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Confessions of the Magpie Wizard Book 3: Dissolution (Chapter 73 & 74)
🕑 Added 2021-05-13 20:16:55 +0000 UTCPosting early this week since tomorrow night I'll be getting my vaccination. Wish me luck!
Art of Mariko by (1) đŚrianne | COMMISSIONS OPEN (@RianneComms) / Twitter
Chapter 73
I slipped back to my room to get fully changed for the dayâs festivities. I put on the skintight, camo-patterned fabricata suit that the school used to measure hits on the Peace Bond. I made another little modification, though, running a blade through the mass of metallic runes concentrated in the center of the back, turning it into nothing but a piece of snug fabric. I couldnât do without it, in case somebody caught me running around not ready for the War Games, but I wasnât about to get caught in my own trap!
Next came the white service uniform of the Wizard Corps. It felt strange to wear it myself, but they had decided we needed more covering for the major war games. Rose had complained about the skintight camo suit being too revealing; I wondered if somebody in a position of authority had listened? More likely, the cautious Headmaster wanted us to wear the reinforced uniforms in case the Peace Bond should fail.
Still, seeing myself in a white and green cadetâs uniform was disconcerting. It made me really look like one of them.
Maybe it was a bit petty to put a Magic Bolt through the mirror, but I didnât need the confusion when I was so close to freedom.
I was interrupted from cleaning a few shards of glass from my uniform when a text arrived from Kiyo.
âMagpie, where are you? Iâm at the arena.â
âBe along shortly,â I tapped out. I gathered the last few odds and ends from the room and made my way downstairs.
I had commanded soldiers in numerous battles, but Iâll admit my battle plans had never been particularly elaborate. Then again, orcs understood their place, and I was permitted to slay those who didnât. I once again wished that Maggie had been more cooperative. I wouldnât have needed to set up so many moving pieces.
A message from Hiro went ignored; he could wait. I needed to get Ms. Yamadaâs attention. A succinct text asked her to meet me in the club room.
âWhy?â asked Mariko
âDonât tell anybody, itâs a surprise. I have something for you.â
My next message went to Mrs. Perera, telling her to meet me in the batting cages with the you-know-whats.
The cages werenât just chosen for nostalgiaâs sake, though it was one of the first places I had ever gone with Hiroâs group. They were underused at the best of times, and nobody was there to hit a few balls on the morning of a War Game. It was an ideal place for our skullduggery.
Mrs. Perera clearly felt otherwise, looking absolutely incensed as she stumbled her way into the room, hurling a duffel bag at my feet. âThereâs your stupid scarves. Whyâd I have to come to you? Your knees still work, damnit!â
âIâm not going anywhere near our dear Maggie before weâre ready. She might try to stop us if she catches wind of our scheme,â I replied, pulling out a red and black plaid fabricata. âThese were a stroke of genius. Itâs not the best sword in the world, but I can wear it without raising an alarm.â
âBesides the fact that itâs going to be a scorcher today,â she said. âTheyâll think youâre a nut.â
âThen thank goodness for air conditioning,â I said as I finished securing the scarf around my neck. It was just tight enough not to fall off on its own, but a good yank would pull it free.
My phone rang. I met Mrs. Pereraâs gaze. âYou know what to do next.â
She nodded. âYup, Iâll meet you all downstairs. Iâll grab Brother Bald Eagle while Iâm at it.â
âYouâre the best, Mrs. Perera.â
She shrugged. âThis is probably my last chance to be useful. Iâm not going to half-ass it.â
I had to admire the decrepit terroristâs drive. I gave her a friendly salute as she left, answering the phone before it would shift over to my answering machine. âGood morning, Rose!â
âSoren, where are you?â she asked, her tone verging on whining. âTheyâre going to start the ceremonies soon!â
âDonât be so dramatic,â I said, checking my watch. âThereâs plenty of time.â
âItâs like Mr. Maki is always telling us,â she said, deepening her voice. âEarly is on time, and on time is late! Hah hah!â
âYou do a good Maki.â
âThanks, Iâve been practicing. Itâs not as good as my Headmaster Tachibana, though. It would be more fun if you were here in person. Whatâs keeping you?â
âIâm helping Mrs. Perera out with something. I already told Kiyo Iâd be along shortly.â
âShe isnât here either. Iâm out here all alone.â
That raised alarm bells. âYou might try calling out for Kiyo once weâre done. Sheâs probably just in hiding.â
Rose paused, her blonde tresses brushing against the phoneâs microphone as she glanced around. âIâll try to find her, but we know weâd both rest easier if you were here too.â
âRose, you have no reason to worry about your performance today.â It was true, in a sense.
âEasy for you to say; I bled off my Stormbringer last night, and I still feel a hurricane coming on! Do hurry up, wonât you? Itâs always easier with you around.â
âIf you need to kill some time, go use the bathroom; the Da- Good Lord knows when youâll get another chance.â It was one last kindness; once the Peace Bond had them, she wouldnât be able to move for a good long while.
âGood idea, Magpie. Now, hurry up! You know Kiyoâs a wreck without you around.â
I winced. âSheâll have to toughen up, then.â I hung up before Rose could ask for an explanation.
I was loaded down with magical fabricata, yet the most useful tool in my disposal was my smartphone. Technology was the new magic. âGood morning, Rei!â
âSoren? Is that you?â Her voice sounded groggy.
âDonât tell me youâre just waking up now!â
âNo, Iâm up, Iâm up.â
âGood, you very nearly went to voicemail.â
âSorry about that,â she said, stifling a yawn. âIâve only had this phone since I got my affinity under control, and they moved everything around since I was a kid.â
âYouâre welcome for the training, by the by,â I said, tapping my foot impatiently. âWhere are you? Thereâs no time to waste!â
âMr. Takehara took me out for some coffee, but it hasnât kicked in yet. Why are you calling me? He said he couldnât get ahold of you.â
âThatâs because I didnât want to spoil the surprise. Meet me in the batting cages. I got us some secret weapons for the fight.â
âHey, is that Magpie?â I could faintly hear Hiroâs voice in the background. âDid he say something about secret weapons?â
âYou have good hearing, Takehara! Yes, Iâve been working on something with Mrs. Perera. Youâll find them shocking.â
âAre you sure?â The microphone rustled as Hiro snatched it from Reiâs hand. I could picture her looking cross at him, without him noticing. âIsnât that cheating?â
âTheyâll all perfectly legal, I assure you. Mrs. Perera saw to that. Get up here!â
âWant me to bring you some coffee?â
âYes, why not? Now seriously, Iâm on a tight schedule. I promised a few too many people a few too many favors today.â
âYouâre always letting yourself get pulled too many directions,â he said. âYou need to learn to say no.â
I couldnât manage to suppress my sigh. Didnât I know it. âThatâs rich coming from you, Mr. Accidental Harem.â
I could practically hear him cringe. âI see your point. Do what you gotta do, man. Iâll see you soon.â
It has been said that war is long stretches of boredom punctuated by brief moments of terror. I couldnât agree with that assessment. I could multi-task and be bored and terrified all at once. My heart raced while I waited for Hiro and Rei to arrive. If I was even a bit off, Hiro would clobber me like the baseballs weâd hit on my first day at the school. Still, it was my best bet to guarantee we wouldnât be going up against his Immortal Form.
I had weighed my approach carefully. If I could have told my damn nerves to stop fraying, Iâd have engaged Hiro in a diverting conversation, waiting for the right moment for my ambush.
What would I even say to him? I ran through a dozen scenarios in my mind, each one ending with him asking logical questions, like why I looked so nervous, or where these supposed secret weapons were.
No good. I was too tongue tied, and I needed to save my diction for spellcasting.
From Hiroâs perspective, a few things must have happened in a flash, far too quickly for him to process. First he walked in, chest thrust out and head held high, like he owned the place. Then, he noticed me slink out of the shadows near the entrance to the long, narrow room, before my hand clamped down on his wrist. His eyes widened in dull surprise at the sudden invasion.
âMagpie, whatâs-â Reflexively, the aura of his Immortal Form started to swirl around his body.
Too late for him, though. âLechtar!â Demonic runes collapsed on themselves, and an electrical charge strong enough to stun two orcs raced through his unsuspecting body. He nearly rode it out, but a last jolt of electricity finally overwhelmed his defenses.
Hiroâs eyes rolled into the back of his head as his knees buckled, but not before I was able to pluck the paper coffee cup out of his hand. It was a favor for him, honestly; he hit the tile floor face first, and he didnât need to add scalding burns to that.
Rei stood dumbfounded. âWhat was that for?â
I stuck my tongue out. âFor putting too much sugar in here.â
The mousy-haired girl furrowed her brow. âWait, really?â
âOf course not,â I snapped, rolling my eyes nearly as far as Hiro had. âHoly Sister Shoebill, I have word from on high. We strike today. Are you ready to save the world?â
I was worried sheâd waste more precious time on useless questions, but she got with the program more quickly than Iâd feared. Her predatory grin was worthy of a devilmaid. âAlways, Magpie. I mean, Holy Brother Mockingird. What can I do for the cause?â
I jerked a thumb deeper into the row of chain-link fences that protected observers. âPut those muscles to good use and help me hide him. Heâs heavier than he looks.â
She frowned. âThatâs almost a letdown.â
âTrust me,â I said, placing my hands under Hiroâs armpits. âYouâll know when the fun begins.â
Chapter 74
We left the unconscious Hiro tucked away in the furthest corner of the furthest batting cage with another of Danteâs little gifts went around his wrists and ankles. The fabricata would hold him in place, and grow excruciatingly hot if magic flowed through them. It would either have to be released by one of the matching keys in my back pocket or destroyed outright, and if it had absorbed enough magic in advance, that process might be a tad explosive.
It would have been surer if I had killed him, but I had fallen in with terrorists who wanted to minimize death for âusefulâ people. It was all rather convenient, since I wasnât sure Iâd have had the stomach.
I dispatched Rei to rendezvous with Paul and Mrs. Perera on the ground floor.
âDonât go straight there,â I said. âTake off that camo under suit first.â
She glanced down. âWhy?â
âDo you love being frozen in place for hours on end with everyone else?â
The color drained from her face. âOh, thatâs what we were doing in the Headmasterâs workshop. I was wondering why you cared so much about the Peace Bond.â
âClever girl,â I said. âNow, hop to it.â
âWhere are you going?â
âAh, now that would be telling,â I quipped, darting down the hallway.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I checked a few more items off of my mental to do list. I had been lucky so far, but I still had some more pawns to move into position.
I darted over the elevators and punched in the top floor. The Sewing Club room was an annex of the library, one of many set aside for the students to use. The ride up gave me time to pull out Ratteâs magical commlink. He had said he needed two hours to get out to the school, and that would be just enough time for what I had in mind. âCome in, Brother Ratte, come in.â
The joyless cyclops answered promptly. âBrother Mockingbird? This had better be important.â
âWeâve been made,â I said. I didnât have to work hard to force panic into my voice. âWe were right about Sister Shrike, she slipped up and tried to recruit the wrong student! She came to me for help reporting her to the proper authorities, thank goodness, or weâd have had no warning. I managed to subdue the one who found me out, but theyâll notice sheâs missing soon enough!â I wasnât quite lying; itâs more that I hadnât maneuvered Mariko just yet.
âWhat?â The rage made the commlink vibrate; they must have heard him in the next prefecture.
âThereâs no time to explain! Holy Sister Macaw is already doing her part. We need you up here ASAP! How many wizards can you bring?â I realized that I didnât know how large their cell was, which I supposed was the point of the cell system for an organization like the Holy Brotherhood. I couldnât reveal what I didnât know.
âBrothers Maus and Frettchen are all I have on hand,â he said. âWe also have a few mundane soldiers who wonât be missed. The other brothers in my unit are on a cleanup mission in Sumatra.â
âDamn! That isnât much.â
âYou didnât give us much warning.â
âIt will have to be enough,â I replied. âHumanity first!â
âHumanity first,â he replied. The engraved gemstone died as I stopped running magic through it, ending the call.
Just in time, as the elevator opened. I carefully glanced down the hallway. No sign of Mariko, or anybody else for that matter. Good. I needed privacy for this to work. The images I pulled up on my phone were for Marikoâs eyes only.
It was hard not to feel a pang of nostalgia as I entered the club room. How many days had Paul, Kiyo, Hiro, Mariko, and I whiled away there? It seemed like forever ago, but clubs had only been suspended for a few weeks. It had been a turbulent time.
I decided to do Mariko a kindness and got a teakettle heating. I wasnât sure what sheâd like best, so I just picked something green and minty. I was about to use her, so it seemed like the least I could do.
âGood morning, Soren,â came Marikoâs musical voice from behind. She was dressed in the womenâs cadet uniform, which featured a skirt and black stockings where the mensâ had pants. I wasnât sure why the Wizard Corps had opted for the different uniform, but I always appreciated the extra eye candy.
The only part of the ensemble I didnât care for was the red cross on her beret, which marked her as a medic. I winced at the sight of the Enemyâs symbol, forcing my view down. I didnât want to look her in the eye, but it was lesser of two damnations. âThank you for meeting me here on such short notice.â
âOf course,â she said, walking over and peering around my shoulder. âThough, I canât imagine you only asked me here for a cup of tea. Is something the matter?â
I gulped as I poured her a cup. I realized that this was it. I had committed too many little crimes over the course of the morning, set too many pieces of the plan in motion. Soren Marlowe was a dead man walking; it just hadnât caught up with me yet. This would be the last time that somebody who wasnât a Holy Brother would call me Soren.
I almost wanted her to call me Magpie once, for old timeâs sake.
A shake of the head cleared away that rubbish. âOn the contrary,â I replied, trying to sound chipper. âTodayâs a big day for everybody, but I know itâs also the end of our time together.â I handed her the steaming cup.
Mariko grimaced, and not just because I was an inexperienced teamaker. âWell, we wonât be in class anymore, but thereâs no reason you canât continue on with the club.â She threw in a spoonful of sugar, and I wondered if that was a Japanese thing, or if I had surrounded myself with sweet tooths.
âWill you be able to still run it next year?â
âI plan to,â she said. âI donât have anything else going on.â
âI mean did they decide what was to become of you?â
âMr. Maki said he was willing to let me redo the year,â she said. âHe didnât say it out loud, but I got the impression he hopes Iâll learn the full lessons this time.â
âIt would make things easier,â I said.
âYes, but the right thing isnât easy,â she said.
I held up my hand. âWeâve been over this, and it isnât why I wanted to meet up before the fight. I got you a little something to remember me. Well, we all pitched in for it.â
Her warm smile made me feel like a worm. âOh? Whatâs that?â
I held up a finger. âWhereâs the fun in that, my dear? You stay here, Iâll go fetch it.â There, it was time to lay the bait. As casually as I could, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, opened to a particular gallery, and set it on the table at the center of the room.
Without another word, I darted out, ran down the hallway, and ducked into the next clubroom over. I very nearly sneezed; how somebody had conned the school into thinking that flower arranging had a military or spellcasting application was beyond me, but months of accumulated pollen had my eyes watering the moment I stepped in.
A surprised shriek echoed down the hallway as Mariko came across the racy photos Maggie had sent me the day of the attack in Sumatra. It was almost a relief; I was worried that for once, the nosy girl would have passed up an opportunity to snoop.
âSoren! Soren! What is this? Soren Marlowe!â Her voice carried the sort of disappointment I associated with an upset mother. I stayed quiet, waiting for her to duck back into her club room. I wanted to have as few witnesses as possible.
I padded down the hallway, treading as quietly as I could. Maggie had done a decent job making sure I didnât have much that would implicate her of being a Holy Sister, but she had been far more careless with her flirtation, and it was clearly her face in the photo. It wasnât very creative, to be sure. I wasnât the first devil to doom a human with an unchecked libido.
All was going according to plan. Once I stepped into the room, Mariko would confront me about it, and I would be âforcedâ to subdue her. It wouldnât be much of a challenge to put down somebody who didnât know offensive magic. I had considered Rose as my messenger, but I wasnât eager to see if her magical reserves could overwhelm the shackles. Besides, I knew Mariko could keep a secret, and Rose was an inveterate gossip. Mariko would wait to confront me directly. Then I would inform Maggie that the jig was up, and that we needed to enact the plan.
My heart leapt into my chest when I heard a phone ringing. âKiyo? Kiyo, listen. No, stop. Yes, I know where Magpie is, thatâs the problem. He and Ms. EdwardsâŚâ
I cursed in High Demonic as I bolted into the room. So much for her forbearance!
âStop!â
For once, I was glad for her shakes, as her phone slipped right through her fingers. It hit edge first, cracks spreading out in a spiderweb pattern across the screen before it flopped to the ground. I wasnât sure if that was enough to ruin a smartphone.
âIce Spear!â An icicle the length of my forearm did the trick, though. I stepped forward, runes circling my fingers. âShould have used a case, my dear.â
Mariko stepped back, gaping at me uselessly. âSoren, what are you doing?â
I ignored the hurt and shock in her voice. I matched her pace, being careful to not trip over the shard of ice embedded in the floor. âWhere do you get off?â
âWhere do I get off? Why do you have lewd pictures of Ms. Edwards on your phone?â she asked, finally standing her ground.
âI wish you hadnât seen those. I imagine you wonât keep it to yourself?â
âOf course not! Kiyo deserves to know.â
âThen I canât let you leave here,â I replied. âMs. Edwards will decide what becomes of you. The only question is, will you go quietly, or-â
âSpectral Web!â
With my nose plugged, my Mimic Scent gave me no warning, but I still sidestepped the stream of luminous magic. I had expected that maneuver. She had taught me the spell, after all, and itâs the closest she allowed herself to combat magic. âThe hard way it is.â
She held up her hands. âSvalinnâs Mer-â
I was already advancing, and a sweep of the leg brought her crashing down. âSpectral Web!â I wrapped her upper body in translucent blue webbing, which gave me time to slap the same manacles on her Iâd used to trap Hiro. âDonât try to use your magic, or elseâŚâ
She cried out in agony.
âYes, or else that,â I said, clapping an identical set to her ankles. Did I smell burnt flesh? I couldnât heal her arm easily, but perhaps there was a first aid kit about?
No, I put that thought aside. There simply wasnât time to feel bad for her. It wasnât my fault if she couldnât follow simple instructions. I had to get Maggie on the horn and let her know our lives as we knew them were over.
âI donât understand,â said Mariko, her voice breaking. âHow could you do this to Kiyo?â
âMs. Edwards is hard to refuse,â I replied. âSheâs most insistent.â
She redoubled her efforts. If looks could kill, Iâd have been saying hello to Our Father Below. âYou traitor! I thought you were different.â
âI almost let myself think that, too,â I said as I pulled up Maggieâs phone number.
By the time Maggie stormed into the club room, I had sealed Marikoâs lips with another Spectral Web. It was bad enough she kept looking at me with those doe eyes of hers; I didnât need to hear her pleading.
âAlright, what the heck is going on here?â demanded the red-headed teacher. âYou have Ms. Yamada tied up and it looks like there was a bloody magic duel in here!â
âIâm afraid sheâs found out about some of our more illicit activities,â I said, letting Mariko make all the inferences she might care to.
Maggieâs normal demeanor abandoned her. âWhat? How?â
The mark of a guilty conscience; she didnât even try to deny it. âThis nosy little thing,â I said, nudging the prone Mariko with my boot, âwent poking around on my phone and saw some of the more scintillating correspondence between us.â
âWhat? When did we⌠Oh no. After Sumatra?â
âExactly,â I said as solemnly as I could manage. âYou did a fine job, considering you took them in an airport restroomâs mirror.â
Maggieâs eyes went unfocussed, as she clutched at the sides of her head. âWhy in Godâs name didnât you delete those?â
âWas I supposed to?â I asked. I might have been enjoying my dear Ms. Edwardâs anguish a bit more than was proper.
âWere you supposed to? Were you supposed to?â I didnât see where she had cause to slap me, but she did, too quickly for me to dodge.
âDid that make you feel better?â My cheek stung, but I refused to look away. I was trying on a new persona, after all, and I refused to let Holy Brother Mockingbird become as pliant as Soren Marlowe!
She grabbed me by the lapels of my white uniform. âYou little idiot, youâve ruined everything!â
âHold on now, Iâm not the one making advances at students,â I said, holding up my hands. I added extra emphasis to the last part for Marikoâs sake; she had to be as damning a witness as possible.
She didnât immediately respond. Her eyes bored into Mariko, reminding me of a falconâs harsh gaze. Thrusting out her hand, she commanded her magic. âTo me.â Her outstretched hand glowed, drawing the nearest drinking glass over. It twisted and turned in upon itself as her glass shaping affinity acted on it, forming an angular dagger.
âWhat are you doing?â I asked.
âItâs obvious, isnât it? She has to die.â
Marikoâs eyes flew wide as she struggled uselessly against the webs.
Iâm sure I didnât look any less shocked. âWhat? No, you canât!â
âNever say you canât,â she said, her chipper teacher persona voice at odds with the words. âAlways say you canât yet. Not that I havenât thought about doing this before,â she replied. âSympathy for the Horde.â She spat on the trapped woman. âYouâre a coward, and you never have the courtesy to stay out of our way!â
Interposing myself between them, I knocked the glass knife from her grasp. âThink, woman! Weâd never cover it up!â
âSo?â Maggieâs surprise had since worn off, replaced with a quiet fury that made me miss her hysterics. âIf itâs all over, why not go out with a bang?â
âBecause thereâs still a chance to turn this to our advantage,â I said. âShe isnât going to be in the War Games. We have hours until they notice sheâs missing.â
Her lips curled into a thoughtful frown. âWhere are you going with this? We have to get out of here while we still can!â
âAu contraire, my dear. Weâre on the verge of victory. We have our plan in place, we just need to move up the timetable. We can sabotage the Peace Bond, get our people in position and bring down the Tower. We only await your command, Holy Sister Shrike.â
The redheaded woman glanced from Mariko to me, and back again. âWhy does that involve keeping her alive?â
âBecause it would be horrible optics if you slew a helpless student. Youâre going to be a member of the Anti-Demonic League Council, after all. Wait to have bodies to bury until youâre in office.â I willed her to see reason. I had already used Mariko; I couldnât stand to see her suffer needlessly.
After a slow nod, Maggie spun on her heel. âWe donât have much time to waste. We need to get back to my room.â
âAs you wish, Sister Shrike.â Maggie was off like a shot. Just as I was about to follow, I heard a plaintive grunt from behind me.
As long as Iâll live, Iâll never forget Marikoâs imploring eyes.
I sighed. âI suppose I canât leave you like that.â
She made a hopeful sound as I knelt next to her and cut through the vanishing Spectral Web with my backup dagger. She still couldnât move, with her arms and legs shackled, and she didnât resist as I lifted her into a bridal carry, though she let out a confused moan.
The shock and anger returned when I dropped her on Kiyoâs oversized bean bag chair. âGet comfortable. Youâre going to be here for a while. Iâll make sure somebody comes for you when the time comes.â
Mariko couldnât respond verbally, of course. However, her downcast eyes, filling with tears, said all she needed to.
*************
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