Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3)

by Brian Wilkerson

"Give him the kiss of life, of course."

  Annala gave a luminescent blush. "Wha-but he's-I can't-I..."

  She looked away and tugged her ear. Tasio counted down from five. By the time he reached one, Annala's face reddened further and she mumbled, “I guess...since it's an emergency..."

  She leaned over Eric, lowered herself, and hesitated. Then she closed her eyes and kissed him full on the mouth. After thirty seconds and no response, she looked to Tasio for directions. An angelic being stood next to him.

  She was tall and slender with pale skin and pink eyes. Four grand and feathered wings sprouted from her back and long white hair cascaded down it. Both feathers and hair terminated in green tips. She wore a white gown decorated with gold bands at her waist and neckline, and gold trim in the hemline. A ruby was set over her stomach. More gold was elsewhere on her person, such as her wrists, ears, and neck.

  Annala derived a conclusion and became adorably angry for five seconds. Then she exhaled and dropped her shoulders.

  "I should have known. Only a sower can administer the true kiss of life."

  "You could administer it yourself," the sower said, "if you made a contract with me."

  Tasio smacked her head. "No poaching. I already sent away your twin for trying that on my chosen. I don't need you tempting my granddaughter."

  The sower radiated such beseeching sorrow and tragic disappointment that Annala felt compelled to agree with her and sign anything. Only the Seed of Chaos in her DNA kept her head clear enough to keep her mouth closed.

  "You know sowers are more chronically understaffed than the reapers. It's rare to find someone with her personality and potential."

  "You think I have great potential?" Annala asked.

  As the sower addressed Annala, her smile was as warm as the sun on a spring day and her eyes as light as stars at night. Despite her Seed of Chaos, Annala lost herself in them and listened intently to her musical words.

  "Yes, I do. Oh, where are my manners? I am Suriel, Right Hand of Life, and overseer of Animacraft. How do you do?" She curtsied. "I see you as a kind and courageous individual who would do well in our profession."

  "I...I'm flattered, but...it's...I don't know...I suppose I could…"

  Tasio floated between the elf and the angel to obscure the former’s view of the latter. Then he radiated his own Divine Presence to clear the air.

  "Please do me this favor,” he said to Suriel. “I'll find someone else for your use."

  She pecked his cheek. "Thanks. You're a sweetie."

  Before Annala could blink, the netherian was kissing Eric. As the kiss continued, she found it difficult to control her mounting jealousy. It built into a desire to hit this ethereally beautiful lady. As soon as Eric awoke, he pushed Suriel away, which made her feel better.

  "I can explain! I...think..."

  "It's okay, Eric,” Annala said, “I already understand."

  “Good! Then could you explain it to me?”

  "Eric," Tasio said, "please focus."

  Eric sent him a sour look. "What do you want?"

  "I'm here to help, like always."

  "Where'd Samael go?"

  "I convinced her to leave you alone, but it's up to you to keep her away." Tasio sat cross-legged in mid-air. "She's agreed to pardon your crimes if you win a wager."

  "Let me guess; it's dangerous and you're not going to help us."

  "Correct on both counts, but the true danger is something else. Your task is to go to the place listed in that crystal."

  Tasio pointed to a package peeking out of a mail pile on Eric's doorstep.

  "Find the person in that crystal and make sure that this," Tasio struck a finger at Eric's forehead, "holds dominance over this." Tasio pointed at Eric's stomach. "Simple enough, right?"

  "There's a catch here."

  "Eric, whenever have I not been straight up and honest with you?"

  “Fine. I'll do this wager of yours, Aio."

  Tasio winced. Eric didn't notice because his attention shifted to his mailbox. The letters flowed from his mailbox in a moderate pile. Inside, he found junk, issues of Weekly Brain Teasers, more junk, and a small package. There was no return address on this last one.

  Inside was a piece of paper and a rectangular crystal. Eric suddenly remembered it was a “viewing crystal,” i.e. a Tariatlan video camera. The mage looked over both items with his Magic Sight before touching them. Even with his enlightenment from Dengel's Lair, he didn't see anything dangerous. Carefully, he unrolled the paper and stared at the squiggles inside.

  Annala peeked over his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  “…I…I can’t…read it.”

  “Oh...” Annala stepped back. “That’s okay. I’m sure it will come back to you.”

  “Right, because I’m human and not a grendel.”

  “Technically, it’s because you’re a demon and not a monster.”

  Eric’s left hand clenched. He recited the poem in his head and both reverted. Annala tugged her ear.

  "In any case, I’ll read it for you.” She accepted the paper and read, “No muddy puddle can obscure the All-Seeing Eye, or any fruit exist beyond the All-Controlling Hand. Resistance is forlorn."

  "That is the creed of Order, the Eternal Sustainer," Eric recited. "This message is meant to imply that he sees me as something that can obscure his eye or escape his grasp."

  “See?” Annala smiled. "A monster couldn’t remember all that.”

  Shrugging, Eric picked up the crystal and turned it on. Runes within the crystal projected a screen above it. It showed an old warehouse. Sun streamed in through high windows, but the interior was still dark and shadowed. The image shook and a familiar troll appeared.

  "Hello, Eric. I haven't seen you since the school picture thing. How've you been? Me? I work for a zoo now, and at the moment, I'm watching the latest addition. If you'll direct your attention to center stage, you'll see what I mean."

  He stepped aside and the crystal displayed a pole behind him. Eric's eyes slitted and an inhuman growl escaped his throat; Annala was tied to it. The image was so life-like and solid that only the real Annala's hand on his shoulder convinced him it was fake.

  Gruffle backhanded the image. "Wake up, princess. Say hello to your prince."

  Illusion!Annala moaned pitifully and opened her eyes; they shone with unshed tears. Gruffle tore off the tape gagging her and she yelped in pain. She spat out a soaked rag and cried, "Eric! Oh, please...you've got to get me out of here!" Her voice broke and she sobbed. "Evil troll...He's been leering at me since I woke up! Please hurmm…!"

  She was cut off as Gruffle stuffed in a new cloth. She desperately tossed her head, but he held her in place. Once the cloth was secure, he pressed a new strip of tape over her mouth. Her words were muffled, but her sobs were clearly audible.

  "This particular item is called 'Eternal Virgin' for obvious reasons," Gruffle said, and cracks appeared on the crystal's surface. "Speaking of which..." He moved one of Illusion!Annala's sundress straps off her shoulder. "I should do some product testing." More cracks. "If you want to join me, come to the Organic Research Repository in Healer Town. Better hurry! HAHAHA-”

  The real Annala ripped the crystal from Eric's hands before he could smash it.

  "We need this for evidence." Turning to Tasio, she asked, "I assume the gauntlet we must run is through the Organic Research Repository, then we capture Gruffle and remove him from the location, correct?"

  Tasio nodded.

  "You want me to be Eric's keeper, correct?"

  "I would use the term 'morality chain.'"

  "If we refuse, Samael will come back and kill us, correct?"

  Suriel floated in front of Tasio. "You could take a third option with a contract."

  "No," both teens said simultaneously.

  “As you wish, but if you ever want to become a sower, send me a prayer.”

  In a blink, she disappeared as if she were never there. Tasio gave them a thumbs-up bef
ore doing likewise, but the scarf remained with Annala so she wouldn’t be cold. Immediately after the deities departed, Annala punched Eric’s arm.

  "Eternal servitude to Death! Is removing one threat to me worth that much to you!? I thought you had a higher opinion of yourself! You would be dead by now if it weren't for me; no, worse than dead. You'd be undead!'

  She smacked him again.

  "Reapers are the bottom feeders of Creation! There’s only one degree of separation between them and fiends. You could lose yourself to kon hunger and become a caricature of who you were and ...and... I don't why I bother! You're hopeless!"

  She turned away from him and crossed her arms.

  “Thank you for saving me.”

  She turned back and her arms slipped to her sides.

  “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I yelled and I’m sorry I smacked you. I was so worried when Tasio told me you were about to sell your soul to a nether creature that I lost my temper. Don’t get me wrong; I’m flattered that you would do such a thing to protect me, but I don’t want you making such permanent life changing, or life ending, decisions for my sake and certainly not without my input. Understand?”

  Eric shifted his right arm into its metal form and placed it over his heart. “Yes, Lady Annala. I beg you to forgive your loyal knight for acting without your approval and blessing.”

  Annala lifted her nose high into the air. "I shall forgive you this one time," she said with the utmost haughtiness. "Do not disappoint your mistress again."

  Their roleplay was broken by their simultaneous giggling.

  It was then that they both realized she was still wearing her nightgown. She insisted on going home to change her clothes before embarking on their adventure. Eric said he had plenty of warm and combat-capable clothing inside his home that she could borrow, but she insisted on going back to her place. Between her blushing cheeks, ear tugging, and averted gaze, it was impossible for Eric to say “no” to her.

  While they walked from Warrior Town to Scholar Town, they caught up with each other. It had been about two months since Eric left for Dengel’s Lair in Ceiha and so they had plenty to talk about. Eric told her about the places he'd seen, what he'd learned about Dengel, and his confrontation with Mr. 15. Annala told him about her studies, the growth and activities of the Pan Human-Elf Cultural Awareness Club, and Oito's success in a recent joust.

  Whenever they passed under a streetlight, Annala's hair would shine and Eric's mind would blank at its beauty. It was the golden-brown of creation and destruction contained within a delicate frame and vast knowledge. It was only now that he truly understood Grey Dengel's lecture and the revelation reached every corner of his heart. This led to dissonance in his mind.

  The mage in him recalled the “Beatrice Effect” he read during his mystical retreat inside Dengel’s Lair. It spoke of the feeling of the power and majesty of the divine within the unremarkable and earthly. It was one of the underlying principles of Chaotic Starlight that eluded him. Grey Dengel told him that it could not be taught; only experienced. Looking at Annala, with her radiant hair and divinely powered bow, Eric felt compelled to write poetry starring her.

  The mercenary and grendel in him felt intensely protective. The memories of the former and the instincts of the latter knew the world to be dangerous and thus such a beautiful flower must be carefully guarded. This was the root of the dissonance.

  The mage insisted on admiring from afar, the mercenary insisted on close guarding, and the grendel on replicating. The demon composing all three of them insisted on maintaining the relationship that he remembered. He controlled himself with constant repetitions of Kallen’s poem. A near slip on a patch of ice led to Annala grabbing Eric's arm and she didn't let go after regaining her footing. He focused more intently on the poem for the rest of their walk.

  When they arrived at the library, Annala said she would be ready “in a minute.” One minute passed and then another as he stood outside the front door. Ten minutes passed. He never had to wait this long for any of his teammates. Certainly not Tiza, who slept in the clothes she'd wear that day. My brother was right. Some girls really do mean “half an hour” when they say “a minute.”

  Eleven minutes in total passed until Annala walked out. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail. She wore a fur-lined brown brigandine with long-sleeves, a pteruges-style skirt with stockings for leg warmers and small archer gloves. Her quiver was refilled and there were daggers at her waist. There was also a light touch of makeup. So that's why…

  Annala tilted her head. "What's wrong? Do I look silly?"

  "No. You look great."

  She smiled brightly. "Thanks."

  The Organic Research Repository was in the Green Town of Hope and Recovery, otherwise known as Healer Town. The neighborhood around it was deserted for a solid square block. Not even homeless would dare live here for fear of it. The silence put Eric on edge. To lighten up the night, Eric asked Annala for the building’s backstory. He knew most of it already, but he wanted to listen to her talk.

  “Harry Butchin wanted to make a name for himself as a healer while at the same time make a substantial profit and bring relief to mutation sufferers and hope to future victims. My mother saw him as the opening she needed to advance her Medical Mana Mutation agenda as part of her broader and more ambitious plan to bridge the gap between humans and elves. She was already working with Auntie H, but she needed someone more respectable to showcase her technology, so Auntie H introduced them.”

  “Was this before or after your mother was dubbed ‘The Witch of Dnnac Ledo’?”

  Annala tugged her ear. “Before. In fact, it was this very event where she...earned that title. You see, elven intellectual property laws are strict when it comes to sharing technology with non-elves. To get around this, my mother proposed a contract: aid in my animation research and I will lease my technology."

  "Animation? Do you mean ensouling?"

  Annala put on a wry smile. "There ain't no rule against leasing technology to a living suit of humanoid armor, so that's what she did. Initially, he was happy about it and even joked about 'selling his soul' to make this place a reality. Then the patients suffered monsanity, his business failed, and he sank into despair. He declared my mother a witch because she turned him into a monster. The last she heard of him, he was trying to find our village to take revenge.”

  “In other words, he literally sold his soul to get revenge on someone to whom he figuratively sold his soul.”

  Annala shrugged. “People don’t think rationally when they’re depressed or enraged.”

  Then it hit him. Eric could smell the blood and waste of a community of monsters before he turned the corner onto its street.

  It was a narrow, five-story building made of brick and steel. There were windows on each level like a hospital and a circular drive for dropping off and picking up patients. A hedge garden was mysteriously tended to in the main yard. All of it was contained within a cage enchanted with containment runes. A rusted sign hung by grimy wires on the gate.

  Butchin, Enaz and Hasina Medical Mana Mutation Center

  Prosthetics, Treatment, Transplants, and Cosmetic Surgery

  Licensed by the Royal House of Ataidar 1963

  Eric crossed his arms. “That’s just petty.”

  “If this is his home, then he likely sees it as accurate.”

  Monsters lay dead and bleeding at the cage’s boundaries. Their bodies were burned, electrocuted, or simply broken. Others sat and stared at the bars. Only an odd tail or abnormal limb marked them as anything but human and Eric knew this to be only superficial. He himself had, or could have, a monstrous appearance, but he was still human on the inside. However, the monster was also inside him, so it stood to reason that they would have monsters too.

  “Hello,” he said and waved.

  One of them approached the bars and mimicked him. She was a woman as tall as Basilard with long orange hair and skin with the consistency of sandstone. Whil
e her clothing was worn and torn, the gems embedded all over her body gleamed.

  She smiled and asked, “Can you open the gate?”

  “Yes, I can. Were you trapped in here?”

  “Yes. Queen Kasile the VI thought it was more humane than killing us. It is difficult for us to make a living here.” She sniffed and her bright eyes welled with tears. “Please let us out.”

  “Right away!”

  He pulled out his Dragon’s Lair badge, but Annala grabbed his hand.

  “This is obviously a trap.”

  “This is obviously injustice. They’ve been imprisoned here for years, ever since Kasile’s mother sat on the throne. Just a month was enough to make me stir crazy.”

  “Exactly, and so they must work for Nulso. Gruffle chose this spot for a reason. They’re going to attack us as soon as you release them.”

  “They’re victims of Nulso! He ruined their lives with his ‘treatment.’ That could be me in there. How long until it happens again?”

  “Eric…Think about this…”

  “You don’t think I have?!”

  He pulled his wrist away and slammed his badge against the gate. Its lock flashed and the many runes and spells warding the entrance shined briefly as they deactivated. A crowd of monsters gathered behind the gate with the crystal woman at its head. The gate opened before them and they filed out in an orderly fashion.

  “Thank you for freeing us. Now we can eat to our heart’s content.”

  “You’ll have to wait until the stores open in the morning.”

  “Why wait when there’s food here?”

  All the gems on her body flashed and bombarded Eric with the spells they unleashed. Caught off-guard, he took the full force of all of them. Only Annala’s spell shield, Mana Guard, prevented instant death, and even then, he was stunned. Two wolf-like monsters came from the crystal woman’s left and right and extended foot-long claws from each of their four arms with which to cut him up.

  “Targets acquired,” Annala muttered.

  A complex magic circle with many subcircles rotated beneath her feet. In her eyes, she saw a bullseye’s eye over every monster outside the facility.

  “Fire!”