Sub-lets in Hell, chapter 9. (Patreon)

So here we are. The chapter of Soul fire sale has in no way grown well past what I intended. For now, have this one, and of course, please enjoy.

I felt good waking up. Last night had been turned into nice and tiring bar crawl, the presence of Clay changing what would have been a silly trip to some outlet stores and fast food into something far more mindless and bad for me.

Still, it'd felt good to move, to dance around awash in music far too loud for us while drinking far too much. Clay had almost cast a spell at one point, something that was sure to get him in trouble stateside if there were no clear and present threat demanding our skills.

More physical activity had done the trick, and I'd slept like a baby... in the car, with Clay snoring in the passenger's side.

If not for the alarm I'd set, we'd have been late and likely declared absent without leave. Still, it was a good three hours, and a quick shower later I was as awake as I'd ever been. Time to jog.

It was a little weird that I'd managed to sleep so well in my car, since that was almost as unsafe a thing to do as sleeping on the street, but for some reason it had worked. Honestly, I blamed Clay for that. It was hard to shake the feeling that we had each others' backs. If it came to it, he'd die for me.

I'd just likely wish I were dead instead.

Clay joined me about halfway in, looking a bit more like curdled death than I was. At least, I was sure I looked better. "You look like hell."

The response was immediate: "Thanks. You don't."

That's what I thought. I could trust Clay on this one.

"Still going to do the thing?"

"Right after this jog," I answered. The tower nearest the gate is where I'll start, and I'll do one a day."

I'd upgrade one spot a day, at least. I might do more later if I felt like it. Since this wasn't a given mission or order, I was free to work at my own speed. The good news was my own speed was fast; I'd have this done inside a week, regardless. Even if it was on my own time, technically.

I should be getting paid for it, but I was happy enough just being allowed to do it. By the time I was done, it would take the entire combined might of several armies to march on this place, and if I did it right, any sort of stealth assault would be stopped before it could even begin.

I doubt it would help against what I was facing, but anything short of that I'd give good odds for. Every little bit helped, and all that. If the new wards proved their worth, they would be adopted everywhere soon enough.

I had no doubt they would prove useful; the real question was why hadn't they been made and used before now? I wasn't exactly a genius, so someone else should have come up with this setup before now. It wasn't exactly rocket surgery.

Maybe I should ask later instead of sitting on all these questions.

Right, I was busy jogging now. I picked up my pace just before I would have lagged behind, and we turned the corner at the fence. The gate was ahead and to the left of us now. I could see the guards as clear as if it were day as they stood around making easy targets of themselves.

It grated, for all that I knew that most people wouldn't be able to see them at all. I had to remind myself constantly how good my eyes were.

I sometimes wondered if they had always been that good; my memories seem to suggest that no, they weren't.

We jogged in silence, and I noted when the guards at the gate became aware of us. It was a little too late for my liking.

We stopped to watch the morning routine, the ritual of the newbies. There wasn't really anything to say, and our silence settled around us, a bubble of comfort.

I had to break it. "You could have gone home with that blonde last night."

Clay seemed to have a magnetism to him; at the bar he'd drawn every female eye, and he'd spent a fair amount of time dancing with most of the women attached to those eyes. He'd left with me readily enough though, when the time came.

"Ain't getting rid of me that easily. I'm not spending time in the stockade unless I have to. She was pretty frisky, though." Clay replied with an easy grin.

"Bah, you could have had a quickie and made it back."

Clay's eyes stopped smiling. "Not my way of doing things. Never on the first date, and I never kiss and tell. No matter how amazing her ass is."

Right. I didn't want to know.

Most of us didn't care. I mean, what did it matter if we were going to burn for all time anyway? Most just did what they wanted. Even I did, about the small things. But the big things? It just struck me as wrong; even if you were going to burn, that was all the more reason not to do wrong.

One night stands hurt everyone involved, whether they knew it or not. That Clay felt the same way was a little surprising, but then again, in France, he hadn't gone running off either. Huh.

Right, I'd been thinking too long, and I needed a response stat! "I do not need to know how amazing asses are."

Yeah, nailed it. Not.

The grin was back in full. "Of course not. You already know."

Then the man turned and shook his at me.

He managed to get out of the way before I could put my shoe firmly up there, but this wasn't over.

He wasn't wrong, but it was impolite to say so. I had it on good authority.

The new blood finished their morning routine and broke up. Their runs would be staggered throughout the day now; sometimes they did the run during the night, and some weeks during the days, so that the recruits had both extreme hot and cold under their belt.

That's how we did it, and we liked it! Uphill, both ways! Kids today, grumble grumble.

"Let's get some coffee."

"You always want some coffee." Clay returned.

I mean, guilty? "And?"

"Nothing. Let's get some coffee."

Clay walked off first... and he was heading to the cafe. They were open this early, but only just. Even so, I could wait a bit for good coffee; Karen made a lousy pot, and she always seemed to make it to the coffee pot in the teacher's lounge before anyone else.

The place wasn't a chain, which I was thankful for, it meant they had the beans I preferred; none of that arabica nonsense.

"One large Guatemalan single, black." That wasn't really the best way to order coffee, but the people that worked here learned my quirk early, so the guy just nodded.

"That'll be two ninety-five."

I handed the man my card and he ran it himself before handing it back. He wasn't any older than we were, and hadn't served. I didn't blame him for that, but it did make me wonder how he got this job - the security enema was no joke, and the base wouldn't just let anyone in.

Whatever, he still made a mean cup of coffee, so I could forgive a lot.

There was no reason to call my name, of course, the place was small, and this early there was little business. Or maybe it was just a bad time for it? I didn't know who might show up at four am. Maybe I'd check tomorrow.

I really needed to start a hobby. restart a hobby? I needed something to do in my idle moments. Maybe I'd pick up one of those little phone games everyone seemed to play or something.

I'd look into it later. Coffee was happening now.

Clay went for arabica, the heathen.

We left, and the place was empty, with no one on their way in that I could see.

Our classrooms were where we left them; Clay split and went to his, and I to mine.

I had to unlock mine first, but that was simple enough. I wrote some new problems, some new spells on the board. We'd be learning some more utility spells. Everyone leaving this class to go to the front would have a full compliment instead of having to learn on the fly and possibly dying before they can.

It was hard to shake the feeling that I could be doing more, but I didn't know what more I could be doing. Maybe a professional teacher could come up with something. Maybe I should ask.

Another thing to do for the pile.

My students trickled in, and many of them started taking notes immediately. That was gratifying in a way I couldn't explain, even to myself.

Everyone entered, and I took the roll, even though I knew everyone was here. It was pretty obvious; all the desks were full. "Alright, you know the drill. Write them down. Practice them. You'll need practice with circles anyway, even if you want to go the written route. So you might as well practice with these rather than something more important."

The idea was to get them ready to summon demons through a circle, after all.

It meant I could get some of my own reading done. Just maybe do a little research. How did this book collect dust so quickly? I cleaned the damn thing yesterday. I blew the dust off again and cracked the old giant thing open.

It had to be an effect; an ancient troll placed on the book by an old summoner or demon in decades past. It would be a cool thing to do actually, to new books. I'd have to look for it. First, I'd have to understand this writing system more.

Add that one to the pile as well.

Right, fifteen minutes. Time to check - getting up was more effort than I liked. I did my best to glide in between the desks, checking everyone's attempts at drawing. It was pretty clear that without something to trace, some people were completely lost. The urge to pull out my pen and make corrections myself was strong.

In fact, why didn't I just? I had a red pen here somewhere.

I went back to get it, and made a second round, liberally applying the red pen to fix things like circle diameter and text. A few people even needed help free-handing an actual circle; it was silly. So many ovals.

After the second pass, every paper had red ink. "Again, if you please. This needs to become second nature for most of you, and everyone here should at least have the skill. Draw the circle, then populate it with what you need and where. Assume you're on a timer."

They weren't, of course, but they didn't need to know that yet. The timer would come later because it was a good idea.

A fire was lit under them, and they tried their best. The scribbles were actually worse, but that was all part of the process.

"Again." No red ink this time; they had enough.

The bell rang before they were fully done. "Everyone work on it if you have the time. Any questions?"

"Yes Ma'am. What does this one do?"

Oh. Whoops. "The one you're working on right now uses magic to start a fire, and the fire will keep going so long as you have power to fuel it. The next one over draws water from the nearest water source, and the third can be used to catch game. I like to think of them as the survivalists' trifecta."

They weren't really called that, of course, but a little light trolling never hurt anyone.

The new blood saluted and joined the crowd walking out. They'd all taken the explanation in, so there was no need to dwell on the fact that I'd made them draw circles without knowing what they were for. It was a learning experience, yeah that was it! they had to figure it out themselves. Except they hadn't. This time, because translating as they were going was a good idea.

A knock sounded at my door, and Karen walked in. "Good morning Karen."

"Good morning Alice. How goes class?"

I shrugged. "You'd have to ask them. I think I'm doing well, but it's hard to say how things are going from this side of the desk."

My coffee had gone cold; Karen's hands were empty. So not a social visit then. "What's up?"

"We have news. Your stalker is in Russia, checking the Crimean port of Yalta."

Yalta was a major deployment site for Russian troops. They'd gather there before sailing the black sea to parts known. It was a good place to start looking for me... if I were in that region. He had to know I wasn't there by now, either at their forward bases or staging areas. So why? What was he doing?

"Casualties?"

"None. He just asks around, sometimes flashes a picture, and leaves."

There had to be something we weren't seeing going on.

Wait. "Where did he get a picture?" The big guy shouldn't have a picture of me; we'd never taken one and I had never gone out of my way to take any myself. I'd never been a big picture taker.

Karen made a show of shrugging. "I don't know. I asked, thinking we might get a clue, but all I can tell you its not a drivers license, mugshot, or military ID shot. Some casual thing with trees in the background, the witnesses said."

That could be from any park or well-kept city. "Was I jogging?"

"They didn't say anything like that. You're in casual clothes in the picture, and appear to be looking right at the camera and smiling."

That was... "That has to be made up. Somehow."

"My thought exactly," Karen answered, sitting on my desk and taking a look at the circles on the blackboard. "You don't do smiles."

What? "Of course I do smiles! I just don't do pictures!"

Karen turned back to give me her best gimlet eye. "You don't do smiles at all. I've seen you smile like three times since I've known you."

That sounded made up. "You haven't been looking then. I'm a regular ray of sunshine, beaming down upon you."

My friend held it together for all of about two seconds before bursting into laughter. I patiently waited for her to finish.

It took a few tries.

She finally got herself under control; then she had to ruin it. "I think the universe would end if you smiled. Or maybe you think the universe would end if you smiled. I don't know which it is.

There was only one reply I could make to that. I smiled at her.

She lunged off the desk with a "Gahhh!" then she made the sign of the cross, which was a little rude. "What even was that?"

"That was a smile. I was proving they can happen - quit being such a drama queen."

"That was horrifying, was what that was. I felt like I was watching that one horror movie again, for a second."

Yeah, because that narrowed it down. Still, I think I knew which one she was talking about. "The ring? The one we watched? Are you comparing me to Sadako?"

Karen snapped her fingers. "Right, the ring! And that's exactly right; you remind me of her.

I had to hear this. "How exactly? We look nothing alike."

"You don't need to look alike," Karen breezed out. "You're both creepy bitches."

Really? "I beg your pardon. I might be creepy, but I'm hardly a bitch."

"Right, you got me there. You're way too nice to be called a bitch. Still, don't point that so-called smile at me; it's awful."

I could tell she was joking - or trying to - so I wasn't about to take offense. But I had no need to avoid any digs at her. "I think I'll smile at you more often instead."

Karen shuddered. She actually shuddered. The she posed melodramatically, the back of her hand to her forehead while she fanned herself with her other hand.  "Fine, do what you must! I'm prepared! I'll endure!"

"Okay Scarlet. Just have the vapors over there, please."

My friend drew herself up, looking satisfied. Then she hooked a thumb at the chalkboard. "Survival with magic? You know they'll learn the basics without, right?"

Of course I knew. I knew those same basics, after all. "It's all about options, and magic can give you more, so long as you can cast it, that is."

"What are they going to use water summoning for, other than to get a drink?" Karen asked.

Trying to put me on the spot was silly. "Is there a source of electricity nearby? Is there a source of twine rope or silk? Any of that can be affected by a small bit of water. It all depends on how you use the circle. Don't want to bother looking for a source of fresh water in order to clean a wound? No need to. Want to...."

Karen waved me off. "Right, right, I got it. I'll quit asking. Skies the limit, and all that."

I knew she knew I'd used the spell for those things; she had to have read my field reports. So I let it go.

"So, was that it? Is there anything else?"

Karen gave me another shrug. "Not really, that's it. Just the latest. You've got time to do all the things."

Right, time to reinforce things. Surely it would take even the big S a few days to make it here once he found me. I had more than enough time.

"How was your bar hopping?"

Right, of course Karen knew about that. "It was alright. Felt good to blow off a little steam and take the edge off with stuff bad for me."

Technically, I was still too young to drink while state-side... but no one tried to enforce it. Most service never even got carded, and any summoner who went into a bar and asked for booze got it, no questions asked. It was just easier for all involved, so long as you didn't abuse the privilege.

I hadn't done it much while serving here, but after being deployed? Drinking was nothing at all to worry about. Provided I didn't drive, of course.

"Good. Glad it worked out. Next time, invite me along?"

Not a big deal. I get what she was after, though. Safety in numbers and a bit more plausible deniability if I did something stupid. After all, Karen was technically my commanding officer... very technically. "Sure. I likely won't go again for a week or more."

"Good enough. Just let me know, and we'll make a full night of it. Well, if we do it on a weekend anyway."

"Yeah, we'll try for a weekend." It didn't bother me, but Clay and Karen needed a bit more sleep to recover from a wild time. Probably.

I didn't find just drinking to be much fun, and dancing wasn't really my thing, but maybe we could find some good pool players to lose against or something. I wouldn't mind that.

"Alright, I got to go," Karen said. "Catch you later?"

Why make it sound like a question? "Sure. I should get going myself anyway. I've got some time; I can get something done."

No time like the present to start doing the things.