacefully reside upon them, so long as they obey your laws and commands.”

She might be featherhead but she was copycat when it came to her oath. I used the 45 carbine that I had enchanted earlier to ennoble her. “I accept your oath and I dub thee Lady Knight Night Storm and I name you a Lieutenant in the Hermit’s Guard, may you serve long and honorably.” I almost burst out laughing; I get to call her Knight Night and it will still be a polite form of address. I am going to have so much fun with this!

DING

My amazement with the stupidity of you people just keeps growing. Soon I will be rendered speechless by it.

Lady Knight Night Storm, Second Chief of the Terran Long Flight Clan, for swearing such a powerful oath and having it accepted by the Hermit King Vincent Standish, you have been ennobled and granted the following skills and enhanced attributes to help you fulfill your duties. Betray your oath and you may lose all of your new gifts.

True Sight: Every good leader and military officer needs to be able to tell truth from fiction; and accurately see what lies all around them.

Healing Level One

Air Magic Level One

Quick Thinking Level One: When things go to hell and “quick thinking is required” your thoughts speed up by ten percent.

+22 Percent Increase in Strength.

+ 58 Percent Increase in Dexterity.

+17 Percent Faster Reflexes.

+1 Percent Increase in Stamina.

1.7x Telescopic Vision

+41 Percent Faster Healing Rate.

Hearing is 1.1 times as acute.

1.9x Scent/Odor Detection

Before I could say anything the watch tower air horn went off. I handed the startled flyer the 45 Long Colt carbine that I had just used to knight her; a holstered 45 LC revolver on a belt and I pointed at a nearby box with a cleaning kit and more ammunition.

“Congratulation, here’s your firearms and gear. Go see to the safety of your clan and family.” I picked up my rifle and ran for the side entrance, Candace was closely following me. I flung the door open.

I stepped outside; I heard screams, yells and gunfire. I had been in my brightly lit garage and now I was in an area cast in shadows, even with true sight, my eyes need a moment to adjust. But I could see that the ground immediately in front of me seemed to be crawling. What the fuck? I used appraisal on one of the moving spots.

Paraponera Giganteas, Giant Bullet Ant

Before I could read much of the appraisal, I felt something crawl up under my pant leg. I gave up a brief manly scream, before my lungs seized up from the pain. Damn it, someone had shot me in the leg. The agony brought me down to my knees, in reaction to the pain I had also let loose of my rifle during my fall, which fell a foot or two to my left. More ants crawled onto my legs. The only action I could think of taking was to block the pain sensors in my body. It was getting hard to breath and my body was starting to go into convulsions. As I fell on to my stomach I realized that there were thousands of the giant rat size ants in my courtyard. They were biting me and tearing out little pieces of flesh, it was like one of those stories you hear about piranha.

I was beyond pissed. In desperation I coated my body with Fire Magic. I had noticed that whenever I shot flames from my hands that I never felt any heat nor was I ever burned. The heat succeeded in killing the ants on my body, but I could sense my clothes burning and I think while my own Fire Magic couldn’t burn me, the heat generated by my burning clothes could, but with my pain sensors blocked I wasn’t sure. Sadly I forgot about something else, though I probably would have done the same thing since I was screwed no matter what.

“BANG” and my body rocked as the bullets in my newly enchanted revolver, which was holstered on my right side, detonated. Fuck me! I was going to die here because I let ants get in my pants! Fire had always been my go to magic weapon of choice but I was actually stronger in Earth Magic and those ants were on MY LAND! I closed my eyes and stretched my magic as far as I could sense. I could feel all those ants crawling over my land and they had to pay for that infraction! In the recent past, I’d called up rocks from the ground but this time I sort of reversed the process. I sucked all those ants down into the Earth and crushed them. I not only did that but I crushed all the nearby ant tunnels as well, killing thousands of the creatures. I used up all of my energy while doing that. I no longer had enough strength to maintain the pain block, and then I think I died.

Candace’s reflexes were exceptional so while her boss had stepped onto the moving ground she was already leaping back into the doorway. She saw ants ranging in size from six to eight inches. She didn’t need a gun, she needed a flamethrower; sadly she was still mastering her own Fire Magic.

She dumped her rifle on a table near the door and grabbed a metal rake hanging on the wall. She heard a brief scream from her boss, and saw him fall. Ants were crawling all over him and taking away bits of flesh. “Damn it,” she thought, “who’s going to enchant that Weatherby rifle for me now!” In anger at the possibility of being deprived of such a beautiful firearm, she started to flail about with the rake, trying desperately to get close enough to the Boss, so that she could drag him back inside. Night Storm was stomping on the ants that were coming through the doorway. Suddenly her new King burst into flames, then there was a loud BANG and something hit the outside concrete wall.

There was smoke coming off of Vince’s body. Then suddenly as is if there were thousands of vacuum holes in the ground, every ant that was on some kind of natural earth was sucked down and disappeared. There were still ants crawling about on walls, trailers, concrete and other things but all of those that had been on the ground were now gone. Candace and Night Storm took care of the nearby ants and went to check on Vince. He didn’t seem to be breathing or have a heartbeat. Lady Murphy immediately started CPR.

Night Storm not knowing first aid and seeing her oath sworn lord in dire straits; spread her wings and knelt down at his side. She brushed aside the charred remains of his clothes, put her hands on his lower body and willed her strength into him with all of her being. She had just had her Healing talent awakened. What she did was the only thing she could do and luckily it was just enough. There were still shouts, yells and gunshots going on but things seemed to be getting under control. Jennifer was the one who found the pair of Lady Knights working on Vincent.

The village Healers were kept busy that night. The venom from the ants caused those bitten to go into convulsions and to stop breathing. While the Healers could not fix everyone’s wounds that night, they could by running around like chipmunks on speed, get everyone who was bitten, breathing again and neutralize the paralyzing and painful agent in their systems.

I woke up briefly in pain and almost immediately felt my eyes close again. When I woke up again I found myself in my bed and an IV in my arm. Isabella was sitting in a nearby chair and dozing. I am royally sick of waking up in pain. Hey, I’m a king now; everything I do is an official royal act! I found I didn’t have enough energy to put up a pain block. My throat was dry but I could tough it out. I idly looked out my window, it was still dark outside.

Though I had no energy, I didn’t feel sleepy and I started to plan what defenses we could put up to protect us from creatures such as those ants. I heard sounds coming from left. I turned my face away from the window and I saw Isabella slowly coming awake in her chair. She looked kind of cute and almost childlike with how she was rubbing her eyes. Her eyes got really big when she saw me looking at her. She rushed over to my side.

“Vinnie, how are you doing honey? We’ve been worried sick, can I get you anything?”

I tried talking but I couldn’t because my mouth was too dry. She quickly lifted a glass from my bedside table and held it while I drank using a straw. I slowly sucked down half the glass of water and I finally nodded my head when I had enough to drink. “Isabella how long have I been unconscious?”

She stroked my head. What’s up with that? “You’ve been asleep for over a day. Peggy, Gloria, Denise and Even Lady Storm have been busy keeping everyone alive but you were the most badly injured. You seemed stable to them and they planned to do some more healing on you tomorrow.”

“My being asleep that long isn’t good and I need to speak to one of my officers right away, preferably Captain Mesquida but I’ll talk with anyone.” Isabella left immediately to relay my request to Jennifer and then returned to my side. Embarrassingly she had to help me use a portable urinal but I had no choice, I hoped that I wouldn’t need to use a bedpan. Little Vincent had severe first or maybe even second degree burns and I had just gotten him fixed, that was the wrong word for me to use.

Isabella fed me some thin soup, while I waited for a Guard Officer to arrive. Luckily it was Captain Mesquida who showed up, it’s normally best to deal with the man in charge.

“Hey Boss, how are you doing.”

“Safety tip, if covered in a swarm of flesh eating ants, remember that if you use your Fire Magic to coat yourself in flames; that while your own flames won’t burn you, secondary fires started by your own flames will and you will also detonate any explosives, like gun powder, that might be nearby.” The rat bastard had the effrontery to laugh at me.

Still chuckling he asked, “Why did you need me Vince?”

“Before I passed out last night, I managed to pull down into the ground all of those ants that were on natural earth, where I crushed them and their tunnels too for that matter. I know for a fact that I didn’t get all of them. I also know that there is a nest out there someplace and other tunnels nearby. I’m too weak to go after that nest right now but we need to protect ourselves against further incursions.

I need to be carried outside and laid on a piece of natural ground, to better let my senses scan the nearby area and alert us to anymore ants or their tunnels. I know you and Boris have both got Earth Magic. I think that by telling you what I sense you, that two can get close to the possible incursions sites, where then your talents will direct you the rest of the way to the little bastards.

I recently built a magical welding torch for Ron. It needs to be fed with compressed air but it has really possibilities of being a potent weapon in the hands of a person with Fire Magic such as yourself, I think it will be a good weapon against those ants but you will have to run compressed air lines around the compound to get the most benefit out of it.

In regards to that ant nest, I’m pretty sure that it’s to the east of here and maybe a little to the south as well. That’s why my private little courtyard was attacked first, because it’s located in the southeast corner of this Stronghold. Those ants don’t have any brains just voracious appetites and I’m sure that they will be back and soon.”

I got my wish; I was carried outside and laid on a thin mattress on the ground. From there I could reach out with either of my hands and touch the bare earth. A tarp was erected over me, like a tent, to protect me from the night breeze and the light mist that was raining down. I could sense more tunnels that were being dug outside the fence line and in our direction. Last night I had enough power to violently collapse those tunnels, but tonight forget about it.

By overhearing some loud talking outside of my tent, I learned that the shop guys were trying to figure out a way to pump smoke down into any tunnels that were discovered. Not a bad idea, I hope it worked. I was shivering in my tent, in my weakened condition the cold night air was getting to me. Isabella spotted this and arranged for some hot rocks to warm my tent and for some warm water bottles to warm my bed. I was forced to mumble out a thank you, because her actions did indeed help.

After about an hour I realized something. Pieces of the nearby land that had not been mine before last night; were now MINE. It wasn’t a great swath of property. It was just the areas that I had forcibly extended my magic into the previous night, when I destroyed the ant tunnels. That land had been vacant for years and I guess my magical actions had established my right of ownership of those properties.

The battle started about one a.m., Ron’s torch proved to be useful. As for the tunnels, George and his men would vector in on a tunnel that was close to the surface, dig into it and then attack with a burst of flame, stemming the first onslaught of ants and thus giving our forces time to act. Burning wood and cooking oil would be poured down into the hole; or at other tunnels they would insert one end of a pipe, leading from the smoke generator that Glen and Grace had whipped up. The smoke generator seemed to be much more effective than the fires but those fires worked as well.

The ants did try to climb our fences but they couldn’t. They were the wrong size to climb it like the normal ants could do, yet they weren’t big enough for their legs to grip the metal mesh properly. But some ants did make it through gaps and under loose portions of the chain link fencing. Luckily Glen had figured out another effective weapon. During the night he and his crew had attached steam hoses to four of our tractors. They then used those hoses to steam blast any ants that made it successfully into our compound. Too bad we weren’t being attacked by crabs or lobsters.

I was nursed all night long. Isabella fed me and I was given a few light healings by P & G. Finally about an hour before dawn I started to finally regain my magical strength. I was starting to wonder if there had been something in the ants’ venom that had been inhibiting my recovery of magical energy or if it had been because I had pushed my Earth Magic well beyond its former limits.

Two hours after dawn, when I was magically reenergized, I had myself carried to various areas in and outside of the Stronghold; of course I started on the inside. I would be set down on a spot and over the next five to ten minutes I would collapse any tunnels and suck down any ants that were within forty to fifty feet of me. Since I had pushed my range to well over a hundred feet last night, fifty feet didn’t strain me at all. It also helped that I took my time and I wasn’t being eaten alive. I worked for three hours that way. But finally when I thought I had given us a reasonable safety margin, I decided that I just had to get some rest. It was at that point that I heard the shop’s steam whistle alarm go off and I saw all of our armored vehicles, race off towards the west and northwest, but fuck it. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.