Chapter 143
Lamberton Dormitory Building, Cornell Academy, City: Three Prongs Fork, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, the Year 2038, Planet: Grimoire
As with everything, the following weeks and months turned Grifton's relatively peaceful life into utter chaos. This was all because of greedy empires and kingdoms that didn't want to share land with freemen and women. He watched the news reports broadcast to the masses living in various parts of Barat.
Not long after further disputes rose between Bellonia, Taxos, Naxos, Galos, Modesto, and several lesser nations, tensions reached an all-time high. "I knew this was going to happen," Grifton muttered with a sigh as he sat in his room.
War broke out, and now everyone had to join the war effort regardless of whether they were equipped. He shook his head wearily. "No doubt, I'll receive a notice about when I have to return to the war front. Though I have to wonder where I'll wind up this time."
In the past, Grifton knew where and to whom he would report. Now, in the present, that was no longer the case. His communication device bleeped. "Hey, are you coming to the warehouse or not?" Troy called. "The whole gang is about to arrive. You're the last one to show up." A sigh escaped him, and he threatened. "If you don't come, Firenze will drag you over here whether you're dressed appropriately or not!"
Grifton was amused as he glanced at where Firenze was lounging next to him. "Yes, I'm sure he will."
Firenze was trying not to laugh. They'd had a cozy night together.
"Fine, I'll be there in ten minutes."
Firenze sent a dutiful response as well. "So much for a lazy day." He mourned, though it wasn't true lamenting. "Though we did have one yesterday."
Grifton nodded. "That we did." They had separate duties to complete from the others. During that day, they'd managed to fit in some walks around other places within the markets that they weren't affiliated with. They also explored different locales that seemed completely foreign to them. "I hadn't known there were so many mini-nations within Three-Pronged Fork," he murmured. "I suppose this still happens no matter where one travels."
Firenze smiled. "Yes, and it always makes each port of call or trading post a new and exciting place to check out," he reminded Grifton. "I look at it that way, so I don't lose my zest for traveling."
Grifton winced a little since he had been starting to consider settling down in one place. "True, I should reset my outlook, so I don't get too weary of traveling." He said it very wryly. "I guess I'm tired of war, that's all."
Firenze nodded. "Same here, I really hope this ends soon." He finished dressing as he spoke.
Grifton was done with his preparations. "Guess we'd better get going so we don't miss this final gathering," he grimaced. "I want to know their opinions on something that has been happening lately."
Firenze nodded. "The experiments that are being carried out, right?"
"Yeah," Grifton wasn't sure if it was a good thing to happen. "I just have a horrible feeling about what will come of those." He shook his head since he rarely enjoyed having authorities peering over his shoulder. However, when it came to experimentation on the masses, which was a whole different proposition. "Especially since there aren't any officials supervising the process."
They both shook their heads uneasily. It didn't take them long to reach the meeting point—a specific warehouse they'd pretty much laid permanent claim to since they leased it regularly.
Troy looked over at the door where they entered. "I see you came on time." He looked amused. "Well, now, we're finally gathered together in one place."
Grifton nodded. "Yes," He looked at all of them with a smile. "I sometimes still find this bewildering."
"Mmm," Kyle laughed. "I still wonder if this is all a dream."
So, he wasn't the only one. Grifton glanced at Firenze. They sighed and joined the remainder of the group on the canvas laid out with cushions. Everyone unpacked various bottles and packages of food arranged in the center so they could all enjoy a tasty repast.
Thoughts ran through his mind. While Grifton had served time on the battle fronts. Not to mention the ever-increasing distant journeys that took him into extreme wild areas. When returning, he did his best to keep up with all the changes occurring rapidly within the Shantu Republic. What he found recently made him very uneasy and concerned for the future. The changes now were for something other than the betterment of the people. It smacked of something going off the rails in the wrong direction. However, he had no way of explaining his fears to the others.
Advancements in magic awakening in previously ordinary people had been made. Grifton found that an enlightenment, but it also worried him. He and others rarely discussed some topics, but now they all had to face uncomfortable possibilities.
"So, am I the only one who believes problematic complications could exist?" Molly ventured.
Lilac shook her head. "No, I've heard rumors that mental trauma from the process for those who weren't able to handle the changes in their bodies or mental state is common." She shivered uneasily.
Well, this was something he hadn't anticipated coming into the conversation. Grifton sighed. "I've seen what happens firsthand," he muttered.
Firenze was equally unhappy. However, he had less traumatic experiences that froze his tongue, unlike Grifton.
The others looked at him, and when he shook his head in anguished silence, they looked to Firenze, who shrugged. "Cursed mages," he stated bluntly. "Some of them were pretty decent when younger." He tapped his forehead. "However, unscrupulous individuals got ahold of them."
When comprehension dawned, Molly blanched. "Okay, you don't need to say anything else." She shivered. "What a horrible future could be in store for those at Fremont and Fang's Cliff Institutes."
They had all been thinking the same thing since those two institutes had been the most progressive in forcing ordinary people into chambers that would forcibly awaken their magic abilities, which were latent in their genes.
"Nothing good is going to come from some of these experiments." Grifton shook his head.
"True, but the later generations will have to deal with them." Troy shrugged.
Grifton sighed because he was doubtful of that belief. He kept quiet because the others would get into a heated argument, which would just drag into a situation where they would stomp off in a huff. He didn't want to deal with that possibility. "How about we agree to disagree?"
When they all nodded with thanks and gratitude, Grifton was satisfied.
Troy shrugged ruefully. "All right, I'll admit I was trying to start a fight." He shook his head. "I don't know why either. Maybe it concerns the feeling that we're about to head to different frontlines."
Oh, right. So, he was tense about that happening. Grifton nodded with a sigh. "You're not the only one being separated, either." His head bowed for a moment. All of my nieces and nephews headed for the dragon enclave as soon as the first strike was made and followed by multiple declarations of war." He glanced apprehensively at Firenze.
Kyle looked at them in askance and then shock after he asked. "Don't tell me you two are being separated?" When Grifton nodded.
Kyle frowned. "Is there a reason for it?"
Not from what Grifton could tell. Before he could say a word, though, Firenze spoke up with irritable bluntness.
"It is nothing but the usual situation of corrupted politics," Firenze shrugged with a scowl. "Well, that and there aren't many S-ranked mages out there."
"Now that I know about it, but seriously, separating you two when working together, you can take on a single battlefront alone?" Kyle scowled. "Sounds to me that they're looking for scapegoats if the war goes against our troops."
Grifton sighed. "You said what we're suspecting."
When Troy threw his hands into the air. "What fools do we have in charge?"
Molly muttered. "Politicians that never wanted to leave Bellonia Empire in the first place, of course."
"Which is why they're aiming to murder all the high rankers first, especially the scarce S ranks." Firenze shrugged. "Both Tinroy and I are of that rank." He shook his head. "So ironically, they want to put us in different areas."
Grifton spoke up. "Not only that, but they're making sure we're unable to communicate with each other during that time we're separated." His mouth tightened. "I think it's too convenient that they're doing this when other mages volunteered and were rejected."
Firenze was clearly still angry about what was going on. "They had better abilities to handle the conditions we're being sent to deal with." He threw his hands into the air.
Grifton had considered what was happening and voiced the opinion that had lingered in his head for some time now: "This might well be revenge for all those envoys and ambassadors and dignitaries I dumped into various lakes and waste channels." He smirked. "Although I wasn't caught, I never hid the fact that I was likely the culprit."
All the others snorted rudely. "Oh, please." Molly shook her head. "Do they still believe that you're the one who did that in the past months?"
"That would be a real neat trick." Gladys sneered. "When you weren't even around? Give me a break."
Grifton grinned at them. "You have to admit, I make a really good scapegoat because I won't back down," he shrugged. "Lately, I have always questioned their motives, which is allowed."
Troy laughed. "True, that is seriously not welcomed, but not against regulations either." He shook his head with a sigh. "Well, since the rest of us managed to get our ranks raised to A and B," his laughter faded. "We'll likely become support for the other S rankers, whoever they are."
Yeah, it was sad that all of them were now being treated as expendables. Grifton frowned at that fact. "Just make sure to watch your backs," he warned them.
"Don't forget the things you made for in case of emergency, Tinroy." Firenze nudged Grifton and handed him a bag. "After all your time on them, I don't want you to forget about them."
Huh? Grifton looked at the bag and then remembered what else he'd wanted to give the people he'd worked with all this time. "Oh right, I made these over the past few weeks." He passed around some small objects that could easily fit into pockets on the insides of jackets. "Please take these amulets."
As they each accepted the amulets and stowed them in their pockets, they all sat on boxes to listen to what Grifton had to say about the items.
Grifton surveyed them with concern clouding his eyes. "I made them because I figured at some point," he said. He'd had a few too many nasty nightmares, which prompted the creation of the amulets. "We're going to need an emergency form of communication that can't be blocked with whatever jammers they likely will have in place."
Molly looked at hers closely. "Interesting," she said, holding it to the light of the warehouse they sat in. "What in the world?" Molly then studied the tracings of built-in symbols. "So, this is a communication device?" She looked at Grifton. "I can see something else in there, too."
Gladys looked at hers carefully. "A teleportation spell?"
Grifton nodded. "I know that with the rash of weird things happening lately, none of you trust teleportation." A sigh escaped him. "However, I still felt that it would be beneficial for you to have a safe place to retreat."
When Firenze nodded. They all looked at each other in bafflement. "All right, where will this land be for us?" Lilac looked at them warily. "Please tell me it is somewhere you deem very safe."
Grifton smiled. "In this case, I do." He reassured them. "I received permission from Lamberton ahead of time."
Their eyes widened in shock when they understood the implications. "So, to the suite of rooms you have?"
Grifton shook his head. "No, to the reception lobby on the ground floor." He shrugged. "That was all he'd allow."
It was better than other options available, which currently had none. They sighed. "I hope we don't ever have to use that function," Troy admitted with some apprehension.
"However, I'm grateful that it is an option available to us." Molly smiled at them wanly.
"So, what other preparations should we know about?" Gladys changed the subject. "I'd like to know because it would be fun to have one last get-together."
They were all in agreement on that subject. Grifton smiled. "Where would you want to go?"
Currently, both the Jade Palace and the Orient Palazzo are shut down. The owners and grandsons, Lendon and Gregory, wound up having to head to the far western lands to avoid the conflicts, edging ever closer to Central plains where Three-Pronged Fork was located. Many more businesses had gone elsewhere. Several merchant caravans escorted them with twice the number of guards because of the instability; even neutral zones were afflicted with them.
"Hmm, there's this cool place called Danse Sombras Oasis," Troy murmured. "The odd part is," he showed them a map of the place. "It was part of a vast desert that bordered the Naxos Kingdom."
Grifton nodded. He had distinct memories of that place.
"Now it is no longer near the desert, from what I understand," Troy looked baffled. "Now, what I'm hearing is it's actually backed up to a series of cliffs, and once you go through a nearby tunnel, you'll wind up at an ocean." He shrugged. "The other snippets of news I've heard is that it is nowhere near Naxos Kingdom."
Molly nodded. "Yep, all the citizens participated in a huge undertaking of carving it out and moving somewhere else." She shook her head in horrified shock.
Gladys recalled what else she'd heard in the reporting. "The endeavor knocked out roughly half of their population into comatose states that have lasted between a week to six months."
"Uh yeah, and I heard what specific method was employed to pull that off." Kyle winced. "All psychics and mages specializing in teleportation are only now waking up." He shook his head and frowned at Grifton. "Whatever you do, please don't do something like that." He requested. "It isn't worth losing years of your life."
Wow, that was a difference. "So, you're considering going to that place?" Grifton found it rather intriguing. "Oh, I won't. Those amulets only require you to infuse your mana into them to activate either the protective nature or the teleportation. If both were activated at the same time..." He shrugged. "Then it would be the bunch of you being knocked unconscious, not me."
The others grimaced. "Now that you've warned us, we'll try to avoid doing both spells simultaneously."
"So, from what we've learned regarding the Danse Sombras Oasis." Lilac turned back to the other topic. "Yep, it will become the new republic's capital. Though a name hasn't been chosen yet." She shrugged. "I guess the other one collapsed because not enough support or security was in place to reinforce those who'd already settled."
That made sense. It also explained the unnecessary loss of life that occurred. Grifton's mouth tightened. Once more grief washed over him. He paused to inhale slowly so that he didn't ruin the mood because of painful memories.
Finally, Grifton nodded. "I'll make time to visit it in the future." He wasn't making any promises or guarantees about how he would make ends meet in the future, much less where he would resettle. Some too many unknown variables and factors had to be dealt with first.