Coeus?

by Andur

  The teachings didn't end there. Next I learned the most basic runes to influence the world around me. Well, they are vastly different from the runes someone might imagine from the word alone.

  I concentrate on my plush cat and collect my power to shape it into the three dimensional rune-pattern for 'Force'. The toy flies away and impacts on a nearby wall. This is so cool, despite my dampened emotions I can't help but feel something that might be called excitement! It's like a new game came out and I just logged in.

  I look down on the floor where I have the spellbook which I got from Melan. There are runes for almost everything and you can combine them as you want by connecting them.

  The buzzing of the doorbell distracts me from my training. I access the house's network to take a look at the visitor. Melan gave me access, but I can't do much more than locking and unlocking doors and access some other minor functions. There is no access to something like the internet, which exists according to Melan. She doesn't want to give me access at this point.

  What I find in front of our mansion is a woman in a black cloak with yellow hair and a white mask on her face. She is looking up at the security camera. “My name is inspector Zu. Open the door.”

  No serial number? Ed had a serial number. I activate the speakers on our door. “Why? There is nobody at home.”

  “It doesn't matter if there is nobody besides you at home. There are no restrictions for an inspector. Open the door.” The woman answers with a cold voice.

  If she would have acted like the other inspector, I would have believed her. But as the situation is now it smells fishy. Why are two different people working on the same case? Shouldn't Ed be with her? “Then at least identify yourself properly. I want to see your certificate and your serial number.”

  At the same time I open a connection to Melan and she answers almost immediately. “Yes, Gideon?” It's good that she taught me to call her telepathically.

  “There is a faceless at the door and she wants to enter the house, but she didn't show her seal. Can she really do that?” I watch the woman at the door who is doing something with the door handle. “And now she is breaking in I think.”

  “Hide yourself, Gideon! I am on my way and I alarmed the authorities. That's not an inspector!” Grandmother screams over the connection.

  I activate my ability and time comes to a creeping halt as I return to my virtual reality. The woman broke the door and is about to enter the house. In her left hand is something which I assume to be a gun. It's a futuristic looking tube like from Star Wars, but still a recognizable weapon.

  That means that she wants to kill me. Someone wouldn't pull a weapon to subdue a child. This situation is strange. Just when I found my own personal heaven someone wants to ruin it! Didn't I walk through hell already?

  What can I do? Simply hiding won't cut it, I have no idea how much time the faceless need to arrive at the crime scene. What if she finds me by then? First thing is locking all doors in the mansion, done.

  The only chance is to fight back! But how? She'll walk over me with brute force and I have no idea what her gun can do. Are there weapons in the house? Not to my knowledge. But there is a kitchen and yesterday Grandfather bought some fertilizer for the lawn. It might work if it's not some magical wonder-powder. If the nitrate content is high enough I might be able to blow it up with a simple heat spell. But how do I get there? I start making my plan.

  After half an hour of thinking about my possibilities I decide that I can't do anything more to ensure my survival. The situation is very straightforward, so I don't have a lot of options anyway. I return to reality and get to my feet. I grab my plush cat and the rabbit, then I leave the living room.

  Luckily Grandfather's study is right opposite to the living room and the fertilizer is still there. I grab the package and slam the study's door shut as loud as I can. That should have informed the woman of my position. Right now she has to be running up the stairwell.

  Pushing the office chair to the window is harder than I thought but I manage it without taking too much time. A command to the house opens the window and I climb outside, using the chair as a ladder.

  Looking down I suddenly start doubting my plan. This idea sounded so good as long as it was just a plan. But a loud noise convinces me to jump. Someone broke a door in the upper floor.

  I cast Force on my plush toys as I fall and try desperately to hold onto them. Loosing the rabbit I concentrate my efforts on the cat and with the second try it slows my fall considerably.

  The landing is still hard and pain shoots through my leg, but I have no time. So I get up and to the window of the kitchen which I ordered open. Luckily its intended as access door to the garden, so I don't have to climb again.

  Sugar and flour are attained easily enough in the kitchen. I work fast and messy while doors are broken open one floor above me. An emptied coffee can serves as container for my makeshift bomb.

  For good measure I add some teaspoons and forks. With luck they work as shrapnel. My noisy endeavour with the metal obviously pulled attention and I hear footsteps running down the stairs as I screw the coffee can closed.

  Please let the heat rune work. Please let the heat rune work. I just looked at it and never tried to cast it in fear of starting a fire.

  Steps approach the kitchen and I curse in my mind. How did she find me so fast. My plan said that I would encounter her on the stairs!

  It has to work now, or never. I use Force to propel the can towards the kitchen-door just as it is swung open.

  The masked woman raises a hand to protect herself and points her gun at me. I cast the heat rune from behind the kitchen's oven and close my eyes while taking cover.

  A loud boom tears my world apart and after a few moments I open one eye, then the other. I am alive! Ha! My leg hurts and my ears are ringing, but there is no hole in my body!

  I lens around the oven to take a look at the destroyed kitchen and my visitor. To my astonishment she seems to be completely unhurt!

  The explosion just threw her backwards in direction to the stairwell and she is in the process of getting up. I accelerate my mind once more to find another solution and the world stops moving.

  Taking in the image in front of me I notice that she wasn't completely untouched. A fork is embedded in the hand which she used to protect herself.

  Her gun is gone! Where is it? I let time run slightly faster and survey the area by flicking my eyes. There it is! Just three metres from me. I reach for the gun and cast Force. This time not away from me, but towards me. The gun flies into my hands and I catch it.

  Then I aim it at the woman who is looking at me. I guess if she didn't wear a mask I would get to see a genuine expression of surprise? That would be interesting. Too bad that I can't see her face.

  Aiming the gun at the woman I press the trigger and a thin beam of yellow light shoots out of it. The beam burns a hole into the wall beside the woman and she starts saying something.

  I don't bother to listen and sweep the beam across her legs, which are taken cleanly off. What a cool gun!

  Coming back in an arc I take off both her arms and remove my finger from the trigger. Time starts running normally again and the woman's pieces fall to the ground. She is screaming like a pig, but I don't care.

  This can't be a laser. If it was, I would be dead. A laser that strong would heat the air around it to the point of burning its user. Is this some kind of particle weapon?

  I turn around and use the laser to cut off a part of the oven. It's metal and it got cleanly sliced through with a fast slash of the weapon. No. Can't be a laser.

  “Please give me that.” A voice from behind startles me. Turning around I find another faceless looming above me with an outstretched hand.

  But at least I know the voice this time. “Ed?”

  “Yes, give me the gun. There is nothing here that threatens you.” He says, still not moving.

  I squint my eyes at him. “But it's mine. I looted it fairly fr
om a defeated enemy.”

  He doesn't budge. “Molecular disruptors are illegal for a reason. You wouldn't be allowed to keep it anyway.”

  I take my time to think the situation over, but I can't find a possibility to keep the gun. Killing Ed and hiding the gun would probably cause even more trouble than I already have. And I doubt Grandmother would like it.

  Personal heaven or cool a science fiction gun? I guess I'll come across other good drops. The assassin surely had an employer.

  I take my finger from the trigger. “And I already had my hopes up.” I hand the weapon to Ed who sighs in relief.

  A look at the woman informs me that she is alive. Her chest is rising and falling. It seems like she lost her consciousness, but there isn't as much blood as I had expected. Apparently the weapon cauterised the wounds. “Will she live?”

  Ed nods. “Probably, I already called the healers. You didn't injure her vitals. Recommendable. After meeting you I thought that you were the type who is best locked in a cell without a door. It seems that I was wrong.”

  Eh? Damn! I should have cut off her head. I was so fascinated by the gun that I completely forgot about finishing her off!

  A tingling in my mind reminds me that I practically hung up on Grandmother. Or how do you call it when you cancel a telepathic connection? I have to ask her later.

  Probably she is turning red right now, so I answer her call. “Sorry Grandma, but I was busy with the intruder.”

  “Are you alright!?” Her voice screams in my mind.

  “I am fine. Ed is here now. You can go back to work. We just need a new kitchen.” I hang up on her, feeling that I explained everything of importance.

  “That was your grandmother?” Ed asks.

  I look up to him. “Yes, you can listen in on telepathic connections?” It seems like the faceless have a few cool tricks up their sleeves. Maybe becoming a faceless is also cool. Hmm. Now I already have two ideas for a future job.

  He nods. “And you hung up on her.”

  I nod. “I said everything of importance. Didn't I?”

  Ed shakes his head. “I'll call your grandmother for you. She'll want to know if you are fine.”

  “Isn't the fact that I talked to her enough confirmation that I am fine?” I ask.

  Ed continues to shake his head. “It's not. And sit down. I think your ankle is broken.”

  I look down on my foot which is swollen. “Yes, now that you mention it. It still hurts.” Something runs down my cheeks and I wipe the annoying fluid away. On the ground close by I find my plush cat and pick it up. Somehow it soothes my mind to hold it, but I have no explanation why.

  8. ~State of things.~

  “The world government has announced a new space program! They intend to visit Mars and other planets in the solar system within a decade. Utilizing the resources of other planets shall finally stop the harsh pressure on the population. The stars shall be humanity's future.”

  -Newspaper

  Aether, The floating City, above the Atlantic Ocean

  Gideon

  I am sitting on Grandmother's lap while listening to Ed's sermon. Right now the faceless are swarming our place with several dozen agents. Someone tried to impersonate them after all. It seems like they aren't taking that on the light shoulder.

  My grandfather seems to be very unhappy about it. I already gathered that he dislikes the faceless for their far reaching rights. He is saying that they are restricting the freedom of a lawful citizen, namely his own. I wonder what caused his aversion to authority.

  My foot also got healed, though not immediately. A few minutes after Ed took over ten doctors arrived at the scene. They threw themselves at the injured assassin like vultures in order to save her life.

  They could've at least spared me a glance. But my leg hurt so much that I had to get at least some painkillers. Only after I asked one of the healers for treatment I got some attention. Though the doctor in question seemed a little down because he didn't manage to snatch one of the attacker's limbs for himself.

  I decide to return my attention to the discussion.

  “...the assassin was identified as a member of the so called Revelation Wing.” Ed eyes my grandparents and my aunt. They arrived soon after the incident. Aunty seemed really shocked while Grandmother cried tears of joy upon finding out that I am alright.

  “What's the Revelation Wing?” I ask.

  Ed looks down on me like I am some kind of backwoodsman. “The Revelation Wing is a small group of extremists. They believe that mage-society should reveal itself to the humans and reclaim their place among them.”

  He explains. Then he adds his own opinion. “They are hypocrites who left Earth during the exodus, but are still preaching that hiding ourselves is wrong. If they had any spine, they would have stayed with the rest of their comrades on earth.”

  Well, but according to my knowledge those who stayed behind are dead. So they were smart enough to become hypocrites instead of being killed one by one.

  “Why did they target Gideon?” My aunt asks. “He hasn't done anything.”

  Ed shakes his head. “His mother Sadina had some dealings with their leader. He is a ruthless fellow who likes to pay his debts. He wanted Gideon's mother to hack the national news services of several of Earth's governments.

  But she tricked him and ran off with a part of the Revelation Wing's capital. Most likely to fund her own research with it. I don't care much for the dealings between lawless individuals, but in this case you can see why they may hold a grudge.”

  So it's related to my mother after all. Though I would like to know how the faceless came across this information. Do they have a mole within the Revelation Wing?

  If they had, they wouldn't admit it to me. So asking about it is a waste of time. Maybe I can get some more information if I use my status as a poor, abandoned child.

  “I doubt that my supposed mother cares if those terrorists get their hands on me.” I add my opinion and for some reason Melan pats my head.

  Ed shrugs and changes his posture a little. “The Revelation Wing obviously thinks differently. From their point of view she hid you with the normals to keep them from getting their hands on you.”

  He changes his attention towards Melan. “And the next time you try to hide something from the authorities, you might as well go all the way and use a wrong name. Somehow the Revelation Wing got their hands on his test results. Entering Gideon into the school system is what got them informed of his existence.”

  I was found by being entered into the school system? Why should I need to go to school?

  “I didn't particularly try to hide information.” My grandmother's arms tighten around me. “I just wanted to know about Gideon's status and didn't bother to take the official path. It was just a test after all.”

  Ed pulls a sheet of paper from a pouch in his coat. “Oh, I think you did know what you were doing. You lot seem to like hiding certain things from me. But I admit that you are good at keeping yourself out of the line of fire. Up until now there wasn't a single case in which you couldn't claim that you were simply lax in following your duties.”

  He turns the sheet of paper around. It turns out to be a copy of my test results from a few weeks earlier. “He fried an examination sprite? Do you know what that means?”

  Nobody answers, so I decide to break the silence. “No. What does it mean?”

  Ed stores the sheet away and answers. “It means that you are a very fast one. I know of less than a hundred people who can outperform an examination sprite.”

  Ok? I know that I am super fast. That's nothing new to me. “Somehow I fail to get the point.”

  Ed shrugs his shoulders. “You will... at some point.”

  My aunt starts massaging her temple. “So what now?”

  “You will simply go on with your lives. We faceless will do our part to uphold law and order. Catching a member of the Revelation Wing alive created a big dent in their security. And it will gain me a prom
otion.” Ed places both hands on his belt.

  He looks very satisfied as far as I can judge. No, wait. That's not the problem. I point at Ed. “But I was the one who caught her!” He is taking my spoils!

  Ed deliberately ignores me and continues. “Right now they must be in the process of going underground. They will hide themselves as good as possible and lay low for a while.” Ed tilts his head as if he is thinking about something. “I doubt that they have the guts to make another attempt, but just in case I will leave this battle sprite here.”

  As if it waited for the command a robot with six legs enters the room. It's looking like a really mean crab with strange stumps as arms. It's about a metre tall and the whole body silver and shiny. It sparkles like completely new. Ed pats its head proudly. “This is battle sprite C-34. Just call him Crono. He is working with our agency for fourteen years and will act as a bodyguard for the time being. I'll excuse myself then.”

  It's a fricking robot! A real robot! That's even better than the gun! I wrestle myself free from my Grandmother's hands and approach Crono. He even has two camera's as eyes! “Hi.” Crono doesn't reply and scans the room with his eyes instead.

  “He is a little shy.” Ed explains and turns around, leaving us to our own devices.

  I continue to study Crono until my grandmother interrupts me. “I have to talk to you about something.”

  “About what?” I ask.

  “About the reason why I was out today.” She smiles, nods and claps her hands together. “I organized that you can visit school upon turning seven.”

  School? Me?

  9. ~First Day.~

  “We proudly announce that the new mission called 'Explorer' is well under way. The new sensor probes will search for suitable landing places and resources for follow up program.”

  -Newspaper

  Aether, The floating City, above the Atlantic Ocean

  Gideon

  My birthday came and went. The whole family had a big party, but it didn't really concern me. I never celebrated my birthdays when I was with my fake family. I have some dark memories that they made a cake for me when I was one.