THE LEVELS OF SOCIETY
The smell of lintus tea swarmed around the mansion giving it a pleasant early morning feeling. Coupled with the picturesque sunrise happening outside the window, the day was surely to be promising. Yet, deep down, Frederick felt it; this day would be promising, but not in a good way. This was like a calm before a storm, and he had to prepare.
He reclined on the upholstered large couch, his tea staunch in his hand. His saucer and tea was traditional, he never liked the other fancy teacups the socialites went around with. Besides, it connected him with the old world, the standards he evryday desperately tried to reach.
He sipped slowly. The tea was appeasing, nourishing and creamy. The health benefits were common of the lintus plant, it was worth its gold. But the creamy and appeasing part was alll Tessa.
"Sir, you have a visitor. He claims to be the owner of Resnow Range, making mentions of something like a merger. Now, with my limited knowledge of economics I'll say that estate has nothing to do with your empire. But knowing you, you could bring profit out of dung."
Talk of the devil, very few people alive could give him business advice and Tessa, his personal assistant, was one of them. He sipped his tea again deeply, each drop a paradise of cream, honey, green, and grape - a strange but luxurious effect. He didn't even pay attention to Tessa, and she knew that meant he was giving his approval. She left probably to usher the visitor.
"Mr. Bartholomew, a pleasure to meet you." A suave silky voice boomed. Quite an ironical speaking method.
The sunlight was still gentle enough for Frederick to appraise the man that just entered his tea room. Shoulder length brown hair that was combed to cover one of his eyes. A well groomed modern style moustache, golden skin that complemented his hair and a sleek demeanour in his eyes. The devious business man, Shawn Laywax; notorious for easily getting people to fall into his terms.
"You know a funny thing, Bartholomew Lanfuster is not a registered name. So, why would a business mogul like you use a fake name?" he said thoughtfully putting his had under his chin.
Frederick slowed his sipping. Shawn was usually more smart than this. Revealing that he dug deep ito him was like blackmail, and then he's direct; not caring that he's in danger territory, alone. Either, he undermined Frederick's status, or he knew. He knows Frederick is aware of these facts but yet is opening himself bare to prove a point – he's desperate for help.
"What do you want?" he finally asked downing his tea to the last drop.
Shawn's lips curved up and in his smile, Fred could see the weariness in his eyes. His smile lines morphed into tired wrinkles and his hair seem to droop down further.
"My daughter, I need your help getting her out of Thran." He mumbled. All confidence had left his voice.
Frederick's breath hitched. He knew this feeling, just before he lost his daughter – the feeing to desperately save her.
"Why?" he asked. His tone did not lose any hardness though, all was still business.
"She's a wielder. I discovered when she was telve that she could wield fire. I had her trained by the best and she became great. But as she grew, she changed. She started becoming withdrawn, her hair tunred silvery green and she grew insanely powerful. She became addicted to range prisms for some strange reason, then yesterday… yesterday…" his voice broke getting lower as he advanced.
"What happened yesterday?"
"I didn't give in. I didn't allow her use that stuff. She begged and pleaded ad she seemed level headed till suddenly she starting wielding. I wasn't afraid, I have me who would easily restrain her but when the fire started turning blue, my interest was piqued."
Fred's interest was definitely piqued no too. He sat up straighter ad edged closer.
"The flames no longer danced, they started sparking. Blue lights zapping around getting brighter and more destructive. Metal substances were attracted to it moving around it in concentric circles. The flames formed a big sphere around her, easily taking form. She was glowing, her eyes and hair glowed blue."
"At first, I didn't believe it but when the clouds turned dark, the earth shook, a super cell was forming, lightning struck!!! I knew she was wielding electricity. Then, she vanished…"
There was silence; Frederick almost couldn't imagine someone like Shawn so broken, almost – since he had been there himself. As a business man, he knew the importance of time, and usually didn't like wasting it, but now… now, he couldn't bring himself to even speak. Another electric wielder, one was in the palace dungeon while the other roaming free. He knew the fate they would be subject too, the fate that he lives in currently.
He looked up and met Shawn's eyes. They didn't meet his though; they were staring up in grief. But it was short, he blinked a few times and his eyes gained focus. They were back to calculatingly cold, as they narrowed. He was staring up, but with focus, determined.
Frederick smiled, he wasn't giving up and that was why he was here. He was looking for a solution. He was going to save his daughter and make profit doing so too. That was shrewd sense. Or at least, that's what he hopes.
"So, what do you plan to do now?" he asked calmly.
"Sneak her out."
"Ahh, so the authorities are already searching for her. That's quick, usually they take much longer." He commented, his hand under his chin in mock thoughtfulness.
"You didn't hear what happened at the palace?" Shawn replied smoothly.
Fred smiled, of course he did.
"Of course, of course I heard of how an innocent boy is in high security being punished for something he has no control over." He smiled.
"Of course, I heard of how much money is spent investigating the sage who saved the heiress' live rather than investigating her attacker." He continued his smile thinning and his voice raging.
"Of course I heard of how little trust the kingdom has in its greatest asset, a warrior and worker holding up peace simply because his power directly counters theirs. I know of all this and that…." He shot up out of his chair in rage and appearing directly in front of Shawn.
"… and that, that's why I'm going to help you." His voice glowered dangerous and hard. His deep blue eyes met Shawn's hazel ones.
Shawn's face betrayed nothing but he was certainly unfazed. He didn't know whether or not to be happy that Bartholomew agreed. He tried to speak, but his lips didn't even move.
Frederick moved away and picked up his teacup which had landed gracefully on the floor, without capsizing or cracking.
"Come with me; let's go to my office where this conversation can't easily be monitored."
They strolled out fo the study into the spacious hallway and down a golden spiral escalator. Someone was sure living it classy. They arrived at a car park where a long limousine was waiting for them already prepped up.
"Limo, open and set sails for Linton Close" Frederick said firmly but to no one. The limousine purred as if in agreement and the doors slid up, opening for them.
They got in and settled into the comfortable cream interior. It was almost as luxurious as a palace van, with lots of wine and a central entertainment and control unit.
"I don't know why I still don't have my own automated limo." Shawn sighed relaxed.
"It would be a token of celebration when we achieve our goal." Frederick agreed leaning back into the comfortable seat in satisfaction.
The vehicle was as efficient as it was comfortable. In seconds they were on the busy highways of Myrk Lake. As it sounded Myrk Lake was a district built around a huge lake which was a magical wonder. It was a source of major tourism and the cleansing properties of the lake provided a good place for industrial and residential to mix. Everyone loved their offices having the background of a cityscape surrounding a crystal blue lake.
The limo was brought to a halt a few miles from their destination. An emergency rectrix regulation squad was causing a scene, how interesting. On the most used way.
"Let's go and see what's happening?" Shawn's eyes gleamed mischievously. As expected, this guy wasn't going to miss a chance to make profit. And Fred himself had to admit, he was a little curious.
So leaving the limo to auto-run, they got down and walked like the majestic business men they were towards the 'crime scene'.
"Er' them regs always gonna swoop in like they know everything. Blaming some poor sage on their mess, they ain't never gonna take responsibility." A man by a small coffee store said sipping his brew with his newspaper in his hand.
His accent suggested he was from the lower boroughs, managed to score a job in a successful district. Earns enough to get good food and a car, but not prestigious enough to require him cleansing his accent. He was small and muscular with dirty black corn rows; a large sweat soaked grey shirt over black jeans with boots. He seemed like a mechanic, fixing photon engines, dirty but pays well.
He didn't seem to be disgusted at their clean clothing though, so he wasn't one of those less privileged who hated everyone above their ranks. Fred smiled, that means he knew a bit about what was happening and may be less prejudiced about it.
"I'm going to see if the gentlemen by the coffee shop know anything about what is going on. You go on Shawn." He said making a detour towards the café.
"No problem, just give me a call when you're done." Shawn conceded his eyes focused on the front.
Shawn strolled on and walked towards the heart of the traffic. Traffic officials were trying to divert the 10 lane way to fit into 3 lanes – imagine their success – because something was on the other lanes, something bright and blue.
As he got closer, it got hotter and brighter. He could make out a big ball of bright blue energy. It was like a mini pulsar star, two lines of radioactive energy pulsing back and forth and lighting beams shot of from them once in a while. He was at a stage where it was too dangerous for normal people to continue.
He was normal too, but rectrix ever was rampant on Earth, it adapted into their biological systems. It messed with their genetics improving their life span, abilities, endurance and more than often giving them a special ability. His was the manipulation of simple force fields.
Though some people got lucky – or unlucky…They could connect with rectrix; they could sense it in the atmosphere and manipulate it, use it and become it… They were the sages, mages and traxls. Then there were the ones at the middle, the wielders who could connect with rectrix to manipulate one aspect of nature. The wielders were the middle of society, used for completing tasks only high machinery could achieve; areas like defense, industry and aviation.
He used the electrical force to create a simple electromagnetics force field acting as a spherical shield all around him even under. He got closer and was about 12 feet from the phenomena. It was powerful, something like this should be considered a resource, a new source of energy, but the look on the official's faces didn't seem happy.
"Chief, how do we neutralize this? It's the biggest one yet." A worker calmly said looking grimly at the spectacle.
Rectrix regulators always dressed in shades of blue - the lighter the blue, the higher your rank. So, imagines Shawn's surprise when he saw that the 'chief' that official in a royal blue coat, over black top and trousers with blue gold boots was wearing all white.
This was the head chief of the rectrix regulators and he was looking slightly worried at this spectacle. What exactly was going on