“What’s the good news, Carla?” Goose asked as he entered the auditorium. It was going to be a full day of meetings, making decisions and voting, even with the absence of Brad and Gerry. Brad was taking the risk of making contact with one of the Freeman villages in the area in an effort to secure a steady supply of coal, while Gerry had been up for nearly thirty-six hours, and desperately needed to catch up on rest.

“The news is surprisingly just that,” she replied. “Good. I had Josh Thompson over last night. He owns several fishing boats down at the Fisherman’s Wharf. He’s pretty sure between his fleet and the other fishing boats down there, they can catch enough fish to keep us fed for months, even if we ran out of everything else.”

Goose raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t a huge fan of seafood, but if it came down to starving or eating fish, he could handle it. “Really? What about fuel?”

“A lot of the ships run on Detroit diesel engines. They’re basically designed to run on the shittiest substitute for fuel we can find. In a pinch, they could run on canola oil or synthetic oil. A lot of those ships have full tanks, and could go for weeks before running out. He went out yesterday with Ansel Stephens, checking out the coast and he said he’d never seen fish in the numbers that’re out there.”

“And they’re edible fish?”

She nodded. “Halibut, tuna, salmon,” she said. “As well as a few species he didn’t recognize, but they’re probably edible. Few fish aren’t.”

“Well that might cover our protein,” Jack mentioned from his seat. “But we’re still going to be facing a health crisis. Without grain and produce, we’re looking at a town-wide vitamin deficiency.”

“Brad will be testing the waters up in Stone’s Mouth,” Goose replied. “The village has some crops there. We also have seed. Modern seed. High yield, pest resistant.”

“We’re still not certain how long the year is here. For all we know it’s the end of their summer and there’s no time to grow food. Our farms in Yellow Point are still a month from harvest.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Goose said. “To make the hard decisions. Where’s Shannon?”

“She’s meeting with that Mage girl,” Carla explained. “The LRCA still has the keys for the old Traveller’s Hotel. They’re going to use that as a sort of mage triage.”

“That old trash heap?” Goose asked. The Traveller’s Hotel still had apartments above it, but they were in a poor state of repair. The bar on the ground floor was briefly used as a homeless shelter before it was moved to the basement of Rialto. That entire building had been on the verge of being condemned for the better part of a decade.

“It’ll do for now,” Carla added. “It turns out one of my employees has developed abilities. Lily Rasmussen? She’s young, but capable. She’s agreed to give Arie a place to stay for now, and I’ve asked her to work with the LRCA on the whole magic thing until we can get a better sense of what to expect from all this.”

Goose nodded. “So just the three of us, then? What’s on the itinerary?”

Jack sighed. “Medical rationing,” he said. “Moratorium on driving. When we’re going to restart commerce.”

“Before we even think about restarting commerce,” Carla added. “We’re going to have to come to a decision on how to deal with currency. Most of our money existed solely as numbers on a digital platform, a platform we no longer have access to. Investments, account balances, none of it is accessible. And worse yet, this whole idea of a paperless society makes it next to impossible to prove what most people’s savings look like.”

“On the plus side,” Goose added. “Can’t tell what our debt looks like either. Bill collectors are going to have a hard time finding us.”

Carla shot him a deadpan look. “Right,” she said. “Point being we can’t even think about commerce until we sort out what it’s even going to look like. When I spoke to Nalya Ruus last night, she said the Pactlands use a standard weight of gold as currency, but most people still operate under trade-and-barter rules. There’s no central bank here. Currency is regulated by this High Magus Council of theirs. Independent banks aren’t allowed to operate. That’s just not going to work for us. We might need to consider, at least temporarily, creating our own currency.”

“That’s a big ask,” Jack commented. “One I’m sure people are going to take issue with.”

“Regardless,” Goose continued. “It may be the direction we have to go until we can come up with a better solution.” He reached over to his briefcase and put it up on the table. “There’s something else we need to consider here, but I don’t quite know how to say it without sounding bonkers.”

“I think under the circumstances, you’d be forgiven. What is it?” Carla asked.

Goose opened the briefcase and pulled out a few papers. “Yesterday evening before curfew, we got a report from the surveyors, and they noticed something alarming. As you know, the Heart and Stocking Lake watershed made the transit across with us, but Holland Lake did not. That was left on Earth.”

“So?”

“So, the town’s fresh water reservoir is fed by Holland Creek. The hint is in the name.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I live right on the edge of Holland Creek. It’s running fine.”

“Not just Holland Creek, but Rocky Creek and North Haslam Creek have shown no sign of change in water levels.”

“How is that possible?” Carla asked.

“Because all three creeks are being fed by an alternative source,” Goose explained. He passed around a series of photographs. On them were pictures of the areas in which all three creeks were supposed to end, only for there to be another creek feeding them on the other side of the border with the Disputed Lands. “Somehow, every major water source coming into the area miraculously lined up perfectly with local sources.”

“Jesus,” Jack said, looking at the photos. “They’re… perfect.”

“What are the odds of that?”

Goose shook his head. “Impossible,” he said. “Every person I’ve talked to insists there’s no possible way for that to have occurred naturally.”

“So what does that mean?”

“It means,” Jack interrupted. “That the Blacklight Event wasn’t some random occurrence. There was an intelligent hand guiding it.”

Goose nodded. “Ain’t that a kicker?”

“So what, are we talking about God here? God did it?”

“Maybe,” Goose said. “I’ve never really been the overly religious type, but it would take someone approaching god-like levels of power… or magic to do something like this.”

“Christ,” Jack commented. He leaned back in his seat.

“So what does this change?” Carla asked.

Goose shook his head. “Couldn’t tell you,” he replied. “But it might bring us another layer closer to figuring out whatever this is. If this was by design, that gives us a jumping off point. We just need to figure out where exactly we’re jumping to. When our little diplomatic mission gets back, I’m hoping they’ll have a few more layers to this whole problem, and maybe we’ll be able to make some headway on getting Ladysmith back home.”

“No, the clutch! Push the clutch or you’re going to destroy the transmission!” Brad exclaimed.

Ryan and Terra stood back watching as Constable Shepherd and Brad Renfrew did what they could to teach Bayne and Nalya to ride the quads. There was something uniquely comical about the whole thing, and it revealed the big difference in Nalya and Bayne’s personalities.

Nalya, to her credit, took the whole process slowly, and seemed rather amused at the prospect of learning to ride. She was patient, and took instruction well.

Bayne, on the other hand, jumped headfirst into the process, waving off any talk of safety and boasting that he could tame any beast, flesh or metal.

He’s already fallen off three times. One of them resulted in him going head-first over the handlebars.

They’d made their way up the logging roads to the area where they’d first encountered Nalya and the others. Nalya’s men wouldn’t be too far off, but Brad wanted to be certain they could operate the quads before setting off into uncharted territory.

“He always like that?” Ryan asked Keltz, who seemed to be equally amused watching the goings-on.

Keltz smirked. “Bayne Dalon is as stubborn as a mule,” he replied. “But for good reason. He is also true to his word, and there’s none other you’d want at your back.”

“So he’s like… your bodyguard?” Terra asked.

“No, he’s Nal– the Lady’s bodyguard. Sworn to her protection.”

“But he’s not from Halen, right?”

“No,” Keltz replied. “He’s from the Sandsea of Rasza, originally.”

“How’d he get mixed up with you two?”

Keltz sighed. “Bayne is Oathsworn,” he said. “There is a custom amongst the men of the Raszan Sandsea to join in an unbreaking bond with a loved companion. The Lady’s father, Ailron Ruus was that companion for Bayne. After he perished, his oath then passed to her.” He paused for a moment. “But they, too, have a bond all their own.”

“So Nalya is Raszan too, then?”

“By birth,” Keltz said. “But no longer.” He looked to Ryan. “Now she is the Countess of Roses.”

“Sounds important,” Terra commented.

Keltz looked to her. “To a commoner, yes. Amongst nobles, her ennoblement is a point of contention. Some believe the House of Roses to be a fallen house, and think that is how it should remain.”

“I’m not exactly up on the politics of nobility,” Ryan said. “What do you mean by fallen house?”

Keltz remained silent for a moment. “The former Count of Roses died a disgrace to Halen,” he explained. “Some twenty-five years ago, madness took him, and he committed a great atrocity. The Halish branch of the Ruus family perished with him, and the Estate belonging to the House lay vacant since. The Lady and her siblings are cousins of that Count.”

“She’s got siblings?”

Keltz nodded. “Yes, although I would not say they are close. Forgive me,” he said. “I have said too much. If you wish to know more, it is not my place to say.”

“I’ll nae wear that!” came Bayne’s voice suddenly. Terra and Ryan looked over and saw Brad attempting to hand him a black motorcycle helmet. “How am I to breathe?”

“Look, wear it or don’t,” Brad exclaimed, clearly frustrated. “But at least take the bloody thing.”

“How’s that supposed to protect me head?” Bayne asked. He knocked on the side of the helmet experimentally. “What’s it made of?”

“Polycarbonate plastic,” Brad explained. “Fibreglass, maybe a little kevlar, with polypropylene on the inside. It’s solid, I swear. A sword couldn’t break through this.”

“I didnae understand a word you just said! Bah!” Bayne argued.

“Bayne!” Nalya yelled. She quickly walked up to him and grabbed the helmet, dropping it to the ground. She pulled out her sword and raised it over her head, smashing it down on the helmet. It left a mark on the shiny black exterior, but it didn’t break through. “See? We need to be moving and you’re burning our time!”

Bayne looked down at the helmet inquisitively. He picked it up and inspected it. “It… didn’t break through?” He looked over to Nalya, then frowned. “Bah. Fine. I’ll keep the blasted thing.” He quickly placed it on the rack at the rear of the quad.

Brad shook his head. “How long until we have to meet with your men?” Brad asked.

“They’ll return to Stone’s Mouth within the hour. Any further lessons will have to wait until we’re there.” She shot a look to Bayne. “He can ride straight. That’s enough for now.”

“Fine,” Brad said. He looked to Bayne. “Just don’t take corners while moving too fast. You’ll flip the whole thing over and they’ll probably have to carry you the rest of the way.”

“Aye, aye,” Bayne said with a wave. “I’ll tame this beast just fine.”

“Whatever,” Brad said. He looked to Ryan and Terra. “You two ready?”

“We’re good,” Ryan replied.

“Then let’s get moving. Lieutenant Wicket, you ride with me. I’ll take the lead, but I’ll need you to direct me once we get into the Disputed Lands,” he said.

Keltz hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. He climbed onto the back of the quad.

“All right,” Brad said. He looked to Constable Shepherd, Ryan and Terra. “Say your goodbyes to familiar territory, you three. It’s all uncharted from here on out.”

Shannon turned on the lights and breathed in the stale air as she stepped into the building. “Count yourselves lucky, girls,” she said to Arie and Lily as they walked in behind her. “I had to pull a lot of strings for this.”

Indeed she had. The Traveller’s was one of the first structures to be erected in Ladysmith, after the town's migration from the old Extension Mines, now outside of the radius of the Blacklight, the building had been literally hoisted up, deconstructed, and moved via railroad. It was a heritage landmark in the town, situated right on First Avenue, right across the road from the town’s only Vegan restaurant.

And it was falling apart.

“You're kidding,” Lily said. “This building was on its last legs twenty years ago. Hell, it's been condemned for the last two.”

“That's only because it was tied up in escrow,” Shannon explained. “But with the whole Blacklight thing… well, you know the rest.”

Lily did indeed know the rest. The Trav’s had been condemned two years earlier. Even the alley next to the building had to be blocked off, due to the incidents of the bricks falling off of the outer wall. The building was in serious need of repair, and the only reason nobody could repair it was because the original owner died. He left the building to the town, but his will had been contested by several people-- none of whom lived in town.

Now that there was only the town, there was no need for the escrow.

“It's not much now,” Shannon said. “But it's got electricity, and it's a meeting space.” She looked to Arie. “And for now at least, it belongs to the Ladysmith Magic Society.”

Lily looked around the room. Their inaugural meeting was to be this afternoon, at two. The bar area, in which they were now situated, had tables and chairs lined up against the far wall. It was the last of the furniture available. But the floor was coated with a thick layer of dust, pieces of ceiling that had dropped down, and worse.

Lily checked the time. It was eight o'clock. They had six hours to whip this place into shape enough to support a meeting space.

Back when the Journeyman had been in use, the bar had been one of the seedier in town, the regular dive of the small assortment of crackheads and welfare alcoholics. Except on karaoke night, where, of course, an interesting cross-section of townspeople would appear, sing, drink and be merry, and then return home at last call.

“I think it's great,” Arie said. “But it will have to be cleaned.”

“And we're not going to be able to do that ourselves before two o'clock,” Lily commented.

Shannon put her hands in the air. “I did what I could to get you access to the building,” she said. “Ed Carroll's work crew is out fixing the terminal building at the airport-- the blacklight sliced right through one corner of it. That'll take them a few days, but the Traveller's on their to-do list. Couldn't tell you how long until they'll actually get to the place-- but I don't see it collapsing on you in the meantime. Just be careful if you're going to be going upstairs. At least for now.”

Lily nodded. “That's okay. But we're still going to need some help with this.”

“Are my ears ringing?” came a voice from the entrance. Lily turned around to see Boomer leaning against a doorframe. “Jeez, it’s dusty in here. Never seen what it looked like on the inside. Always wondered.”

“You here to help out?”

“Well, I wasn’t,” Boomer said. “I was just going for a walk and spotted you walking in. I knocked on your door earlier. Didn’t get an answer.”

“Arie and I left early. Welcome to the Ladysmith Magic Society,” she said.

“Where’s she at?” Boomer asked.

“I’m right here,” Arie answered.

Boomer looked over to her and did a double-take upon seeing her. The previous night, she’d had weeks of caked-up dirt on her skin. She wore a tattered robe, and her hair was a mess. Now, she was freshly cleaned, her hair tied neatly back into a ponytail, and she was wearing jeans and a Billy Talent t-shirt. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “I… wow, I didn’t recognize you.”

Arie smiled. “I was introduced to what Lily and Terra called a makeover last night,” she said.

“She cleans up well,” Lily added.

“Okay,” Shannon said. “I have to head down to City Hall. I’ll leave the rest to you two, and make sure to direct people here as they come to us.”

As Shannon left, she turned her attention to Boomer. “So you’re going to help, right?”

Boomer nodded. “Yeah, I’ll help. But… I gotta talk to you two about something first.”

“About your magic?” Arie asked.

Boomer seemed to wince at the mention of the world. “Yeah,” he said. “Look… this is new territory for me. Suffice it to say, I don’t want it. So I need to know how to turn it off?”

“Turn it off?” Arie asked. “I don’t understand.”

“Like, get rid of it,” he answered. “Make it go away.”

Arie looked to Lily for a moment, then back to Boomer. “You wish to give up your power?”

“Yeah.”

She remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. “Why?”

“Oh, I dunno,” Boomer said. “Because it’s dangerous maybe? Because last night, I could see the fear in your eyes? Because it’s the last thing I want?”

“You’re right,” Arie said. “In the wrong hands, Mind Magic is dangerous. It can be unpredictably devastating.” She cocked her head to one side.

“There you go,” Boomer said. “So how do I get rid of it?”

“There is one way,” she said. “But it is difficult, and you must want it more than anything else.”

“I’ll do anything,” Boomer said. “Lay it on me.”

“Take your own life,” Arie said.

Lily started to cough uncontrollably. “I’m sorry,” she said. “What?”

Arie looked to her. “The Foundations of Magic aren’t something you can merely cut out like a cancer,” she explained. “Not a gift you can return. They are part of our very being. I was the first of my family to ever manifest magic. It set me apart from my mother, from my brother. It was unexpected and I dare say, profoundly unwanted. But there was nothing to be done.”

“Well, I don’t plan on killing myself,” Boomer said. “But there must be something else. Some other option.”

“There is,” Arie said. “There is one thing you can do.”

“What?”

“Embrace it,” she said. “Understand that it is a part of you. Integrate it into yourself, and become its master, lest it becomes the master over you. There is a saying here. Only those who do not know the extent of their darkness can become monsters. You surprise me, Boomer. You appear to know your darkness, and with the promise of the power you have, you seek to reject it. That is a sign that you are a good man.”

“I’m not a good man,” Boomer replied.

“And that is why I think you may have what it takes to be the master of your power. Those who regard themselves as good are the first to fall prey to impulse. I confess I have little knowledge of Mind Magic,” she explained. “But if you’ll allow it, I will help you.”

“Why?” Boomer asked.

“Why what?”

“Why are you so eager to help me?” Boomer asked. “Nobody does anything for free, especially for a stranger. What do you gain from this?”

“Boomer, don’t be rude,” Lily interjected.

“It’s quite all right,” Arie said. She looked to Boomer. She grasped the Widow’s Tear at her neck. “Tam was– is a good man. He is good because he knew he was flawed. Like you. You and he have much in common. He sacrificed much for me, and I him. As a result, both of us cannot return to where we’re from. There is nothing left there for us. But here… here is a chance at something new. Something that could be great. If it isn’t, then we will take our leave and move on. Perhaps across the sea to Caede. Perhaps deeper into the Free Lands, where Vector or Halen will never think to look. But this place… is wonderful. Your music. Your entertainment. Terra introduced me to movies last night. I think I should like to stay. And if I stay, I must be of use to you and your people.” She gestured to Boomer. “It serves both me and Tam to be of use here in this place, until it doesn’t. That is why I wish to help.”

Boomer remained quiet for a moment. “Under one condition,” he said.

“What are your terms?”

“Keep it between us three,” he said. “At least for now. I can’t… I don’t want the attention that comes with this. Not yet, at least.”

Arie smiled softly. “You have my word, Boomer,” she said.

“Terra and Ryan know,” Lily said.

“Terra and Ryan won’t be back for a while,” Boomer said.

“I, too, have a condition,” Arie said.

Boomer looked to her.

“These meetings,” she said. “I would like you to attend them. Observe and listen. With the Foundations, there are many lessons that apply to all forms of magic. I am not a scholar, nor a teacher. I do not claim to be. But I can share what I know, and I think you will find some value in it.”

Boomer absorbed her words, then nodded. “Well it’s not like I have a job right now anyway. I don’t even know if the gas station is going to be opening up again with my boss living out of town. Deal.”

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Lily said. “We’ve got four hours to get this place whipped into shape. You can start by moving those tables.”

Terra was the first person to spot the smoke and follow it down between the trees to the stone chimney that produced it. It was all she could see of the building, and sped up toward Brad, pointing at the smoke in the distance.

After they had made their way to Nalya’s men, and raised quite a commotion with the sound of the quads, Brad had made the decision that they’d walk the quads in the rest of the way so as to prevent another incident. Even Nalya hadn’t expected her men to be pointing swords at them on arrival, but when they had seen her, they relaxed somewhat, and after a brief exchange whereupon they were ordered to wait for Keltz and Brad to return with the rest of her soldiers, they were again on their way. To Nalya and Bayne’s credit, they seemed to be doing just fine operating the machines. Bayne seemed especially giddy about them.

Brad brought his quad to a halt and stepped off to the side, putting it into neutral gear and pushing it the rest of the way to Stone’s Mouth.

“So that’s the village?” Terra asked, pointing toward the stone chimney and pillar of white smoke that came from it that lay between the trees.

“Aye,” Bayne responded. “That's it.” He looked back to Nalya, who pulled up behind the two. She leaned over her handlebars. “We're making excellent time,” she said. “At this rate, we could be to Arronay within a few days.”

“Arronay?” Ryan asked. “That's where that Seer guy lives, right?”

“Yes,” Nalya said. “He takes residence at the Seer’s Tower there. We will see him before making our way to Cilasia,” she explained. She turned back to the village. “Come, we've only got a few hours until noon. We'll be back on our way then.”

Ryan checked his watch. It was a quarter after nine. He thanked God the Pactlands operated on the same twenty-four hour clock Earth did.

Within a few minutes, they walked to quads up toward the entrance to the village. Terra looked to the villagers around them. They seemed somewhat alarmed to see them, but upon seeing Nalya, they appeared to calm down. An old man approached them.

“Lady Nalya?” he inquired.

Nalya smiled and nodded. “Yes,” she said. She looked back at Brad Renfrew, who was standing next to his quad looking around the village with interest.

“The Goddamn middle ages,” he said to nobody in particular.

“Elder Akris,” Nalya said, looking at the old man who stood in front of her. “I have seen wonders in this past day.” She motioned to Brad, who was still whistling appreciatively at the village. “This man is from a large town, just over the ridge. The source of the light we saw the night before last. His name is Brad Renfrew, and he's here to speak with you.”

Akris looked at Brad and the others. “Speak to me of what?” he asked. “We heard a noise, a thunderous growl coming from the woods. Was that you?”

She nodded. “These… quads. They allowed us quick travel, but at the cost of great noise.”

Finally, Brad's attention was on the man Nalya was talking to. He approached slowly. “Hi there,” he said. “Brad Renfrew, Ladysmith Emergency Committee. You’re in charge here?”

“This is Elder Akris,” Nalya said, introducing him.

Akris looked back and forth from Brad to Nalya. He seemed confused. “I don't understand. A town over the ridge? There's nothing there. We've fished along the Aegel Coast for years, but never-- a town?”

“Look, it's hard to explain,” Brad said. “We haven't even been able to do a very good job of it ourselves, but suffice it to say, we're in a bit of a bind. As we understand it, so are you. But we might be able to help each other. We know nothing of this place, and we'll need your help in order to keep our shit together.”

“I'm... not sure I understand,” Akris said.

“We’re told the Vectoran Army rode through here a few days ago, correct?” Brad asked.

Akris nodded slowly.

“Well,” he said, “we might be able to help you stop them.” He picked up the rifle he’d attached to the back of his quad and showed it to him.

“I still fail to understand, good sir,” Akris said.

“Cover your ears,” he said. He looked back to Nalya and Bayne. “This might be a little loud. He aimed the rifle into the distance, toward a tree near the edge of the village, then gently squeezed the trigger. The branch of the tree splintered and fell to the ground.

The resounding boom surprised everyone.

“Blast! What in the Void was tha’?” Bayne exclaimed.

Brad smiled. “Still got it,” he said. “This is a rifle. Without overcomplicating it, it shoots a chunk of metal at speeds high enough that if a person were to be hit with one of these, well… they ain’t going to be getting back up any time soon.”

Akris walked up and took a closer look at the rifle. “This weapon… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“We’ve got more. Lots more,” he said. “As well as a supply of ammunition. It’s not exactly infinite, but we’ve got enough. I can speak with the authority of the Ladysmith Emergency Committee that if you’re willing to help us, we’ll station some of our people here, and defend your village. Just one man armed with one of these is worth ten– no. Fifteen Vectoran soldiers.”

Akris looked at him sceptically. “Even in full armour?”

“The sort of armour I’ve seen won’t do a thing to stop one of these bullets,” he said.

“And what is it you expect of us?” Akris asked.

“I understand you have an active mine here. Coal?”

Akris nodded. “Yes,” he said. “There’s also a charcoal pit just north of the village. But since Vector came… they took those young and strong enough to mine with them. Most of us who are left, we are too old to enter the mines.”

“Fortunately for you, that won’t be a problem,” he said. “We can provide the labour needed. We can also teach you new methods of mining that’ll make the whole process much easier.”

Akris laughed. “My boy, my family has been mining in these hills for generations. I doubt there’s anything new you could teach me.”

“I would not doubt them, Elder,” Nalya said. “The rifle is but one of the wonders I’ve seen. Lights that burn without need of fire. Devices that paint pictures indistinguishable from reality in an instant. Their radios can allow them to speak with people leagues away as if they were standing right next to you.”

Akris cocked his head to one side. “Truly?”

“Aye, it’s true,” Bayne said.

Akris stroked his beard in thought. “How much coal would you require?”

“Well, to be as specific as possible… as much as you can provide us.”

“So you want all of it. And you will provide us with these… rifles?” He remained silent for a moment. “And what will be left of Stone’s Mouth if you take all the coal? How will we feed our children? Care for our elders? Your men may protect us from Vector, but what of the winter?”

“I’ll be honest with you,” Brad said. “We’re in a dire situation. We need your coal to survive. But we won’t just take it and run. Our town is just down by the coast, and we’ve got an overabundance of resources we’re happy to share. What if I told you we had seed that was resistant to pests and disease that guarantees a high yield?”

Akris laughed. “I would say such seed would be a myth.”

“And yet, I promise you, we have it. And we’re more than willing to share. I’m not just talking about a trade relationship here. I’m talking about our two peoples working together for a common goal. To ensure our homes, and our people, are safe, happy and fed. If you’re interested, we can talk further. But one way or another, we need coal at the very least, and we’re willing to pay you up front for it if you’re willing to negotiate.”

Again, Akris stroked his beard. He looked to the others, then back to the village. “Come to my house,” he said. “Perhaps we can make a deal that is suitable for all of us.”

Terra found a nice tree to sit under while the preparations were being made in Stone's Mouth. Terra imagined it to be a quaint little village in better times. She could see the burnt out husks of homes made from stone and wood. They reminded her of the pictures she saw of the medieval English countryside. There were a bunch of kids running around, playing in the fields while the older folks tended to the repair of the town. There was a plump older woman with a cloth tied over her head, holding her hair back tending to the kids. They were darting in and around the quads, but the woman would yell sharply if one tried to touch the things.

Terra took her phone out of her pocket and stared at it for a moment. No signal. What she would have given for a connection to the internet. Still, at least she had her playlist. She turned on her phone’s camera and started taking a video.

“So this is Stone’s Mouth,” she said. “It looks like something you’d see in Game of Thrones. The first stop in our trip to Halen.” She turned the camera toward herself. “I’m still not sure what to make of all this. It’s not like I can upload this to TikTok, but could you imagine how viral all this would go if I could?” She laughed.

“There’s Nalya over there, talking to her soldiers,” she said, pointing the camera into the distance. “Then Bayne and Constable Shepherd over there. Not sure where Ryan went.” She continued to pan the camera around the village, then settled it on a single form.

A little girl stood at the edge of a grassy field, looking her way. Terra put her phone down and looked back at her, then smiled.

The girl approached her. “Who are you talking to?” she asked.

“Hello to you too,” Terra said. “I’m talking to my mom.”

“Where is she?”

“Back home,” she said. “I’m taking a video to show her later.”

“A vid-yo?” the girl asked.

“Yeah. Here, I’ll show you. Stand right there,” she said. She pulled up her phone and snapped a quick photo of the girl. “See?” she asked, then showed her.

The girl looked at the display on her phone and cocked her head to one side. It was clear she didn’t quite know what to make of it. “It looks like my sister,” she said.

“That’s you!” Terra explained.

The girl didn’t seem to understand. Terra quickly realised she had difficulty grasping the subject.

“It’s like… a painting. Have you ever seen a painting?”

The girl shook her head.

Of course. A village that small was unlikely to have skilled artists capable of doing realistic paintings. Sculptors, perhaps. Had the girl even ever seen her reflection in a mirror, or was the village really that poor?

The girl seemed to lose interest in the phone and continued to stare at Terra. “Why is your hair like that?” she asked.

Terra handled a lock of her hair, looking at it. It was unlikely they had the same sort of hair dyes Terra was used to in Stone’s Mouth. The concept itself was probably completely alien to them.

“I coloured it,” she said.

“Why?” the girl asked.

“Because I like bright colours,” she explained.

“It looks like a poppy,” she said.

“I guess it does,” Terra responded.

“Lanni! What are you doing?” Terra looked up to see a silver-haired woman approach. She had a severe look on her face. “Get away from there, child! Come!”

Lanni shot to her feet and ran away from Terra as the woman approached.

“How dare you?” the old woman asked.

Terra was taken aback. “How dare I what?”

“I know your kind,” she said. “Pactbound! You come through and think you own the place. Look at you, you're unnatural. A bloodhead witch!” She spat.

Terra was so offended she was speechless. She worked her jaw, then furrowed her brow. “Excuse me?” she demanded. “We're stuck here-- we never asked to be here. It just happened! You think I want to be here?”

“Be gone with you, then,” she said. “Go back to your ilk, go on and spread your legs for the Mages Council, you Pactbound whore!”

Terra jumped up to her feet. “Oh, you listen up right now you old medieval bitch,” she exclaimed. “Pull your head out of your ass and understand we’re in the same goddamn boat as you. I’m not with the Pact. I’m not even from this planet. Your Elder is in his house right now making a deal for our mutual survival. We’re here to make friends, but your dried up old cunt is stinking up the whole village. Go take a bath!”

The woman made a few squeaks of protest, and then grunted at Terra, hiked up her skirt and stormed off. Terra's tirade had caught the attention of a few other townsfolk. Many were snickering. Terra only smirked in their direction and went back to her lunch.

That was when Cale approached.

“What was that about?” he asked.

Terra shrugged. “Nothing. I was talking to that girl, then that old lady came over and called me a witch, so I lost it.”

“Well, that had better not be your attitude when we meet the King,” Cale warned.

Terra shrugged. “I'm smarter than that, but she was being a cunt!”

“And what if the Queen's a cunt?” Cale asked. “What if the King's a prick?”

Terra rolled her eyes. “Look, I'm sorry, but--”

“This is a mission of diplomacy,” he said. “I don’t care if she was being a bitch, you have to stow that attitude. What if she’s the Elder’s wife? What if that little interaction makes it so the Elder refuses to sell us coal?”

Terra started to freeze up. “I… I didn’t,” she stammered.

Cale sighed. “This isn’t Ladysmith. Someone gives you a hard time at home, you can say whatever you like. But this…” he threw his arms up in exasperation.

“Sorry,” she said.

Cale shook his head. “It is what it is,” Cale replied. “Look, I get it. She was a bitch. But you have to have more self-control. We don’t even know what their laws are like. In some places, offending the wrong person could be punishable by death.”

Terra was getting her hackles up. She was already reluctant about the whole trip. A part of her wanted to just turn around and go back home.

But she knew she couldn’t. Worse yet, she knew he was right.

“Okay,” Terra said. “I… I didn’t think it through. I’ll be good.”

“You promise?” Cale asked.

Terra nodded.

“Okay,” Cale said. “I’m not here to be your dad or anything like that. Even so, your safety is my responsibility, and I’d just rather you not make the job harder by beaking off at anyone who says something rude to you. We don’t have to be friends, but this whole trip will be a lot easier on all of us if we respect each other. You okay with that?”

Terra nodded.

“Good,” Cale said. “Now let’s find out who that lady was and lodge a formal complaint.”

Terra smiled. Maybe Shepherd wasn’t all bad.

“Lady! Lieutenant!” Syrel greeted, saluting.

“Lieutenant Syrel,” Nalya greeted. “How are the men?”

“We're camped in the fields behind the village. They are bored, but in high spirits. We've set up a volunteer force to help the villagers,” he said. “May I be permitted to ask how your scouting mission went?” he looked past them, at the quads. He hadn't seen them in action, he was out of sight at the time.

“Indeed,” Nalya said. “It went well, we made contact with a town of around eight thousand people across the ridge.”

Syrel's eyes shot open. “A town? On the Aegel Coast? My intelligence never--”

“It wasn't there before, Syrel,” Nalya explained. “It crossed over the night before last, from another world.”

Syrel stared at Nalya blankly. “How--?”

“Strange magic,” Nalya explained. “Nobody is really sure.”

Syrel nodded. “Interesting.”

“I've made an arrangement with these people,” Nalya said. “You and Lieutenant Wicket are to take the men down into the town, and assist them with fortification and defence against Vector. I am going to take their emissaries to see the King.”

Syrel shook his head in surprise. “You are returning to Halen? For these… mere Freemen?”

“They're not Freemen, Lieutenant. These people are… something else entirely. You'll understand when you get there. You are to give your full cooperation to a man that goes by the name of Gerald Boone. He is the man in charge of their military.”

Syrel appeared to have had something else to say, but he chose silence. He gave Nalya a sharp nod.

“We'll be here for a little longer, I have things I must get from camp, but as of noon, we'll be off. I want you to establish a temporary outpost here, in Stone's Mouth, and move the rest of the men to the town,” Nalya said.

Syrel nodded. “At once, my Lady!” he then turned and set about performing what had been asked of him.

Nalya turned to Keltz. “Make your way back to Ladysmith before the sun falls-- it will take quite a bit longer with the men. Keep them in line, and do what you can.”

Keltz gave a nod, and then set off to do his own thing.

Nalya looked around. Bayne and Cale were talking nearby, and Terra had gone up on a hill. Akris and Brad were still talking in the shade of Akris' home, and Ryan--

Ryan was playing an instrument. What she was hearing was like no song she had ever heard before. It was fast-paced and rhythmic, using notes in a succession she had never even fathomed.

Even for its speed, the music was beautiful.

Some of the local children had gathered around him to listen, and Nalya wished for nothing more than to join them, but there would be time for that.

For now, she thought as she turned away to walk towards the camp, she had to gather a few things for the trip.

“He awake yet?” Andy asked Boone as he sat in the chair outside the room where they put the Vectoran prisoner. He had passed out long before the ambulance got there, and received enough sedatives to last him at least until they removed the bullet and patched him up.

“Just a little while ago,” Boone said. “You're here at a quiet point. He was screaming bloody murder before, but we strapped him down. He ain't hurting anybody.”

“You get anything from him?”

“You mean besides 'Die, Freeman!’” Boone asked. “No.”

Andy rubbed his hands together. “A tough nut to crack. Mind if I have a go?”

Boone threw him the keys to the cuffs. “Have at her,” he said. “I'll be right behind you.”

“What’s our policy on things the Geneva convention might frown on?” he asked.

Boone looked at him speculatively. “I’d say that Geneva’s in Switzerland,” he began. “And Switzerland’s on Earth. What are you getting at?”

“Got a taser?” Andy asked.

Boone hesitated for a moment, then pulled the taser from his belt and handed it to Andy. Andy nodded at Boone, then walked into the room.

“You!” the prisoner exclaimed. “Release me at once or suffer the wrath of ag-ackagh!”

Ag-ackagh clearly wasn't what he had originally intended to say, but things like that tend to happen when you have a taser shot into your torso. The prisoner blinked at the two, wide-eyed and confused as to what just happened.

“Just so you know, that gets worse. Much worse. And it will continue to get worse unless you cooperate. Get me?” Andy asked.

The prisoner only narrowed his eyes and spat. He started yelling until Andy pointed the taser at his face. He stopped quickly.

“What do you want, Freeman?” he asked.

“First of all, drop the Freeman shit. You want to call me something, you call me sir. I'm not a Freeman, and neither is he. In fact, nobody in this bloody town is a Freeman. Got me?”

“Town?” the kid laughed. “What town? These are the Disputed Lands-- no town--”

He stopped when he saw Andy picked up the taser again.

“Why do you hold me prisoner?” he asked.

“You attacked us,” Andy said. “In fact, you killed Billy Jessup. That's murder, which is a crime here in Ladysmith. But I'll leave that to the judge to decide.”

“Judge?” the man laughed. “There are no laws in these lands!”

“Oh, but there are. Lots and lots and lots of laws. And you, my friend, committed a crime on our soil,” Boone explained.

The man gave him a suspicious look. “You inhabit the Disputed Lands,” he said. “You are lawless Freemen.”

“No, we inhabit Ladysmith,” Andy said. “We're sovereign from the Disputed Lands. In fact, pretty damn sovereign to any nation there is in this damned place.”

“You speak with your ass, Freeman!”

“Look, kid,” Andy said. He pulled the keys for the cuffs out of his pocket. “I've got to show you something. Try anything and you'll regret the day your momma met your papa.” He leaned down, uncuffed him from the bed and clasped the cuff on his other wrist, behind his back. He pulled him to his feet, held him by the scruff of his neck and pushed him, limping out the door.

While the kid, after capture, had been passed out, he never actually saw anything outside of the hospital room, which was largely devoid of anything but the lights. That alone apparently wasn't alarming enough to the Vectoran soldier.

“If you hadn't noticed, you're not exactly in the Disputed Lands anymore. This place was never a part of it, and we live a little differently than you.” He escorted him down the hallway towards the exit. The kid looked around at the bustle of activity, the brightness of the lamps. He gawked at a computer screen and watched as someone used a vending machine. Phones were ringing and people were answering them.

“What is this place?” the kid asked.

“As I said. Not the Disputed Lands.” He took him to the exit, and pushed him out into the parking lot.

The kid's eyes bulged open as an ambulance drove past, looking to park.

“See?” Andy inquired. “We're nothing like your Freemen.”

“Who... are you people?”

“We're Canadians. And we're pissed off. Now that that's out of the way.” He pushed the kid into the corner and pressed into his chest with a finger. “Who the fuck are you?”