Chapter Eight (part two)

Getting Ready to Building a Ship

Jane a Spy??

“I got the idea for the controls and the operating system from a movie. The simulations I modified from the Empires own training sim; I just enhanced the vid quality. The rest of the stuff on the ship are all the possible upgrades. I even added the ones not added due to space constrictions since with my magic I don’t seem to have any. By the way, I broke more than ten guild laws if this ship were to be sold or used outside of the military service. So please don’t tell anyone about her you don’t have to. So, you like the new design of the inside.” Smiling that they seemed to like it.

The three looked somewhat apprehensive. “We somewhat just came here first and didn’t see much of the ship., We wanted to try using the new controls before looking around the ship. We didn’t want to let you down, and so far, we’ve passed each simulation. I’ll tell you truthfully; it’s your controls and operating system that makes it so easy to pass. When I was taking the flight course back in training, I was top of my class and only passed eighty-five percent of my flight sims. I’ve always gone with my gut feelings and in the previous controls and systems never quite kept up with my intentions, and I found myself repeating an action more than once, and it never ended well after doing that. I haven’t seen much of the ship, but if the rest were the size of a linen closet, I’d be happy to fly her and call her my own.”

“So how do you like the visual effects of the bridge the three hundred and forty-degree view with integrated, intuitive zoom and data info? I got that idea from how I can see things now. When you look out the vid screen, it’s almost like how I see things without any tech.”

No one said a word as they realized just how different she was. “You do anything like ordinary people; you even laugh super cute. I wish I were half as talented as you, with only maybe a tenth of your strength and incredibly solid body. I could make do with a thousandth of your magic and with just one more affinity.” Courtney laughed at her words and wishes. Heather just popped shoulder with a light punch.

“Dame Girl, you’re making her blush, and she does that super cute too. Makes you want to hug, squeeze her and then give her a big wet kiss on the cheek.” Heather could even see Sky’s ears redden at the tips and smiled.

“Hey stop teasing my little angel. If anyone can hug, squeeze her and give her a big wet kiss on the cheek, it will be her big sister Jane. Aren’t I right my little angel”?

Sky didn’t know what to say or how to react. The things they were saying were the truth to how they felt about her. A few tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, and at that moment she wished she was soft, soft enough to hug THEM, squeeze and big wet kiss on the cheek. She realized what she was going to do and she started with Jane. “I would like to make you all part of my family, this may sound strange, but I’m going to hug each of you to seal the bond.”

She had turned to Jane first and encircled her slightly taller frame with her arms. Jane felt the power flow into her, and she felt a rush of euphoria enter her body, and she remembered the feeling from before when she got the hug while fighting the aliens for Sky. She felt a swell in her elemental wells as she received links to what felt like an unlimited magical power. Tears flowed from her eyes as she understood what this meant. Sky pulled back and gave her a brief kiss.

Courtney was next and was a little leery at Janes reaction to the hug and kiss on the cheek. The questioning glanced was answer with a nod as she wiped the few stray tears away. Sky waited for Courtney’s arms to open. When they did she gently wrapped her arms around her barely touching her before releasing her hold on her elemental gifts to pass them and connect her to the vast wells of power. Courtney’s eyes widened as she felt the surge of magical energy enter her body and an awareness of something new. She felt the love that this little girl had for life and a deep need for protecting those lives of the innocent till proven otherwise. A peace washed over her that transcended the plan of existence she knew. Her emotions ran wild with the happiness Sky shared with her and tears ran down her face freely. She knew she was different on a metaphysical level. Sky pulled back, and Courtney bent over to receive her kiss on the cheek which was meant to be gentle but may have caused a bruise regardless.

Sky turned to Heather next and embraced her as she did the others. Heather felt the connection to Sky and closed her eyes as it bathed her in powerful magic. She had a feeling of something new within her being. Her magic felt different from before in some way. She felt loved and cared for as if by a mother, she never had all the hardship were just something that had to happen to lead to this one moment in time. She felt enraptured in the girls embrace, and her life was now part of something much greater than herself. Tears of joy ran down her face unabashed knowing of the loving trust she held. She too did not hesitate to receive the bruising kiss on the cheek.

Todd watched the women of his team silently shed tears. The battle-hardened women each of them reduced to tears by a simple hug. He did not want to end up with tears in his eyes regardless of what type they were. When Sky turned to him he was going to say; ‘I’ll pass for now.’ Before the words formed on his lips, he remembered his team with Sky and he was left alone outside of the bubble and what he missed. Was his manly pride worth missing out on something so great as to have the toughest women he ever knew reduced to tears? NO. He had to kneel because of the height difference to receive his brotherly hug.

As if she knew of internal troubles she whispered in his ear. “Fred and Joe had tears after the hug too.” Todd was just as well muscled as Joe yet taller than Fred. He felt something like a tsunami of elemental energy pushing into his core with it a connection to something greater than he felt possible. It was given to him freely and asked nothing but love in return. He felt a deeper connection to his gifts than ever. The feelings were almost overwhelming as power cascaded his core causing new magical networks. In his life, he had to work or fight for just about everything. Now he was being given a gift like no other worth more than everything he owned.

This tiny girl was offering, no giving it to him freely just because he treated her like a kid sister. He wasn’t even overly kind to her. He was reflecting on his past interactions with her. He had punched her with magically augmented strength even though nothing happened to her.e ha He had also tried to knock her down in a sparring match. He treated her as a rival, not a friend. Now she was offering him a gift and not asking for any compensation in return.

How could this tiny girl wriggle into his heart so quickly? She represented the life he wishes he had, loving parents and power to help others without having to work for it. He wanted to know more of the girl’s past to understand how and why she could, and was sharing so freely what so many people coveted so exceedingly. During the hug, he started to see spells and incantations all around the new and old. Looking to Jane, he saw the mess of spells around her. It was chaotic and unfathomably complex he wanted to see more.

He saw part of the spell she had used the increase the size of the room. Most of it was out of his field of view. She was truly gifted like no other he has ever met. She pulled back and had a damp patch on her shoulder. He realized then it was from tears, his tears. Tears of happiness, tears of a gift and connection to something so great it was beyond measure. He received his bruising kiss and gave her one of his own on her forehead saying “thank you, little sis.” As he stood up his ability to see the old spells and incantations faded away. The last ones he saw were the ones on Jane’s body and shuddered at the sight of the sheer madness of the castings.

Sky saw his reaction and at first, wondered what about Janes unsettled him. Then she recalled that he could see recently casted spells. She wiped at some wet spots on her cheeks and without any real expression asked Todd. “You can see the spells crafted on her, can’t you? Could you tell me if you have seen or heard of anything like them? It could help me unravel the chaotic magic they used on her.

“I could see them briefly but not anymore. It only lasted for a few seconds after you broke off the hug. I have never seen any or heard of any magical spells like them. Even looking at the mess of the spells made my head hurt. I could see all the magic ever used on everything in here but you. Is that what you see all the time when you look around? Can you see magic castings everywhere you look? Another thing is why do I have an urge to use magic to do everything? Todd didn’t know when to stop asking questions.

She just chuckled at all the questions he had while the girls explored their gifts with the new awareness they had. “Yes, I can see any magical castings and copy them. Though when I see them, I see other ways of making them better. A lot of spells have sloppy math and lack imagination in their crafting. Take the ranged punch you modified. You cleaned up some of the sloppy math, but it was still very unimaginative. It had no flare, like food with no spices. Magic as far as I’m concerned can be used creatively and with style. Any spell has from what I see is made up of three or more parts, function, flare and intent. You have to balance them together, and they become one spell.” She smiled at the reaction of her take on magic uses. “Oh, since I linked your wells to mine I guess you’ll feel some pressure in your core. It’ll be as if you never used magic for a while and your well was overflowing. You'd get used to it after a couple of days and will find it easier to use your true affinities if Fred and Joe’s experience were to go by.”

“So you can change the spell by a mathematical equation formula. I know there is math that can be used to form some spells. The math is unreasonably complex, and few people can use the math to change a spell. Most people change spells by using parts of other spells with the quality they want. So, who taught you the mathematics of spellcasting”? Todd asked because that’s how he changes the ranged punch spell. Through trial and error were how a lot of the spells changed after they originally were written. How do you mean I cleaned up some sloppy math? I never used math to clean up any spell. I know the theory of the mathematics it takes, but I don’t understand how it works.”

“I learned some from a book from the library at least the simple explanation, but the rest l learned from the intergalactic web. Some of the spells you can see how they’re going to work by how the magic would flow through them. Magic should flow smoothly and in the most direct path possible. If you look at most, well a lot of the spell I upgraded if you look close enough at all the part of the spell I just reorganized the sigils so the magic would flow more efficiently within the casting.”

Jane looked at one spell she knew well and looked for an update on it, and there wasn’t one. It was a spell given to her from the mage who was somehow involved in the spell she was currently stuck in. She wanted to say something but found the words wouldn’t form in her mouth. She realized something was preventing her from telling anyone about it. She had to get Sky to see the spell and can understand how the spells work. Sky had already gone through her tablet and not found the strange spell. The mages must have encrypted it in a way hidden from others. She noticed Sky looking at her, and there was a look of concern in her eyes. Jane wondered if Sky had pick-up on her discomfort.

Sky took her hand “what’s wrong you went pale and then silent. Is there anything wrong do you want me to fix a spell for you”? Sky asked thinking she might be able to help her more. There are some magic spells and sigils in there I know nothing about their purpose. I would have deleted them because they were so sloppily made. They weren’t mine so I left them alone.”

Jane held up her tablet and managed to croak out “spell” before she lost consciousness. Sky caught her before she fell even a tiny bit and called to the others, needlessly. They all took notice at Sky asking the question. They tried to get her to bring her on to the scout ship. Sky just told them she is taking her home. “Conny inform Fred, Jane is down and unconscious from an unknown spell. I think she’s a spell on her that can allow a type of spying. I’ll bring her to my house because it stops magic from going through it. Before she passed out, she held up her tablet and said “spell.” I’m going to go through her spells again and see what I find provided. Todd permits me to go through her files if I find nothing in her MAD side of her tablet.”

Todd while following her into the house heard her reason and what she wanted to. “Does it if you think you can help her? She has nothing to hide that means risking her life or health.”

They all followed Sky into her house, and a large neatly kept bedroom. The bed had no sheets on it but looked comfortable as Jane was gentle set down. The room had a few books in rough condition with strange rubber sticks beside the stacks. There was a couple of comfy looking chairs and a desk. There was a small window into the darkness from being in the sack.

Sky gently took Janes hand and stroked it with care. Everyone felt a gentle caress across their whole body, and a calmness relaxed them all. She then took hold of the MAD tablet with her hand, and it started to glow slightly. She stopped moving entirely, now even breathing. It seemed like forever before she moved again, her hand went to Jane’s head and gently stroked her forehead. She looked over to everyone with a few tears in her eyes. I don’t know what caused it, but she locked into her subconscious. I can reach a little bit, and she’s not in any pain, but she can’t move or speak. There are some things on her tablet I can’t see. Todd Sir I know you don’t like when I enter in you, but I would like you to join me because of your gift to see spells. Would you help me find out if you can see the spells that are affecting her? With your natural gift and my natural five affinities we might be able to see the spell that is causing the problems.”

Without hesitation, Todd stepped beside her and asked. “What is it you want me to do”?

Just place your hands where mine is now and open your mind to new ideas and feelings. Reach past your current awareness and into Jane’s tablet relax most of all and let your mind focus on the new sensations.”

He laid his hands over hers and held the warmth of her small body and unyielding flesh. He watched again in amazement as the girl stepped back out her body and into his. Heat spread through him, and a feeling of power to do anything he wished encompassed him. A stray directed his awareness thought on to Jane’s wrist tablet, and it became like a huge open book giving up all its contents as if crisp, clean pages. He flipped through to the index and found a large section unidentified spells. Todd opened the folder, and at first, it seemed empty. He felt something pushing him to consider the folder with all his senses, and odd spells became visible the more he pressed his awareness. He leafed through the spells as if on autopilot and one was opened.

In a different colour, as the spell was the text, this is the one. A voice in his head spoke to him. “Before we wake her up we’ve got to disable an incantation that I think is sending some feedback or other information. More of the pages were being flipped through, and two more were brought out as marked for study. Todd felt an urgency he couldn’t control and understood it wasn’t his. The same voice as before screamed it’s not in here, where is it? The folder closed and it showed all the main folders, one after another were opened at an impossible rate. Nothing was found in any of them, and he heard a growl of frustration. He sent out a thought not knowing if he could reach her. “Calm down and take it easy, we’ll find it, whatever you’re looking for.”

He felt the physical Sky take a deep breath and relax her body, though it felt no different under his touch. “Thank you,” he heard in his head and ears.

The folders blurred and refocused three times and an additional folder appeared named Miscellaneous appeared at the bottom. It opened, and the spells had odd names on them as they opened he knew they were the ones they wanted. The resemblance of the ones on Jane’s body matched, and they were still active. He felt tension leave him and felt an awareness leave his body. The tablets folders started to fade as he felt Sky’s conscience leave him. It was like losing a friend that he knew his whole life. Something stayed behind, and it was a little comforting; he had yet to find out what. Seeing Sky smile back at him warmed his soul, and he could feel a little deeper.

Sky held her hand over Jane’s tablet, and Todd could see the complex spell circle with strange sigils in it. He still felt no magic coming from it as the spell was charged with all five elements. Sky was placing odd looking spells all over Jane’s body and powerful magic coursed through her. After what seemed like the hundredth incantation she shook Jane, and she woke up.

“What happened, I feel so strange, and my head hurts. Did someone jump on my head to see how tough it was”? Only after she spoke did she realize she was in a strange bedroom surrounded by friendly faces. Todd, what happened to me I feel so strange right now”? She saw her little angel encompassed by his towering frame.” OH Sky, I need to tell you I found a strange spell on my tablet that might help unravel the spells on my body.” The face she looked into was crestfallen and didn’t meet Jane’s eyes.

“I can’t undo the spells; no one can, it’s impossible to do. You’ll have to wait for them to dissipate on their own, now that there is no more magic feeding them. We have some other problems to deal with now too. The rogue mages may have some of the updated spells thanks to me upgrading your MAD tablet. Before they were most likely to be able to locate you and see something through your eyes. After the upgrade seeing, hearing and reading a lot of things you did. They know we're coming and they know we’re going to rescue the abducted magic users. They know we're going to have three ships coming for them and that we have more powerful spells which they might have a few. It is now more important that we build a new ship than ever. Jane if you feel up to it I would like to start right away? Right now, the rogue mages are expecting us anytime now because they just lost their link to spy on us.” She looked at Jane for her answer

She looked to her teammates and smiled letting them know she was okay. “I think other than I feel a little weird, I’m good to go. So, did you managed to break the spells that made me solid and super strong”?

“Yes, I can’t dispel the magic because it’s already in disarray. The sigils make no real sense and are unnatural to the nature of the magic of our elements. It’s as if it has no elemental affinity at all or at least one she knew nothing of.” Sky helped Jane off the bed not that she needed it. She knew it was a matter of time before she was not going to be able to touch her after the spell wore off. Then again there were better spells she had come up with that were better and easy to disable or dispel.

“Ensign Sky could you send me a report on what just happened and what you think is going to happen? I just got a strange image of future events, and I don’t quite like it. We need to talk ASAP. I don’t like being in the dark on my ship.” Before he got a chance to finish there was a chime that a report had been sent. “Thanks for the report but I still want to talk to you.” Fred opened the report and seen how detailed it was. If there was anything about Sky, she was defiantly thorough in her report. It would take him three days to read the complete report. There was even a transcript of the whole situation from beginning to end. There was a disturbing list of all the spells they could have gotten through the backdoor they installed on Jane’s tablet. She even said it might have been her fault that the Rogue mages have the spells in the first place.

“Can we talk when it’s your turn to do the healing castings? Jane and I would like to get started as soon as possible. The time we finish our recon must build the ship. We need it if we are going to succeed in the mission. They are going to have a lot more power to use even if it’s just a few more spells.” Sky looked to the people around her and frowned. “To offset the stolen spells, I’m going to tweak a few offensive incantations, and hopefully it will work. Mind you I don’t like to improve ways of killing people or destroying stuff. I’m only going to do it for us; you’re not to share it with the military. I’m not going to change them back after so don’t go killing anything you feel like.” She looked like she was pleading with them and they all nodded in a silent vow.

She reached over to Todd’s MAD tablet on his wrist and touched it. Her eyes closed and seconds later they popped open with a look of remorse. “I tweaked the top twenty offensives spells that you used most often. Don’t even open them in anywhere that is not protected from magic spells if you want to try any of them use the practice room. If I had time, I would reinforce the protection spells in there, but you’ll have to do it. The spell is in your tablet so you can do it yourself.” She repeated the process on Courtney’s and Heather’s wrist tablets.

She took Jane’s hands into her own with a slightly forced a smile. “I’m not going to upgrade your spells just yet; because I’m not sure just yet if the bubbles I put over, you are working a hundred percent. If the rogue mages get their evil hands on the spells, who know what could stop them, I might not be able to do much against the brute force of that type of magic.” She rubbed her thumbs across the back of Jane’s hands with a smile. When the rescue starts, I’ll give you the spells then, it will be too late to decrypt them once it starts.”

They walked out of her house with a sense of wonder with the new power and affinity. They all felt invincible as they left to go to the practice room as Sky suggested. Todd turned to watch Sky as she effortlessly moved everything to the sides of the huge room to make space for her to work. He could make out the circles of sigils that made up the complex spell she used. As he looked around, he saw faint circles of spells used in the past many overlapping the other. He smiled to himself at what it meant for him. She had enhanced his magical gift to see spells.