“OK, Trice, spill already, I clearly did something wrong and you clearly want to scream at me over it, so, let it out and we can move past it or I can try and fix it or at least feel bad about what an awful person I am.” They were both in the front of the carriage, a fast one, sitting side by side. She was driving, being better at it than he was and nearly back to normal, physically at least. A little thin, but nothing a few good meals and some exercise wouldn't fix. Everyone else was in the back.
That included the Wards for some reason, which he was almost fine with. It wasn't his idea of a fun good time, but, well, he'd said they were all friends now, hadn't he? It meant that he had to let the past with them go.
Except for them getting a bunch of girls pregnant to punish Rolph. He'd forgive his part in it, but Ward had better step the heck up and make sure his child, even if claimed by Count Peterson, didn't suffer for it. Ever. That was part of being a good friend too though, wasn't it? Making sure your buddies didn't mess up too much?
Next to him, Trice went a bit stiff through the face, lips turning white. Then she growled at him.
“You know what you did.” It sounded angry.
Tor just grinned and shook his head.
“No, not this time love. You know that I'm not from here, and that a lot of the rules I know are totally different than the ones you know. If I messed up, either fill me in or let it go, because I really don't have the energy to play three weeks of “you know what you did” followed by two of “It's nothing” and you should get that. Just sitting here is killing my behind you know. Granted, that's my fault, but, you know, it means I'm not up to taking a lot of extra emotional trauma right now. Poor weak little me… So, seriously, what is it?” It could be anything, from giving her the little dragon amulet to, he just didn't know, what she said, voice low and hissing, was unexpected though.
“What did you do? Oh, let's see… That's right, Maria went to bow to you, to humble herself for raping you and you didn't let her. Then, even being sick, nearly to death, you laid on the floor and begged her forgiveness for… I heard it and I still don't know what you were thinking.” She growled again.
“You humbled them Tor. You flat out told them that you were so much better than they are that their apologies don't matter, that no matter what they did to you, you were always the one in control, the “Lord of the Mighty”. People have gone to war over so much less… It would have been better if you just pissed in their faces! At least then they could dodge or take it as a punishment. That's what you did.”
Well. That explained it. Gah. No wonder Trice was angry with him. Tor looked down. His butt hurt. The backs of his legs too, where they touched the seat.
“Alright. I screwed up there then. I really… Well first, rape? I mean I guess it was a violation, but, can a man be raped? I suppose a large man could do it, but… And anyway, I said we were friends, right? So even if she did violate me against my will, I have to let that go. It's a rule.” Tor leaned into her, almost to her right ear.
“How do I fix it though? I… Gods. Do I… No, I just have no clue here. Help!” He whispered it, but the desperation in his voice was real enough, if a little playful.
Trice glared at him. Then, turning to face front she nodded.
“Alright, if you really mean all that, I'll help you fix it. You won't like it though, I can tell you that right now. Though I suppose that if it has to be done, now’s the time for it. Seriously though Tor… Learn to let other people apologize when they wrong you. It's about the worst thing you could have done at all.”
She didn't speak after that, landing in front of Alissa's house. Their house really, but everyone called the one outside the Capital his, so why not? It seemed fair. One good thing about being sick, or whatever they decided to call his current state, perhaps “terminally stupid” worked better, Tor wasn't expected to help with the luggage. Not that hitting a sigil was all that hard to manage. Still, Rolph did that for him without asking if he should. The Wards had a case each and everyone else had either a tiny chest, like Ali and Tor did, or a soft bag.
There were twelve people in all, about the carrying capacity of the old style carriage that Trice had, a lot of them in Royal Guard uniforms. It was kind of obvious Tor realized when they got inside.
Oops. Yeah, they probably didn't want to advertise overly. Karina was a Princess, and someone Tor knew, of course, but “Rolph Merchant” probably wouldn't. It was confusing, but no one else seemed to care about that. The royals all shrugged and Veren just glared at Tor.
“It’s your fault, you fix it.” The giant man rumbled at him, making the Wards both stiffen. Maria's face went sharp.
“How dare you!” She was actually shaking when she said it and approached Veren like she wanted to take him out back and teach him some manners herself. It was almost cute, except for the fact that Veren looked so baffled by it.
“Pardon Countess Ward?” He said, his voice going soft and servile without hesitation. “I'm not certain what you mean?”
“You can't treat him like that! He's… A Knight and a Countier! He's been named the Magical Counselor for the entire kingdom and… You can't speak to him that way!” Then she punched him. In the middle. Flesh hit shield and her hand just stopped as George moved between then casually. Veren just took a step back and bowed. Very low.
“Sorry ma'am…” He sounded so confused it was nearly charming. Oddly enough Karina walked up and stood in front of Countess Ward and bowed a bit too.
“Don't worry, Veren just meant that he thinks Tor screwed up and should fix it. That's all.” It didn't seem to help until Trice laughed and put her right arm over Maria's shoulder.
“Yeah. Don't worry, it’s a thing people like to do to Tor every now and then. Let's see what he comes up with, since he can't just build his way out of it this time.”
Tor sighed.
“Right. So Royal Guards and cute Princesses with me. Everyone else…” He was going to say they should make themselves at home, but Bonita came out then and stared at the decently large group, looking worried, until she saw Tor, then she looked pale suddenly.
“Um… welcome?” The words were soft and suddenly so shy that Tor floated over to her and gently kissed her on the cheek.
“Hey love. Brought guests for a bit. Is that all right? We should have gotten in touch with you first…” It was a good point he realized. She'd been living there the whole time after all. Sp it was her house too and here he was, high handedly bringing in a trove of strangers.
Though not all of them were.
“Nita?” Maria ran to her with a squeal of happiness.
They were half sisters after all and actually liked each other. Maria started chattering in a rapid, high pitched tone that Tor still couldn't quite make sense of, though Bonita and Trice both could. A girl thing maybe?
Tor smiled, “Count Ward, why don't you come with us too?” He had an idea after all.
Half an hour later he walked them all out of the back parlor, dressed to look like towns folk for the most part, and using the disguise amulets, finally, he got to play around with making them all look totally different than they did before. As a lark they did one up for the count too, making him a long haired, red headed man, with skin that almost matched Rolph's in tone, added lines to the package, aging him up a lot and reshaped the nose to match too.
Then he got dressed in a nice velvet black and green outfit with black leather boots. It was all magic, but other than the height, he fit the part.
“William Merchant.” Tor introduced him with a grin. “Rolph's da.”
Everyone laughed, except the Royal Guard who stared. Finally George, who looked younger and more golden skinned, like a southerner, nodded.
“Very good. I see it. Yes.”
Kari Merchant looked way different too. Heavier by about fifty pounds, a lot of that breast, and hips, which made her look pretty good, if Tor did say so himself. She had long red hair, which was close to her normal color, but a rather unfortunate port wine stain birthmark on her face. Her rounded and slightly mannish looking face. It was easier to add layers of light than not. Even the flesh felt right though, if someone touched it. Or the hair. It was all shield, but it moved right. Tor reached out and made her butt just a bit bigger.
Trice laughed, but not for long.
“No, really, I have to admit, that's about perfect. This even makes sense, William Merchant is a successful trader and has guards, brought his daughter to visit… and while they could stay in town, it only makes sense that Rolph's buddy Tor would open his home… Now we just have to make Maria match. So… Rolph's sister or… no… mom. That would work. Here,” she sat Maria down and started in on her with a vengeance.
In five minutes she looked twenty years older, sixty pounds heavier and like smiling was simply not her hobby at all. The eyes all got changed too, Kari getting plain brown, like her “mom” and Will, as Tor decided to call the man, getting the same blue that Rolph had. After all, they were family. That made everyone look different.
Veren walked over to Tor and nodded.
“Alright. I have to admit that's better than I thought you'd do. Think of it first next time. We were seen landing. It would have worked better if we'd gotten out looking like this.”
After a moment Tor understood. Veren was doing what they always did at weapons and fight practice. He saw a flaw, so he immediately pointed it out. Maria, who didn't have a new name yet, stiffened, looking far fiercer now than a few moments before, but Tor nodded back.
“Good point. I'll try to keep that in mind.”
Then, since it was nearing lunch time, Tor decided to collect up some people and see about getting something to eat in town. After all, he couldn't take Rolph's parents to the school dining hall, could he? That would look shabby. It meant going to get Rolph though, who'd come back the day before to set things up. He was a good friend that way.
They found him in the room he shared with Tor, and smiled when he walked in.
“They haven't even kicked us out yet, can you believe it? I'm not sure why though. We can't complete the term, but everyone is letting us back into classes anyway. I checked for everyone, because, you know, why should I be the only one to suffer?” He stopped and smiled at the people that crowded in.
Kari ran up to her brother and squealed a little, a lower sound than would have normally been. Something she was faking personally, but Tor could make that work with a device too… Which he decided to just write down, later.
“Rolph! So good to see you!” She all but tackled him in a hug.
Wide eyed he patted her back and looked nervous, obviously not recognizing her at all. A half beat later Maria moved in to do the same and finally Count Ward, who raised the normal pitch of his voice nearly to a deep tenor, did the same.
“Son! How's school life been treating you?” The accent was, nearly perfectly, standard merchant class.
“Um… Fine sir.” It was strange, no doubt, but Rolph got that something was going on and until someone either came to help him escape, or at least explained, would just play along. Tor got it. He pointed to each of the players as soon as the door shut.
“Rolph, This gentleman is William Merchant. Next to him is his wife, your mother, Mary, and your sister, Kari Merchant. They came to visit and are staying at my house for a few days. They brought some guards, which is a little bit of putting on airs, don't you think? Still, they all seem nice. I was just going to take them to lunch.” Tor stopped and furrowed his forehead a bit, still floating in place. It was still too hard to really walk any distance, though he could stand now, which he needed to make himself do whenever possible he decided, so set down.
“We, so you know where the working group is? I want to take them too. Lyn needs her allowance if nothing else and I should check the others too, make sure they have what they need.”
“Uh, yeah, I made contact yesterday. Um, I can run get them, or those not too busy at least. I fear you've infected them all Tor. Driving themselves like, well, you always do. I suggest you also point out the potential down sides to that.” He left then, leaving everyone standing, which was a little rude.
Of course, he came back with Wensa in tow, as well as Backus, who was both a Royal Guard and a music instructor. One of the best at the school. Tor held a hand out to him and shook, then gave Wensa a small hug, like he would his own sister if she'd been there.
Rolph smiled and wrinkled his nose at both those things, but didn't smirk about it.
“I got Sam to run and fetch everyone else. Would it be all right if Instructors Wensa and Backus join us?”
That got a low chuckle from Trice, but everyone else played it straight. Tor mock glared at her.
“Yes, always. I may need Instructor Backus' help getting back into violin lessons, once I can hold it again. Instructor Binchly would of course be within her rights to beat me in the commons for missing so much, but, honestly, I can't survive that right now.” He was sending a message, but it was a real enough one and not in code. Wensa got it and tilted her head.
“That rough?” Was all she said.
“Yes. But you know, sit around like I have and… Well it adds up.” Tor smiled, because she really did know all of that and really trying to talk to her in code about it was stupid.
He looked around the room and then winked at Rolph.
“Everyone is in disguise. Two hundred gold if you figure out who your family is by the end of the meal. Don't say it all out loud there though. I want to see which of the kids figures it out first. I guess… Hmm, this is a hard one. Lyn or… Mark I think. He's a third year, which is when he should be starting to get really curious about things.”
They walked to the restaurant, of course, except Tor, who floated. Not being able to do it any other way, except maybe flying outright. He hadn't built the controls for that without using his hands yet, but it was coming. Later though. Really, he didn't think any of the kids would be able to do it yet, since it was really complex. Then again, underestimating these people would be a mistake.
Lyn walked beside him and got him to drop back a bit, not two minutes into the walk. Just a gentle motion of her head and some eye contact.
“Tor? These people… They, I think they're making themselves look different than they really do, is it, I mean, do we need to fight? I… have a cutter.” She sounded scared, so he put his hand on her back as they moved along. It was firm for a girl, but not more than it should be with regular work outs. Apparently she'd kept up with her new fighting classes.
“We're good. They're all friends. Good catch though. Don't mention it to the others. I want to see if they get it too.”
“Oh. Alright.” She smiled then, happy and walked a little faster so she was next to Guide. They linked arms, which was something new, Tor thought. Then, how would he know? He hadn't exactly been around had he? Plus it also may not mean anything. If he did that with Mrs. Merchant, no one would think anything of it, right?
Except Maria.
The meal went well and he covered it all, since he invited everyone. Rolph started to get the tip, but his dad just chuckled and took care of it with a wink. Ward was amazingly good in his role and Maria managed to keep her mouth shut enough that it was hard to pick up on who she was. Kari, for her part, just kept staring at Sam, a meaningful enough interplay that it left the boy blushing. He did glance back though. So, as long as Kari wasn't just teasing the boy, Tor had no problem with it. After all, she wasn't his sister.
After the meal, the kids all had to get back to work, mainly classes or copying. He pulled Sandra aside before she could run off, and set up a meeting.
“New work stuff. Can we meet tonight?”
“Sure. I was going to do some work, but I can wait a day…” She grinned at him for a second. “Your room or mine?” She was decent looking, so it was a natural enough thing for her to add, and even assume that sex was the real plan. If he wasn't so worn down he'd have switched up to it, or been tempted to at least, but instead he held his hand out.
“Read my field. Carefully though.” He waited.
After a few seconds she gasped. Then she took her hand away, slowly enough everyone else noticed.
“What did you do?” Her words were half accusation, half awe.
Tor pointed at the little dragon on the left side of Trice’s shoulder.
“That.”
Sandra walked to it and started to put a hand out, then froze and made eye contact with Patricia.
“Would it be all right? I won't turn it off or anything, just…”
“Go ahead.” She stood still while a single finger came towards it.
Sandra didn't say anything for a while. A long while. Finally she stepped back and made a face.
“I see. You need to show that to Instructor Fines. I'm not even half good enough to tell you it's good. Of course, you're nearly dead, so I hope the build was worth it? I don't know how you're even managing to be out of bed. I've seen dead people with more field cohesion.” She looked at Trice and then Rolph, who was standing back, by his “mother”.
“I don't mean that as a joke either, I've literally seen it… Don't let him do, anything in regards to building. For… I don't know how long. Just don't.”
Tor sighed, “yeah, worth it. But point taken, hence the need to get you all up to speed. For a while you and the rest of the group have to make sure we keep up with what the kingdom needs for the war. So tonight? No sex this time?”
The girl laughed at him. Or at least the words he used.
“Ten? Or, do you need to be asleep by then?” It was a real question, not just a joke at his expense.
“I think I can make it that long. Bring the others, if they're available. If not, well, then make them understand as soon as they are, if I'm not around.”
Her face fell a bit, but she nodded.
Of course she got how close he really was to being dead, didn't she? In her mind that probably meant that he thought he wouldn't make it. It was one option, but so far he'd gotten stronger, so he liked his odds well enough. For now at least. Until someone attacked him or poisoned him or maybe just got him to accidentally push himself too hard.
They, everyone but the building group, went back to “Ali's House” which he informed everyone was the name of the place, getting his wife to clap a bit and jump on Kari's arm happily.
“I have an official house and everything! This is so wonderful.”
Kari giggled and hugged her back a bit, which gave that part away to Rolph instantly.
“Ha! Karina. So that's one… Two more to go…” He stared at the Count, but then shook his head.
“Tall enough to be dad, but… something’s wrong. The voice doesn't fit…”
Finally after five minutes of head turning and looking around he put it together and put a single to his lips.
“Well, by size and being so near Trice… Count Ward? Making “mom” there Maria?” He sounded uncertain but Ali clapped again happily.
“That's right! You win. We'll have the gold delivered directly. That was really good. I wouldn't have gotten it at all.” She seemed genuine happy, and oddly, so did Wensa.
“Solid disguises then. The voices need to change more. Also, when you get a chance without killing yourself, you should change the scents too Baker. Nobles all have similar scents, fine foods and spices that lower classes don't eat at all, fine perfumes and liqueurs can all be a giveaway.”
Not waiting Tor went to find some paper and started taking notes. They were good points. It didn't take a lot to convince a person at a distance, but if you wanted to hide someone long term amongst people that should know them… Yeah. Scents, voice…
“What else?” He looked around the room and then waited.
“Make people taller? Or seem shorter somehow? That or just turn invisible. That would work too.” George added this with an almost bored sound to his voice, that or dry.
It could be done though, couldn't it? He made a note of it, just in case.
Then a half dozen ideas came, mainly from the guard and mainly about things that they'd like for Noram day. He'd missed the last one, again, traveling with everyone, but there was always next year. Finally Alissa looked down and didn't make eye contact with him.
“Um, what about a device that made you feel pleasure? You know…” She didn't finish.
Tor nodded to her though, managing to not blush at all.
“Um… what kind? I mean sexual, but just, pleasure or, specific feelings, vibrations or like your being touched or other sensuous feelings or… maybe all of them at once?” It was doable. He'd even done a “naughty tingle” field before, for a firework display. It wasn't that hard.
“I can do all that, not a problem. Would anyone want something like that though?”
Everyone in the room grinned and looked away from him, like he was being stupid. Instead of insisting on an answer he just wrote it all down.
Why not? If there was a market for it, then it was worth doing, right? Well, as long as it didn't hurt anyone.
After that everyone broke up into little groups, none of which actually included him for some reason. That… OK, Tor knew why that was. He couldn't do anything. Not really. Go shopping in town? Maybe, but asking him to float around looking at things was a little much at the moment, at least as far as his friends were concerned. Weapons practice was right out, same with running. He did spend half an hour standing and then, using a low side table for support, doing knee bends. That didn't last long. About eleven of them. Still, it was an improvement over the none that he’d been able to do the day before.
Finally he just decided to go out on his own and see if there was anything for him to do. He wasn't tired yet. Not too tired anyway. Not for floating around like a ghost.
It wasn't until he found the three girls surrounding Judith that he remembered her. They'd kind of packed up and left her all alone. The bullies hadn't forgotten her though and it seemed, that in about twelve seconds, that state would become permanent, because the giant girl was about to lay waste to them all. Hard.
“Freak!” The smaller royal girl in the center of the clutch called out, holding her right arm already. “I'm telling, have fun in prison bitch!”
The other girls made sympathetic noises, but the larger girl just shook her head.
“I'm not going to prison. I'm swinging on the gallows. For your death.” She smiled grimly and pulled something from the pouch on her right hip. It was probably a cutter or force lance.
“Bitch.” Then she hit a sigil and moved in.
Tor chuckled softly, getting everyone’s attention. When they turned around Judith looked at him, not seeming to see him at all at first. The other girls all looked away after a second, except the one on the right hand side, a kind of round faced girl that was tall, and kind of cute, with hair that was black and curly, like what Trice really looked like, but with a tiny nose and funny eyes. He'd seen the look before… In Austra.
“Go away. This is a private matter.” She sounded Austran too. A clipped sound to the voice. Hidden but still there. So, a spy most likely. Hard to tell. If so she wasn't very good, but then how hard would it be to blend in at Lairdgren? People had a lot of different accents there.
Tor just shrugged.
“Is it? Seems an oddly public place for it then. Why don't you all just come with me to the Dean’s office and we'll let you settle it there.” Tor stared at the girl that had spoken, holding her gaze for a second. She finally looked down and away.
“Screw you. We don't have to answer to some little peasant boy. I'm a… Baronetta… and above people like you.” She actually paused before saying it even. It was nearly cute or would have been if Judith wasn't about to cut her and her friends down where they stood.
Of course they'd be fine if they had shields on, and they should all have them. Tor didn't check, that wasn't something that was doable at the moment after all. Instead he just shrugged.
“Oh? A Baronetta? What's your name then?” Tor took a breath, having a sudden, very deep urge to run away. He couldn't though, not really. Instead he moved to Judith's side and tapped the sigil on his chest and made sure all the devices the other girls had were turned off. Then, slowly, casually, he pulled the glossy white weapon in his own right hand pouch and got ready to trigger it.
The first girl answered for the Austran after about fifteen seconds of silence, baffled by her friend’s lack of speaking. Royals were most often very proud of their titles and families after all.
“She's Baronetta Coltress. Ginger Coltress if you must know. Who are you?” The tone was snotty. But then, an entitled noble, who knew, yeah? Tor smiled.
Judith spoke before he could, “He's Master Tor, Y'all never heard of him?” Her accent was thick again, probably due to nerves. The Austran's hand tried to pull something from her left front pocket, so Tor hit the first sigil, a force lance, that picked her up off the ground and slammed her into the soil. The other girls…
Screamed and started trying to run away.
“Judith, subdue them. We need them alive.” Was all he had time for, because the girl on the ground instead of laying very still, a normal reaction to being hit that hard, rolled to the side and sprang to her feet. He took her down again, even as she fought for whatever was in her pocket. Tor was too busy trying to stop the potential spy, who looked about sixteen, from doing anything else to really look at what was happening around him. He did hear the sounds of a fight though. After about a half minute that stopped and someone ran up to him, yelling.
“Stop that right this instant young man!” The voice was dark and filled with lemons still.
Proctor Campbell.
Good.
“Campbell, get this girls hands, don't let her touch her pockets. I can't prove it yet, but she may be an Austran agent.” Tor smiled then. “Or she may just be a girl faking her way into a good school using the name of a dead girl. If it's the later we don't want her hurt, but if it's the first…”
“What?” The man balked for a few seconds.
“Just do it! I don't have time to explain! Hands. Keep them out of her pockets.” The whole time Tor had to keep her pinned down, which stopped the second the black clad bald man stepped in the way. Freaking hell.
Whatever the girl had in her pocket, it wasn't a weapon. At least she seemed to be trying to swallow it. Grand. There was an obvious biting down and about ten seconds later as Campbell stood looking shocked the girl’s mouth started to foam, white first, then pink. Some kind of poison? That or Nanos. That last was confirmed a second later when his shield started sparking with small purple lights, then it turned into a storm of them.
Then the man just fell down, face to the stones of the commons.
“Shields on, get your shields on!” Tor yelled. Judith's already was, but one of the girls on the ground the one that wasn't the ring leader, started to shake and foam too. The hurt girl screamed and tried to run, but had enough presence of mind to turn the shield on herself. The nanos didn't trigger it? Not good. They must have slipped under the girls idea of what was a threat. They'd never encountered them before, so their deep minds didn't know to get the shield in place. A gap in it he'd never even though about.
The people standing around to watch caught on, except a few, who hadn't bothered to wear theirs apparently. The rest lived. Those others died and the healing amulet didn't save them. It just made them nearly die over and over again, until, after several healings, they just died anyway, bodies unable to heal fast enough, even with help. Crap.
Tor didn't know what to do. Not at all. For a few seconds he just sat, but then he shook himself a bit. Right. They had to warn… everyone. Plus there could be another attack.
“Shields on! Spread the word. If you don't have a shield, lock yourself in a room and don't come out until you have the all clear. Go! Tell everyone! There's an Austran attack, shields on!” Damn, his voice was too soft. Judith tried to call it out, and she got volume, but her accent was too heavy for most of the people listening to understand at all.
Except Guide. His accent was much, much clearer, luckily he came running up and after one repetition from Tor started yelling.
“Shields on! Go, tell everyone! Austran attack! Shields on!” He didn't stop screaming it either, bless him. Tor just hoped it worked. After nearly a minute, someone else started repeating it. Then dozens of voices rang out. Thank god.
Tor reached into his pouch and hit the sigil for the palace on his communications device, just floating where he was. Really, he just couldn't think of anything else to do.
“Hello? Tor?” Connie's voice was warm and sounded gentle. Kind even. Happy.
“There's been a nano attack on Lairdgren. Three, no four dead here. I'm standing at the point of attack. I believe it was an Austran agent, but I don't have that confirmed yet. She had the accent and she gave her name as one of the dead girls in the murder investigation going on there. Ginger Coltress. We need to get all the… cargo, pulled from here now. Can you get that done?”
A gasp came from the device, “Is it-”
“None of ours so far. Shields stop it. It was like death dust I think, but different. I don't know how far it will spread, but if they hurry…” He just hoped she got who he meant by “they”. He didn't want to spell it out in case there was more than one agent in place.
“Oh, thank goodness. Yes. It will be done immediately. Take care of yourself too.” The device went silent.
“Right, Judith, Guide? With me. We need to get with the school officials, especially Kolb and his people. Jude, got your flying gear?”
She held up her left hand and showed him the winged glowing design on focus stone.
“Sleep with it.”
“Good, get with Kolb and let him know exactly what happened. We may have more spies or whatever the hell she was. We need to make sure that all the new people are interviewed. Can you do that?”
She didn't wait to say yes, just tapping her hand and flying off without hesitation. Guide watched her for a second.
“Fuck.” He said, his accent coming back for a second, making it nearly into a two syllable word.
Indeed.
“Guide, get with the working group. We need shields now. God, I… Focus and do batches of fifty. One per hour. When you can do that, try a hundred, got it? We don’t have time to play around anymore.”
The boy hesitated. It was a lot to ask after all. So far the only person any of them knew about that could do more than ten at a time was Tor and, well, he couldn't just then. That just meant that some of the others needed to step the heck up then, didn't it?
“Alright Sir. We'll do that directly.”
Tor knew they might not get it done at all. That was fine, it was mainly that people needed to be busy and also to know they were protected. Someone making more devices than the next best manufacturing concern in the kingdom could manage in a month in the course of hours would be reassuring. Even if it didn't work, he could pretend it was. After all, he was the new Counselor of things like that. People had to believe him in regards to magic. Even if he was lying.
A few minutes later his communications device started to glow and the palace sigil lit up. He tapped it, hoping it was, at least not bad news. Good was a bit much to ask, he guessed, given everything.
“This is Tor.”
“This is Smythe. The Queen asked me to inform you that we have several hundred military incoming and that the “cargo” has been removed, including yours…. Is that clear to you?” He sounded as if he though Tor might not get it. He did.
“Clear. Um, not to be a pain, but… um… I'm taking control of this situation until you get here. We need the military, but also investigators and really, any time the military gets involved in anything with me in it, some big and stupid fight erupts. I'll back your plan on the ground here for now, until we know it's all secure, but you know, I can't really fight with anyone for the time being. So if you could mention that to whoever is coming?” It was pushy and heavy handed and Tor figured he was about to be told off. Well, as long as they didn't kill him, but if they tried to arrest him for some stupid reason, he was just fighting.
He wouldn't last long with a bunch of abuse.
“They're already in the air… I don't think I can reach them until they land. Can you secure the area?”
“Yes. It will take about half an hour. Faster if possible.”
That was the best they could do, so Smythe just asked him to try. After a few fumbled seconds Tor got it. He didn't know what they should do either. Yay. Grand.
“OK. Well. For now, I'm taking anyone I don't recognize personally into custody. Just in case. It's harsh, but…” Tor didn't want to finish it, and Smythe didn't make him.
“Do it. Try not to use force beyond what's needed.”
“Understood.”
Kolb and Judith flew towards him just as he shut the communications line down to try and do… something. They landed “hot” slowing just about fifty feet from the ground and settling faster than Tor ever did. It made deep popping sounds from the ground as the force of impact buried itself to protect the fragile people inside the shields.
“Kolb. We're locking down the town. All your people are needed. Best students too. Anyone not recognized needs to be brought here. That includes any new students. First years too…” Tor glanced at Judith and shrugged, he had a truth amulet at least and more in his room.
He slipped his over her head and cleared her in about fifteen seconds. Then he took the field back and showed her the sigil, so she could get his out the trunk under his bed, if it was still there. If not they'd have to improvise.
Tor looked around and found the scared noble girl that still clutched her arm and looked to have taken a pretty hard beating already. He pointed at the girl.
“Her first. She was with the agent that did this. That doesn't mean guilt, but…” Tor just kept pointing as Kolb went for her. She tried to run first, which got her knocked down, shield or not, when the weapons instructor used an imploding weapon to hit the ground to her right, taking the stone out from under her. It wasn't anything he'd made at all. He didn't think, except, when he looked at it, he realized it was. It just wasn't a weapon. It was a stone concentrator, for turning rock and sand into a single piece. It was just a totally unexpected use for it.
Tor smiled as the girl fell to the ground and floated over, turning her shield off. It wasn't a good sign, running away, but when they questioned her, the light stayed steady the whole time, glowing away merrily.
“Then why,” Kolb asked her, suspicious still. “Did you try and run.”
“Because you're scary.” This came out in a tiny voice, slightly high pitched and very youthful. It wasn't a lie.
Kolb just chuckled.
It took a bit to secure the town, but they had about fifty people in the commons, waiting to be questioned when the military showed up. Half flew, half came in transports, but none of them were people Tor recognized. All tall, so special elites of some kind, most likely. He expected problems. The man in charge was older, over fifty, but thin and with a lot of black left to his hair still. He was also a bit of a jerk, yelling at Kolb's people to drop their weapons, which presented a problem. They really weren’t going to do that at all.
Tor waved the man over, hoping it wouldn't come to a fight. They really didn't have time for it.
“I'm Torrance Baker, Magics Counselor for the kingdom, yes it's new, and yes, you and your men are military. I'm working directly for Smythe of Westend however and will contact him right now, so we can settle this. But for the time being, could you deploy your men and work with the people who already have control of the situation please? You have my word that their solid.”
The man stopped talking for about fifteen seconds and just glared at Tor as if he was suggesting they eat a live cow together. Finally, going narrowed eyed he spoke, his voice suspicious.
“I haven't heard anything about any of that. I was just told to take control here.”
Tor shrugged, “things changed after you were in the air, because I was already here and had assumed control. Odds are you'll be in control anyway, but I have a communications device and it will take just a few minutes, trust me it will take a lot longer to try and fight these guys, since there already spread out all over town.”
The man glared and then just… Harrumphed.
“Good point. Alright.” He called out for his people to work with Kolb's, who were all in dark fighting leathers that matched, using their amulets just for that. It worked in this case for sure. As good as an official uniform.
The men deployed rapidly, as if they had a plan for something like this. If they did, Tor would gladly give over control. As long as the plan didn't involve smacking him in the back of the head for an hour or anything.
That was the nice way of explaining what had happened the last time he'd been taken in by anyone. That time was for “questioning” and was just the Capital city guard. Tor hated to think what the elite forces would do if they had a chance.
Connie answered almost immediately, sounding less tense this time, which Tor took to mean that everyone else was probably safe. She didn't mention that specifically, but, to his great relief, Tor could make out everyone talking in the background. Ali called out hello even, which was happy making.
“Good, it seems like that part is going well. Not to be annoying and have you playing servant, but is Smythe of Westend around? I have his…” Tor had no clue what to call the man in front of him and went quiet for a second. Well, the rule was to promote up, when in doubt, right?
He hoped so.
“I have his elite forces general here, his best man, but we need to get the orders straight. We've secured the town already, as best we can.”
Connie murmured “one moment” and there was a rustling from the device in front of him after less than a handful of seconds Smythe's voice came from in front of him, sounding very professional.
“General Teller is on hand?”
Tor nodded, then had to fight blushing, because that couldn't be heard. Duh.
“Yes Sir. He's right here.” That got the guy waved over, to stand next to him so that they could both speak. The guy was so much taller than Tor that the device had to be held up a little for comfort.
For some reason the man seemed really uneasy suddenly.
“Lord Smythe. This is Teller. As reported the situation is secure and we were about to consolidate that with military forces. The school personnel and students… Actually seem to have the situation in hand remarkably well, to tell the truth, right now the… Magics Minister is in charge of the situation. Is that correct?” Small beads of sweat broke out on his forehead then, tense and like he really didn't want to be talking over a magical device to his boss or something.
There was a pause, finally Smythe came back, sounding genial.
“Well, one minister can't over rule another directly. By preference I'd feel more comfortable if the military was in charge of security at the moment, but I can only suggest that…”
Tor shrugged, bobbing a little, his mind having started to integrate the Not-flyer controls to a much finer level of control.
“Alright, Um, Instructor Kolb, if you'd call your people in? I'd like to do the first round of questioning? We probably shouldn't bring anyone else in until we know for certain that there aren't more attacks coming.”
It didn't take long for Smythe to agree. A deep voice came over the device, sounding calm and commanding, but Tor thought he caught a fine tone of worry too. The King.
“Tor… Be thorough and keep us in the line of communications, will you please?”
“Got it… Rich. Oh, just in case it comes up…” Tor explained the shield building project, and the expected numbers. There was a gasp from the people on the other end of the device and one from Teller who openly stared at him.
The King chuckled though, “Very good. Outfit the forces there first please?”
“Of course.”
They'd have to, if nanos were involved. The elite forces had no more than class four shields and sometimes less than that. Class two was still the military standard, but some had managed to get their own. The first ones that stopped death dust were six's. Tor was wearing an eight himself. Most of the kids had sevens, the only difference was that his would resist being turned off remotely. That was why it had taken Rolph half a day to get it done even at close range.
The effort for that must have been nearly superhuman. Rolph wasn't even a builder. Frankly, if he could do that though, the man could build too. At least copy. Tor decided to bring it up with him if he got a chance. It was a handy skill to have if nothing else.
When they got off the line Teller sighed.
“I'm… not a General you know. Just a Major. I just happened to be on duty when the call came in.” He sounded guilty.
Tor smiled as he walked over to where the people to be questioned stood waiting, “Well… I don't know if the promotion will stick or not, but until told otherwise, you're a General. I don't want the Queen to think the military isn't taking this seriously. Notice, Smythe backed it with the royal family in the room. What that means for your weekly pay remains to be seen. Can't hurt though.”
Kolb had gone to get his forces back which took runners, or in this case, two of the military flyers along with Judith, who was sent to actually get the people and pass the code phrase along. It was a slower way of doing things than they should be using, but no one had made them a communications device yet. Since he was the only one that knew how so far, that oversight was all on him. No one mentioned it, thankfully.
Tor took a handful of amulets and started questioning people.
It was going to be a long day.
Longer.
A longer day.