Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3)

by Brian Wilkerson

  “The Queen of Ataidar saying something stupid? Now that is stupid.”

  Every word out of his mouth was a steel cable noose covered in velvet and Eric imagined him cinching it on Kasile's neck. The fear in every inch of her face was more than he could bear.

  Eat him. Eat him. Eat him. Eat him. Eat him.

  "I believe we can do more than reverse the conditions. We could help so many more people if we could harness the process and finally create Medical Mana Mutation."

  "What!?"

  Kasile winced.

  Eat him!

  The right and left hands of the grendel formed and he envisioned tearing Lunas apart, but then the poem repeated itself in his mind.

  Am I a sapient or a monster? Hope or despair? What have I done; what will I do? The Trickster grins. The Trickster grins. The Trickster Grins.

  Reluctantly, he remained hidden.

  "Your Majesty is too kind-hearted for her own good. It’s an admirable trait but also why the Noble and Common Councils do so much harm to her country; she’s too soft and naive to control them. Fortunately, you have me to set you straight.”

  Kasile didn’t move or object. The arm dangling at her side was as immobilized as the one in Lunas’ grasp. All she did was mumble, “You’re right. Please help me.”

  Lunas cinched the proverbial noose. “What was that, Your Majesty?”

  In a louder and clearer voice, Kasile said, “You’re right. Please help me.”

  “If Your Majesty insists...Medical Mana Mutation is dangerous. Harry Butchin proved it was flawed beyond reason. Now he is the ordercrafter Nulso Xialin and pursues a better way of dealing with the problem."

  "Maybe with help from the elves..." She gasped again.

  Lunas glowered and Kasile shuddered before it. "Elves despise humans. They will not share their technology willingly. There have been numerous wars to this end."

  "That's all true, but..."

  Lunas released his grip on Kasile to stand and loom over her. She shrank back in response. It was like watching a snake bully a kitten.

  "You want what's best for your people, correct?"

  "Of course!"

  "Then do not seek this Medical Mana Mutation or any such 'gift' from The Trickster. Do you understand, Your Majesty?"

  "Y-yes."

  "Good. I believe that is enough for tonight."

  He rounded the table and once again grabbed Kasile’s hand. He raised it hand to his lips and kissed the back of her palm. He walked to the door, only a couple feet from Eric, but didn’t spot him. Then he was gone. As the soon as the door closed, Eric shouted, as quietly as possible,

  "What the Abyss was that?!"

  Kasile jumped to her feet and put a hand over her heart. "Eric! How did you... why is your voice echoing?"

  "That is not...That is not important. What concerns me right now is...Actually, there's a LOT that concerns me right now, but first, since when am I persona non grata around here?”

  "It's night."

  "That never stopped you before. In fact, nothing ever stopped you before. The Kasile I know didn't let other people's lack of faith stop her from pursuing what she believed in."

  Kasile looked away from him and towards the courtyard. "I'm queen now. It's different."

  "How so?"

  She spun back around, royal skirt twirling. "It just is! You'd know if you were a royal."

  "Like Lunas?"

  "Yes! He’s kind and wise and sympathetic.” She stroked the ruby on her choker with a dreamy look on her face. “He can understand me like no one else can…”

  "Does that mean foreign royalty decides domestic policy?"

  "Of course not!" Kasile stood straight with her shoulders back and chin high. "I may ask Lunas for advice, but I am still the queen while he is a mere guest. I make the final decision."

  "If that were true, then why are you wearing a collar instead of a crown?"

  Shock exploded on her face. She reached for the choker’s clasp and its jewel gleamed. Her eyes glowed the same color and she lowered her hand.

  “It’s a harmless little gift,” she said dismissively. “Lunas gave it to me as a sign of his support, so I would always know of his guidance.” Her eyes unfocused and clouded over. “He’s so thoughtful and charming and…”

  “…Conniving and manipulative. He’s using that thing to control your mind!”

  Again, the gem flashed and its light reflected in her eyes. “That’s absurd. My divine blood protects me from such magic.”

  “Then take it off.”

  “No. As queen, I can’t allow commoners to accuse a fellow royal of such things.”

  This Lunas was clearly a threat to his little sister and his country. Eric wanted to seek out this threat and kill him, but he told himself that was the monster talking. He needed to approach this from a different angle. As a human, he could solve this problem.

  “Speaking of fellow royals, he’d make a good match for you.”

  “You think so too?”

  Instantly, Kasile’s mood lifted and her face brightened. She looked so happy it made Eric even angrier. Such a perverse power exploiting his vulnerable little sister made him sick. Despite this, he forced himself to match her mood.

  “Of course I do. Like you said, he’s wise and reasonable and charismatic and all the things that make a good king.”

  Kasile nodded enthusiastically.

  “I’m sure he thinks you’re just his type: a beautiful and single queen with bloodline magic and who needs someone like him to help her rule a kingdom.”

  “Exactly! We’re perfect for each other!”

  “When you go on your honeymoon, he’ll select the perfect steward to rule in your place; temporarily, of course.”

  “Of course, I can’t rule and honeymoon at the same time.”

  “The steward will stay in place afterward because Lunas will want to tour Latrot with you. After all, it will be your realm too.”

  “It will only make sense that I meet my new subjects.”

  “By then, you’ll likely be pregnant; gotta pass the divine fire to the next generation, you know?” Kasile continued nodding. “Like the wonderful husband he is, Lunas will drop everything to take care of you in his palace.”

  “He is wonderful, isn’t he?”

  Eric’s stomach twisted. He couldn’t take it anymore. This line of dialogue had gone on long enough. Now was the time to change direction.

  “To avoid any religious and cultural missteps, you won’t teach this child about his heritage because Latrot is Order’s domain, not Fiol’s, and Latrot’s constitution forbids worship of anyone other than Order.”

  Kasile frowned. “I’m sure Lunas would make an exception.”

  Eric waggled his finger. “There are no exceptions in Order. The law is the law and no one is above it, not even the princess consort.”

  Kasile frowned deeper. “I am queen. Lunas respects that.”

  “Latrot law states that there can only be one ruler; only a king and princess or queen and prince. Certainly Lunas will be king in his own country.”

  The frown disappeared to be replaced by an uncertain contemplation. “…True, but Lunas respects my opinions and ideals.”

  “Then he tells you to do things his way because he knows better.”

  “That is how things normally go…but… He’d want me to be involved! He wouldn’t push me aside like some trophy wife! He understands me better than anyone in this court!”

  It was like watching someone drown. The world as she currently understood it was crumbling beneath her feet and she clutched desperately to driftwood.

  “That’s why he’ll give you things to do to keep you busy. You can go around the country assuring people that Lunas cares about them, raising lots of semi-divine child soldiers, hosting balls for the upper crust, and looking pretty on his arm when he makes a public appearance.”

  “That’s….That would be in addition to decision-making and law enforcement. Lunas knows
how hard I work and knows that I can handle both. He’ll be counting on me to administrate and to maintain a public image.”

  “He also knows how stressful administration is for you and how pressured you feel to excel. This way, you can reap all the adoration without the heavy weight of a crown.”

  “I…he…no.” The gem flashed a third time and lit up Kasile’s eyes. Immediately, she shook her head. “Lunas is the perfect prince, my perfect prince. He’s just what I need to rule justly and make my ancestors proud. I can’t do it without him!”

  “So if Lunas gives you advice, you’ll always follow it?”

  “Yes!”

  “How is that any different from him giving orders?”

  “….Uh…it’s um…Royalty don’t—”

  “How is it any different from him dragging you on a leash?”

  “Now see here, commoner—”

  “Latrot unofficially rules Ataidar. You have failed your Royal Trial!”

  The glow in her eyes disappeared and Kasile’s uncertainty exploded into fear.

  “Eric! Get this thing off me!” Her arms strained against something confining them to her sides. “I’ve been a prisoner in my own body since he put it on!”

  “With pleasure.”

  Eric stepped behind her to undo the clasp but an orderfied barrier protected the entire article. He stabbed it with his soiléir and the recoil shot up his arm like needles. It arrested his motion like unbreakable law. While he resisted it, Kasile raised her right hand and shot Sacred Fire in his face. It raced down his body and engulfed him. It reached deep into him, a soul-deep roast. Kasile stood up, turned around, and shed tears. Then she fired again.

  He was a proper blaze now and Kasile squeezed her eyes shut against the horror. She resisted the choker’s intrusion with all her might, but she could feel it eating away at her resistance. Previous failures blared in her mind while it shouted over and over again how only Lunas could save her from another one. All she had to do was kill the Trickster’s Choice. Then Ataidar would have a grand future under her rule.

  “NOOOOOO!”

  Kasile erupted in a pillar of white flames. It was all around her and illuminated her with a divine radiance.

  “He’s failed me right now! I don’t need him!”

  With hands curled like tiger paws, she grabbed the red gem in its casing and tore it off, along with the choker itself. She dashed the thing on the floor and then swung her other arm to the side, quelling the blazes engulfing both her and Eric. He collapsed like a scorched scarecrow.

  “Eric!”

  She rushed to his side and sent new flames, healing flames, through his body and soul.

  "How could I let this happen!? I knew it was coming!"

  She slouched, looking less a queen and more a mere girl. “He got me eating out of his hand all the same…Almost made me kill my best friend…..Please, Eric, wake up!”

  Eric groaned and opened his eyes.

  “Do I get Confidant Compensation?”

  Kasile chuckled and lightly tapped his head. “Idiot.”

  Eric leaned up and sat cross-legged. “Seriously, was that celestial fire or nether fire? I feel like it was burning my soul instead of my skin.”

  “The Sage of Mt. Fiol tells me it’s all the same, just as creation and destruction are the same thing. Then he told me that left and right are the same thing, that smug old relic….Do you know what he calls me? ‘The queen who is not queen’!”

  Eric gave her a hug.

  "I warned you,” he said next to her ear. “The best ordercrafter is one who doesn’t need ordercraft. What happened to that anti-ordercraft circlet anyway?"

  Kasile spoke to the floor, but Eric knew how she felt all the same. A profound sense of defeat radiated from every part of her.

  “He recognized it. He recognized it and asked if I saw anti-divine flame protection on him. He talked about trust in successful relationships and...before I knew it...it was off and that choker was on. I don't know what happened but...it didn't seem so bad... and I felt so secure..."

  Charismatic Eye...Grey Dengel said. Do you remember when the real Dengel spoke to you about “crowbars on willpower”? Eric nodded. He was not deceiving you. Such an ability does indeed exist.

  "Eric, are you spacing out?" Kasile asked. Eric smiled because she sounded more like her regal self than the submissive facade of the choker.

  "I'm talking with 'Grey Dengel.' He’s like a search function for my sub-conscious. He says he knows what happened."

  “Oh. Carry on."

  Charismatic Eye is similar in principle to Evil Eye; a spiritual technique powered by the user's emotions and requires eye contact to activate. However, instead of inflicting a mental paralysis with negative emotions, Charismatic Eye induces a feeling of trust in the target and this trust can be amplified into submission in sufficient quantity and sufficient skill. Also like Evil Eye, Charismatic Eye will not work on everyone. You recall how your Evil Eye failed to affect Professor Haburt, yes?

  Eric nodded.

  That is because your negative emotion, that were you attempting to inflict upon him, paled in comparison to that which he possessed towards himself. To use a metaphor, you were throwing a bucket of cold water into the Arctic. Charismatic Eye, by contrast, exploits a weakness in the target. It is similar to a virus infiltrating a system and taking over its central processing unit. I recommend asking Her Majesty about her experience. If you can find the vulnerability, then she can patch it.

  Eric leaned away from Kasile and explained all this to her, as gently as he could, and waited for her to respond. It was what he expected: the hardship of ruling young, the loss of her parents, and the pressure to live up to the people's standards and her own. Red in the face, she confessed to a guilty pleasure where she imagined the arrival of the perfect Prince Charming who would know exactly what to do at all times, could empathize with her troubles, and whose trustworthiness was absolute.

  "However, I didn't put on that choker until after I heard about your mana mutation."

  She shivered and Eric hugged her again. She smiled in gratitude.

  "You weren't born here, so you don't know what it was like to hear that. My contact may as well have said you died. When you came back after all those months, I was so happy to have my best friend back."

  She glared and pushed him down.

  "Then you had to go and mutate! I was devastated! I couldn't stop crying for hours! I had to cancel the day court!" She knelt next to him and pounded on his chest. "I was just getting over the nine days of silence too! And I don't see any candy or flowers!"

  Eric grinned wryly, sat up, and drew her into a third hug. She bristled and glared momentarily, then snuggled in.

  "I'm sorry, Kas. I'll bring them next time."

  "Bring the 'blessed with monstrosity' stuff too!" she said into his neck. "I want my scientists to look it over."

  "I'll do that."

  "Now that I think about it, it's your fault I was humiliated. You almost dashed the world's hope for Medical Mana Mutation, so you still owe me!"

  She said all this while embracing him and resting her head against his. Eric stroked her back as he did during their first reunion and she melted further. He said, "Yes, I do."

  Kasile yawned and leaned back. "I expect everything to be ready in two days. Got it?"

  "Got it."

  "One more thing...take that with you." She pointed at the choker lying on the ground.

  "Huh? Why?"

  Suddenly, she was shy again. "I'm...after you leave...I'm afraid I'll put it back on."

  Eric picked up the choker and plopped it in his pocket. "Done."

  Kasile looked up at him warmly. "Thanks, Eric. I know I can always count on you."

  Eric returned the affectionate gaze. "Whenever you need someone to lean on, I'm here, but don’t ask me for political advice."

  Her face turned harsh again. "I wouldn't ask you for political advice if you were Order himself.” She pointed at
the door. “Now get out of my sight before I arrest you for breaking and entering!"

  Eric trickster-grinned. "I was never here."

  He opened the window and vanished into the night. Kasile waited until he was gone and checked for eavesdroppers with her divine flames to make doubly sure. Then her hand went to her naked throat and the full impact of her failure hit her. For the second time, she had been duped into trusting someone and in doing so put her country at risk. She cried herself to sleep.

  Now that Kasile was no longer in trouble, Eric walked out of Royal Town with a light heart. He had time to indulge in all the petty mischief he denied himself coming in. By the time he crossed the moat, he decided “Robin Goodfellow” would be an appropriate pseudonym should he ever wish to use one.

  On the streets of Roalt, he strolled over to Merchant Town and into a late-night pawnshop. His fellows at the guild told him about this place as a friendly tip to a junior. In a mercenary line of work, one might find something of value and this was the sort of place to unload it. Thus far in his career, he had few reasons to visit.

  It was brightly lit; the only such place on the block. There was a center island for merchandise and more set in glass cases against the walls. He saw everything from jewelry to weapons to comics to antique lamps. An orc bouncer and her fairy partner gave him a once over at the door and a rock golem behind the counter muttered a prayer to Fiol.

  "Good evening, Pilaocv. Did I pronounce it right?"

  The golem nodded. "What kind of business do you have at this hour?"

  Eric took Kasile's influence choker out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. First, the golem held a device over it to scan for mischief magic, and second, she placed her hand over it and stared into space.

  "This is made from high quality silk, expert workmanship, and the ruby is flawless, other than a mark where it seems like someone threw it to the ground.” Pilaocv retracted her hand. “It's not something just anyone could afford. This is the sort of thing fat cats give to ladies they want to impress. Where did you get it?"

  With his patented trickster grin, Eric replied, "Prince Lunas gave it to Her Majesty as a token of his hopeless love for her. As the love is unrequited, she gave it to me instead of throwing it into the garbage. She found it to be ‘tacky.’ "