Rescue Mission

by Linda Jordan

  “Bad dream?”

  “No, just intense and puzzling. Like all my dreams lately.”

  “You’re not alone. There’s so much magic swirling around in the air some days it makes me dizzy.”

  “Is that what it is?” asked Beth. “I’ve never really believed in magic, you know.”

  “I know. but haven’t you noticed? Inexplicable things are happening. Even to people who don’t believe in magic. Look how quickly all the houses got built. The crops are growing much faster, stronger and healthier than in the old village. Nearly everyone is getting along. I’ve not heard one disagreement since we arrived.”

  “I thought that was just because we all felt like a village. We all pulled together for the move, helping each other and people are going out of their way more to be kind to each other.”

  “It’s more than that. The water’s cleaner, the air is fresher. The food tastes better. People who are weaving, knitting or sewing clothes—it’s like they have magical fingers. Even the animals are growing healthier and larger. So are the kids. I can start a fire in my little wood stove just by blowing on it.”

  “Then why am I having such intense dreams?”

  “Because you’re repressing magic,” said Cady.

  It was true of herself, too. Her dreams had become more intense of late. What sort of magic was she holding back on?

  “But I don’t have any magic,” said Beth.

  “I believe everyone has magic. You simply haven’t found an outlet for it yet,” said Cady.

  Beth looked shocked. As if someone had slapped her.

  “So, even if I don’t believe in magic, I’ve got it anyway? That makes no sense.”

  “Magic doesn’t care. It uses all of us.”

  “You speak about it as if it’s a living thing,” said Beth.

  “Look at that fog, drifting across the lake. You can barely see it, if you were in the middle of it, it wouldn’t be very visible, not like a rock. Or touchable. You can’t taste it. Yet it exists all the same. It moves, it takes shape, thickens, thins. It’s not alive either, but it affects us. If you were in a boat out there, trying to find your way to shore, the fog would have an effect on you. Whether it’s alive or not, it exists and denying that it exists means nothing to the fog. It doesn’t diminish it.”

  “So you don’t believe the magic is alive?”

  “I know it moves through us. That wherever it’s strongest, there are deities and spirits. Or maybe it’s the other way around. I don’t know if it’s alive. Before now, I’ve never had a great deal of magic. Just the power to find things. It feels like the magic, if it is alive, likes us and wants the village to thrive here.”

  Beth sat back in her chair and was silent. Thinking.

  Cady sipped her tea. She’d forgotten to put honey in it, and took a spoonful from the jar on the table, stirring it in. Waiting for Beth to sort things out in her mind.

  Monster came in the door and rubbed against her chair. Cady picked him up and put him on her lap. He purred and purred.

  “How do I stop repressing my magic then?”

  “You start by believing magic exists. Look for it. Notice how the people around you have changed. See how the village has changed. Look at what’s different in this area than the old village. We are surrounded by deities and spirits. I saw three unicorns in the woods the other day. There are faeries who live on the other side of the ravine, they’re difficult to spot, blending in with the trees and they’re very reclusive, but they’re there. Water sprites live in the lake. Magic is everywhere here. Find it. Once you can do that, your own magical gifts will be more apparent.”

  “But what sort of magic am I likely to have?” asked Beth.

  “I have no idea. I’m still finding out what I have.”

  “Will I be able to hide it?”

  “Why would you want to?” asked Cady.

  “Liam won’t like it. And the kids. …”

  “All of them are probably coming into their own magic too. If you can’t lead them in this, there’s no hope that they’ll accept what’s happening.”

  “I’m not the leader in our family.”

  “Well, everything’s changing here by this lake. Maybe that should. You’re a leader in this community.”

  “I have something to offer. I’m skilled at organizing.”

  “Well, you must have something to offer your family. Acceptance of their magic is huge. And, I’m not one to talk here because I never married, but the best marriages I’ve seen are partnerships. Where the leadership is shared. We all change throughout our lives. Maybe it’s time your marriage changed. You should talk to Liam. Otherwise this is going to be a hard road for all of you. And we’ve all seen enough hard roads.”

  “He won’t listen. He’s stubborn.”

  “Well, talk to your kids. They need to understand what’s happening to them.”

  “I can do that,” said Beth.

  There was another knock at her door. Two people before breakfast. That was unusual.

  “Come in,” said Cady.

  Mazzy came in the door.

  “Good morning,” she said to both of them.

  “Good morning,” said Cady, “what can I do for you?”

  “I’m having a problem. Although, I don’t know if Beth wants to hear about it. It concerns magic and I know she’s not a believer.”

  Beth made a move to get up.

  “No,” said Cady, “you need to stay and hear this. It’s the only way you’ll learn.”

  “Okay,” said Beth, “if you think it will help.”

  “Yes,” said Cady. “Would you like some tea?”

  “I’d love some,” said Mazzy.

  Cady motioned for Mazzy to take her chair and put on more water to heat. She pulled another mug out. Then put more herbs in a second teabag. She poured the hot water into the green cup that had a picture of a hummingbird on it and her own cup. She needed another cup of tea.

  She set a wooden bowl of red-green apples on the table. Sharine had found a wild apple tree growing next to an abandoned ruin of a house. It had been loaded with apples and she’d made five trips to gather them all and then distribute them around the village.

  Beth took one and said, “Thanks.”

  Mazzy said, “I don’t think I can eat another apple. I’ve had so many over the last few days. I can’t wait until we can harvest some of our vegetables.”

  Cady set a cup of tea in front of Mazzy, and added honey to her own. Grabbing an apple, she walked over to the small table by her bed and set the tea on it. Then sat on the bed, facing the two of them, crossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees.

  “So, what is your problem, Mazzy?”

  She took a bite of the apple. The juice filled her mouth. It was tart and sweet at the same time. Her empty belly rumbled appreciatively.

  Mazzy hesitated for a minute, running her fingers through her short, black hair. She normally looked in complete control, but her clothes were wrinkled and her hair unbrushed.

  “In the old village, I occasionally saw a deity. Not often. But here, I see one every time I turn around. A different one. And I’m seeing other things. Dragons, of all kinds, and not just Onyx. All of us can see and touch him, he’s real. I’ve seen Enenra, smoke monsters. And Kitsune, they’re intelligent, sometimes trickster foxes. And so many more spirits.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” asked Cady.

  “Something is wrong with me.”

  “Nothing is wrong with you. This place is filled with magic. More magic than the old village. For some reason, deities and spirits have gathered her. I don’t know why, but you’re not seeing things.”

  “There’s something else,” said Mazzy, shifting awkwardly in the chair. She looked very uncomfortable.

  “Okay,” said Cady.

  “When I talk to people, they always agree with me now. No one ever argues. It’s as if my words are suddenly magic and can convince anyone. I got Joe to admit that the sky was gr
een yesterday. And he always argues with me about everything.”

  “That’s a powerful gift to have.”

  “What if I’m wrong? No one will argue me out of anything.”

  “I just did,” said Cady, taking another large bite of the apple.

  “So, I’m not imagining that my words are suddenly golden?”

  “Probably not. We’re all coming into powers we’ve never had before.”

  “But my words won’t work on everyone?”

  “Well, I saw your thinking was flawed. I can’t speak for anyone else.”

  “Being able to convince people nearly all the time is a heavy responsibility,” said Mazzy, sipping her tea.

  “One I think you’re up to carrying. It means you’ll think before you speak, knowing your words have a great weight to them.”

  Cady set the apple core on her table and stirred the tea, mixing any unmelted honey in. She sipped it.

  “You said ‘we’re all coming into powers we’ve never had before’. Who is we?”

  “Much of the village. I don’t know about everyone, but there’s a lot of magic going on. Chickens are laying more eggs. Goats giving more milk and it’s richer. Crops are growing more rapidly and are healthier than in the old village. Cloth being weaved is softer, and the weavers are weaving more quickly. Houses are still being built with an unthinkable speed. And they’re being hooked up to the power faster than planned. Sharine says everyone and their animals are healthier here. There’s been fewer people needing to see her and she actually has spare time. Besides all those things, I can now start a fire by blowing on the kindling in my wood stove. I know other people are experiencing magic, they’re just not talking about it. There are still people in the village who don’t believe in magic,” said Cady.

  Mazzy looked at Beth.

  Beth spoke. “It’s true, I used to not believe in magic. I started to when Cady found Sam. And then who can deny that Onyx exists. I’ve been having strange dreams. And my kids, they’re doing things that are impossible. Seeing into each other’s minds. Making toys vanish and reappear. The other day, one of them made a bowl of strawberries show up on the table. Completely out of season. We all ate them, they tasted wonderful. I don’t know what to make of all this.”

  “Did Liam have a strawberry?” asked Cady.

  “Yes, although he didn’t see them suddenly appear. He thought I’d found them somewhere near the village. I tried to explain and he looked at me like I had two heads. I quit trying then.”

  Cady nodded.

  Mazzy said, “So, how are these deities different than Morrigu? I don’t see any of them trying to change people’s lives like she did in the Zoo.”

  “Morrigu has more power for one thing. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s because she’s a war goddess and humanity’s endless wars have fed her well. She’s taken a more physical form than many of these deities and spirits, sort of like Onyx. She clearly wanted to be involved with people. The other deities remain separate from us. They may or may not even see us. Or we might be beneath their notice—lesser beings.”

  “Is that likely to change?” asked Beth.

  “I have no idea. Magic has been in the world since I was a young girl. The village I lived in then didn’t acknowledge it. When I ran away to the Zoo, most of those people didn’t believe in magic. They just said I had a knack for finding things. It wasn’t until Morrigu came along that things began to change there. By then, I was ready to leave. I think this explosion of magic is limited to this lake, but I could be wrong. It’s more concentrated here, certainly.”

  “Onyx said he found one area, on the other side of the lake, where humans have lived recently, but it was abandoned,” said Mazzy.

  “Was he looking for other people?” asked Cady.

  “He goes flying every morning. I asked him where and why and he said he wants to keep us safe. So he flies over the surrounding area to see if there are any threats.”

  Cady sipped her tea. She hadn’t known that.

  Mazzy said, “I think we should talk about the magic at our next village meeting. Everyone should know what’s going on.”

  “I agree,” said Beth. “Liam isn’t going to believe me. He needs to hear it from everyone else.”

  “The two of you know there will be consequences to such a discussion.”

  “Like what?” asked Mazzy.

  “The people who don’t believe in magic will be afraid. In the past, fearful people have killed those they didn’t understand. Depending on how many of those in the village refuse to believe, they could cause large problems.”

  “You mean, if they’re in the majority, they could decide to kill us? Well, we won’t know until we talk about it,” said Mazzy. “I think they’re the minority.”

  “I’m not saying we shouldn’t talk about it, just to be aware there are consequences. And to prepare for them,” said Cady.

  Mazzy said, “Okay, I’ll talk to Sharine and Joaquin. See if we can figure out how to handle anyone who causes trouble. Maybe add something to the village charter, in the harassment section.”

  “I think we should encourage them to leave the village,” said Beth.

  Cady looked at Beth. She felt shocked Beth would suggest such a thing.

  “Well, I do,” said Beth.

  “What if Liam decides to leave?” asked Mazzy.

  “Good riddance. He’s being a jerk. He doesn’t believe me, or even listen to me anymore. Spends nearly all his time in the workshop, making shoes for people who don’t need new ones. Or else he’s off somewhere and I can’t find him. I’m taking care of four kids, and the house, and foraging for food, and cooking it. I’m not sure what I need him for. When he does come home, he just makes fun of what I say or he ignores me.”

  Cady looked up to see a deity peering in the window. She had wild black hair, blue skin and four arms. A necklace of human skulls hung around her neck. When Cady met the deity’s black eyes, the goddess stuck out her tongue. There was no mistaking her, Kali had come to their village.

  What did her presence mean?

  Cady tried not to panic.

  17

  Damon

  Damon stood in the center of the village. Six men were building a central meeting hall over the fire pit. They had cut and peeled the logs and were hoisting them up on the circular frame they had built. The sides would be mostly open to vent the smoke, but the top needed to be covered to keep the winter rains off.

  Only one of the men knew what he was doing, so there was a lot of arguing going on. The others seemed to think Karan was just being a perfectionist.

  Damon walked over and said, “As of now, I appoint Karan to be head of this project. He understands engineering and I really don’t want this building to fall down on Morrigu’s head. Or to leak rain on the cooks. Understand?”

  The men nodded and went back to work.

  He walked back to the table he’d been working at. Someone had found him an ancient pad of paper and a pencil. He missed his wristband.

  Using paper to organize all these people was cumbersome. There were groups of people scavenging for wire and other things that Carlos and Martina needed to create their electric system. Nearby ruined houses and power lines provided some of it. For some things, the groups had to go farther out to what had once been main streets with businesses to search.

  Other small groups were trying to barter for animals from the farms they’d passed. And getting information about raising those animals. Still others were off hunting for food to cook for the next few days.

  Morrigu had sent two scouts back to the Zoo. To see what damage Collins had done. They had returned to report that the Zoo had been leveled. No buildings left standing and plenty of holes in the ground. A total loss.

  Damon watched her reaction. Morrigu said nothing. There was no fury even. Apparently, she had expected the news that the Zoo was gone.

  The Goddess sat there on a sawed off tree stump, almost looked as if she was carved out of stone.
Damon could seen her thinking. Taking everything into consideration. Then she’d risen and walked off into the woods alone.

  Everyone had stood around, looking at him. Waiting for him to give them some direction.

  “You two go and get some food and sleep, he said to the scouts. The rest of you must have been assigned work. If you don’t have work, those who are growing food for us need help. There are also openings for people willing to build looms and weave fabric. We’re going to need warmer coats soon. But first, the looms need building. Hopefully by then, we’ll have some sheep, and wool to weave with. There’s no shortage of work to do around here.”

  Everyone left quickly after that. Damon rubbed his face. So few of them knew what they were doing and neither did he.

  There was too much to learn to support the whole community. Building, growing food, raising livestock, creating electricity from the air and sun. And more. They had no one who knew much about healing. And how were they supposed to grow food? Winter was coming. The sun would disappear, replaced with nine months of rain. And Morrigu wanted a war when they didn’t even know how to feed themselves.

  Damon felt unfocused and overwhelmed with all the things that needed to happen immediately. He paced around the center of the village trying to think of what he might be missing. What crucial thing had he overlooked? And how were they going to buy weapons? The local economy probably existed on barter, but what was left of the wide world had reverted back to gold. That was the currency these days. Maybe jewels or art. But all of Morrigu’s assets had been destroyed with the Zoo.

  Morrigu walked into the center of the village and stood next to him.

  She said, “We need to find someone nearby with weapons and steal them.”

  Damon looked at her, not allowing his mouth to drop open with shock.

  She continued, “We can gather all the nearby weapons and begin training our people. Collect any new people who want to join us in our battle on the Eastside.”

  “We can’t even feed ourselves,” said Damon. “How are we going to track down weapons?”

  “Before our systems went out, Roosevelt had people he was buying arms from.”