Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3)

by Brian Wilkerson

  “Yes, that is correct.”

  “If we passed legislation that no one could purchase new elven slaves but retain any they already possess, could we be ‘friends’?”

  “It would be a step in the right direction,” Headman Jade said, “but we would need an impartial observer to ensure that the law is enforced properly. Is a Noitearc priest acceptable?”

  “Yes, of course. We will contact the local monastery and petition for their service.”

  Najica’s dragon lord stood up and addressed the delegation at large. Thanks to Dnnac Ledo's zerofinite technology, he was able to do so without scraping his head on the ceiling.

  “Most elven slaves in my country are owned by dragons such as myself. We value their golden hair and the company of an immortal who won’t steal our treasure. Thus, they are already well cared for. Do you agree, Ambassador Enaz?”

  “Yes, I’ve heard encouraging news from them,” Ponix said. “I remember walking through your country one hundred years ago and the people I met were polite and hospitable.”

  “Thank you very much. I’m sure I can convince my fellow dragons, with time, to adjust their relationship to something more…equal and voluntary. In the meantime, it may be possible for the imperial treasurer to simply purchase freedom for the few elves owned by non-dragons.”

  The dragon sat back down but still towered over everyone.

  Machican’s head of state stood up. “In mah country, it's tradishunal t'brin' friends a gif' when yo' viset their homes on impo'tant occashuns. Ambassado', Headman, aller me t'show yo' how much we value friendship wif Dnnac Ledo.”

  She snapped her fingers and the doors to the reception hall opened wide. The clatter caught everyone’s attention. The elves gasped at what they saw. Ten foreign elves stood in the doorway. The stark white skin around their necks stood in sharp contrast with their tan bodies. They walked straight to the Mahican delegate and said, “Thank you for freeing us.”

  She shrugged modestly. “Whut in tarnation is friends fo'?”

  The elves present were too stunned to speak. The delegates grumbled about “political showboating” and “typical Mahican arrogance.” The head of state herself turned her eyes and presence to the headman, who was quickly crossing the gap between himself and the newcomers.

  He welcomed them, assured them of their safety, and told them that he would provide for anything they needed, from lodging to therapy to transport home. He asked their names, their home villages, and shook their hands. At last, he returned the Mahican head of state’s gaze.

  “I’m sure Dnnac Ledo can arrange for a parting gift of similar magnitude. Don’t you agree, Director Enaz?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Ah hope Mahican will be fust in yer thunks when it comes t'internashunal friendship an' gif' givin' in th' years t'come.”

  “Indeed. We should exchange gifts frequently.”

  The next several hours were not so exciting. The formal rejection of Lunas’ Order Obelisk plan was sound. This was in part because he was not present to argue for it and in part because no one wanted something intrusive in their borders. Only Liclis voted for the measure and even she voiced her concerns about it.

  The spending cuts to the ICDMM passed unanimously. Every nation present liked the sound of paying less to the organization and it was especially appealing when its counterpart was offering more advanced technology. Kallen wasn’t happy, because it ultimately meant a smaller paycheck and a tighter belt for her, but she grinned and applauded like everyone else.

  Discussion became heated when the negotiations turned back to the “friendship borrowing.” While it was easy to arrange broad and vague agreements, when it came to details, arguments quickly brewed.

  On one side, there was the technology. What to lease, how much to lease, how long to lease, and the conditions for return were all extensively debated but nothing was a bigger controversy than reverse engineering and mass production. The elves refused to allow it for fear that it would undermine their bargaining position and the non-elves demanded it because one or two machines for an entire country was impractical.

  On the other side was elven-slavery. First, there was “What constitutes a slave”? Everyone pointed to Liclis as the only true slaver while they themselves had “permanent servants” or “living treasure” or “pets.” One even tried to claim that they were as good as family members. The point of this was to prove that they didn’t need to release their slaves but rather ensure humane treatment and rights that excluded self-determination. Then there were arguments about the number to be released, the timing of the release, where they would come from, compensation, etc. Then there were arguments about the trade itself: whether to stop, how to stop, how to enforce, how to replace its function in their economy, etc.

  Just like in class so long ago, Annala paid close attention and Eric struggled to keep up. Tiza nodded off.

  To prevent tempers from flaring too hotly, the Supreme Council arranged for interludes; breaks to relax and soak up elven culture. At these times, dancers, singers, and poets took the stage. While the delegates watched, they were served chocolate produced by the Chocolatier Stone and local specialties teleported to their seat. Then the discussions continued.

  Zaticana’s blessing enabled all of them to comprehend each other’s language as their own, but despite this, they still didn’t understand each other. They talked in circles and repeated offers rejected in earlier sections of the talk. For this reason, Annala and Quando were essential to the progress made.

  Both of them had lived in human cities and so they could better understand mortals, both on an emotional and practical level. Even Ponix, whose job was to relate to humans, didn’t have the same experience as living with them and like them for months and months and months. Elves knew that mortals required daily food to live, but they didn’t understand how preoccupied mortals could be with it; “I have to eat or I will die” was an alien thought to elves because food was not so necessary. They could translate this to their chaotic brethren and then back again.

  Annala’s widespread knowledge gave her insight into each culture. She quoted their philosophers, recited their laws, and used their metaphors correctly. Once she grabbed someone’s attention, his or her eyes repeatedly drifted to the double chokers. When it became blatant, she would smile and assure them that her mother didn’t know how to remove the ordercraft one. “Yet” was left unspoken.

  Quando had traveled to each culture in the past and this gave him a different insight. Unlike Annala, he was an adult, but at the same time, he was not so old that he thought of adult mortals as children. He knew what it meant to be a bureaucrat, work nine to five, and pay bills. He also completed Rank A missions for all of them and the locals were still grateful for his heroics. Equally important, he did not fight in the Conversion War, so he did not possess the same kind of baggage as a famous warrior like Meza.

  Thanks to Annala and Quando, misunderstandings were avoided and poor communication prevented. Of the nations that didn’t make deals, some were still working on details to finalize ones in the future. Others refused outright.

  “My country shall wait and see what happens to the three reformed monsters, I mean, modern demons,” said the podesta from Yun-kee. “Once we are sure that the treatment has no serious side-effects, we will be open to negotiations.”

  “What sort of side-effects are you concerned about?” Nunnal asked, smiling tightly.

  “Nausea, cramps, rashes, regression into the monster mindset; that sort of thing. I’d appreciate it if the review was conducted by a third party.”

  “Of course,” Nunnal said. It was so polite and restrained that Eric shivered. “That’s the only way to be sure.”

  Tension; cold tension filled the room. Everybody knew what the Yun-Kee podesta referred to and why it was a sore point for Nunnal but no one wanted to say it. Thus, they didn’t say anything and the talks stalled.

  “Butchin Tragedy!” Nolien blurted. “Nunna
l worked with Harry Butchin and caused a tragedy! Boo hoo!”

  Everyone was startled by this strange outburst and his family most of all. Once he had their attention, he clamped a hand over his mouth. Seconds later, he removed it and said, “Sorry. I’m fresh off my recovery and so I sometimes forget social etiquette. This means I blurt things out that are inappropriate. Miss Selios, you’ve been a demon for the better part of a decade, so can you tell me if this will keep happening to me?”

  “It’s too early to know if our cases will be the same, but I have been sane, sapient, and safe since the first month or so of my recovery.”

  “That’s good to hear. Maybe then—” His left hand groped Tiza’s backside.

  “Abyss, Tenderfoot!”

  She smacked him, but other than Nolien rubbing the raised bump on his head, he made no other reaction. The delegates muttered and the Yun-Kee podesta nodded in recognition.

  “I hope to see positive results in the future. Until then, Yun-Kee will not barter slaves of any sort for the monsanity treatment technology. However, we are interested in the devices that reverse physical mutation. Is this suitable, Ambassador Enaz?”

  Ponix nodded and mimed “call me.” Then his real scry pinged. Without concern for the meeting, he answered it. He listened in silence while all assembled stared at him. His daughter was embarrassed, but his wife wasn’t. She grew a tiny hand at the back of her head so she could subtly tug her ear. Ponix put the scry away and said, “Honorable delegates, please forgive me for my rudeness. It was a call that demanded my immediate attention. There is an urgent matter I must attend to. Please excuse me.”

  He left his seat and grabbed the Trickster’s Chosen without breaking stride. He dragged them out of the reception area and through the hallway to his office. Once there, he dropped them on the floor and activated the room’s Absolute Privacy wards. He stood with his face to the wall and his hands clenched tightly behind his back.

  “Do you mind explaining why Nulso Xialin is approaching my village?”

  “He wants to die,” Eric said.

  “Now if you’ll excuse us,” Kallen said, “we have to herd monstrous cats with your wife so we can play baseball with him.”

  Chapter 17 Shine Chaotic Starlight!

  Above the forest canopy of Dnnac Ledo, Nulso Xialin hovered. Order constructs in the form of speared battering rams pounded on the Chaotic Curtain. He could feel it splinter with each blow. Soon, he would be inside.

  His body was radiant with the lives he’d stolen and the souls he’d eaten. At this moment, he was at the peak of his power. Never in his life had he been capable of so much. He felt like he could fight an avatar and win. It would be more than enough to squash an elf.

  “Nunnal Enaz, before the sun rises, you, your family, and your village will kneel before Order. I will drag you from your cocoon and throw you at his mercy.”

  Beneath the curtain and the forest canopy, he was ignored or mocked. Every elf that noticed him was flabbergasted that he’d found their location, but after the initial shock passed, they went about their daily business. Secrecy was only one of their many defenses. It was impossible for him to destroy the Chaotic Curtain, but even in that highly unlikely scenario, all he would accomplish was his own death.

  Dnnac, the Sage Tree, could fry him immediately with the Holy Light Cannons in its branches. Meza Filef, the Scourge of Chaos, lived in their village and he had a corps of veteran and apprentice warriors to back him up. In fact, the Elven Preservation Society was lined up in the village square and Meza was inspecting their equipment. Sister Sagart, their spiritual leader, walked the village, praising Lady Chaos and denouncing Order. Tasio, their own patron deity, was present and ready to fight in their defense. Why should they feel the slightest worry? Instead, they pointed and laughed at the ordercrafter’s feeble attempts.

  Meza walked up and down the line of ordercrafter hunters, fastening a glove in place as he did so. The elder were his subordinates during the Conversion War and its aftermath, aiding in the tracking of kidnapped elves and the termination of ordercrafters. The younger were their descendants, admirers, or otherwise elves who wished to defend their home from its greatest threat. All of them wore a similar glove on their left hand. It was decorated on the back of the palm with an Eye of Order crossed-out with their own hairs and, in the palm itself, ten more were sewn into the fabric of the gauntlet to form the Flower of Chaos.

  “Comrades, today is the day you trained for. Despite our best measures, the enemy has found our home. The Guardians are not equipped or trained for this and so it falls to us to neutralize the threat. We will stop him and we will kill him. Do you understand?”

  “Sir, yes, sir!”

  “Do not blame Annala Enaz for this turn of events. Naïve and misguided she may be, but through her efforts, ten elves have tasted freedom for the first time in years, and many more will follow. She shares our goal and so she does not deserve our hatred. Do you understand?”

  “Sir, yes, sir!”

  Meza clashed his knuckles together. “Then let’s send this bastard back to Grandmother!”

  He assumed a power-up horse stance and his aura flared. His subordinates copied him as a single unit. They crouched in preparation for flight, then Quando jumped in front of them.

  “WAIT!”

  “What is it, Nephew?”

  “I was hired for the Summit’s security. The guild would look bad if I didn’t do something. Besides, I want to show off for my girlfriend.”

  “I understand your feelings, but—”

  Quando leaned forward and clasped his hands together under his chin. “Please?” His puppets surrounded Meza and repeated the gesture. “Pretty please?”

  Meza stood straight and his aura diminished. “Oh fine! Go play with your dolls, you overgrown child!”

  “Thank you, Uncle!”

  Wind surrounded him and he flew to the treetop. His puppets generated their own spells and flanked him like wingmen. He slipped past the curtain and prepared a grand opening attack. Nulso spotted him on the way up and raked him with three claw constructs. He dodged them each in turn and socked Nulso with a mana-charged punch. The Order Shield stopped all its force but shook when he released an orc style anti-ordercraft spell rune. A second such punch exploited the weakness created by the first and reached Nulso's body, and tickled it. Nulso aura-flared, knocking him away.

  “You dare mock me?”

  The Order Shield mended itself by the end of his sentence.

  “I do.”

  Quando struck a heroic pose.

  “I am Captain Quando Plitsic Yahoeu IV of the Dragon’s Lair Mercenary Guild Squad 3: Battle Mage corps. I have been hired to ensure the safety of this village and its visitors. To that end, I am authorized to eliminate any and all threats to them. Withdraw at once,” he pointed dramatically, “or face the consequences!”

  Fireworks, sent by Remho, exploded behind him for effect.

  “I am Nulso Xialin, servant of the True Sovereign. I’m here on a mission as well.”

  Quando arched an eyebrow. “Oh? Do tell.”

  “I’ve tracked a murderous and treacherous witch to this location. Nunnal Enaz is charged with the murder of Harry Butchin and is an accomplice in other crimes such as corruption and blasphemy. For that she must be brought to the Original Justice.”

  “We don’t recognize that justice here; S.A.B.”

  Nulso blinked. “What does that mean? AAARGHHH!”

  His back arched in pain and golden-brown sparks shot in all directions. Rei was stabbing him in the back with a chaotic dagger. The threads controlling his mouth pulled back.

  “Sneak attack, bitch!”

  While Nulso was distracted by the puppet on his back; the other two puppets flanked him. They cast Flame Wave and Ice Cannon while Quando himself fired a Bolt of Judgment. Weakened by chaotic energy, the Order Shield allowed all three to pass and they fired, froze, and electrocuted Nulso at the same time. Another man his age would di
e but despite the damage to his body, ordercraft kept him alive.

  Nulso thrust his arms apart and created ethereal hands. With these, he grabbed the controls for local gravity. With a thought, he generated four zones of intensified gravity around the elf and his puppets and compressed them into spheres. Then he opened a bag.

  “This Zerofinity was made by your village. Ironic that I will imprison you with one, no?”

  All four of them zoomed towards him, but instead of going into the bag, they bounced off his renewed Order Shield. He dropped it and they smashed into his head and stomach and other parts. Then they rebounded off the inside of the Order Shield and pounded him over and over and over again. Nulso dropped his barrier a second time to escape the torment.

  “How did you do that?”

  Quando and his puppets uncurled, completely unharmed and unbothered.

  “Anti-gravity! Elves developed it years ago.”

  Nulso fired beams of pure kon from his hands. These had enough destructive power to vaporize anything they touched instantly. The elf's healing ability would count for nothing. Knowing this, Quando and his puppets flew around like mosquitoes. Enraged, Nulso fired kon from every point on his body in an ever-expanding three-hundred-and sixty-degree attack. In the open sky, all Quando had to do was stay out of range until he ran out of kon.

  "My turn again!"

  Fire, ice, and lightning fired from three directions and Nulso repelled them, only to be bludgeoned by a boulder the fourth combatant summoned. While he was distracted, Quando flew up and slashed with a chiem. The gash he left in the Order Shield compromised it enough for the three spells to hit him again, which left him open for a stab.

  "Your victims will not die with you!"

  The elf warrior dragged the dagger from the ordercrafter's stomach to his shoulder and greyish smoke poured out along with his blood. A similar mixture poured out of his back from Rei's earlier wound. His ordercraft invulnerability was now compromised and he leaked both spiritual and physical life force.