by Sarah Noffke
“So I’m guessing no ladies tea with finger sandwiches then?” Sophia asked, hope in her voice.
Liv grimaced. “No, this is my turn. I’ve witnessed enough of those gaudy affairs where the women giggle with their hand covering their mouths over baby clothes and sip their chamomile all politely. My baby shower, my way. The ruder it is, the better. I mean, I married a demon hunter and had to get a genie’s lamp to fix my demon child. There will be no doilies at this affair.”
“Fair enough.” Sophia sighed.
“Don’t worry about the plan with Bianca and the other doorknobs,” Liv continued. “You concocted a brilliant scheme. Now we put things into place and activate the map. Like the deceitful punks they are, they’ll follow it and prove to us and the rest of the House of Fourteen that they don’t deserve their roles and be removed from their positions.”
“Or they won’t and will show some morals,” Sophia countered.
“That’s the beauty of your plan,” Liv agreed. “They have a choice. If they go down the path of treachery, they’ll have dug their own grave, and all we have to do is throw a tombstone on it. If they, at the eleventh hour, or any one before that, decide to have a conscience, then they won’t go through with it. They get to choose their fates so we won’t feel bad when they fry at the end.”
Sophia nodded, grateful for Liv’s endorsement of her plan. Otherwise, she might have abandoned the whole idea, thinking it was too convoluted and deceitful. Still, the end goal was right, she contended. If someone in power was corrupt, they needed to be tested. If they failed, they needed to be removed from their positions. Otherwise, all they reigned over would be put at risk, as Sophia had suspected with the Council for a long, long time.
“So what are the next steps?” Sophia watched as Liv swallowed another piece of pizza, hardly chewing most of it.
“Well, thankfully, I work for this guy who can create awesome devices,” Liv explained.
“John,” Sophia supplied.
Liv shook her head. “The other guy I work for.”
“Oh, Father Time.”
“Yeah,” Liv affirmed. “He can make something that will be the final stage of the map. The actual treasure. If they reach it, it will trap them, and that’s where we’ll hold the trial.”
“But they’ll think it’s the device that makes them the supreme ruling authority over everything,” Sophia added.
“Exactly,” Liv stated triumphantly. “Because my sister is brilliant.”
Sophia blushed. “Then we need to lay some obstacles so that it doesn’t seem like a walk in the park for them to get to the device. Challenges that also test their moral compasses and prove they’ll do whatever it takes for power.”
“Yeah. I’ll work on finding the final location for the showdown,” Liv stated. “Can you help find the magical creatures they need to fight?”
Sophia nodded.
“And a magical creature who will risk being murdered for this?” Liv asked.
Sophia thought for a moment. “Yeah, I know someone dumb enough to stake his life on this.”
Liv’s face lit up with realization. “Win-win. Can you convince a giant to be the gatekeeper to the device, using a riddle as the final unlocking device?”
“Yeah, I know one who I think I can persuade.” Sophia felt as though it was all magically coming together. Or maybe it was fate and meant to be. She didn’t like setting up these traps for her fellow magicians, but more than that, she didn’t like that her own were sabotaging the House of Fourteen and Dragon Elite and mortals. That had to stop. For Sophia, it needed to stop right away.
“Great!” Liv exclaimed but was barely audible over the loud singing from the main stage where animatronics played a song and dance. “In the meantime, I’ll get to work on my end with the final device and location. From you, we only need magical creatures that the supposedly treacherous magicians have to bypass, some tricks from a fae, some riddles from a giant, and we’ll lead them to some magitech that locks them up. Along the way, they can either choose redemption or hell. We’ll give them a chance to either not slay beasts, or fight fellow magical creatures or to answer the question right…”
Sophia loved how her sister summed up hugely complex tasks as if it was a simple grocery list. “When everything is in place, I’ll activate the Map to Power, and we’ll sit back and watch.”
Liv rubbed her greasy hands together, looking hungry, although she’d pretty much polished off most of the pizza. “Then we’ll see if these Councilors use the rope we gave them for salvation or to hang themselves.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Apparently, Sophia’s need for a magical creature for the “Councilor trap” mission was well-timed. When she called Bermuda Laurens to see if the magical creatures expert could help, the giantess said she had what Sophia needed.
The idea for the first phase of the plan was to test the Councilors on how they treated magical animals. Warriors and riders knew that when in the field, many times magical creatures threatened them, whether it was a three-headed dog or a deranged mermaid or magical hedgehogs called sonics or celecidas, also known as leaf people. Sometimes the animal had to be taken out because it was kill or be killed. Sometimes it was simply misunderstood.
Shooting first and asking questions later was never the right thing to do. Sophia needed something with an ambiguous threat level to introduce to the magicians. If they reacted with fear and violence, that said tons about their respect for animals. If they waited, used knowledge and objective judgment, they’d pass the test.
Sophia was perplexed as she approached the big top where Bermuda would be at the magical circus. Usually, the big top was full of animals that were unique and fantastical. However, based on all the wires snaking around and under the tent, it appeared that the big top was full of something that Sophia didn’t think Bermuda appreciated that much—technology.
She tentatively entered the big top and was unsurprised to find the walls lined with computer servers. More wires and power sources for all the technology occupied various places around the tent. In the center of the large ring weren’t large animals as she’d witnessed there on many occasions. Instead, there were small creatures in each of the illuminated circles that Bermuda used to confine her animals. They were cages without walls, in essence.
Sophia found the giantess right beside the entrance when she entered, her chin low as she recorded information in a notebook.
“I’ll be with you in a moment,” Bermuda muttered, deep in concentration as she wrote her notes. “The walrats appear to be sustaining themselves on the data transfer. That’s at least their biggest nutritional supply although downloads and other technological operations also seem to be a food source.” The giantess spoke to herself as she wrote, her hand moving fast as if she was worried she might not capture all the information as it passed over her lips.
Bermuda paused, thought, then glanced up and nodded. “I think that’s all for the moment.”
“Walrats?” Sophia looked around the tent but couldn’t make out what was in each of the circles. They all resembled creatures, but not really. More like robots, maybe.
Bermuda pointed with her pen to the first circle. “Walrats. They’re rodent-like creatures that feed off the frequencies and vibrations emitted by technology.”
Sophia stepped closer, realizing that the little animals with wire-like tails did look a lot like rats. However, instead of beady eyeballs, they had penlights. Instead of fur, they were metal-covered. They reminded her a lot of NO10JO, but they appeared much more robotic than the cyborg dog.
“Are those robots?” Sophia asked.
Bermuda shook her head. “No, they’re real animals with blood and organs and an inborn instinct. There’s no robotic programming in them.”
“I don’t understand.” Sophia scratched her head, watching as they moved around the circle like rats, their noses wiggling and skin twitching. “You said they feast off data transfer and other technological process
es. How does that work?”
Bermuda nodded and folded her notebook to her chest. “They’re a new species.” She swept her arm wide. “Everything here is. It appears that the age of technology and probably more specifically, the magitech era has spurred a new set of species. I guess it was only a matter of time, really.”
“Wait, these are new animals?” Sophia blinked around the tent, noticing a cat-like creature, but it wasn’t an ordinary cat. There were some tiny beetle-like creatures in the other circle. The rats, cat, and beetles looked close enough to what they were at first glance, but there was definitely something off about them. Something unique.
“Yes, and I’ve finally been able to gather enough of them for my collection,” Bermuda explained. “Evolution does strange things to our Earth. As things progress, so do species.”
“So the modern era of technology caused new species to pop up,” Sophia observed. “I guess Mama Jamba is behind this.”
Bermuda nodded. “I would think so. Yes, species are meant to adapt and thrive based on their environment. The ones I have here were specifically created to do well in the current technological landscape. I dare say they will since they rely on technology for survival and there’s no shortage of that in this world.”
Sophia looked around the tent. “So all the computers and servers and whatnot that you have in here…”
“There are a few reasons,” Bermuda began. “As you’ve learned, the walrats feed off technological processes, so it’s keeping them fed.”
“Wow, that’s crazy that a non-tangible thing like data transfers can provide nutrition.”
Bermuda pursed her lips, disapproval flicking to her face. “Not really. The human body thrives and is sustained nutritionally by many non-tangible things. We mistakenly believe that food and water are our biggest sources of nutrition.”
“Yeah, how silly of me to think that food was how I survived,” Sophia said sarcastically.
The look of annoyance deepened on the giantess’ face. “Humans of all types can survive without food and water if they breathe deeply and think positive, fulfilling thoughts. It is those two things that usually provide the most for one’s wellbeing. So the idea that a techno-rat thrives from data or downloads isn’t that novel.”
Sophia relished getting the information and also cringed at the way Bermuda Laurens always made her feel like a dummy for not knowing it. “Well, okay, I’ve stored this away. Thanks. Are these walrats the creatures that you thought I could use for my next mission? The one where I need semi-threatening creatures that the Councilors want to attack but can’t be harmed if they try?”
Bermuda shook her head. “No, the walrats would probably draw a defense reaction from the ones you’re trying to trap, but the problem is that they can be easily killed, and I wouldn’t want that.”
“Of course not,” Sophia agreed. She pointed at the next circle that had the strange cat. “Is that the creature then?”
“That?” Bermuda asked in a high-pitched tone. “No. That animal also has no defenses. That’s a clockwork cat.”
“A what?”
“I’m guessing it’s a result of our obsession with clocks and time,” Bermuda offered.
Sophia strode over to the circle to take a closer look. The animal resembled a feline, but like NO10JO it was made up of mechanical parts. This creature was made of gears and switches and made the most enchanting ticking sound.
“She chimes on the hour,” Bermuda stated with pride.
“How does she know?”
The giantess shrugged. “She’s a walking clock as far as I can tell. I have much more investigating to do with her.”
“Wow.” Sophia pointed at the last circle. “So I guess those bugs are the creatures you have for me then?”
Bermuda sighed. “The tech bugs? Heavens no. Those are quite vulnerable too. One foot stomp and they’d be gone.”
“Tech bugs?” Sophia asked, perplexed.
“They’re quite fascinating.” Bermuda encouraged Sophia over to the ring with the beetle-like creatures. Similar to the walrats, they looked like beetles but had mechanical parts in many places. “Unlike the other two animals, they aren’t reliant on technology to survive but a product of it. You’ve heard of technical bugs, right?”
Sophia nodded. “Heard of them? I have one every day it seems. If not with my phone, then with a different device.”
Bermuda nodded. “Well, it appears that these are the results of them. When a technical bug happens, it spawns an actual tech bug.”
Sophia observed the little beetles that moved and behaved like a normal one would, scurrying about and looking for food, but these had metal backs and wires for antennae. “That’s fascinating.”
“It really is,” Bermuda stated proudly. “Nature is wonderful and always a product of our current environment.”
“That’s beautiful.” Sophia stared in awe. “I never realized that the animals weren’t born to the planet, but rather from it.”
Bermuda harrumphed at Sophia. “You live with Mama Jamba. Sounds like you’re not making the most of that woman’s wisdom surrounding you.”
Sophia shot back a challenging expression. “You try living with the woman. She isn’t much for volunteering information. And she doesn’t necessarily know everything. Earlier today she asked me how to use Amazon.”
“The river?” Bermuda questioned.
Sophia shook her head. “Never mind. Okay, what’s this animal that you think can help me on my mission?”
Bermuda pointed up toward the big top’s peak where strange neon green and yellow birds flickered around. The moment Sophia spied them, they instantly disappeared and reappeared in different places. “Those are what I think will entrap your Councilors…or as you put it, give them the opportunity for redemption.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“What are they?” Sophia watched as the strange pixelated birds disappeared and reappeared several times in various places along the big top's roof.
“Those,” Bermuda proudly drew out the word, “are called stroms, but the best way to describe them is as holographic birds. They’re there and also not. They’re real and also not. Like a computer program, in a way. They live and breathe, but I’m not sure on what plane of existence. It’s as though they live in a computer database and simply appear here as remnants of themselves.” For the first time, the giantess shrugged, seeming unsure of herself. “There’s much research to be done on them.”
“Stroms.” Sophia mused on the word.
Bermuda nodded. “Yeah, they’re quite lovely, aren’t they?”
Sophia nodded while watching how they flittered about, flying around at the top of the tent and disappearing then, as if teleporting, reappearing somewhere else as a solid flock. “Although you don’t know much about them, you don’t think they can be killed?”
“I know they can’t,” Bermuda answered. “Otherwise, I’d never offer them up and endanger them in that way. From everything I can discern, they aren’t solid. As I said, they’re holograms. Physical projections of themselves.”
“How bizarre,” Sophia murmured in amazement.
“Yes, and magnificent,” Bermuda added. “They swarm when commanded, which I can teach you how to do.”
Sophia grinned. “Which would be the perceived threat to the Councilors.”
The giantess nodded. “Yes, not understanding the creatures, they will do one of three things. Run and hide, attack, or study them. I, of course, did the latter and that’s how I realized that they’re completely harmless. Even if they’re close, you can’t feel them because I’m not sure they’re real in our plane of existence.”
“Like a virtual reality animal of sorts,” Sophia offered.
Bermuda nodded. “Something like that. When they swoop on you, it does seem real.”
“But if the Councilors attack them?” Sophia asked.
“Nothing happens to them,” Bermuda answered. “They’re both here and not here, so they simply dis
appear and reappear somewhere else.”
“Oh, that’s going to trip out the Councilors.” Sophia laughed.
“It will work for your purposes,” Bermuda said quite seriously. “I hope for their sakes they take a moment to study the new creature and realize that it won’t and can’t harm them. Defending ourselves is one thing. Even I threw up my arms when they swooped down on me the first time, but cowards, well, they’ll do more than that. Let’s hope your Councilors aren’t what you think they are and simply run and hide or better yet, observe.”
Sophia nodded. “That’s the hope, but it’s up to them to pass the test.”
“I applaud your effort on this, Sophia. A lesser person would simply convict after everything they’ve done, but you’re giving them a chance.”
Sophia released a tamed smile. “I simply want the magical world protected, and this seems like the most logical step in the right direction.”
“I agree.” Bermuda held her chin high in the air. “Now for your second request, you’ll have to travel.”
“To Los Angeles?” Sophia had asked where she could find Rory since he wasn’t answering his phone. She needed him for the last part of the challenges for the Councilors.
Bermuda shook her head of short brown curls. “No, I’m afraid this travel is much farther and unfamiliar to you, dangerous I dare say.”
“Seems about right,” Sophia dryly responded.
“My son is on holiday at the Isle of Man, which is why he doesn’t have cell phone reception,” Bermuda explained.
“Oh, I guess that makes sense. That’s my neck of the woods. I’m used to traveling around that area since it’s so close to Scotland.”
Bermuda gave her a gravely serious expression. “You aren’t used to this area. My son is visiting our family in giant territory, and there’s no way to contact him through anything but direct interaction. He’s scheduled to be there for quite some time. So either you go and risk stepping on giant territory, or you wait for him to return.”