**TERRORISTS ATTACK SYDNEY, TOWER DOWN
** **7th July 2003
** **BBC WORLD SERVICE**

**Thousands are dead and injured as rogue Mages assault Sydney's Arcanum. The Sydney Tower is brought down, leaving the city in chaos. Lord Magister Kilroy is said to be among the victims. Arrival of Brisbane Tower and Melbourne Tower puts Sydney under Martial Law. Borders are closed. Arcanum vows to 'find those responsible".**

**Sydney** \- In the worst Terrorist attack ever made against a standing Frontier City of the British Mageocracy, a group of rogue Mages has struck the coastal Shielding Stations and disabled the Sydney Tower midday Friday, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.

As a horrific city watched itself roll back three decades of civil progress, the city of Sydney became besieged by the Mermen, who took advantage of the failed barrier breach to attack. In all, a total of twenty-one Krakens and a single Leviathan was seen entering the city, with an estimated force of Mermen numbering between twenty to thirty thousand.

When Sydney's Tower failed to respond and indeed did choose not to respond within the allocated timeframe for impeding the Mermen advance; its critic's worst fears were confirmed. The Tower had become a victim of its infighting, no longer seeing the city's protection and its citizens as a top priority. Notably, a "Dark Sun" Strategic Spell emerged during the conflict, ending when a Mythic class Magical being known as the Rainbow Serpent consumed the enervating phenomenon.

When contacted for answers, both the Brisbane and Melbourne Towers declined to comment.

The attack has stirred fears and anxiety across Oceania and evoked comparison to the Pearl Harbour Siege of 1943 and the Coral Sea Conflict, where Mermen had likewise besieged Brisbane in 1987.

Though no one has claimed responsibility, official suspicion quickly fell to the shadow organisation Spectre, also known as the Shadow Council, formerly claiming responsibility for the Red Dragon incident in Britain in 2001. Thus far, the Paladin of the Sydney Tower, Lord Gunther Shultz, has declined to comment on how the Terrorists had penetrated the Tower's defences.

Addressing the Mageocracy on Saturday night, the Britannic Commonwealth's High Chancellor, Magister Fulgor, vowed to "find those responsible and bring them to justice." He said the Towers would retaliate against "those behind these evil acts," including cities that harbour them.

Though tallies are incoming, the loss of Mages' lives is estimated to be between 1000 to 1200, with another 2000 Mages currently injured or in serious condition. The Sydney Tower is being repaired, though its superstructure has been severely damaged by a burst of Negative Energy reportedly emitted from its control spire.

The estimated casualty rate of NoM civilians may rise as high as 12,000.

Three days after the attack, with communications restored, the scope of the damage is becoming apparent: a vast swath of the infrastructure of Sydney's CBD has been destroyed, with 60% of its commercial buildings damaged, while 20% of Magical structures remain inoperable. Presently, the streets stay flooded and dangerous. The Militia advises non-essential personnel to avoid the CBD until the seawater can be drained and potential Mermen spawns purged.

At a Monday conference, Sydney authorities under Gunther Shultz announced that among the dead was the Magister of the Tower and the Master of the Ten presiding over Oceania - Lord Henry Kaine Foster Kilroy.

Lord Kilroy has been the presiding Magister of Sydney Tower for two decades, an incumbent since the Tower's inception. He is publicly known as a master Conjurer with a Dryad companion, gaining the moniker of 'Deathless Henry'. Currently, no official statements exist for the cause of Lord Kilroy's death.

Following the Sydney incident, the Mageocracy has placed all forces in Oceania on high alert. Sydney is the worst incident of terrorism waged against a Frontier since implementing the two-tier city system following the Beast Tide. The attack has paralysed the city and its surrounding regions, crippling the Oceanic Region's economic output. As the city readies to ship out its non-essential Mages, all travel to and from the city are banned. Travellers seeking emergency transit and special circumstance permits should contact the relevant authorities.

**TOWERS to BLAME?
** **12th July 2003
** **Sydney Morning Herald**

**A majority of Oceanian citizens believe that the government and the Tower are concealing information about the Sydney attacks, a new survey suggests.**

Following the emergence of lumen-recordings of the Tower failing to respond to a Mermen Incursion on Friday, conspiracy theories regarding the death of Lord Henry Kilroy, Master of the Ten, and Eric Walken, Magister of the Grey Faction, emerged into the spotlight.

"There is evidence that the Sydney Disaster is an internal conflict," Arbiter Christopher Bader, a magical theorist and political commentator at Chapman University in California, USA, said in a statement. "When we see a degree of paranoia in the British Mageocracies' official responses. It is indicative that the government is concealing information about the hows and whys of the disaster."

"If you look at the history between Walken and Kilroy, there is a conflict of interest there." The professor pointed to prior incidents in which Alesia de Botton, apprentice of Lord Kilroy, had publicly humiliated Magister Walken. "It is no surprise that one of them might be using the Tower to bring down the other."

"What I believe," the professor has advised the Oceania Times. "Is that you should look deeper into the inter-factional politics of the Towers themselves."

**Conspiracy theories abound**

The findings are based on survey answers from 1,511 Mages ages 18 and over who took part in the Sydney Disaster Survey. The questionnaires were weighted to provide demographically representative results based on the participating Mage population as a whole.

Pollster results showed that many responders not only believed in conspiracies involving Magister Kilroy, they also held theories about the mysterious Dark Sun. Other speculations have surfaced involving Lord Kilroy's late wife, a famous Void Mage whose existence was declassified after the sorceress was pronounced KIA in the Commonwealth's Eastern European theatre circa 1971. Some have made connections between the Red Dragon incident and the appearance of a colossal Serpent in 2002 during the Royal National Incident believing that the modus operandi of both incidents point to Spectre.

**Critics from around the world**

Critics of the Commonwealth Tower System, such as the Mageocracy's Russian counterparts, have suggested that the Tower systems remain "open to exploitation" and "abuse." The Chinese Politburo likewise criticised the lack of centralised power systems in the Commonwealth, inferring that the NoM - Mage class system results in a natural imbalance that breeds conflict between its citizens. When reached for comment, the Ambassador to the U.S, Magister Wesson, made the following statement.
"Our hearts and minds are with those who are suffering this terrible loss in a time of peace and progress. Whoever these culprits may be, the U.S stands behind its Britannic Mageocracy allies. We will work hand-in-glove to assist the Commonwealth in finding those responsible and bringing them to justice."

It is important to note that in the past, Magister Wesson has criticised the Commonwealth's colonial system of government as "archaic" and its reliance on traditional Spellcraft as "not keeping with the times".

A close ally of Oceania, Singapore, has also commented. The current leader of the world's largest Trading Tier 2 City, also known as the Fortress of the South China Sea, Magister Goh Chok Tong, has declared his support for the Commonwealth and Sydney.

"Though many have critiqued the Commonwealth's governance, we must remember that ancient and incumbent it may be, The Britannic Mageocracy remains the best system we have under the circumstances. We do not use our None-Magical citizens as fodder, we give equal opportunity to all who awaken to Magehood, and the state provides food, shelter, and protection to all citizens, regardless of class, birth, or origin."

"I would invite our friends in the Americas, in Russia, and in China, to consider their national policies before critiquing the Commonwealth, as those who live in crystal palaces should not incant Catapult spells at others."

(Music plays)

**TONY JONES
** Good evening and Welcome to the Special Edition of Q&A, though I am sorry to say that our audience in Sydney won't be joining us for some time. Live from Melbourne, the topic for today's Q&A is, of course, none other than the fall of the Sydney Tower itself.

I'm Tony Jones. And here to answer your questions – investigative journalist Katie McMont, Professor Steven Burrow of the Sydney University Arcanum, Paladin Jonathan Holtz, from the Brisbane Tower, Ex-Mayor of Sydney Magus Devin Fulcrow. And finally, the man of the hour, the saviour of the city, the de facto leader of the Sydney Tower - Paladin Gunther Shultz!

Please welcome our panel.

(APPLAUSE, SOME BOOING)

**TONY JONES
** Thank you very much. Now, Q&A is live across Oceania on ABC Lumen-cast and NewsRadio at 9:35 Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

The first question tonight comes from Calum Thicke.

**CALUM Thicke
** My question is for Lord Gunther: How do you respond to the accusation that Lord Henry Kilroy has been negligent in his duties and thus directly resulted in Sydney's crisis?

**TONY JONES
** I'll start with Lord Gunther.

**GUNTHER SHULTZ
** Yeah. Look, I've followed the conspiracy that Calum is interested in for some time. I am sorry to say, but there's no credence for it. Now that it has emerged that Spectre and its group of Rogue Mages are involved in the incident, we have released the fact that Lord Kilroy was ambushed by a Void Mage of immense ability while attending a tournament with Lord Ferris in Rosebay. That is the precise and only reason why Lord Kilroy had been unable to respond to the Mermen invasion. Coupled with the Tower's emergency systems' unfortunate mismanagement by Magister Walken, it should be seen as the unpropitious coming together of two coincidences.

**TONY JONES
** Professor Burrow

**STEVEN BURROW
** Lord Gunther, I have tremendous respect for you and your actions during the incident, but the Tower has historically been embroiled in connivance for a reason. I think it's self-evident that Elizabeth Sobel, the Void Mage wife of the late Lord Kilroy, is involved. From the Lumen-recordings taken by those at the scene and during the incident, it can be inferred that Elizabeth, or someone like the late Mrs Kilroy, was physically present. Likewise, although the swath of Geas spells that have suddenly sprouted over the Tower's surviving Mages, there remain credible eye-witness reports of a Void Sorceress in her likeness during the Tower's collapse.

**TONY JONES
** Lord Gunther?

**GUNTHER SHULTZ
** I am afraid I must contest you on those points, Steven. They're little more than popular theory and hearsay. The Tower has always had at its heart, the protection of the city at its core. I mean, you saw the Leviathan right? That took a lot out of me, but I did it with the full knowledge that the Tower will defend the city if I could only push back that monstrosity. As for your hypothesis, I can only tell you the truth. The Rogue Mages simply took advantage of a misunderstanding within the Tower's Factions, but that has since been resolved. I mean, look at us now, we're more united than ever. Myself, the Middle Faction, the new Grey Faction, even the Militant Faction - we are fully committed to purging and returning Sydney to its original status, mayhap improve its infrastructure with modern techniques. To this end, I would suggest that double-guessing the Tower and the men and women risking their lives, even as we speak, to cleanse the streets for human habitation, is dishonest and self-serving, don't you think?

**TONY JONES
** Our next question is from Simon Bren, from Sydney itself.

**SIMON BREN
** My question is for Jonathan Holtz. Sir, why did you not capture or destroy the Mythic Serpent that appeared over the city and swallowed the Dark Sun? Is the creature connected to the incident at all?

**TONY JONES
** Jonathan Holtz

**JONATHAN HOLTZ

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

**Good question, Simon. As you know, the Brisbane Grey Faction, Magister Lin included, has always believed that the Wildlands are not our enemy. Instead, we believe in the possibility of co-existence and mutual benefit, as many of the creatures are both sentient and possess the capacity for empathy and peace amongst other shared values that we too uphold. As for the Rainbow Serpent itself, all I can tell you is that the creature is ancient, possibly more ancient than Human existence upon this land. As that is the case, let me ask you - what gives us the right to destroy it or chase it from its own home? The creature is benign; its consumption of the Dark Sun proves this. It is a creature of light and life, while the Dark Sun is a source of enervating negative energy. It only goes to show that in the end, if we can tap into the natural flow of the world, it would make our cities safer.

**TONY JONES
** Magus Fulcrow, would you like to add to this?

**DEVIN FULCROW
** Tony, did you know that we lose over three hundred Mages, mostly juniors, to Magical Creatures per year alone? Whether its Goblins from the Blue Mountains, the Elementals from the Simpson Desert, or the constant, unceasing menace of the Mermen, we never have been at peace with the Wildlands, nor will we ever be. To those creatures out there, our very existence is a bane. Think about what the Greys tried to accomplish in the 80s, a treaty with the Mermen; how did that turn out? A few whaling expeditions in the South Sea from the Tier 1 cities and we're back to square one. I support the American way that the only 'good' Magical Being is a contracted, leashed or dead. My city is in ruins, and I may no longer be Mayor of Sydney, but I'll never forgive those fish-headed fiends, not after what they've done to our home. Sometimes, blood can only be repaid by blood, and the best way to resolve the crisis is to retaliate with extreme prejudice.

(Audience cheers, whistles)

**TONY JONES
** Alright, alright, settle down. On a lighter note, let's take a question from the street.

(Scene changes to a young woman, uncommonly pretty with large amber eyes and an impressive cleavage, which the cameraman takes full advantage.)

From Sydney, Ms Harriet Spelling.

**HARRIET SPELLING
** Lord Gunther, I wish to know who the Pink Salt Mage is. He saved all of us when the Mermen had almost overrun our positions. As Blade Barrier is at least a Tier 6 Spell, what can you tell us about the Senior Magus?

**TONY JONES
** Gunther Shultz

**GUNTHER SHULTZ
** I am afraid the identity of the Pink Salt Saviour will remain a secret. All I can tell you is that he is not a part of the Tower, but shares many of our core principles of protecting the weak and helping those in need, even at the cost of his own life.

**KATIE MCMONT
** You know, there are also reports he left groups of civilians to die.

**GUNTHER SHULTZ
** I find that difficult to believe.

**KATIE MCMONT
** That may be, but it was widely reported nonetheless. Many of the Militiamen who survived the attack said that the Mage blew past them without so much as giving them a sideways glance. Some say that he would go out of this way to help an NoM woman while leaving Mages in mortal combat against Mermen.

**GUNTHER SHULTZ
** It was a chaotic affair, Harriet. I am sure if a young woman such as yourself was in danger, the Pink Salt Saviour would risk life and limb to save you.

(audience laughs)

"Achoo—!"

Gwen watched her father sneeze for the twelfth time since they'd embarked upon the Cargo Freighter, the 'Queen's Efficient'. Akin to the cargo carriers of Gwen's old world, the ships achieved near-indestructibility through scale. Built around an enchanted and strengthen keel, the freighters were clad with transmuted steel seamlessly merged plate to plate against a lattice framework of Glyph-enhanced supports. Their ship, a medium-sized vessel, measured almost four hundred meters from bow to stern and fifty-nine meters across, a veritable island of steel. As Gwen surveyed the impressive length of the ship from the top deck, she couldn't help but marvel at its miraculous Magi-tech.

Upon their arrival in Darwin, her party had met the Harbour Master and then the Honourable Captain Scott Tully, a veteran seaman with four decades of ocean-faring experience. When Gwen asked how safe he expected the voyage to be, the old seaman burst into laughter.

"Lass, there's nary a Kraken that could take Queenie down!"

Smiling at her expense, Taj explained that open-ocean transit is the safest means of moving between cities. With the invention of American Mana Engines that drew power from stable fuel sources such as LDM and HDM Crystals, it became possible to translocate ships with displacements from 800 tonnes in the 1920s to an absurd 55,000 tonnes in 2000. Their freight-carrier, the Queen's Efficient, was one wonder owned by Maersk Corp of Denmark, a Triple E monstrosity.

"We're almost ten times of the size of a regular Kraken!" the Captain boasted with confidence. "It would take a Leviathan to take down a Triple E, not to mention we have on-board Shield Resonators."
Though Gwen couldn't understand half of the jargon the Captain was delivering, she understood that short of a catastrophe, nothing would impede their progress to Singapore.

After a small cache of HDM crystals exchanged hands, the Captain leased to them a full cargo section, including private cabins, separate showers, and an impressive view of the ship's aft.

"Why cargo space?" Gwen asked when they had finally settled. Their specific bulkhead was artificially lit by Daylight glyphs, utterly spartan except for four steel-walls. At one end was the entrance to the control tower, where the party could access their rooms in the midship, while in front of them was half a football field's worth of enclosed space.

"We have seven days at best to get you ready for the Black Zone, so let's not waste any time." Taj threw off his jacket, revealing a sculpted body rife with scars. "If we're going into the jungle, the first thing you have to learn are CQBs - close combat spells."

"You're participating too," Jonas commanded Morye to join in the training. "If Gunther thinks you're so good, let's see what you can do."

"I'll be right," Morye pushed himself from the floor and made for the Tower.

Paul blocked his path.

"Hazing the new guy?" Her father asked with nonchalance. "A little old-fashioned, don't you think?"

"If we're going to operate as a team, we need to know what you can do."

"I can take care of myself and Gwen. That's all you need to know." Morye tried to push past Paul, but the smiling Translocation Mage wouldn't budge. "Do you mind?"

"Come on, just a peep," Taj urged Morye, his voice echoing through the bulkhead. "Show us your signature spells; you can keep the trump cards up your sleeve if you want to."

Morye sighed. He walked toward a wall and sat on the floor, crossed legged. Then, he began to meditate. The rest of the group, Gwen included, regarded her father with disdain.

"Well, let's see what you can do, Gwen." Jonas motioned to the open space.

"Do we have privacy?" Gwen asked the men before her.

"Yep," Jonas banged a hand against the hull. "No lumen-recorders in here, had Paul do a thorough check-up when we came in. There's also a double barrier access hatch preventing access, so we'll be fine. The thickness of the walls and the cargo likewise interferes with Divination spells."

"Alright, let's start with Lighting." Gwen nodded to her companions, mindful of her father, whose closed eyes either suggested he was watching subtly or that the man had dozed off. If so, Gwen had a real surprise in store for the veteran.

"So, there's this signature spell that Alesia and I came up with, I can conjure it as a crystal, or use it as a spontaneous burst."

Gwen picked a spot not far from her father.

"Flashbang!"

The container ship's enclosed space exceedingly magnified the concussive effect of the spell, so much that Gwen managed to stun herself.

"Christ Almighty!" Jonas watched his mana shield shimmer.

"That's a hell of a spell, Gwen." Paul had been far away enough to manage by covering his eyes and shielding his ears.

"Very nice, a real ripper of an opener. How long did it take you to manifest? Half a second?"

"0.4," Gwen replied. Flashbang was one of her earliest spells and her favourite. Feeling the tinnitus fade from her eardrums, she snuck a peek towards her father. Morye seemed unfazed by it all, sitting still with a Zen-like expression that suggested he was entirely relaxed and at peace.

"Let's continue, anything else… loud?" Jonas inquired carefully.

"Not so much, no," Gwen replied and began to cycle through all her known Evocation spells that she had learned in the last year and a half. First, she had Guiding Bolt, Lightning Blast, Lightning Grasp and Taser, her improved non-lethal Lightning Grasp. Of all her Evocation spells, Lightning Bolt remained Gwen's staple offensive spell, capable of penetrating multiple enemies in a line and causing paralysis as a side-effect.

Then there were her Conjuration based spells. Lightning Blade was a persistent effect Lightning Grasp had trained for CQB but never gained the opportunity to use it. Warding Bolt was another of her staples, a conjured orb that shot bolts of lighting empowered by her Evocation talent, though it only held three charges. Call Lighting served as a secondary battle-turret, indiscriminately targeting enemies. Morden's Faithful Hound was Gwen's guardian spell, creating an invisible dog that attacked enemies as they came close. Dark Tentacle was a spell used to constrain and damaging enemies while paralysing and harming them with multiple strikes. Finally, her signature Dimension Door remained her staple translocation spell— either through Void or Lightning, Gwen could affect a 'halo' of energy at the point of arrival.

"I also know some utility spells from schools I can access but have yet to train in," Gwen explained, going on to demonstrate Jump and Feather Fall from Transmutation, as well as Detect Magic from Divination.
As for Abjuration, when she demonstrated her unique Non-newtonian Shield, the men became immensely impressed.

Taj immediately begged Gwen for the working theory but found the manifestation unmanageable. Gwen wondered if it was because she understood the concept of Non-newtonian fluids, a way of thinking that juxtaposed Taj, who thought of mana as quasi-mystical.

When Gwen finally exhausted her Lightning repertoire, it was time for the main event.

"Let's see the beasties," Taj huffed and straightened from where he'd kelt. Despite his Earth element's good parity in resisting Gwen's Lightning, the Quasi-element still possessed its infamous paralytic effect.

"Ariel!"

A bolt of Lightning struck the galvanised steel, summoning an adorable white marten that landed with a flourish.

"Eee! Eee! Ee!" The marten posed handsomely before running between Gwen's slender ankles to perform a perpetual figure eight. "Combat form!"

With a growl Ariel began to grow, crackling with electrical energy that raced across the steel plating.
To Gwen's surprise, Ariel was much larger than before. Had her Conjuration Sigil grown stronger? She wondered. Had Faceless possessed the Conjuration talent as well as the Transmutation?

"Grrrrr..."

Before the impressed soldiers now stood a wolf-sized mongoose with a blue-white coat, crackling with electrical energy. Ariel glanced at Gwen and urged her to give it another jolt of Lightning charged mana - to which she obliged.

Instantly the creature became clad in white Lightning; its fur stood end-on-end with such violence that it began to resemble a serpentine porcupine.

"EE!" Ariel reached the end of the container platform and back again in the blink of an eye with a push from its powerful hind legs.

"Ho, a self-hasting ability, very nice," Jonas applauded Ariel, who raised its snout snugly. "That bite looks very nasty as well."

"He'll be useful in the jungle for sure," Paul remarked. "Especially as we'll be land-bound when we hit the Black Zone."

"How so?" Gwen asked. Surely it would be easier for them to fly into the grove.

"Remember Gwen; there are three places you can't fly - Dungeons, arboreal regions, and Tier 1 cities."

"Tier 1 cities?" Gwen furrowed her brow.

"Well, not without a permit, and those are virtually impossible to get without deep pockets and deeper connections."

"I see, but why can't we fly into the forest?"

"It would only confuse you," Taj spoke patiently to the untested sorceress. "Orange Zones and beyond are tainted by the unpredictable mana of the Wildlands. Visually, it is virtually impossible from the air to find one's bearings by surveying the canopy. When intelligent magical beings further inhabit the arboreal regions, it becomes doubly difficult as they can reform the forest to confuse unwanted intruders."

"What makes ground cover any safer?"

"Who said it was safer?" Paul joked. "The ground approach gives us room to leave Arcane Marks, Teleportation Beacons, and if all else fails, we can burn ourselves a little clearing to mark the spot."

"That and most Mages are incapable of throwing down while using Flight," Taj pointed out. "You've been spoilt by an austere company, Gwen. In the real world, very few Mages can cast spells in dogfights. The toll on your concentration and your body renders the vast majority of Mages incapable of high-tier spells while in motion."

"Or situational awareness," Paul added. "I'd say that's the kicker. You're concentrating so much on flying and casting that you can't see the forest for the trees, ha!"

"Okay." Gwen nodded, thinking when she'd be able to dogfight with the best of them. "No flying in the Arboreal Zone."

There was a thrum in the air, a slight feeling of inertia. The ship was leaving port.

"You want to check out the harbour?" Jonas turned to Gwen. "There's quite the view. Let's get this over and done with, and we can head up to the deck. Let's see your Void familiar."

Gwen inclined her head and took a deep breath. She felt more hale and awakened than ever before. Somewhere in her Astral Soul, her body remains imbued with the emerald vitality of the Serpent.

She commanded Ariel to return to its marten form, smiling when her creature harassed Morye by turning onto its belly and rubbing its back against the galvanised bulkhead with delight. Annoyed, her father ceased his meditation and was now standing to attention, his eyes trained toward the space in front of her.

"Caliban is a little scary," Gwen explained. "He's very much an alien creature, so prepare yourselves."

"We've seen things you wouldn't believe," Taj quipped with a grin. "Let's see what you got."

"Alright, here goes." Gwen collected herself and drew upon the Void, feeling the necrotic energy flood her mana channels. For now, at least, they no longer permeated into her physical body, being kept in check by Almudj's blessing.

There was a slash in the air, a gash in time-space, then out came Caliban.
At least, Gwen thought it was Caliban.

Rather than the expectant slither and a soundless plop, what came out instead was a pair of long, spindly legs in transparent obsidian, multi-segmented in a way that resembled disjointed, anorexic fingers. There was another pair, and another and another - until Caliban was out in its full horrific glory. Four teams of legs skittered across the floor, raking and rasping against the metallic hull in the uncertain manner of a new-born foal. Caliban's body, which had previously been serpentine and sinuous, was now a bulbous, fleshy mass in purple and tentacle pink, resembling that of a spider or a scorpion turned inside out. Its back carapace remained the hard-shelled, semi-translucent plates that interlocked, but its underside was wet with sucking noises that slurped and gurgled. Where its spine ended, there distended a long tail, a remnant from its old morphic shape that whipped the air like a steel cable.

Gwen recognised the shape at once.

"Wanka?" Gwen said to Caliban. "Cali! You took on Wanka's form!"

She immediately thought of Faceless and its morphic talent. Unlike the shapeshifter, Gwen wasn't the one to consumed her victims, and so the polymorphic ability must have been inherited by her familiar! Gwen closed her eyes and retracted her mind within her astral soul, searching for the Transmutation Sigil. She found the constellation not far from her radiant Evocation, dark and brooding, radiating a malevolent mauve light.
Meanwhile, Taj was shouting incoherently as his testicles fled up their canals to whimper in helpless terror.

"Shaa!" Caliban turned to face the screaming Abjurer, forming a duet of hysteria. "SHAA! Shaa! SHAAAA—!"

It's five tongues, each barbed with spikes dripping with grey goo, flayed excitedly at their new companion.

"Fuck me!" Paul dropped to both knees and hurled out his guts, feeling the acidic tang entering his nasal canals and burning a hole in his oesophagus as the Void aura struck.

"Caliban, HEEL!" Gwen commanded the skittering thing, now the size of a pony. Caliban found purchase on its legs and sidled up to her, whipping its tail happily. It raised a spindly spider leg and wrapped it lovingly around her waist. That was the best it could manage without hugging her face and choking its master. Gwen reached out a dainty hand and patted Caliban's carapace, causing it to flay its tail wildly, leaving white scratch marks across the galvanised iron and dribble profusely.

"Alright, let's see your combat form." Gwen took another deep breath.

"STOP!" Morye's voice cried out. "If you keep going, there's not going to be a team left to take onto the Island."

Gwen looked up to see her father, handkerchief in hand, wiping away a snail trail of vomit from his chin.

Gwen turned to Caliban, who wagged its tail.

"Good boy, Cali!" She glanced at her father. "Caliban! Go play with Daddy!"

Caliban turned to Morye and reared itself upwards. Two fangs burst from its face as Void mana coursed through its body. As a black blur, it launched itself toward 'Daddy', its multiple tongues wagged excitedly for a good licking.

"OH FUCK NO." Morye felt every hair standing on this back. "Salt Skin!"


"Back! Away! Foul creature!"

Gwen watched as the pony-sized Caliban bowled over her father and pressed against the wall of the bulkhead. Its claws scrabbled across the galvanised metal like nails on a chalkboard, causing her audience to wince.

"Gwen! Tell this thing to back off! Else I will banish it!" Morye warned, feeling multiple tongues lashing his armour of crystallised Salt.
Caliban cooed and informed Gwen empathically that her father was delicious and delightful.

"Caliban, enough!" Gwen commanded both verbally and mentally. "To me!"

Ariel took the opportunity to leap onto Caliban as it skittered back, looking gallant as it balanced itself upon Caliban's carapace.
Glancing at the marten enviously, Gwen wondered if she could also ride on Caliban, making her visage a real horror show. For now, however, she still needed time to figure out how his polymorphy worked, and the island seemed as good a spot as any.

The two pets returned to their Master, the ten-legged arachnid Scorpiones skittering to and fro while the marten did laps around her ankles.

Her father began the process of scraping goo from his armour but then stopped when the effort proved futile.

"Dispel!"

Salt cascaded from his body, collapsing onto the floor in great big chunks, like a knight stepping from a plate mail with the cords cut loose. Meanwhile, Jonas, Taj and Paul finally recovered from their initial state of shock.

"Sorry, I was told it was a snake…" Paul accused Gwen with a face full of hurt and betrayal. "I don't mind spiders, but that thing is something else."

"I once saw a carrion crawler eat a man alive," Jonas muttered. "I had thought that was disturbing, but that thing takes the cake. My God, you were going to take that into a public tournament? You're going to cause a riot."

Caliban wasn't a spider-demon back then, Gwen thought to her self, but it was too complicated to explain her life story to those not in the know.

"Sorry," Taj apologised self-depreciatively. "I've seen some shit, but that thing terrifies me."

"Caliban, heel," Gwen commanded the fiendish creature gently. Caliban wagged its pointed tail and stopped by her side.

"So, what are its abilities?" Jonas asked.

Gwen looked at Morye. Morye's looked away in case his daughter thought he'd make a good demonstration.

"Void-charged physical attacks that penetrate most shields and armour," Gwen spoke. "What else can you do, Caliban?"

Caliban raised its body and launched a pair of fleshy tongues with barbed daggers for tips.

"Flesh hooks?" Gwen turned to the group and shrugged, watching their lively faces.

Caliban's tongues retracted into its second jaw.

"God, imagine fighting that thing!" Jonas pulled a face, patting his pockets and wondering why he ever quit smoking. "Give me Mermen Wavestriders any day of the week, but not that!"

To Gwen's surprise, Morye produced Winfield Blues packet from his pocket and pointed the yellow tips towards the men. They each took one.

"How good's your elemental control?" Morye asked. "Can you light us up? A little Chain Lightning perhaps?"

"I'd prefer you to keep all your faces. And no, I can't do that yet." Gwen reddened. She was a long way away from learning that particular whopper. Instead, Gwen produced a piece of enchanted tinder used for outdoor survival, and dutifully lit their cigarettes. It was the least she could do after what they'd experienced.

Watching the men passive smoke with glazed over eyes, she retracted both her familiars and told them that she'd be outside, watching the ship's departure from Darwin.

When Gwen's clanging footfalls fell away, the men turned their attention towards one another.

"Sorry for the bother, fellers. Gwen is a real handful." Morye looked at each of the men in the eyes as he spoke, taking the opportunity to break some ice.

"Don't be," Jonas replied. "We usually work with Alesia de Botton."

"The Crimson Sorceress?"

"The one and only," Paul pipped in. "The shit we have to deal with, you wouldn't begin to believe."

"Does it include netherworld spiders that try to fuck your face?" Morye quipped with a jocular tone.

"Ha!"

The group chuckled with unbidden synchronisation.

Morye extended a hand and let fall from his grasp a sprinkle of Salt. The other three men watched as it grew into a crystal cylinder, its uppermost tip expanding until it formed an elegant looking ashtray.

Morye tapped his cigarette, and the others followed suit.

"I guess there's no avoiding it," he coughed to clear this throat. "Morye Song, Transmuter Tier 6 Major, Abjurer Tier 4 Minor, Salt Element."

"Good to know you." Jonas reached out and shook his hand. "Jonas Durn, Evocation-Conjuration, Healer Tier 5, Positive Element."

"I am Paul Mckay," Paul likewise exchanged greetings with Morye. "Conjuration-Transmutation Tier 5 Major, Enchantment Minor Tier 3, I specialise in Translocation and Teleportation. I am sorry to say that my elemental Affinity is one, so I am not much for combat."

"Good to meet you, Paul."

"Likewise."

"Trajan Smith Philips, but call me Taj." Taj offered his hand after the others had finished their greeting. "Abjurer Tier 5, Earth Element."

"So how do you guys know Gwen?" Morye enquired. "She and I don't talk much. We're not close."

"Ah." Paul's eyes had a twinkle in them. "If you're keen to know, I should probably start with Alesia. You sure we have the time? Cause it's going to be a long story."

"Well, we got seven days. As for Gwen's training, I'll have a chat with her, and we'll sort something out. That bloody spider-monster, huh? Why can't she get a pony or something like a normal girl? My God."

The group each thought of Gwen's eldritch horror.

"You know," Paul said quietly. "I am kinda looking forward to seeing Caliban mangle something."

The others tried to imagine it and nodded. They were military men, after all, conditioned by training and trauma to anticipate the rare beauty that was something becoming FUBAR.

Gwen stood on the gunwale railing, watching the shining city of Darwin disappear into the distance. Once they moved out from the deep harbour, the carrier quickly gained speed until the waters beneath its bow became a churning white froth. From above where the great chimney of the engine room sat, a plume of dark blue polluted the salty air, raining down upon the oceans unfiltered bits of unburnt mana crystals.

They were moving, but the atmosphere was hot and humid, moist and clammy against the exposed skin of her lower limbs, though the view was well worth the discomfort.

The men smoking below crossed Gwen's mind as she watched her streaming hair whipping wildly.

Gwen knew she owed them a debt that was difficult to repay.

Taj, Jonas and Paul had no obligations to come. They were here because of Alesia's command. They felt nothing for Elvia and Yue, or Whetu, and were risking their lives to please their mistress, a woman they respected and adored like a sister.

Her father likewise had no obligation. Gwen wasn't sure why he'd suddenly have a change of heart. Yet, whatever the reason, he was here for this time, and maybe that's worth something.

All these threads, all these connections— that was what separated the life she had now versus then. There, she had only her company, her Assistant and her employees. She had no close friends to visit her, just clients and associates; there was no family to bother her; she'd lost them somewhere in the past. Of course, she had her cats, Ariel and Caliban, but those guys were assholes, kind of like herself.

Gwen laughed, first a choked trill, then roaring laughter that floated upon the wind and out to sea.

Her hand fell upon the Kirin pendant.
Her Master and Gunther both said that this was a precious item. If so, why did her father give it up?
And on that topic, she was sure Morye was the pink salt guy.
It meant that her father was not a useless Abjurer, but a Salt Mage, a Magus dual-classing in Abjuration and Transmutation, an Alesia-tier combatant commanding a suit of Salt.

Gwen had to admit, that signature spell of Morye's with its tasselled plates and the embossed carapace with intricate scrollwork was very, very cool. Its visor was a stylised helmet with a T shaped slot for eyes and nose, flared with a pair of white crystalline wings. The interlocking plates too possessed the reactive ability to be discarded and re-grown. She especially liked the shoulder pauldron, with one side taller than the other, which gave the armour an asymmetrical charm.

An idea struck Gwen. Didn't she likewise possess Transmutation now? If the glow from the Sigil was anything to go by, her Affinity should already be tier 2.

She could be tapping into the ability enhancing spells unique to the school, like the ones Debora used to use.
Debora—
Her mind once more wandered into unpleasant spaces.
Master.
Elizabeth.
Elvia, Yue, and Whetu.
Unbidden, her mood grew dark and heavy. The skyline of Darwin had lost its magic.
Her smoke break was over.

Supper was served by the ship's cook, a young fellow who'd just finished his traineeship and was enlisted by the Captain to replace their retiring chef. When the young man gave Gwen an extra helping of meatballs, a clamour went up throughout the mess. Amidst laughter and jests, the crew gave the poor lad a few well-aimed punches against his right arm.

Such was the madness of the sea and its effect on the lonely men of the long-haul. Ever since a wandering sailor saw Gwen, the conversation between the crew had consisted of little else but the lovely specimen of femininity that had descended upon them. As for Gwen, she didn't mind the sailors having a jovial go at her expense, though their crudeness did make her feel squeamish and uncomfortable.

Eventually, however, the noise level returned to its usual droning. The crew needed only to remind themselves that Gwen was a sorceress that summoned monsters with toothy tentacles and their blue balls quickly shrunk back into their bodies, shuddering and begging for warmth.

Time took on a strange dilation within the confines of the bulkhead, where indoor darkness and the Evocation staple Daylight made strange bedfellows.

Gwen sought out her father and asked him for instruction on using her Void magic. Her thinking was that they'd start with something less personal before moving onto sordid revelations. Though he'd been avoiding her, she'd expertly cornered him in his cabin so that his only escape was to bodily push past her.

"You want me to teach you Void Magic?" Morye regarded his daughter critically. "What makes you think I know Void Magic?"

"No, I mean like, how do I cast it without killing myself?" Gwen fluttered her long, weapon-grade lashes.

Her father looked down to see goosebumps all over his skin, then looked up.

"Don't do that." He made some distance between them. "If you mean how to conserve your vitality, I am afraid you're shit out of luck."

"How come?" Gwen replied, her voice full of disappointment. "If what I am hearing is true, you fought for hours! How can that be possible if you're not conserving your vitality?"

"Well, I am a Salt Mage for one," Morye placed both hands together and pulled them apart, forming a pillar of Salt. "Here. Use Detect Magic; tell me how much Negative energy is in this."

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Gwen incanted the Divination spell and focused upon the rod of Salt - finding it to be principally a mass of elemental water, with trace volumes of negative energy.

"There's hardly any negative mana in there," Gwen answered her father, feeling an unkind suspicion that the answer wasn't going to be to her liking.

"Channel a cantrip's worth of Void mana, just a little, go on," her father instructed.

Gwen focused her mind and imagined the phenomenon in her mind. A tenebrous sphere, darker than black, hovered over her palm. The exertion was low, but still, it made her conduits tingle with iciness.

"Detect Magic."

The negative energy that emanated from the ball was so dense as to form a dark cluster. There were traces of Elemental Air within, silvery and shimmering, but well hidden amongst the agitated, seething mass of malevolence.

"What do you sense?"

"Negative Energy, most of the Void— is Negative Energy."

"Good, let it go now."

Gwen snuffed out the void sphere.

"Give me your hand."

She complied and extended her right hand. Morye took it within his palm and placed a finger on her pulse. Gwen could feel her father's rough fingers, coarse and warm on the tender wrist where two blue veins were just visible.

"Surprisingly healthy," her father said after a moment. "What are you taking for supplements? Or is this Caliban's doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does he transfer life to you?"

"A bit." Gwen's voice was barely a whisper. "When he feeds on living prey."

"Do you feel sick when you use the Void? Like vertigo or disorientation?"

Gwen nodded. "When I incant high-tier spells, I feel dizzy. I've also fainted a few times. There was also a period when I was very weak, bodily I mean, skinny, always hungry, but nothing I ate seemed to help."

Morye took his finger from Gwen's wrist.

"Can't you refrain from using the Void element? After all, you have Lightning. That's a rare boon already."

Gwen shook her head. "I am special, Dad. There's no denying or ignoring that. One day, perhaps soon, certain people are going to know about my Void element. Before then, I need to become powerful, influential; I need strong allies and influential backers. Without these things, I am just going to be someone's puppet, or maybe worse."

Morye licked his drying lips thoughtfully.

"Probably worse," Morye's expression was unreadable. "There's no recourse?"

"None-what-so-ever."

"Fine, so back on topic. You can't mitigate the effects of the Void because the Quasi-Elemental Plane of the Void is primarily Negative Energy, mixed with trace elements of Elemental Air."

"So I have to endure it then? I've been offsetting the negative drain by using Healers who provide me with positive mana."

Morye arched a critical brow and gave her a disapproving look full of scepticism.

"Doesn't help. The consumption of channelling Void is not Negative Drain from an Undead. It can be mitigated, yes, but reversing is much harder. Your body itself is channelling a power anathema to life. No force on earth can stop it from consuming your vitality. My advice is to use the Void as a killing blow, or use it only to empower Caliban, at least that thing will give you something back."

Gwen's face fell into a terrible disappointment.

"Look, there's a reason why there are no Void Mages, alright? It's not an ability meant for people who yearn to stay alive. I don't even know why you have two elements, Gwen, but that's winning the God damned lottery, alright? Whatever fate you think might await you, is it worth dying? Even if you end up marrying someone for a political reason, or 'Gwen' forbid it, to continue a bloodline - is it worse than death? If you die, nothing else matters, you know? Your friends, your mentors, Alesia, and Gunther and the girls we are trying to rescue - none of it would matter."

Gwen did her best to digest her father's thoughts, though the truth stung nonetheless.

"Are you listening to me?"

She was listening, but her father's words did not appeal to her in the slightest. Her father was right, but not entirely. Gwen had seen for herself that a being existed on Terra capable of undoing the damage caused by the Void. She had received it thrice— first when she fought Edgar, then again when Gwen had sung the Serpent, and finally when she drew Almudj's essence from the pendant.

Not only that, didn't Elizabeth Sobel overcome the limits of the Void Element, even if she had to consume the lives of others to do so? If the Void Magister could find an unethical way— then she would find an ethical path. Almudj had already shown her she could; now she just had to replicate it.

Gwen produced the pendant from under her blouse.

"What can you tell me about this?"

Morye's eyes looked away from the mutely glowing jade.

"You'll have a safe delivery for sure if you wear it."

Gwen pinched her father's thigh, causing him to yelp.

"I am serious!"

"You're guaranteed to have twins."

She pinched him again.

"Alright, alright! Hey! Hey! I am ticklish! Sheesh." Morye blocked Gwen's arms with both his hands, parrying them expertly. Then with a sudden thrust, he pinned them to her sides. The swiftness of the execution caught Gwen flat-footed, and for a moment she thought she saw a Morye that she'd never seen before. Morye held his vexatious daughter before him and looked her in the eyes with a seriousness that made her shiver.
"Are you sure you want to know?"

Gwen swallowed nervously.

"I do."

"Alright, stand up, and stand to the side." Morye freed her arms and pointed to the side of the cabin.

Gwen obediently stood by the bedside.

"Right." Morye pulled out a cigarette and hung it by his mouth. He lingered by the door for a moment dramatically, no longer impeded by his daughter's blockade. "I need a smoke. Wait here. I'll tell you everything."
Gwen nodded.

Morye turned and left, disappearing into the corridors.

It took five minutes before Gwen realised that her father was gone for good.

With her father eluding her, Gwen passed the time with the other men.
Her CQC training had begun in earnest, sparring with Paul and Taj as they taught her basic body techniques for using touch spells, as well as how to dodge, parry and retaliate enemies that venture too close to her for a Shield to manifest.

"So your average constrictor type is likely going to go for a grapple," Taj explained as the conversation turned from fighting humans to creatures. "You should know that encountering giant constrictors is preferable encountering smaller, poisonous ones, whose bite has all kinds of nasty surprises."

"What do we do if we do get bitten?"

"Hope Jonas is nearby, I supposed. Remember, there are universal antidote injectors in your ring. I'll be running a tutorial when we get closer to Singapore so that you know how to differentiate between normal snakes and poisonous ones."

"Okay, you ready to go again?" Taj cracked his neck. "I'll be trying to pin you; your job is to dodge and get enough distance for a Shocking Grasp, okay?"

Gwen pulled back her loosened hair until it was taut against her head, collecting at the base of her skull in a thick bun. "Alright, let's do it."

For the first few days, Gwen had gone out on the gunwale to check out the scene, but after three days of monotony, she'd given up going her tours of the deck, instead choosing to spend her time in meditation, harassing her father, and training with the others.

"God! You're just like your mother!" her father accused her with exaggerated exasperation. "I don't mean that nicely, either. Give a man some peace and space. You're giving me cabin fever."

Conversely, the Captain was a friendly man who'd delighted in talking about his wife and daughter.

"You ever being to Asia, Dad?" she remained persistent, and finally her father relented.

"A long time ago."

"Did you live in Shanghai?"

"None of your business."

"What's the city like?" Gwen inquired, mindful of her small-town provincial origins.

"Larger than you can begin to imagine." Her father said with a sigh. "Imagine going down the Yellow River, and on both sides, for as far as the eye can see, are buildings glowing with illuminators, adverts, and posters of the latest magic items, fashions and trends."

"Are there lots of Magitech shops?"

"Naturally, the largest shopping street for Mages, Nanking Road, extends five kilometres from the Bund down to the Jing-An Temple. Hawkers, crafters, renowned Enchanters, all have shops here, plying their wares. Whatever magic items you desire, no matter how high-spec or rare, can be found here, assuming you have the HDMs and the CCs."

"Lots of food as well?"

"Every style and taste." Her father's tone grew strangely nostalgic. "At the top of each arcade are the restaurants. There, the most incredible and rare samples of Wildland's greatest gifts kept in stasis. Some have rare cuts, cured and put on display, others are more blatant with their offering, displaying their stasis frozen carcasses behind large windows. The greatest of these establishments even have especially designed pens that keep these creatures alive, so that its peerless clientele can enjoy the freshest, most mana-infused delicacies power and money could afford."

"It sounds incredible," Gwen marvelled with genuine anticipation as she sipped her water.

"Maybe you'll go there one day with your new friends."

"I hope so," Gwen said. "I mean, certainly not now. After we finish our mission in Singapore, we'll be heading back to Sydney."

"Mmm..." Morye lit up.

Gwen fled the cabin, unable to stomach the pollutant spewing from her father's lips.

As the final part of her training, the party went over survival scenarios.

"But of course, if we're talking tropical weather, the most dangerous thing is hardly going to be giant lizards or snakes. It's the little buggers that get ya," Paul explained a few days into the trip. "Swarms of poisonous flies, ants, parasitic worms, you name it."

Gwen felt her skin crawl at the thought.

"We'll be using repellents, of course, but in the case that you do get swarmed, or we have to bypass a swarm, here's the basic method to protect yourself."

"Bark Skin!"

With his limited Affinity in Air, Paul preferred the primary manifestation, which hardened one's skin and gave it a rough, bark-like texture.

"I can cast it on you as well, but in case we get separated, it is best if you can do it."

"I don't know the spell." Gwen shook her head. "Both of my elements are woefully weak in defence."

"You won't be using it for defence against slashing or bludgeoning weapons, just lots of little nasties." Paul pointed out. "I was discussing your condition with Taj the other day, and we were wondering how your Void interacted with defensive spells."

"Terribly." Gwen grimaced. "It drains my vitality so that I am losing health before I've even been hit."

"Erh..." Paul pursed his lips. "How's Lightning?"

"An offensive shield, but unlike fire, I've got terrible coverage. Not all parts of my shield are electrified—"

"Has your Evocation reached Tier 4?"

Gwen shook her head.

"Not yet."

Unless she runs into some evil Evokers begging Caliban for a good meal, Gwen thought morbidly to herself. In which case, she's probably a few carcasses away. Ever since the Elizabeth incident, Gwen had felt herself undergoing episodic, hypothetical temptations of whether or not herself should take ruthless advantage of Caliban's ability. Naturally, even entertaining the thought of cannibalism made her physically ill. Even if she should begin with the best of intentions, empowering herself at the expense of her enemies, she would one day become a thrill-seeking glutton who would challenge others with rare abilities and to consume them when they inevitably fall underneath her heels.

Besides, she desired to hunt Sobel, not become her Master's wife.

"Alright." Paul made a mental note. "We'll work on Bark Skin up. It's a pretty easy spell to learn, kind of like Shield and Magic Missile."

"Great." Gwen pushed herself from the cold iron floor. "Let's get started."

On the sixth day, their ship skirted close enough to the Indonesian Archipelago to see land.

The Captain alerted them through the loudhailer that they were about to pass the Bangka Selatan peninsular, informing them that if they were interested in seeing some unusual fauna, now was the time to be on deck.

The military men passed on the opportunity, but Gwen and her father keenly made for the starboard gunwales.

When the duo exited past the sealed bulkhead, they came vis-a-vis with giant albatrosses, each almost six-meters across from wingtip to wingtip, taking advantage of the updraft created by the ship's passing. Drifting through the air and keeping up with the freighter without apparent effort, they had a comical look about them whereby their necks retracted into their torso to reduce drag.

The sight was inspiring enough that Gwen felt the impulse of uttering an old favourite from the world she left behind.

"A good south wind sprung up behind; the Albatross did follow, and every day, for food or play, came to the mariner's hollo!" she mused to herself, hoping that someone wouldn't be stupid enough to shoot a Magic Missile at the majestic birds.

"Look there!" Morye pointed, his sight far keener than his daughter's wide-eyed wonderment.

A pod of sea creatures followed the ship's flank, leaping from the waters and spreading their scintillating fins into a semblance of insect wings. With each sinuous twist, the serpentine fish, which must be about two to three meters in length, launched itself from the water's surface to dance across it, leaving behind a milky shoal of foaming water.

"Flying Rainbow Fish." Her father grinned. "Delicious whether grilled, baked, or steamed. Whoa!"

There was an explosion of water, then a Plesiosaur burst from the waters and bore down upon the flying fish. The scintillating creatures scattered in all directions, but the sinuous neck of the plesiosaur snapped through the air and snagged one of the fish before it could land.

"Pseudo-Dragons from the ancient times are common where the waters are deep," her father said. "Beautiful creatures."

With a slash that churned the waters white and blue, the primordial creature sank, disappearing into the sea.

In the distance, the duo saw a dark blur upon the bright horizon.

"That's Kapulauan Riau, known locally as Abang—" Morye said to her, watching her face snap back to the collected cynicism of late adolescence. "Your eventual destination."

"We pass it?" Gwen asked her father. "Can we just disembark as we pass?"

Her father snorted.

"That's suicide." He chuckled at her inexperience. "Remember the plan, what Captain Durn had briefed. We need to get to Singapore first and find a local ship willing to take us to the island. What good would it do us if we save your friends, but have no ship to return to the mainland?"

Thinking of Evee and Yue, Gwen felt the bright burn of impatience melting a hole in the thin veneer of her patience.

"How long do you supposed it'll take?" Gwen asked urgently. "To find a ship, I mean."

"With the HDMs in that pouch of yours? Probably a few hours, if you're willing to burn it."

Gwen nodded and felt her storage ring, making sure that the pouch, as well as her cache of crystals, remained within.

Along the way, the duo watched the isle of Bangka Selatan approach. At one point, they skirted so close to its landmass that it had felt almost within reach, though that was merely a trick of scale and perspective.

Roving masses of seabirds, some as small as finches, others as extensive as the albatrosses they had seen earlier, roved across the island from coast to coast. Where they convened, the sky became darkened by a black, spotted haze.

"The shit on that cliff must be waist-deep," Morye joked, dispelling the romanticism.

Gwen shot her father a displeased look and turned again toward the birds, marvelling at the scale and variety of animals on a planet where men had not utterly decimated the biosphere.

"Dad," Gwen suddenly spoke to her father in a tone that was both serious and sincere. "Can you tell me about your past, about the pendant, and mum? I want to know. I need to know."

Her father stayed silent, listening to the cacophony of birds on the distant shore.

"I think I have a right to know the circumstances of my birth, don't you think, father? Please?"

Morye sighed.

"It'll make your life so much more complicated," her father spoke not toward herself, but instead into the ocean. "But that's your choice to make, not mine, I suppose."

"So, you'll tell me?"

"I will, but promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"When all of this is said and done, don't pull me into your world again."
Gwen bit her lower lip. She knew now the cardinal truth behind the old aphorism, "You can put makeup on a gnoll, but it'll still eat shit," and "A Rakshasa can't right its paws."

"Fine," She said coldly. "I promise you'll have your privacy."

"Don't be like that," Morye replied cooly. "You're still my daughter; I just want you to know that each of us has their own lives and aspirations, there's no use trying to drag me into yours, our Paths are not the same."

"What is your path then, Pink Salt Saviour?" Gwen sceptically demanded of her father.

"Well." Morye ignored her snideness. "Think of me as an esoteric monk, knowing no conflict with the world. I am the cultivator seeking no attachment, not to things, not to people, not to a higher power. I walk the way of freedom, of untethered chains and open spaces, the Path of the Sensate."

Gwen smirked. "The path of Eros more like it. When can we talk? Now?"

"No," her father shook his head. "I need some time to gather my thoughts. I'll talk to you after supper."

Her father then turned away, no longer looking at her, focusing instead on the seabirds. Below them, the ship's wake left ten-thousands of gleaming, coruscating shards to catch the light.

Satisfied, Gwen ventured below deck to rest.

"The truth," he said to no one, watching his daughter go. "I hope I still remember the truth."


Gwen found her father sitting in a miasma of cigarette smoke, forcing her to keep a discrete distance. Morye had a nervous, agitated air about him, as though the very act of reminiscing the past to deliver to his daughter irritated him to no end.

Watching Morye taking a long toke, Gwen wondered if there was such a thing as air purification spells, a kind of Prestidigitation that would remove undesirable particles from the immediate vicinity.

She waited for her father to finish his cigarette, but when the man pulled yet another from the packet, her patience became paper-thin.
"Well, let's have it then," Gwen said cattily, wrinkling her nose. She forced herself into the room and took a seat by the bunk, feeling the unpleasant sensation of tar-infused smoke soaking into her hair.

"What do you want to know first? The pendant? The Songs, or your Mother?"

"The Pendant," Gwen replied, caring more for pragmatism than for curiosity.

"That's going to involve some bad shit, but fine." Morye closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. "So, the pendant is made from the Core of a Kirin. You know what a Kirin is?"

Gwen nodded.

"Good. What do you suppose it is that the Kirin Core does?"

"Takes in the souls of dead monsters?"

"Not exactly. It takes in the 'Essence' of magical creatures at the moment of their death. How do you suppose Creature Cores work?"

"We learned that they were the 'heart' of Magical Beings, where their vital force resides," Gwen parroted from her textbook. "When a creature dies, its Essence, element, vitality, life, whatever the nomenclature, dissipates into the Astral realm. For most creatures, the Essence is contained within the Core— a condensed orb of crystallised mana that becomes more compact with seniority."

"Is that all?"

"Umm... the reason why it is near impossible to harvest Cores is that, at the moment of death, the energy held within bursts forth, seeking an escape into the immaterial Astral. This force is so powerful that the Cores of most low tier creatures crack, or dissipate."

Morye tapped his ash into an iron tray.

"That's not entirely true, Gwen. When a Core reaches a certain level of density, they become near indestructible. Of course, hunting down such a creature is nigh impossible for low-level Mages."

"To answer your question as to what makes the pendant so special, the Kirin stone is one such item. As a byproduct of its natural density, the inscribed Enchantment consumes the escaped energies. As to its usage, I would suggest trying it out and see if you can pick up a few extra cores on your adventures."

Gwen recalled that her late Master had once told her that the amulet was part of something larger, the heart-stone of something ancient and powerful. Henry had been correct that the "Core" had a capacity for storing Essence, a fact her father now confirmed.

"How do I use it?"

"Wear it on you when you deliver the killing blow. Sometimes it works, other times, who knows?"

"Is this a famous item?" Gwen questioned. If the Kirin stone was going to be something that others covet, she'd better keep it well hidden and out of sight, or perhaps even return it to her father.

"Only amongst those in the know." Morye swung the cigarette through the air, drawing a Chinese pictogram that Gwen didn't recognise. "Not many of those left now, not after the Communists came through the old country."

"How do I use the Essence?"

Morye regarded her guiltily.

"I'll be honest with you." Morye puffed out. "I have no idea. Never learned that particular trick."

"Who gave it to you?"

"From my father to me, and from me to you." Morye seemed to grow agitated at the mention of his father. "If you must know, you are only in possession of half of it. The other half is with the family."

The family. Gwen noted, processing the information.

"Tell me about 'the family'." Gwen perceived her father's impatience and pursued the matter, waving a hand to bat away the smoke. Morye had the distinct feeling of been held under lamplight and interrogated.

"If you mean 'our' family," her father stated after a momentary pause. "The story is not for me to tell, but I'll let you in on what I can disclose."

Morye took a deep breath, taking on an expression of one combating some internal demon.

"First of all, you have a set of living paternal grandparents who are alive and well, at least last I checked."

Gwen paused, blinking her big bright eyes at her father as her brain tried to process the information, feeling as though she was forcing a square peg into a round hole. Morye averted his gaze as Gwen's pupils turned sharp and critical.

"What?" Gwen uttered suddenly, an edge of iron rising in her voice. "I have ANOTHER set of grandparents— but you didn't think that was important enough to tell Percy and me? What the hell, Morye? What the actual fuck?"

Gwen didn't lose her head often, but she felt herself seething with resentment and contempt, so much that she felt as though something was going to erupt from within her body. Her eyes grew electric, becoming two concentric rings of crackling lapis that sizzled as her rampant emotions took hold. In her old life, she had never had a chance to spend time with her paternal grandparents before they passed, but in this world, they were alive and well and yet she had no idea they existed? Her father had spent the last decade fooling them that he was orphaned! What could compel a man to do something so absurd?

Her father groaned. "I told you it was going to complicate things. You're the one who wanted to know."

"How— how is this my fault!?" She wanted to slap him again; maybe Shocking Grasp the bastard. Her skin crawled all over. "Okay… okay, keep going, tell me about my NOT DEAD paternal grandparents, go on."

"You also have a paternal aunt and uncle…"

Gwen placed her head between her hands and tried to slow her breathing. The stupid cigarette smoke made her dizzy, and her father's bombshell revelations didn't help one bit. She looked up after a minute or so of meditative introspection, her eyes bloodshot with stress and pent-up emotions.

"Okay, go on."

"A few cousins…"

"That's fine." Gwen's voice trembled. "Just get on with it. What about them? Where are they? What do they do? How are they now?"

"They're in Shanghai." Morye looked around and found a bottle of water. He shook it towards his daughter, but Gwen declined. "As for the rest of your questions, I can't answer them because I haven't seen them in about fifteen years..."

So her father was from a tier 1 city— Gwen allowed the knowledge to sink in. What she couldn't understand was why anyone would leave Shanghai for a Frontier town like Sydney.

"Why did you leave Shanghai? I assume you were born there?" Gwen asked.

"I was," Morye replied. "I am the first son of the House of Song."

"A 'House', with a capital H?"

"No, no." Morye waved his cigarette. "Old bloodline, new House. The Revolution uplifted us, so no history, only status."

Revolution.
Status.
Bloodline.
None of those things meant anything intelligible to Gwen, least of all the idea of a Communist revolution in a world of magic and monsters, least of all because her Frontier history class had left students wanting. Her father caught her incomprehension.

"Have you heard of old-world cultivators?"

Gwen blinked.

"Never mind then. Suffice it to say, you have an extended family somewhere in Shanghai, China, and maybe some relatives from the Eurasian Steppes, though I've never met them myself."

"Jesus, how many relatives do I have?!" Gwen snarled at her disinterested, apathetic father. "Why am I finding out about this now?"

"Because you asked." Morye shrugged. "What, don't like the answer?"

Gwen fantasied about summoning Caliban right there and have the thing give her father a good tongue lashing. The infuriating lout! To think she'd thought he was getting better and that he cared enough to come out here and risk his life for her! The man was unbearable! At once Gwen felt a surge of sympathy for Helena, empathising with why her mother was so offended all the time and so withholding in her affections.

"Fine, because I asked," She moped, unable to find the words to express her exasperated emotions because she never had family in either of her lives. "Putting that sid, tell me about mum."

"What do you want to know?"

"Does she know?"

"About?"

"About your talents!" Gwen gnashed her teeth. "Do you have to make this so… difficult?"

Her father gave her a look that said she didn't want to know the answer to that rhetorical question.

"She has an inkling," he said after another agonising drag on his cigarette. "But alas, she has no evidence."

"And you just... lived in mediocrity this whole time?"

"Hey! We were happy for a while, raising you, married despite Surya's protests."

"And then?"

"There is no 'and then'. Your mother couldn't handle being ordinarily happy. I couldn't stomach her psychosis. I needed space. So she left. End of story."

Gwen regarded her father's self-righteous explanation with incredulity. The absurdity of it, the sense of selfish entitlement that radiated from his self-depreciative face made her sick with loathing. How could such a human being even exist in this world? How could it be possible that such a person brought forth herself and Percy?

"Okay! So if you hate each other's guts, where Percy come from?" Gwen asked suspiciously.

Morye turned to look at Gwen with an awkward expression.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"When a man and a woman love one another very much…"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Dad!" Gwen snapped, stomping her foot on the galvanised flooring. "I mean, why did you get back together again?"

"You know your mother, surely." Morye pursed his thin lips. "She can be very possessive. If you want the details, I'd advise against it."

"…"

Her father had guessed right. Gwen didn't want to know about that.

"Why did you leave China?"

"Ah, a good question."

"Well, why?"

"Can't say, it's confidential."

"How come?"

"Gwen, don't be difficult."

"I want to know, tell me."

"Why? Why do you deserve to know?"

"FUCK! JUST TELL ME ALREADY!" Gwen shouted at her father; at last, her patience was exhausted.

"Because I KILLED someone I shouldn't have! That's all you need to know!" Her father snapped back at her. "It doesn't involve you in the slightest, not then, and not now. Okay, you know what. This conversation is over. Now be a good girl and shut up! We will go and get your friends, we'll take them back to Sydney, and then we'll luncheon every few weeks, OKAY? Go to bed. You have a long day ahead."

Gwen stared at her father, her conduits tingling with Void mana. She was no longer sure what was true or false because she had come for answers and was now left with more questions.

The pendant was a precious item that could draw out the Essence of magical beings as they died - but was that all it did? What had compelled the Kirin stone to regurgitate its Essences when she needed the serpent's aid?

Then there was her paternal family, now no longer deceased but alive in China. Would she want to meet them? Would they want to meet her? What would they think of her frontier upbringing? Was one of 'them' also in possession of the Void talent, as she did?

Then there was her mother. Gwen still couldn't believe that Helena just gave up on her father. That must have been a fate worse than death for a social climber like herself. But then again, Gwen gazed at her father— trying to squeeze the truth from this man was like wrangling blood from a rock. If she were married to a man like him, death would be preferable.

Her father exhaled.
The tobacco smoke was getting to her now, making her throat itch and her hair stink.

"I need a shower," Gwen announced, fought down the questions bubbling in her throat, then left.

Once his daughter was gone, Morye extinguishing his cigarette.

"Control Wind," he incanted, and a gust of air cleared the cabin of the smoke.

"Good grief, I'd thought she never leave," he said to the door as the wind blew the thing shut, plunging the room back into thankful silence. Sighing, he renewed his meditation. In less than ten hours, they would be in Singapore, and knowing Gwen, there was bound to be more trouble.

Gwen scrubbed herself raw cleansing the fetid tobacco stench that clung to every inch of her skin.

Still burning with disquiet, she pulled the water through her hair and allowed it to drip between her shoulders. The ship's showers were fir only for Dwarves, though thanks to a Conjure Water implement, it had no lack of freshwater.

They had less than ten hours before Singapore became a reality and she would have to get ready for the obfuscation they'd undergo at customs. Though Gunther's Multi-Pass allowed them access through the Commonwealth territories held by Singapore, it was very much unlikely that the local authorities would be happy to know that they were going to stir up a hornet's nest in the Kapulauan Riau archipelago.

Putting her head once more under the facet, Gwen thought about her friends, her Master, her Siblings-in-craft, and about her unknown paternal relatives. Threads, all of them, tying her to this world, lashing her with a hundred ropes of nerve and sinew like the bound Gulliver in Lilliput.

Her left hand turned the facet.

The falling water slowed to a drip; beading droplets trickled from her torso and down her thighs to pool at her feet.

For now, she reminded herself— the only folk that mattered were Evee, Yue and Whetu.

After six agonising nights, Singapore appeared on the horizon.
First came the human-made islands, dozens of them, each sporting a concrete structure that indicated the presence of a Shielding Station, each akin to crystalline daggers stabbing the sky.

Between each structure, a thrum of energy signifying the resonance hung between the city and the outside world, giving the South Sea trade fortress a surreal, mirage-like appearance.

Gwen fingered the Kirin amulet gently as they passed the barrier, feeling the Core grow hot before once again matching the warmth of her skin.

While her heart pounded, the others gathered on the top deck. Jonas had informed her that they had travelled to Singapore once before, with Alesia on a Purging quest for one of the satellite islands. They knew the local Tower, therefore, and should pass without incident.

The main Shielding Station guarding the city sat at the tip of Sentosa. Perhaps inspired by the local fauna, the Singaporeans had built a gargantuan Mer-lion statue, a half-fish, half-lion creature local to the South China Sea famous for bringing good fortune. Holding an enormous Shielding Crystal in its mouth, "passing of the Mer-lion" officially dictated that they were now within the territorial jurisdiction of Singapore Tower and its provincial government.

According to her companions, though Singapore can be considered a Frontier like Sydney, it enjoyed an unusual eminence due to its proximity to the tier 1 capitals of the South Sea, existing as a gateway to Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. As a result, Singapore was immensely wealthy for a Frontier of its size. Here, all of its citizens, both Mages and NoMs, enjoyed some of the highest quality of life possible in Humanity's hinterlands.

Another reason for Singapore's rise as the crème de la crème of the Frontiers was the institutional reformation the city had undergone under the Magister Lee Kuan Yew, more endearingly known as 'Uncle Lee". Before the loss of the Micronesian islands to the Mermen, the Magister introduced significant legislative reforms, such as an 'uplifting' program that offered citizenship, housing and gainful employment to any awakened caster across Micronesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Though policy infamously caused a "sorcerous drain" in the surrounding regions, while greatly enriching Singapore and its cache of service Mages that staffed the city's manufactorums.

For their entry into the fortress city, the party had chosen a believable backstory that Gwen was the scion of a notable House in Melbourne, friend to the Magister Guldric Uther. If challenged, the party would reply that they were in Singapore to procure supplies before returning to Melbourne and that Magister Uther would back up their story.

To appear the part, Gwen had spent the morning picking through her outfits, looking for the right sass to assume the air of a spoilt adventurer princess, one uptight enough to be travelling with an entourage of Senior Mages.

She settled on an old dress she'd found on Surya's estate, a simple floral one-piece that reached just above her knees, with a hem that blew out beautifully like a reverse tulip. Unlike before Almudj's blessing, she found little need for makeup, for her flawless complexion left no doubt that her persona had not seen a day of labour.

The men didn't think it their business to comment on her attire and her father wasn't keen on talking, but Gwen did run into a few agog sailors that showed she had done very well indeed.

As they pulled into port, Gwen realised they had skipped the crystalline skyline with its ship-like Marina Tower and instead arrived in a deep-sea port with enough shipping containers to form a bastion of steel crates and floating platforms. All around her, cargo cranes sprouted like mushrooms after a monsoonal shower, dotting the horizon with a forest of claws and pulleys.

A disembarking platform made its way from the dock towards the control tower, just a level from the top deck. The writing on the docking arm read "Pasir Penang Terminal 3".

After farewells were had with the crew, the gangway gave Gwen a feeling of mild vertigo as they crossed the hundred or so meter drop onto the central harbour platform.

The Freight Station maintained a small Customs Station at its far end, a significant distance from the cargo processing assemblage, giving the group ample time to gather their stories and unify any contingencies as they approached the moment of truth.

At Customs, they were greeted by two Customs Officers with Chinese-Singaporean likenesses. Seeing Jonas and the others in their military uniforms, the guards stood respectfully and saluted.

"Good morning Sirs - Ma'am. The City of Singapore welcomes you."

"Greetings, we're looking to enter the city on business." Jonas nodded, reaching into his jacket for his pass-card.

Paul and Taj likewise presented their cards, allowing the Singaporean Mages to transcribe them behind a counter, where the passes' authenticity became verified.

"They're verifying the Glyphs embedded within our cards against the ones authorised by the city's immigration department," Jonas explained to Gwen in the tone of her instructor. "When challenged, have your Pass out immediately and remove any accessories that may impede examination of your facial features."

"Yes, Sir," Gwen replied dutifully. One of the guards glanced toward Gwen when Jonas spoke, lingering on her face a second too long for comfort. Gwen met the young man's eyes and smiled. As anticipated, the Customs Officer blushed and turned away, which made her laugh. The exchange gave her a little rush.

"Miss, your Pass, please."

Gwen pulled the Pass from her Storage Ring with a flick of her fingers, further verifying beyond doubt that she was from a family that was rich and rare.

The Customs Officers marvelled at her Quasi-elemental talent; their eyes sparkled when they returned her multi-pass with both hands.

"Thank you." Gwen beamed at them, revealing gleaming white teeth.

"Our pleasure, Ma'am," one of the men replied. "I hope you enjoy your stay."

"I am sure I will." Gwen leaned in before moving past the counter, feeling their eyes following her around the gallery. "Say, what's good in Singapore, what's the best place for Seafood?"

"I'd recommend Jumbo by Long Beach."

"It's the River Walk for me, maybe Palm Beach?"

Though she should be interrogated, the young men were instead recommending restaurants. Gwen played along, asking them about their favourite spots in the city, laughed imploringly, and enquired about seafood, turning what should be a severe atmosphere into one of joyous delight.

"How dangerous," Paul said to the others.

"I wish Alesia would learn some of Gwen's charm instead of intimidating the shit out of the Customs Officers."

"Hear, hear," Taj recollected with a painful grimace. "Remember that time we got detained in Hong Kong because they thought we were Triad?

"Erh, don't remind me." Paul groaned.

"Eh? What happened?" Morye asked out of curiosity.

"After Alesia made a scene and Paul intervened, they threw him in a holding-cell with actual Triads. After he laid them out, Paul ended up with a gang of 'brothers for life' that wanted to help us navigate the Nine Dragons district. Alesia ended up having to call Master Henry to assure Hong Kong Tower that we were legitimate military officers and she was not an imposter pretending to be the Crimson Sorceress."

They chuckled as Gwen passed without incident, stowing the Pass with a click of her fingers.

When Morye underwent inspection, one of the Officers stopped him before he could exit.

"Are you father and daughter, Sir?"

Morye affirmed that they were.

"Is something the matter?" Gwen came striding back towards the Customs desk, heels-clicking one after the other.

"Just for the record. It's nothing to worry about, Miss. Enjoy your stay in Singapore."

Past Customs, the group entered Singapore proper. The moment they ventured outside, however, Gwen felt the crisp indoor atmosphere dissipate. A sweltering heat smothered every inch of her body, plastering her arms and legs as though an invisible being had draped a warm film of plastic over her skin.

The heat! The humidity! It was incredible. When they were at the port and moving through the sea, it hadn't felt nearly as oppressive, but now that they were outside the city's glass and concrete megastructures, it felt as though they had walked into a lukewarm sauna.

Gwen made it no more than a hundred meters in the open when her chiffon dress hugged her thighs like cling-wrap, making progress near impossible. She suddenly discovered new things about the human body, such as that knees could sweat.

"Good God!" Paul moaned. "Give me the blistering heat of the Outback any day of the week!"

"Alright, let's find us a shrimp-boat Captain," Taj announced, his face likewise melting.

Jonas hailed two taxies from afar.

"Where to?" an South East Asian taxi driver asked them.

"Hello. We're looking to hire a boat and do some fishing, what's a good port to charter?" Jonas got straight to the point. "Got any good recommendations?"

"I can help," the Taxi driver answered with a moustachioed grin, his eyes moved up and down Gwen's attire before turning to regard her retinue. "You looking for luxury or sport?"

"Sport. We're short on time, ideally, head out and back in a day or two. Find us someone willing to play guide and navigator."

"Okay, get in. I take you to Jurong Port, many private ships there. You got money, someone happy to take you for sure."

Gwen ducked into the Taxi as Jonas held the door for her. She rode with Morye while the others rode in another Taxi behind them.

To her unfamiliar eyes, though they were far from famously ultra-luxury areas such as Clementi Park or the high-density district of Hougang, the industrial areas of the city's urban crawl still felt considerably more developed than Sydney. The roads were extensive and better maintained, the streets spotless and without garbage. The buildings stood in blocks rather than sprawls, with clean, centralised designs that involved contoured, modern-industrial aesthetics.

What caught Gwen's attention, in particular, wasn't so much what the city possessed, but what its streets seemed to lack.

There were homeless hobos in Sydney even in the best areas, sprawled on the streets every few blocks, begging for change. The phenomenon was especially prevalent in the city's industrial and commercial areas, where Gwen attended school. Here in Singapore, there was not a single hint of poverty. Instead, its overwhelming prosperity was making her nerves jitter.

On every other avenue, black-uniformed militiamen in urban combat fatigues with duckbilled hats and glyph-embedded glasses carried alchemical bandoleers across their uniforms, concurrently armed with Combat Wands that extended from hip to the thigh.

"Morye." Gwen turned to her father, hoping to break the ice tension. "What do you suppose that wand is?"

"Likely utility spells like Move Earth or Shape Stone." Morye turned to the Police Officers as they passed. "Impressive gear though, those are likely Detect Magic goggles. I bet that uniform is elementally attuned too."

Gwen whistled.

In Sydney, most Mages carried a few Magic items covertly. Gwen had never even seen the Sydney Police with Combat Wands, much less decked out in a suite of magical gadgets. In Sydney, only the Tower Mages came equipped.

They turned into Jurong Fishery Port and proceeded until both Taxis were facing the entrance of the Fishery.

Gwen paid the talkative driver with her card, then disembarked into an area where already, the stench of seafood busy at decomposition permeated their nasal cavities.

"Well?" Gwen wished already to be on a ship heading out to sea. "Let's find us an entrepreneur, shall we?"