Confessions of the Magpie Wizard Book 3: Dissolution (Chapters 17 & 18) (Patreon)

Posting a day early because I might be busy tomorrow! I don't think anyone will mind. 

Art by the wonderful and talented https://twitter.com/RianneDraws?s=20. 

Chapter 17

Soon enough, the sand gave way to a dense slice of pine forest. “I must say, this is an excellent spot for a ritual, Holy Brother Ratte. We should be completely hidden from sight.”

The redheaded man’s only response was an affirmative grunt. Damn, I’d hoped that he was the type to appreciate yes-men. He seemed against me from the start, so I’d hoped to make some sort of connection with him.

Brother Maus seemed much more my type. As we threaded between the trees, he kept up a steady conversation with Maggie. I focused my energy eavesdropping there, but it was still disappointing. I had hoped for something juicy. Instead, they only talked about their service days in Madagascar. The fools in the African Horde had completely bungled that invasion, but it had been close.

I wondered if I should mention that Brother Garuda had called himself the Wraith of Madagascar. I decided against it, since I had been the one to slay him. I still wanted to tease the connection there, though. “Did you all serve there together?”

“Yes,” said Ratte in a terse tone.

“You’ll excuse Brother Ratte,” said Maus. “He left more behind there than his eye.”

“It was a war that should never have happened,” replied Ratte. “If the Anti-Demonic League had spared a few more warships from protecting Japan and Indonesia, the Horde would never have made landfall.”

“Seems to have done wonders for Holy Brotherhood recruitment,” I said.

Ratte narrowed his eye at me before giving me a brief nod. “That’s the most sensible thing you’ve said today. The failures of the League force us to harsh truths and harsher methods.”

“At least it wasn’t your homeland you watched burn,” said Mrs. Perera.

“I barely remember Norway,” replied Ratte. “I count that as a blessing, Sister Macaw. You have my sympathy.”

Maus chuckled. “You’re all so darn serious today! This is a happy occasion. With each recruit, the Brotherhood comes that much closer to overthrowing the decadent League and rebuilding a stronger humanity.”

“You’re so right,” said Maggie, running a hand along his shoulder. “The last operation didn’t go quite to plan, but as long as one Holy Brother lives, we can never be snuffed out.”

“Let’s stop the chatter,” said Ratte. “We’ve arrived.”

The forest floor we’d marched through was covered in pine needles, shed cones and all the normal debris of a living ecosystem. The small clearing was completely barren earth, without so much as a seedling or root to disturb it. I wagered that that was Maus’ doing. It seemed too clean to occur naturally.

As if to confirm my suspicions, Maus gestured towards the center of the clearing. A shallow, circular trench two meters in diameter formed in an instant, with raised sections at the cardinal directions.

“Make this good, boy,” whispered Mrs. Perera in my ear. “If they don’t like what they hear, you won’t leave the Circle alive.”

“Now, see here,” I said. “This is all a bit dramatic, isn’t it? What’s going on?”

“Nobody is told of the test before they take it,” replied Ratte. “We all passed and if Holy Sister Shrike has done her job, you should have no troubles with it.”

“And I have, of course,” she said, giving me an imploring look. If I could have read her mind, she’d have been mentally screaming that I couldn’t mess this up for her.

Well, no worries there, since I wasn’t fond of the alternative either. I simply prayed to whoever would listen that it didn’t involve a test for demonic taint or the like.

Mrs. Perera directed me to put her down on the eastern platform. The more able-bodied Holy Brothers stepped onto the others.

I entered the Circle and stood at its center, my hands down at my sides. “Is this right?”

“Yes, Soren,” replied Maggie.

“And Haru… That is, Holy Brother Magpie passed this test, too?”

“With flying colors,” replied the redheaded teacher.

“Then I shouldn’t have any trouble,” I said. Sometimes it’s easier to be brave for spite than for its own sake.

“Let the Ritual of Brotherhood begin,” said Ratte with a pomposity that I found grating. “We should not tarry here in our enemy’s backyard. Step towards me.”

I followed his instructions and bit back a curse. The manacles he retrieved from his flowing robes were all too familiar. The Band of Truth. Damn my luck to Our Father Below!

“Is this really necessary?” I asked. “You can’t tell me you always have demonic fabricata on hand every time you want to do a job interview!”

“Well spotted,” said Ratte. “Your familiarity with the methods of our enemy is exactly why we need the extra precautions. We are told you are a recovered demonkin, and you opposed us before. You can’t expect us to only take your word.”

“Do it, Marlowe,” said Maggie. “I know you’ll be fine.”

“I’m more amazed you haven’t made your own version.”

“The devils are the purveyors of lies and corruption upon this world, so they have had to devise tools to discover falsehoods,” replied Ratte. “If the enemy has a tool ready at hand, why waste our time making another? Now, put out your arm.”

I reluctantly complied. He clamped it down on my wrist and a tingle ran the length of my arm. If it detected a lie, I’d be subjected to heavy electrical shocks. My lawyer back in Pandemonium, Belialia, had been driven to agony trying to defend my case with perfectly reasonable distortions of the truth. I hadn’t been curious to see how well I’d stand up to the same treatment. Rubbing my itching wrist, I went back to the center of the circle.

“Initiate,” said Maus, matching his fellow’s tone, “you shall be asked the Three Questions. These are the Tests of Resoluteness, Holiness, and Brotherhood. If any Holy Brother is not satisfied with your answers, you will be slain on the spot. Do you understand?”

I nodded, trying to build up my confidence. I didn’t doubt they would try. I was sure I could find a way out if I needed to. Casting a defensive spell wasn’t a lie, if it came to that.

Then I realized how precarious my situation was. I was surrounded on all sides by experienced combat wizards. Even if Mrs. Perera was an invalid, her ability to control the flow of time meant that I could never get the drop on them.

Well, then. I’d have to make it sound good.

“The first question,” said Maggie, her voice betraying nervousness. “Do you hate the decadent Anti-Demonic League and their lapdogs, the Wizard Corps?”

“Of course!” An easy question for any loyal son of the Grim Horde.

“Explain your answer,” urged Mrs. Perera.

“Why wouldn’t I despise them? They failed humanity in England and they offer us nothing but platitudes about standing together against their evil. The League’s methods can only manage humanity’s decline. The Horde might be in trouble if they ever had the will to fully commit to any operation, but the leaders of the League in Tokyo won’t leave themselves undefended. The absolute cowards.” I was thankful that I’d heard the ramblings of the Holy Brothers I’d fought at the Serving Wizards’ House. I could mix in their lingo with a brutally honest assessment from a Horde point of view.

“Does any Brother doubt his resolve?” asked Ratte. There was a moment’s silence. “Very well. The Initiate passes the Test of Resoluteness. Humanity first!”

“Humanity first,” replied the rest. I added the same belatedly.

“Next, the Test of Holiness,” continued Maggie. “Do you swear to oppose all who stand against the Holy Brotherhood of Mankind?”

“Yes,” I replied.

She accepted Ratte’s nod and continued. “Will you help us reclaim control from the unworthy Anti-Demonic League and right the ship of state?”

“I am sworn to destroy the Anti-Demonic League and all of its puppets.” I decided to promise in passive language, since it matched old vows I had made to the Dark Lord and the Grim Horde. Better safe than sorry with lie detectors.

“Will you resist the luxuries offered to you by the corrupt Anti-Demonic League to dull your senses and keep you complacent?” asked Maggie.

“Naturally,” I said. My arm tingled as the band came to life, so I quickly continued. “I enjoy the creature comforts of the Wizard Corps, but they are nothing compared to seeing my homeland again as a free man. They have no hold on me.” That seemed to satisfy the Band of Truth, and it deactivated with an audible pop.

“Does any Brother doubt his holiness?” asked Ratte again. He immediately answered his own question. “I do. The Band detected a lie.”

“That question always delivers false positives,” said Maus. “Who doesn’t enjoy better food and housing after growing up on rations? He corrected himself and the band deactivated.”

Ratte’s eye drilled into me, and I wondered if I was sunk. After a tense moment, he nodded. “True enough. Are there any other objections?” There were none. “The Initiate passes the Test of Holiness. Humanity first!”

“Humanity first,” we all said in unison.

“The final question,” said Maggie. “Do you swear to put loyalty to your Holy Brothers and Sisters above all other concerns?”

Blast it all, my luck had run out! These fools were merely tools to advance my own goals, and if they teased out my answers at all, they would find it out. How could I get around the damned contraption? Besides, it wasn’t like they lived up to that standard. Maggie had branded Haru, hadn’t she? She could cry over him all she wanted, but she had thrown Haru to the wolves to save her own skin.

That was it. “No, I do not.”

The earned me dumbfounded stares from my inquisitors.

“What in God’s name wrong with you, Marlowe?” demanded Maggie.

“I was remembering your example, Holy Sister Shrike,” I replied. “Your loyalty to Holy Brother Magpie did not trump your dedication to the cause. I wish to emulate your inspiring example. I do not swear loyalty to any individual Holy Brother. The cause that brings us together is more important than any individual Holy Brother. The motto is humanity first, not me first. I will do whatever is needed to fulfill our shared goals.” I had to be vague in my wording. My cause was related to, but separate, from theirs. We all wanted to bring down the Anti-Demonic League. We simply disagreed who should be in charge in the aftermath.

The Band of Truth didn’t go off, so I had passed that hurdle. Now to see if my judges would also approve. Even as my heart pounded, I looked Ratte in the eye as calmly as I could.

“Does any Brother doubt his loyalty?” They glanced at each other, waiting to see how the others would react. “That is not a standard answer, but I can accept it. If there are no objections, then the Initiate passes the Test of Loyalty. How shall we know this Holy Brother?”

Oh, thank Our Father Below. “Then may I take this thing off?”

“Wait a moment,” replied Maus.

“I have selected his name, as his leader,” replied Maggie. “From this day forward, he shall be known to the world as Holy Brother Mockingbird.”

“So be it,” replied Ratte. “Welcome to a new world, Holy Brother Mockingbird.”

“Thank you, Holy Brother Ratte.” A wave of relief washed over me, and Maus ambled over to release me from the artifact. My tongue finally freed, I continued. “It is an honor and a pleasure. Let the League tremble before us.”

“See, Ratte?” Maus tossed a cocky grin at his partner. “I told you our Maggie wouldn’t let us down again.” For the first time since I’d met him, there was true malice on his face. “The Council won’t be so patient a second time, and I don’t want to see what they would do to our old friend.”

“I w-will not fail again,” said Maggie, surprising me with the fear in her voice. Then again, if they had no issue with her discarding Haru, they likely viewed us all the same way. I was glad I had no intention of rising in the Holy Brotherhood’s ranks and dealing with them directly. They were bound to be nutters, judging by the foot soldiers I had met.

Maggie, Ratte and Ms. Perera exchanged some pleasantries, though Maus’ threat had thrown a pall over the mood. Maus busied himself destroying the circle. He tossed around handfuls of seeds from his voluminous robes, which were drawn into the earth with precision application of his magic.

“Surely they won’t bloom in time to cover our tracks?” I asked.

“Genetic engineering and magic are a wonderful combination,” he replied. “Those blackberry bushes will be knee high by Sunday.”

I was grudgingly impressed by human ingenuity. “What won’t they think of next?”

Their work done, the holy brothers departed on foot, and I once again carried Mrs. Perera. We crossed the desert in silence. Maggie and I were deep in thought, and I think that the elderly teacher had drifted off. I supposed she did often nap during club meetings. It took some effort, but Maggie and I managed to free her Mrs. Perera’s scooter from the sand. She did finally get her feel in before she hopped on. I supposed the moment had passed and she could enjoy her normal lack of decorum.

We were nearly back onto the grassy field that surrounded the Tower when Maggie grabbed my sleeve. Mrs. Perera either didn’t notice or didn’t care that we had stopped, and she carried on her way.

“Thank you, Soren,” said Maggie.

“For what?”

“You heard what they said,” she replied. “This is my last chance after that last attack failed. They didn’t especially like me recruiting the man who foiled that operation. You did as well as I could ask.”

“It was my neck on the line, too,” I said. “It wasn’t some great favor.”

“I know, but…” She trailed off, searching for her words. “Ratte liked your answer to the last question, but I didn’t. We are tied at the hip by more than blackmail. We are brothers in arms, and your success is my success. I think that you need some inducement to make sure you feel the same way about me.”

“What are you going on…”

Her lips met mine. It didn’t have the intensity that Kiyo brought to the act, but the suddenness completely threw me off guard. Her intoxicating nearness reminded me of my old life at the court in Pandemonium. Endless nights of carousing, with a different woman on my arm every night. I’d fantasized about Maggie a few times, but I’d always assumed her hatred of me meant it would never be more than a dream. A part of me welcomed the attention, but another knew the kiss was a betrayal.

Before I could decide how to respond, Maggie had broken it off. Despite myself, my knees were weak as she sauntered away.

She glanced over her shoulder, a knowing smirk splitting her face. “And this time, make sure you clean off that lipstick.”

“Y-yes, ma’am.” It seemed like the safest response.

Chapter 18

Nagoya, Japan

Friday, July 21st, 2050

The next morning, Maggie’s kiss was still on my mind. Mrs. Perera’s attentions were impotent, so I could ignore them, but Maggie had a tendency to go for students. I’d caught her with Haru once, and I believed the original Soren Marlowe had also been her lover. If she saw romancing me as a power play to bind me to her, she was likely to be insistent.

I also couldn’t deny that I was interested, at least on a physical level. It wasn’t like I was going to stay with Kiyo forever, after all. I had every intention of going home and making Fera mine, after all. It felt shabbier thinking those thoughts in my human guise, though.

What in the Dark Lord’s name was wrong with me? That didn’t sound like myself at all. I firmly put Maggie Edwards’ advances into the box of things to worry about later. It was time to go on my morning run with Kiyo, which would be my only chance to see her before our club time after school.

I was nearly tackled from my feet as soon as I stepped into the elevator. “You certainly know how to make a man feel wanted.”

“It’s been awful without you,” said Kiyo as she shimmered back into view.

“It wasn’t so bad,” I said. “We talked for an hour on the phone last night, remember?”

“It isn’t the same,” she said. “And you look like you didn’t sleep well either, Magpie.”

I reflexively rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “Your presence was sorely missed.”

She gave me a concerned frown. “The nightmares?”

I had told her a little about that, hadn’t I? Having Kiyo with me as I slept was usually enough to let me forget the campaigns in England and during the Goblin Revolt in Spain. I hadn’t lost a war yet, but victory can leave its own scars. Back home, I’d self-medicated with alcohol to let me sleep, but it was contraband in the Nagoya Tower. I wasn’t even sure if they had hard drinks available for the teachers. I supposed I didn’t blame Tachibana for keeping booze out of the reach of inexperienced mages. The Dark Lord knows just how many accidents it caused back home among us devils.

I hated showing weakness, but I supposed I’d let Kiyo in on too much to deny it now. “Yes, the nightmares. How about you? I know you sometimes have them about falling down the mountain.”

“They’ve mostly gone away,” she said. “Crap, I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to make things heavy first thing in the morning.”

“Yes, let’s drop this,” I said gratefully. “We wouldn’t want to keep Rose waiting.”

When we arrived at the gym, I realized that we weren’t alone. Rose was already stretching out, as per normal, but Paul, Mariko, Hiro, and Yukiko were also present. Hiro was spotting Paul on some sort of weight machine I wasn’t familiar with, while Mariko and Yukiko chatted near a row of elliptical machines. Everybody was wearing their spare field day uniforms, though I noticed that Mariko was still wearing a heavy track suit. Did the woman just not feel heat?

“Good morning, everyone,” I called out. “What brings you all out today?”

Mariko smiled sweetly at us, finally noticing our presence. “Would you believe we all developed a passion for exercise at the same time?”

“No, I don’t think that I would,” I said with a chuckle.

“There’s no reason to dance around it, Mariko,” said Yukiko. “We know you’re having a tough time transitioning to your new class, Kiyo. We thought you needed the company.”

I felt Kiyo stiffen at my side. “I’m not a charity case, Yukiko.”

“Nobody’s saying you are,” said Mariko as she cast a reproachful look at the Sato heiress. “Yukiko is being overly practical again. That’s only a side benefit. We miss having you in class.”

“No such thing as being overly practical,” replied Yukiko, a little sullenly.

Kiyo’s face contorted into a scowl as she decided how to respond.

Rose, having finished her stretches, jogged over and slung her arm over Mariko’s shoulder. She tried to do the same thing to Yukiko, but the height difference let her escape. “It’s not just for you, Kiyo. Mariko eats like us, but she spends most of our combat training sitting around.”

Mariko turned red. “Wait, what are-”

Rose cut her off and grabbed some flab around her midsection. There wasn’t much, since we still had our regular conditioning, but the British girl made her point. Mariko let out a surprised squeak and tried to force her off.

Yukiko gave the struggling women a sidelong glance and took an extra step away. She always was a clever one.

Now, I don’t know if Rose was an evil genius who invented that story on the spot, or if Mariko had really been trying to work off some extra calories. It ultimately doesn’t matter, since Kiyo burst out laughing.

Mariko finally escaped from Rose’s clutches and tried (and failed) to reassume her normal, motherly demeanor. “Oh my! Rose, what got into you?”

Rose ignored her completely. “See, Kiyo? This is good for everyone. It’s time to whip these newcomers into shape. Now they’ll get to see how hard you’ve been working.”

Kiyo wiped a mirthful tear from her eye and nodded once, sending her tied hair bouncing. “Alright, let’s get this over with!”

“I’ll be along in a moment,” I said. “I have a little business with Paul and Hiro.”

“If you have to. Don’t be long, Magpie.”

“Of course. I’ll count the seconds, my Angel.” I jogged over to the two of them. “What’s with the dumb grin, Takehara?”

“Look or you’ll miss it,” he replied.

When I turned, Mariko and Yukiko had beaten a hasty retreat over to the treadmills, likely to make sure that Rose couldn’t use them to lighten the mood again. Kiyo just about launched herself at a startled-looking Rose, who returned the brief embrace. I didn’t hear what was said, but I could imagine it was heartfelt. Soon enough, though, they had joined the other women.

“That was almost a scene,” I said.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” replied Paul. He had set aside his weights, once Hiro’s attention was split. “What’s wrong with a girl having some meat on her bones?”

“Not that,” I said. “Yukiko certainly has a way about her, doesn’t she?”

Hiro shrugged. “I’m just happy she’s finally expressing herself.”

“You two deserve each other, then,” I said. “Speaking of, will Ms. Sato let you get away long enough for guys’ night?”

Paul stopped drinking from his water bottle and gave me a sardonic look. “Mags, Hiro is not the whipped one here.”

“Oh, I see.” I took his meaning right away, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. “I imagine Mariko is a harsh taskmistress then? It’s always the prim and proper ones who turn out to be controlling.”

Paul rolled his eyes. “Sure, Mags. Sure.”

“I’m still game if you are,” said Hiro.

“I’d force you both along if you weren’t,” said Paul. “Y’all need some dang testosterone in your lives. All this touchy-feely girly stuff is giving me hives.” I did always appreciate Mr. Wilson’s candor.

“I don’t like the way you said it, but I mostly agree,” replied Hiro. “Just uh, say that a little quieter next time. They might have heard.”

Paul rolled his eyes again. “You pussyfooting around them is exactly why we need to get you out more often. Mags too. He might need it more.”

“What’s the plan, Hiro?” I asked, pointedly ignoring Paul’s insinuations. “I imagine we won’t be hitting up a gentleman’s club.” That’s how the boys and I used to while away our off hours back home, but I imagined those weren’t live options.

“Unless the Headmaster installed one of those since the last time I looked, no. We are still confined to the Tower.” Hiro looked taken aback, but I think he chose to treat the suggestion as a joke. “How do you feel about bowling?”

************************

Next Update: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42801616

Thank for reading, and for your continued support!