Spellcrafter-Delta

by Christopher Kirkland

  “Thanks for taking care of me,” Penny said instead. She sounded drowsy.

  She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, and he kept hearing her get up, or shift around. Even when he had fallen asleep, he could now feel her emotions better than ever. He had never learned how to sense her emotions in class, and yet he could feel them. He knew they were hers, because sometimes when he felt one way, he felt something else in his heart. That night he felt her anxiety, and even though it wasn’t very strong, it kept him awake most of the night. It stopped after she fell asleep, but he still felt exhausted even now. The only thing that was keeping him awake, was wanting to stay alert in case she needed him.

  Chris was doing his absolute best to keep his eyes open. They felt heavy, and he felt a force on his body. He must have been more tired than he thought. Both he and Penny fell asleep, both of their heads laying together, Penny holding onto his arm. Alleyne pointed his thumb back at them. Headmaster Brood smiled to himself and removed his jacket, leaving only a yellow shirt. He made his way over to Chris and Penny and placed his jacket over them. He made sure that it covered both of them, and then made his way back to his seat and sat down.

  “Always protecting the students,” Alleyne supposed, going through a bunch of papers, before setting them in the chair beside him. “I hope we get the schools up and running again soon.”

  “You know me too well, Alleyne,” Headmaster Brood admitted. “I’ll always protect my students. The schools will be better than ever. I’m also hoping to fill the vacant mage seat, but that is up to the remaining seven.”

  “Brood? How can you be so calm about another war?” Alleyne inquired.

  “I need to keep a cool head and focus. My students need me, and as do the teachers and even the soldiers at times,” he responded.

  Alleyne crossed and leaned forward, placing his arm on his leg. “After this, let’s get a drink.”

  “A drink sounds nice right now…” Brood heaved. “But again, not much. I can’t. I need to stay vigilant.”

  “And Brood? Did we ever find out what that second attack was about? That wasn’t an invasion force. No ground forces. It was weird,” he probed.

  “They had bombers with them, so I assume they wanted to do some damage. However, in Violet’s report she talked about a transport in the battle.”

  “A transport?” Alleyne repeated. “Why? If there were no troops then…”

  “To retrieve their rather evasive ally. They’re stuck in the city now, and have gone into hiding. We know it’s Hunter, and he killed one of our pilots,” he sounded angry, but he kept his voice down. “He’ll pay for his actions.”

  “The pilot was new right?” Alleyne asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I hate to ask...But which one?” he put forth hesitantly.

  “Dominic E. Stern, or Alpha four-seven. He was found dead near his plane,” Brood whispered even softer, doing his best to avoid speaking too loud in case Chris and Penny were awake. “Then he convinced Christopher to help him. He had nowhere else to go but back into the city,” he gestured in Chris’s direction. “He’s very lucky to be alive. If he hadn’t called for help, he wouldn’t have reached him in time.”

  “Hairston did a good job reviving him. He told me he wasn’t sure if he could bring him back, and even when he did they had to rush him to the hospital. I don’t know the rest,”

  “I’ll tell you later. For now,” Brood lifted his finger up to his lips. “Stop talking.” Alleyne raised his eyebrow as Brood lowered his head and closed his eyes.

  “Only you can sleep after that conversation,” Alleyne scoffed and starred.

  “I just want to rest up, because I know I’m going to have to yell at these people. They’ll split them up over my dead body. I’m tired of this.”

  “Ah-- yeah true,” he agreed, understanding now.

  They were coming up on a large world. There were ships and planes going to and fro. Their escort broke off from around the plane and began to follow behind them. The pilots in the front had to transfer their identification codes, and once it was verified they were allowed to continue toward the great giant. The planet was very bright from orbit. The whole planet was one big city, there was no water, and no nature really.

  The pilots took the ship in carefully. There wasn’t any shaking as they entered the atmosphere and began their descent. The pilots answered the radio in the front as they passed through the thin layer of clouds. A bustling city was revealed as they broke through. The many tall buildings, and crowded streets. A pair of Wizards flying on brooms flew to either side of the cockpit. They began to do hand signals to direct the pilots. The co-pilot signaled back and informed the other that they were to land on pad one-hundred and fourteen. They changed direction slightly, passing by a large skyscraper with a large neon sign that read ‘Denim manufacturing.’

  Penny shook Chris until he woke up again. Upon waking up, Chris was a bit dazed. He blinked a few times in an attempt to wake up more. He was laying on Penny’s shoulder. Chris sat up and looked around for a moment to remember where he was, and then returned his attention to Penny.

  “I didn’t want to wake you up,” she admitted.

  “How long have you been up?” he yawned, raising his arms out above his head.

  “Half an hour maybe. We’re landing soon. You’ll need to stay awake,” she told him. “We have to go straight there.”

  “Are you scared?” Chris questioned. “Not as much because of you, but I am a little nervous.”

  “We’ll still be partners at the end of this, I promise,” he declared, confident and sure as ever.

  The plane landed on a floating airport above the city. They touched down gently and after a moment they were allowed to disembark. The airport was very busy. People were boarding planes; bags in tow. This was the big city, and big was an understatement. The weather was cold and fall-like. Chris followed behind the other three as they headed across the area to a glass tube (or at least that’s what Chris thought it was.) It was actually a tram that transported people around the city. They went all around the planet, and you could get anywhere. You could even get underground should you wish to.

  “It’s a train?” Chris wondered aloud.

  “I wouldn’t call it a train, because it doesn’t go on rails. I guess,” the Headmaster shrugged his shoulders. “To tell you the truth, I don’t even know how they run, Christopher.”

  “Well don’t look at me,” Alleyne said as Chris turned to look at him. “I haven’t a clue. It works.”

  Penny giggled a little, “You always want to know how things work,” she smiled widely at him. “Dingus”

  Chris began to turn a bright red, “I uh--”

  The train arrived at the station quickly. It stopped in front of the large crowd that had gathered overtime to wait for it. The glass slid aside to form a large door, and the tram opened its doors as well. The tram was white with many windows. Chris figured it was a favorite of any tourists who came. They boarded the tram and for the most part they split up. Alleyne stood up and held onto a strap that dangled from the ceiling, Brood had made his way over to a seat, and as he approached, space was cleared so he could sit down. Chris was amazed about how fast they let him sit down with how crowded it was, and how so many people immediately engaged in conversation with him.

  “My child goes to Terminus and at first I was nervous, but I heard he’s doing well. Did the recent attacks do any damage? Tim sent me a video to let me know he was okay,” he heard a woman say.

  “Yes, but the repairs are practically over. No need to be nervous, he’s in good hands. Tim works hard. You must be proud,” Headmaster Brood indulged this conversation.

  Chris moved through the tram in an attempt to find Penny, but she had actually not gone far. She was staring out of one of the largest windows. Chris moved to stand beside her, pushing past a girl wearing a red and black dress with black hair. The girl seemed to turn to look at him. There were many things below, and
it was a long way down. Cars that hovered above the ground, people flying on brooms, a few planes, and more buildings than a person could count. One building stuck out the most though, and that was the senate building. It took up a large amount of space, it appeared to have multiple levels, and had red flags with a sun.

  “I feel out of my element,” Penny admitted, seeing that he had taken his place beside her. “Seriously, I feel like I stick out.”

  “You don’t,” he promised. “If you need to, you can hold my hand.”

  “I can wha--” she turned her head to look at him.

  “Nothing,” he said quickly.

  “I want to know,” she persisted.

  “You can hold my hand if you need me,” he answered awkwardly, trying to smile as best he could. His heart was attacking his chest now, and he could hear and feel it happening. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when Penny’s soft hand slipped into his. She laid her head on his shoulder and continued to watch as they were transported across the city. He gulped and gave her hand a little squeeze. “I uhm,” he babbled. “Hope it helps.”

  “It does,” Penny beamed.

  My cheeks hurt. They were nearing the building. The tube seemed to stop right at the entrance. There was a large red and gold rug laid out leading up the stairs and into the grand building. Penny pulled him with her to the exit and readied herself. She seemed less nervous now, a confident look replacing her previously uncertain one.

  The doors opened, no one moved forward in the lobby but their party. The rest stayed. A man in a white and black guard attire stepped forward with three more guards behind him. He demanded to know the purpose of their visit, proof of their identities, and then they were allowed to get off. The guards here were more formal. While the guards on Terminus were more loose; these did not deviate from their duties, flinch, or leave their position. They stood in a line on either side of the rug. They held futuristic white and black muskets with ornate designs and bayonets. They held these muskets in the palm of their hand right hand, allowing the gun to rest on their shoulder.

  The interior housed a red rug, many vases and pieces of art. There was a considerable amount of people just in the lobby. The designs on the walls and ceiling were incredible to him, and chandeliers were magnificent. They had to wait to be called in. The senators were having trouble, because a few decided to simply not show up. They had refused to decide on if Penny should be Chris’s partner, and so they chose not to attend. The house was massive and there were thousands of senators. Of course, only a few needed to attend. Just enough to reach quorum, but that number had not been reached. They were close, in fact only three were missing. They were instructed to wait in the hallway.

  If they did not reach the minimum number needed to start, then Penny would be separated from Chris regardless. The senators who did not attend must have known this. It angered Chris even more that some of the senators were threatening to walk out if it had not started soon. Sure enough; however, more did come. More than they needed actually, dressed in their senatorial attire. Majestic capes followed them as they entered through a large pair of brown doors. When the doors came together again they formed a golden Alliance bird.

  “Shall we begin?” he heard a female senator begin to speak in the next room. “Hurry. Hurry, bring them in. My time is valuable. My people need me, and we have a war going on.”

  “Yes ma’am!” There was the sound of footsteps coming to the brown door beside where they were waiting outside. The doors opened. The guard from earlier explained that they were to go in now.

  “Mind your tone, speak when spoken to, and do not argue,” he hissed at Penny. “You are allowed to be here, but that can change.”

  “She will,” Chris shot back as he pulled her past him by her hand.

  Penny walked ahead of all of them. The room was gigantic. There were about three or four levels. The walls were a deep red. The roof, a golden dome. The room was warm, so it was fairly relaxing to Chris. He scanned over the different senators; of which there were too many to count. There was a man who stood in the center of the room waiting for them. He wore a teal blue cape that draped down to his feet; it wrapped around him so that you could not see what else he was wearing. He had black combed hair that looked extremely healthy. Actually, this man looked rather young, he seemed to be no older than thirty.

  “I see you’ve arrived,” he said kindly. “We are about to begin. You two stand over there. Alleyne, Headmaster-- please stand over there,” he said as he directed them.

  “Who is he?” Chris asked.

  “He is on your side,” The man answered before anyone else. “Not to worry, I not only represent the capital, but now I represent you.”

  Chris asked himself who else could be on their side. The room appeared to be split in half, so it wasn’t hard to tell that this was a very divided issue. There were more against them than there were supporting them. Most of the senators appeared to be older gentlemen. There were younger senators, those of which the majority appeared to be primarily female. Chris was not at all surprised that most of the younger senators sat on the right side, and most of the elderly senators sat on the left. Therefore, he deduced that the right side was for them, while the left stood against them.

  General Nicholas came in sometime later. He apologized to the room for coming so late and delaying the process. Apparently, he had to handle a situation. A woman had been robbed, and since he and his escort witnessed it, he sprang into action. They had left the criminal with authorities. Chris didn’t notice any damage on the general, and considering that he wasn’t a magic user, this impressed Chris a great deal. The proceedings began shortly after. The general took his place beside Brood and Alleyne.

  “Did I miss much?” The General asked them.

  “No. Not at all,” Alleyne clapped his hands together. “We almost started without you Nick.”

  The General made a disapproving noise with his throat, “Hmph. You have no idea how angry I would have been.”

  “You’re always angry,” Alleyne waved his hand dismissively.

  “No, I’m not. It’s about to start. Hush,” he grumbled.

  Brood crossed his leg and folded his arms. He watched and waited. The headmaster’s face was extremely intent on this going well. Chris wondered if he was worried, but if anything, he seemed irritated about some of the senators. He was the only one not talking on their bench, and when the hearing began, he sat forward.

  Chris and Penny stood together in the center of the room. The young senator standing just a few feet away from them. He brought out his papers and prepared to speak. The room went entirely silent. No one moved. The senator pulled at his collar and then spoke.

  “One of the bedrock beliefs of Wizards is that if you allow Sorcerers to have a place in the Alliance, or even have a partner that everything will be thrown into disarray,” he began to pace to his right before planting his feet again and looking specifically at the right of the room. “That one Sorcerer could throw things out of balance, and would destroy the very foundation that the Alliance was built on.” some of the members on the right side began to nod in agreement. “The Sorcerers are not always a peaceful people, but this girl left her home with her sister to seek us out.”

  “Senator Quinn,” an old senator addressed him in a rather harsh tone, his raspy voice echoing throughout the room. He stood up, adjusting his round glasses. “We continue to hear that Sorcerers should be allowed to be in the Alliance, and to have partners. We hear this over and over again, but didn’t we try that experiment before? And it failed.” the room began to break into mini conversations, some in agreement some in disagreement. “And the very person who this experiment was conducted on; being the same man that birthed this one.” he pointed a shaky finger at Penny. “And didn’t Chaos Dreadful leave our attempts at peace in shambles? Did we not give them the opportunity?“

  There were nods of agreement and conversation on the left side, and harrumphs on the right side. The man t
ried to speak more, but Senator Quinn interrupted them. Moving closer to Chris and Penny, planning his next words. Once he had them figured out, his expression changed to one of extreme confidence.

  “Could I take a little trip down memory lane with my friend, Jacob Brood who I had the great privilege of knowing a few years ago. Thirty twenty-three to be exact.” Senator Quinn proposed. “He and I spoke on that matter, and I asked him what he thought. He told me that he would happily continue to try, because he felt that Sorcerers were people too. He was even friends with Chaos, am I wrong?” he questioned, turning himself to Brood who nodded in agreement. He almost cracked a smile. “I respect the hell out of him, and you should too. This headmaster had been through hell and back to build up and protect this Alliance--his students--”

  “Let me just say--” the older senator tried.

  “Now just hold on a second and let me finish,” Quinn raised his hand to the man to show he was not done yet. “We were negotiating with the Empire, leaving them supplies and trading, and the tension was going away. And guess what? We had one of the strongest, most talented, aspiring Sorcerers on Terminus. Training to be one of us,” he raised his voice a little. “And we drove him away; because--”

  “Can I just--” the older gentlemen tried again. Quinn interrupted him again, the older senator smiled, nodded, and reluctantly allowed him to keep the floor.

  “Because, we wouldn’t help his people, and his wife was dying. We forced him there, and if he was willing to be one of us why not? But we did not help them, and we wanted them to stay peaceful without meeting them in the middle. They didn’t owe us!”

  “Senator Quinn, that is where I have to stop you,” a middle-aged gentleman stood up, determined to speak. He was closer to the upper level, and so he needed a small microphone to speak. “According to the Universal Treaty, the Empire is to abide by any laws set by the Alliance. They are not to build a military larger than what is needed for defense, and furthermore they were not to engage in any warmongering activities near or on any planet in the Light Realm.” Chris could see Quinn was biting his tongue as the man continued his point. “So, they not only came into the Light Realm without permission and attacked Earth, leveling the country of Japan, but they also amassed a military larger than the treaty allowed. We are at war with the Empire. Therefore; I suggest that Penny Dreadful is locked away until this war is over,” there were many harrumphs as he continued on. “Not in prison, but somewhere, where she is unable to pry.”