2:04 PM, 30th of March 1989.
Location: Gap, house of Louise Bisset.
"See here? I have been trying to learn how to create magic charms, so far my best work is this protection charm I'm wearing as a bracelet and see this cute little froggie on my key-ring? It keeps off the rain." She explained excitedly… I'm beginning to suspect I'm the first person she's had to talk to about magic… ever.
"How long have you been learning how to make charms?" I asked.
"I started learning when Papa fell ill in January, since then I've been focused almost exclusively on it." She explained.
"Ah, trying to create a healing effect?" I realised.
"Or some kind of pain relief… I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer." She said glumly. "I have a few leads in the books, but they're complicated."
"Is it a materials problem, a personal ability issue or lack in skill? Because I can guarantee if you can make something that provides quantifiable healing you can name your own price on finished products. Science can only do so much." I queried.
"Uh… I'd need sapphires and blood, human blood." She finally responded.
"Oh? Is that all? Does it need to be fresh blood? Do the sapphires need to be natural?" I asked getting more interested. "Because blood banks regularly dispose of donated blood that passes the safe period that it can be stored… and sapphires can be made artificially, their price is considerably less than natural."
"I can't promise the effect will last longer than maybe a year and I'm not sure if I can do it on my own, with just my limited reserves of magic." She added.
"So we'll start off slowly, seeing if you can make weak versions before we push you to your limits. As I understand it, magic capacity is hard to change but if we can round up several people with potential it will be much easier if they combine their efforts with yours. Because you'll be taking the most appropriate as apprentices." I thought about her capabilities. "Anything you can make that applies a direct defence or mitigates electrical attacks will be useful if those fish-people attack in large numbers with those magic spears."
"I won't know if they have the same potential as I do… bloodline talents can vary greatly and even moderate talents can be of unusual alignments. My skills won't translate well to everyone." She elaborated, wilting."My knowledge is limited to the few books I own. I'm not reliable."
"Books? Books can be found, purchased or liberated from less scrupulous magic users. What we need most is simple proof that magic exists and it can be taught." I smiled. "And in the process you will gain access to everything we can scrape together. All of that knowledge could be yours. Perhaps the ability you need to cure your father or save others in need is within your reach."
She was practically vibrating on the spot, she looked so excited. "I'll do it!"
"Good. I'll get in contact with the people who sent me and we can get the ball rolling. Just remember, this is a job just like anything else." I grinned. "In fact, I'll offer an open invitation to join my company…" I gave her a business card I had made the other day.
"Magic with Magnets?" She read out loud.
"Would you believe I didn't expect so many encounters with magic in the two days following actually signing the paperwork?" I chuckled. We chatted some more before I excused myself.
Following my meeting I exited to meet the observing agent camped out across the street.
"Any ID?" I asked.
The tail nodded and drew out his identification card. DST: Directorate of Territorial Security, it read. Seems legit. The guy is waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Okay, just making sure. She's not a bad sort. Keep her safe, I'm reporting a successful contact." I explained before lifting off and speeding away back to Paris. At least I know where I'm going, which means higher flight speed. In fact, what actually is my top speed?
Barrier up. Pedal to the metal…
Wha...?!
That… that was a sonicboom?! I'm barely trying! I slowed down and tried again, accelerating harder. And another! Holy… I'm going supersonic?! It's the barrier, must be! It's cutting down on the friction and drag immensely… alongside the field of decreased gravity I'm surrounded by. No way I could survive this speed as mere flesh and bone. I'm kinda scared, this is way too extreme. I never realised… and this gives me so many ideas.
But right now, I lower my speed back down to sub-sonic. I really don't want to scare the military by looking like a missile. In fact, I pull out my radio and report this action, apologising for startling them. Which was partially true, they had actually tracked me by radar to the town and back. The sudden burst of speed had been a shock, but not a reason to suspect a nuclear weapon. Small mercies.
Returning to my apartment, to camera flashes as encamped paparazzi caught me entering via the roof I finally had time to send a phone call to Fleur as I settled back, to watch the second episode of The Simpsons. Brand new. How odd.
"She's agreed to aid us. The twist is she's a magic user, specifically a conjurer and enchanter. She has agreed to teach the little she knows, only a handful will be able to use it effectively but the knowledge it exists is enough for now. She's also agreed to produce magic charms if we can see that her father gets the best medical care available and she gets access to any magic tomes you can scrape together. The real coup is that she is willing to teach; that means in a few years you could have a system like an academy for French agents. She'll be an asset if you can get her the right books, she's a specialised magic user from birth and will be able to push her magic further than almost anyone else in specific fields. She can also help you find your own bloodline casters among your agents and point them to appropriate fields of study. Think invisible spies, enemies who are compelled to speak their secrets, flight, fireballs, healing… you name it. Anything is possible with magic. The only limitation is the individual using it."
I smiled. "The best part: she wants to help. Her self confidence is low, but her skills have value beyond her current limitations. She'll grow stronger in time with experience, particularly if you provide her with knowledge and resources. Just make sure that Demon related magic is heavily restricted and controlled… that is the equivalent to the nuclear option in magic. The foremost practitioner is a man named John Constantine from England… he destroys everything in his wake despite being well meaning because he's cursed. Do not approach. Anything he dabbles with or involves himself in will be nightmare fuel. His favourite trick is to kill a demon with a bigger demon."
She asks if I have any further names she can research.
"Felix Faust, Blackbriar Thorn, Circe, Wotan, Lords of Chaos and Order." I listed. "Those are going to be the biggest headaches, oh and Black Adom, he's magically empowered. The current Lord of Order is nominally on the side of laws and justice and thus our side: he's Dr Fate. However he's thousands of years old and has very different morals than modern humans. So be absolutely sure of his intention before agreeing to bargains. He uses a host to provide him his longevity and focus. He has in certain universes made that host a virtual slave."
"I'd also like to ask for some time to practice some new ideas I've had for my power, preferably a place used by fighter pilots to train high speed maneuvers and an artillery range. I'm worried I'll chew up the landscape otherwise."