Endangered: The Strings of Fate Pt. 03

Endangered: The Strings of Fate Pt. 3

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© 2025 S. Round. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. All sexually active characters in this work are eighteen (18) years of age or older.

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Ch. 23

The next day, Evan kept going over Dr. Franklin's story in his mind. The man had been dealt a bad hand, but he overcame it and found great success. It was something one could only do with great focus and hard work. Evan felt like he was working hard trying to grow his magic abilities, but did he have the same focus, the same drive to achieve his goals? He didn't think so. But it wasn't just Dr. Franklin that had his life's ambitions figured out. The lab was full of people chasing their dreams or working towards their long-held desires. It somehow felt like he was the only one that didn't have his path in life figured out.

To be fair, Evan was still a student, and the others were well into their post graduate lives, but that didn't really make him feel better when he remembered there were several of his friends that knew exactly what they wanted out of life. Alex, for example, knew she wanted to go into politics to help fight injustices in Tourmaline. A great goal, and it was figured out early so she could tailor her college education to fit it perfectly. Evan did have a goal, but it was too vague. If he wanted to be successful like Dr. Franklin, it was about time he started to nail down what kind of education he really wanted to pursue. But how was he supposed to do that?

Evan tried his hand at asking the others in the lab what they thought was best for him to study if he wanted to help the mage community recover. Unsurprisingly, most told him that life sciences were the way to go if he wanted to understand how the virus worked. That was, after all, the route they had all taken to get where they were today. The only differing opinion came from Kimberly.

"You should focus on growing stronger," she said. "A career with TSF would be the best route for that."

"I don't know," Evan said. "My enemy is the virus, not a magician. I want to be able to protect myself, but I'm not sure I have to dedicate my life to war to achieve my ultimate goal."

"The way I see it," Kimberly said. "You'll need a lot of magic power to counteract a spell that even Elias Monstrum couldn't undo. Training on your own might not be good enough. In my experience, a mage's power grows the fastest when they push themselves constantly in life-or-death situations. Only the TSF or the military would give you that in Tourmaline."

Evan couldn't really refute what she said. He had learned a lot through his struggles in the first year, and it was the threat to his life that had spurred him on. However, it hadn't been a bit of fun, and he wasn't so sure he was willing to throw himself into danger for the sake of growth just yet. He still had hope that his next year of school would be nice and quiet. But there was something that Kimberly said that Evan hadn't considered before. Monstrum had not been able to stop magebane, so what did that mean about his chances to do so?

From what Evan had seen of Dr. Monstrum's life so far, he was far stronger and cleverer with magic than Evan was, even at a young age. Would he truly need to outclass Monstrum in order to do away with this plague? Or was there some other reason besides power and skill that prevented Monstrum from doing away with the virus? That evening, Evan made sure not to make plans with anyone and crept away to his room alone. There, for the first time since arriving at Far Water, he brought out Dr. Monstrum's grimoire.

It felt like the perfect time to delve back into Monstrum's story. He had seen already how Monstrum came to hold a great ambition for his life, one inherited from his master. Maybe if he watched how he went about pursuing that goal in his later years, he would be able to discern what path would be best for his own. There were also the questions he had pertaining to Monstrum and magebane and what the former had done to eradicate the latter. The grimoire seemed like the best place to seek the answers to those questions. Setting himself up in a comfortable position after making doubly sure the door was locked, Evan put his hand on the grimoire and activated it with his magic.

When he closed his eyes, he saw the scene of Elias Monstrum asking Lukas to go with him to Europe after their master's death, just where he had left the story before. That view faded away almost as soon as it appeared and was replaced with images of the two magicians traveling. The voice of the older Dr. Monstrum made its reappearance as well.

"We were saddened by the death of our master, but the next period of our lives would come to be the happiest for us both," the voice said. "Monique and I married almost as soon as I returned to her village, and she set off with Lukas and I on our adventure. Together, the three of us traveled the world following every clue we could find that might lead us closer to completing our beloved master's lifelong quest."

"Oddly enough, Luke and I each found ourselves gravitating towards different parts of our master's work. He was more attracted to the great power hidden in the stones, while I found myself longing to meet the guardian. Unfortunately for my younger self, nearly all of the leads we found pertained to the stones. Luke often taunted me about it, but for some reason, it only made me that much more interested in the guardian. The greater the mystery, the greater the interest, at least to me."

A montage of scenes played before Evan's eyes as Monstrum spoke. He saw Monique and Monstrum wed with Lukas there as best man. He saw the three living together in Mr. Price's mansion, the couple insisting it was too big a space for just them. There were also many brief looks into adventures around the world as the three explored ruins, visited friends in big cities, and even partook in some heated magic battles. The context of those fights was missing, but it served its purpose of portraying to Evan, the reader, that many wild and dangerous episodes were taking place in this time.

"There were too many adventures had in this time to go over each one in this single book," Monstrum's voice said. "Some were domestic and sad, like my beloved and I attempting to start a family only to discover we were unable. Others were perilous and triumphant, like when we stopped a madman from blowing up the city of London. I'm sure there are others that can share such tales with you. For now, I want to focus on one of our later adventures. One that lead us down a life altering path."

Evan couldn't believe Monstrum had chosen to omit those stories. Well, he could understand not wanting to discuss the disappointment of not being able to have children, but why leave out an epic story about saving London!? But Evan supposed that Monstrum's intent for this book wasn't to simply share an account of his greatest feats. There was clearly an overarching story with some important information or life lesson that the old doctor felt he needed to share with his successor. Knowing whatever story was coming next must hold great significance, Evan calmed his mind and focused on the narrator's words.

"As often happened, our last outing to track down the great spirit stones ended in failure, but with another clue to point us in a new direction," he said. "And not for the first time, it took us to western Europe, where we stayed briefly with Monique's family before trekking into the wilderness in search of long-lost ruins."

"We often behaved like typical archeologists of the day. As most ruins were already destroyed or pilfered long ago, the only way to discover something intact was to get extremely lucky or pull it out from deep within the earth. It was hard, dirty work, often with few rewards at the end of the day, but the work was easier for us with magic, especially with me specializing in earth magic. I often had great pity for my non-magic colleagues in these times."

There was an interesting bit of information. Evan had suspected it when he saw Monstrum fight by shaping earth and stones into weapons, but he hadn't actually heard the man himself confirm it. But he really was an earth magician. It wouldn't be Evan's first choice, but he could easily think of many ways it could be useful.

"While our work was much easier through our mastery of magic, it was still time consuming. So, we often spent many nights lodging in nearby villages. Whenever we could, we sought out local mage villages and caught up with old acquaintances. However, early on in this trip, we began to see something disturbing."

"Most of the towns we stayed in reported an increase in missing people, and there were talks of kidnappings in the night. Nobody could substantiate these claims, but it was true several homes had been left empty by their owners disappearing overnight. These were troubling claims, but we carried on with our work as we didn't see anything that could be done about it. However, the seriousness of the situation struck us head on when we entered an ancient village deep within the mountains, one we had been to many times with our master in the past."

"Pets roamed free about the place, dinners sat on tables uneaten and rotting, and everywhere were signs of struggle. The people there had completely vanished. It was a total ghost town. Amongst the hundreds of homes in the area, not a single living soul remained."

Ch. 24

"What in the world happened here," Monique said, paling as she spotted a splash of blood on the street.

The trio carefully walked through the village with little talking as they all tried to wrap their heads around what they were seeing.

"Was it a fight with some rival mages?" Lukas said.

"I wouldn't think so," Monstrum said. "There's no one in these parts with a grudge against the dwarves."

A dwarf village, huh? Evan hadn't encountered dwarves yet in Tourmaline, but it was no surprise they existed in a world where elves lived. The village was nestled between the mountains, with the homes and streets built out of finely carved stone. It seemed the stereotype of dwarves being good craftsmen wasn't for nothing. He would love to meet some to see if they also had magnificent beards, but by the looks of things, Monstrum's group might have come too late for that. Evan watched as the three mages split up and searched for clues. It was only when Monique reached the edge of the village that they finally found something meaningful.

"Over here!" she called.

The two magicians rushed to her side in a flash, and she pointed to the ground where deep tread marks led out of the village and down the mountain.

"Trucks," she said. "And big ones by the looks of it."

"Why would anyone take the trouble to drive up here?" Lukas said. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"These look like military vehicles to me," Monstrum said. "See, look here."

Monique and Lukas looked at each other with grim expressions as they saw what Monstrum pointed to.

"In those times, most mages around the world still favored traveling by foot, at least for short journeys," Monstrum narrated. "It wasn't because they didn't understand motors or thought them beneath them, but instead due to the secret natures of their homes. They had simple, often hidden walking paths leading to and from their villages, and the villages were almost always surrounded by untamed wilderness for miles. There were no wide roads where cars and trucks could storm their way through. This was why Monique, Lukas, and I walked through the wild on our travels. It was the only way to reach these secluded places."

"Seeing tracks alone at the edge of the village would not necessarily have been alarming in itself," he continued. "It could very well have been that the dwarves needed to haul materials a great distance from the mountain and loaded up a few motor vehicles to ease the passage. But the deep treads in the earth that we found were from no ordinary truck, but from the hulking war machines that had become more and more common throughout Europe since the first world war - tanks. And armed forces with tanks could only mean one thing."

"Regular humans did this?" Monique said.

"You wouldn't be able to get a tank here easily," Monstrum said. "They came here slowly, steadily... and with purpose."

Evan looked around the surroundings and concurred with the young Monstrum. While the village was settled in a valley and wasn't anywhere near the peaks of the mountains, the surrounding landscape was still covered with rocks and trees all over. A path would have had to have been carefully mapped and navigated, which was proof enough that this was no chance encounter.

"What could possess them to do... this?" Monique said, looking back at the ruined village.

"There's only one way to find out," Lukas said.

The three secured their luggage on their backs and ran quickly down the mountain after the tracks. Their lack of wheels did not slow them down in the slightest. Evan hadn't even registered before when he was watching them that they never traveled by car, but it was easy to see there was no need. They were stronger and faster than most cars when they used their magic to run. Even Monique, who had less power to draw from than the two magicians, became a near blur as she zigzagged through the landscape. For them to travel in a car would only be for the sake of luxury.

"The trail was easy to follow as the heavy machines could do nothing to hide their deep gouges in the earth," old Monstrum said. "The tank had zigzagged every which way looking for sure footing on its journey, and following the meandering tracks wasted enough time that darkness soon settled down around us before we had managed to set sight on our targets. Although we could have carried on with our magic, we were exhausted from our long travels and opted to camp for the night."

"Whoa," Evan said as he watched Monstrum pull a stone shelter out of the earth with a few simple spells.

The end result was a house that looked as sturdy as any of the dwarven structures back at the village. It even had a fireplace. The three travelers sat and ate before the fire for a while until Lukas bowed out and settled into his makeshift bed to sleep first. That left the loving couple alone as Monique rested her head on Monstrum's shoulder and they both watched the dancing flames.

"I'm worried," Monique said softly. "What if something similar happens to my home?"

"It hasn't been long since we saw them. I'm sure they're fine," Monstrum said, hugging her tight to his side. "But if you want, after we find out what happened here, we can rush straight there."

"No, I can't let you abandon your search like that," she said. "This lead sounded promising, didn't it? If anything, I can go alone."

"Stop that," he said. "You know you're the most precious thing in the world to me. And Lukas, you're his family. He'd do anything to help you, too."

"My heroes," Monique said with a smile.

"Anything for my dear bunny."

Monique scoffed and hit Monstrum's leg, which only made him laugh.

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"How can I when you looked so cute hopping around all over today," he said. "I almost tripped several times watching your tail bounce."

"Ugh," Monique said, covering her red face with her hands.

Monstrum gently removed her hands and tilted her face up so he could look into her eyes. Without a word, they moved together and kissed. Monique's body, stiff with worry and fear, melted into his, finally forgetting the troubles of the day.

"The next morning, we picked up where we left off," old Monstrum said. "It wasn't long before we were clear of the hills and onto flat lands, but the trail continued far into the distance. We carried on without knowing how far our destination might be, but just before nightfall, we finally found it."

It was nearly dark, and the trio used the shadows to hide themselves in the brush as they spied at the enemy fort. There were tall posts strung with barbed wire creating a fence that covered a wide area. Men with guns patrolled, inside and out, and large spotlights began to hum atop tall guard towers. And in various places around the inside of the camp, people wearing tattered uniforms and bound in chains could be seen being shepherded along in single file lines.

Evan strained his eyes and was just able to make out the details of the people in chains. Some had bushy tails and others had fluffy animal ears. But most common of all were those short in stature with long, magnificent beards.

"The dwarves...," Monique whispered.

"It's a prison camp," Lukas said, tightening his fists in anger.

"But who's running this place?" Monstrum said.

Evan had been asking himself the same question. The soldiers patrolling every which way wore dark uniforms, but they displayed no flags or any other identifiable symbols. There were no flags flying anywhere about the camp. What's more, the camp itself looked hastily constructed. The fence posts were roughly chopped down trees, and the shacks the prisoners were disappearing into looked to topple over with a faint gust of wind. It certainly did not give the impression of a highly capable military installation put in by a great nation.

"I can't tell who they are," Lukas said after watching the camp move for a long while. "But they don't have a single mage among them."

Monstrum nodded, seemingly having also confirmed that the captors were normal humans only. However, that didn't mean they were without magic completely.

"The uniforms they're wearing," Monstrum said, squinting while using his magic vision. "They have a spell put on them. They... must be working with a magician."

"..."

"So, what's the plan?" Monique said. "We have to free them!"

"Definitely," Lukas said. "And kill every last one of the bastards."

"We should keep some alive for questioning," Monstrum said.

"Fine," Lukas said. "But then... this place burns."

"Monique, Lukas, and I waited until night came and the camp grew still before we began to move. We had spent the last few hours fine tuning our plans, making sure we were all on the same page for our attack. It wasn't the first time we three had gone to battle together, and it wasn't to be the last either. However, it was the first time we fought to the death with normal humans - something that changed us forever."

Ch. 25

The full moon was high in the sky, fully illuminating the night for the guards in the watch towers. They surveyed the ground, bored at finding nothing of interest happening as usual, until they saw a thick fog form in the nearby tree line and begin to push its way into the camp. Fog itself wasn't something to be wary of, but this fog was too sudden and was moving against the wind. Before the guards had time to do anything about it though, the fog had completely enveloped the area, drastically cutting down visibility for everyone.

The watch towers all ignited their big spotlights in an attempt to overpower the fog, but it was no use. The light did nothing but maybe make things worse. All around the camp, the guards were heard grumbling about not being able to see, but soon they had something more serious to worry about. It started as a light vibration and faint rumble, but soon the ground beneath their feet began to boil and crack. The guards scrambled around with wide eyes, trying to find any shelter they could while staying on their feet. Then, with a huge crash, the earth beneath the watch towers gave way, sending the towers and guards down into deep holes in pieces.

Horrific cries for help resounded about the place as several guards fell to their deaths and others were crushed beneath falling debris. And unseen by everyone, a long bridge of stone had built itself over the barbed fence and into the camp. That was how the three mages made their way into the prison and began their rescue operation.

"That fog was meant to put them all to sleep," Lukas said. "The spell they're wearing must ward off magic somehow."

"We'll just have to use physical force then," Monstrum said.

Perhaps drawn by their voices, three guards appeared through the fog and yelped when they saw the three strangers standing there. However, their surprise didn't last for long, and they seemed to have an idea of what was causing their sudden plight. They quickly raised their guns and yelled out as loudly as they could.

"MAAAAAGES!"

Before any shots could be fired, Monique rushed forward with a sword in hand and swiftly cut off the hand of the man in the lead. He hadn't even had time to realize what happened when she shoved the pommel into his face, completely incapacitating him. The movement was so fast that the other two stumbled backwards trying to react, and one even shot wildly into the air in confusion. They were soon hammered down to the ground like their comrade. Monique turned to her friends and smiled as she blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"Good thing physical force is my specialty," she said.

Those first guards had not managed to pose much of a threat, but they did effectively sound the alarm. Now the whole camp was alive and moving to counter the threat of attacking mages, though they still could not see more than a few yards in any direction. Evan excitedly watched as the trio began to sweep through the camp, dispatching any challengers that appeared from within the fog, and there were a lot of them.

Lukas protected himself with a shield of violet magic energy. He sneered at the guards as they watched all their bullets being repelled with little effort. When he had enough of watching them squirm, he held his hand in the air and collected the moisture from the fog around him. The water came together and became long spears of ice. With a great swing of his arm, the icicles were hurled at great speeds and skewered every guard within sight. Some fell to the ground looking like swiss cheese. Others were killed while standing, the spears pinning their bodies in place on the ground.

Monstrum continued to terrorize the guards with his destructive earth magic. Dirt moved on its own and enveloped the guards in great mounds before pulling them beneath the surface, effectively burying them alive. Any that escaped such a fate were crushed by huge rocks thrown at incredible speeds. Monstrum's skin shone lightly with an orange glow, evidence that he kept his own magic shield up just in case any stray shots should find their way to him.

Despite the destructive potential displayed by the two magicians, it was Monique that impressed Evan the most. With her large ears flopping around in the wind, she sped her way around the battlefield getting up close and personal with her opponents. Often, they fired on her only to hit air as they could not aim at her quickly enough, and as soon as she got close, it was over. Her sword rang out and slashed and severed and stabbed, leaving behind a trail of blood and bodies much more gruesome than what the two men produced. She looked so sweet and innocent when talking to her beloved husband, but this woman was a true warrior.

As more and more guards lay lifeless on the ground, Evan thought the whole fight was going to wrap up just like that. But then a loud metal creaking was heard approaching through the fog and the ground shook beneath their feet. Evan could see Lukas look over at Monstrum as if asking if he was doing that, but he shook his head in denial. Lukas raised his hand and the fog lifted slightly, only to reveal the approaching long barrel of a heavily armored tank.

"That's a little much for me," Monique said as the tank turned the corner and began to fix its barrel on them.

Lukas sent a wave of violet power towards the metal beast, but it simply passed over the tank with no effect. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"It's been protected as well."

"I can see how the dwarves would struggle to fight such a thing," Monstrum said. "But it won't matter much to us."

Monstrum quickly brought forth his magic into the shape of a round shield that covered the three of them. Unlike their previous barriers, this shield had complicated geometric structures throughout and a great many runes. This was magic far beyond what Evan had learned, and he was excited to see what it would do.

As soon as the tank had them in its sights, it paused only a second before it fired a great shell with a huge bang. It made Evan jump even though he knew he was completely safe. He expected to see a big explosion from the shell hitting the barrier, but instead there was nothing. Looking closer, he could see the shell was caught spinning in midair, wrapped up in a complicated magic web formed by the barrier. He thought that was spectacular enough, but then the spell glowed brightly briefly before the shell shot backwards along the exact same trajectory it had been fired. As if time had been reversed, the shell went up the tank's barrel and exploded. The tank's gun was blown to pieces, and the tank itself ceased to move.

"Nicely done," Lukas said, grinning.

"It seems the outside of the tank was the only part protected," Monstrum said. "And even that looks like it could be broken with enough power."

Lukas lifted the last of the remaining fog and revealed the camp fully again. Under the full moonlight, there wasn't a soul moving outside besides them. With no more enemies to be seen, they made their way to the camp headquarters, where they were sure the leaders were cowering. Indeed, inside they found a few officers who tried to make a last stand, but the three mages easily overpowered them and lined up the leaders on their knees so they could question them.

"You unclean monsters!" the camp's director said, red in the face with rage. "How dare you!? God will smite you for what you have done!"

"Which god is that, exactly?" Lukas said.

"The one and only Almighty, of course!" the director said. "You and your kind will be wiped from this earth like the vermin you - oof!"

Monique had stepped forward and kneed the man in the stomach to shut him up. Not hard enough to do real harm, but enough to knock the air out of him.

"Well, I don't think we're going to get much information out of this one willingly," she said.

"Luke, want to give it a shot?" Monstrum said.

"It would be my pleasure."

Lukas stretched out his hand and a stream of violet power was sent to the director's head. However, as it got closer to the man, the magic rippled and struggled to make contact. Seeing the power having no effect, the director's eyes lit up with joy.

"You see!?" he said. "Your demonic power cannot harm me. I have the protection of God!"

"Yes," said Monstrum. "But how long can it last?"

The director looked puzzled for a moment but then fear filled his eyes as the power coming from Lukas intensified greatly. The aura of magic surrounding the director got thicker and moved closer and closer steadily. Then finally, with a sound like the shattering of glass, the protection gave way, and the full force of Lukas's spell hit the camp director full on. The man gasped and his eyes went white as Lukas began to search his mind for all the information they desired. It only took a few minutes for him to finish. When he was done and ended his spell, the director crumpled to the floor unconscious.

"Well, he didn't know much, but I got enough," Lukas said. "This group doesn't have an official name, they're just magic haters, gathered from all over. The tank, though, is of German make. It seems the man that gave them this 'God's protection' also resides in Germany. It was Richter."

"Ansel Richter?" Monique said.

"That's troubling," Monstrum said. "Master always said Richter was a reclusive and unremarkable magician that didn't care for being involved with the world. Why would he be a part of this madness?"

"We'll have to ask him," Lukas said. "There are many more people in this group, though this man didn't know their location. Thousands of like-minded people who know about and hate magic users. I think this was just the start of their plans."

After that, they began to discuss what was to be done with the captives. Lukas suggested several forms of torture, but Monique was against anything so cruel. They couldn't decide easily and decided to think more about it later. They went ahead and tied up their captives for the moment and then stepped outside.

"So, what now?" Monique said.

"We need to check on the mages and get them home," Monstrum said.

"And then we need to track down the rest of this hate group and kill them all," Lukas said.

"..."

"They're killing mages!" Lukas said. "These were innocent people. We can't just let it stand."

"I agree that something should be done," Monstrum said. "But... look at this. Look at what we did to these people."

All around them were the ruined bodies of the men they had slaughtered.

"What would our master think?" Monstrum said.

"What does it matter!?" Lukas yelled. "He was always afraid to use his power too much, even if it meant saving innocent children. Well, he's gone now, and I'm not going to hold back when I see a wrong I can right!"

"So, what, you'll just rid the continent of anyone that disagrees with your own philosophies?" Monstrum said. "And what about keeping magic a secret? You'd expose us and all mages to the world and only bring about even more danger!"

"To hell with secrecy! Maybe it's time we stepped out from the shadows! Look at all the good it's done for us, hiding like cowards!"

"Stop it! Don't fight!" Monique said.

But they didn't hear her. Their bickering continued and got more and more heated. They were so lost in their fight that they failed to notice a lone guard with a rifle slip out of one of the prisoner shacks. The man was shaking like a leaf, but seeing the trio off guard, he raised his rifle and took aim. Just before he pulled the trigger, Monique turned her head and saw the man.

"Look out!" she yelled before jumping in front of her husband.

A shot rang out, and Monique grunted as the bullet hit her back. Enraged, Lukas shot a sickle of violet energy at the guard. It sliced through the air and through the man's neck, sending his head toppling to the ground separate from his now limp body.

"Are you alright!?" Monstrum said, catching Monique in his arms.

"It... hurts," she said with a grimace.

An augmenter of her caliber should have no problem defending themselves from a bullet, so it was obvious something was wrong. He sat her down and looked at her back. The bullet was still there, having been unable to fully penetrate her defenses, but it did manage to break the skin. A small trickle of blood flowed out, but that wasn't what alarmed Monstrum.

"The bullet carries a spell, just like the uniforms," he said. "This must be what they used to attack the village."

"I feel... dizzy," she said, putting her full weight on him.

"We can talk about what to do later," Monstrum said to Lukas.

Lukas just nodded with a dazed look.

Monstrum picked up his wife and carried her back inside the headquarters building to find a place for her to rest. In the few minutes they had been outside, the atmosphere amongst the group had changed greatly. Evan expected Monique would be fine as the wound did not look serious, but he wasn't so sure about Monstrum and Lukas. Somehow, he thought cracks were forming that would not be easily mended.

Ch. 26

"The spell upon my love was fortunately not very strong, or indeed, very dangerous," the older Monstrum's voice said. "The bullet had been given some penetrating power and a little touch of a sleeping draft, all applied by having the bullet dipped in a potion. The uniforms were likewise saturated with a potion of protection."

"Spells applied in such ways were weak and unable to stand up to the demands of mage combat. But it was a method suitable for the mass production of basic defensive spells for normal humans. We found large barrels of both potions in a warehouse at the camp. They were regularly reapplying the spells to their gear without the need of a magician's magic."

"We were able to free Monique from the spell easily enough, and she woke after only a brief nap. When we finally got around to checking on the prisoners, there were many also sleeping under the effects of the enchanted rounds. They were woken and freed, and the lot of us flew from that place before morning so as to not be discovered by any other forces that might be coming to check on the camp."

"We initially planned to return the dwarves to their mountain village, but they said there was no use now that it was no longer secret. That sparked some debate about where to go, but Monique settled it by inviting them all to come to her hometown. She wanted to help those poor people, but I knew she also wanted to ease her anxious mind and check in on her family. There were no objections, and that is how we ended up taking the longer journey back to her home, where we stayed for some time and collected our thoughts."

The scenery changed many times as the grimoire showed Evan images to match Monstrum's narration. He saw Monique's recovery, and the relieved faces of both Monstrum and Lukas, who seemed to have put their feud on hold. He saw the sadness of the dwarves at the loss of their home. And he saw the long journey across the land as they made their way to Monique's homeland. Based on what he saw, the group stopped at other mage villages along the way, bringing prisoners home and spreading word of what had happened so defenses could be raised. When they finally reached their destination, they all were relieved to see the village was as lively and lovely as ever, with no signs of any evildoings.

"My love's people were shocked to see such a crowd arriving at their village, but just as she had assured, they did not hesitate to accept the homeless mages into the fold. They were kind folk with big hearts."

"Long after everyone had settled into their new homes, we continued to stay and live there in the village. Monique felt better with her family within her sight, and I felt better knowing she was happy. Lukas... he didn't wish to return home at all. He had his eyes and ears turned east, where we had learned the magician responsible for the attack on mage villages lived, and where there were beginning to be rumblings of war."

The scene changed to show Monique, Lukas, and Monstrum alone in a library with Lukas standing and ranting to the other two.

"Germany is growing stronger and ignoring all calls to cease their bid for expansion," he said. "They keep pushing further and further! At this rate, it will be the great war all over again."

"We don't know that," Monstrum said, but Lukas ignored him.

"And you've heard the rumors, as well as I," he said. "They are ridding their lands of all people they consider undesirable or 'unclean.' Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Monique just looked at Monstrum next to her with a worried face.

"What do you think we should do about it?" Monstrum said.

"We should act before it's too late!" Lukas said. "If Richter is behind this, it will take a magician or two to stop him. I know no others besides us who're fit for the task."

"But we don't really know what he's doing right now, or what his position is," Monstrum said. "Moving against him might even trigger this war that might otherwise still be averted."

"It's plain for all to see that they will not stop on their own," Lukas said. "They must be made to stop, or they'll roll over everyone, especially villages like these filled with people they hate with a passion."

"And what if by attacking one nation, and revealing our kind, and our power, the whole world fears us and makes us their enemy? You must think of the bigger picture."

"You keep clinging to that antiquated secrecy pact and your 'bigger picture,' and they'll just keep taking more and more until you've lost it all without a chance to protect anything."

Lukas stormed out of the room, leaving Monstrum alone with Monique.

"Am I doing the right thing?" Monstrum said.

"I don't think there's any way for us to know," she said. "But I support you no matter what."

She kissed him briefly before she continued.

"But I do see his point."

Monstrum sighed before nodding slowly.

"So do I."

"We continued to stay put at the village, waiting and listening to every bit of news that came in about the worsening situation out east," old Monstrum said. "It would have been a pleasant time amongst friends and family if not for the tension in the air. Finally, after an extended period of time hoping for the best, we received news of the worst. Germany had invaded Poland. Then two days later, war was declared."

"I'm going," Lukas announced. "I won't stand idly by and watch others die when I have to power to stop it, especially when it is my own people."

Monstrum took a deep breath and nodded.

"What will you do?" Lukas said.

Monstrum looked to Monique beside him and she squeezed his arm, which he knew was her way of showing her support.

"I can't let you go off to war alone," Monstrum finally said. "But, if we're going to do this, we need to do it right."

"How's that?" Lukas said.

"We let our allies know what we're doing," Monstrum said. "We work with the governments so nothing we do is a surprise to anyone but our enemies. They can help us play our part in this story without overexposing ourselves. Sound fair?"

Lukas took a moment to think about it before he grinned and held out his hand.

"Fair."

They shook hands before pulling each other into a firm hug.

"The decision had been made for me," old Monstrum said. "Lukas had been right. The Germans would not stop on their own. I had tried to avoid the fight at all costs, but it had come all the same. However, one good thing came of it - my brother and I ceased our bickering. There was just no time for it. We had to prepare for war."

Evan cut off the flow of power to the grimoire and opened his eyes before the next scene could load. He had been watching Monstrum's stories for several hours, and it had grown late. There, on the eve of the greatest war in history, was as good a stopping point as any.

It wasn't surprising that the second world war would play heavily in Monstrum's story. There was hardly a soul on earth that hadn't been affected by it in some way. Evan had also learned in his history classes with Mr. Oliveira that there were mages who played a great role in the conflict. However, he didn't know much more than the broad strokes. He was very interested in how exactly Monstrum and his group were going to leave their mark on the world through this fight, which is what he knew they ultimately did. This would be the event that catapulted Elias Monstrum to the legendary status that he held today. To hear how it happened from the man himself was a great honor that any magic historian would kill to have a share in. Perhaps when it was done, he would have to clue Mr. Oliveira in on the juicy bits.

That was a story for later, though. Evan was exhausted and could go no further that night. He had more important lab work to do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next after that. He wasn't sure when he would feel like delving back into the grimoire, but he hoped it wouldn't be too much longer. He was learning a great deal just by watching the two magicians work. The magic they showcased was amazing, but especially the spell Monstrum had used to return the tank's fire. It seemed to bend the laws of physics and time, at least to Evan's inexperienced eyes. He spent the rest of the night replaying it in his head before he slipped off into pleasant dreams.

Ch. 27

Work resumed as usual the next day in the lab. Evan spent the morning helping Chelsey and Dr. Franklin work out some issues they were having with the body they were building for Freya. Of course, his help only amounted to providing some power, but he had long accepted this role. The others kept to their own stations and only ever took brief breaks to stretch before diving back into their projects. It was mostly like every other day had been in the lab, but things changed at lunch. He was eating at a table with Chelsey and Sierra when Delilah joined them and cleared her throat loudly, which gathered all eyes on her.

"Evan," she said, looking determined. "I think we should make a baby together."

The other two women at the table froze with their forks halfway to their mouths. Evan was sure he also had a similarly stunned expression on his face. He was hit by a strong sensation of deja vu.

"Did Sierra say something to get you to talk to me again?"

Sierra was seated next to Delilah. She had wide eyes, but she was smiling as she watched her friend. At Evan's accusation, she just shook her head.

"No, I've just been thinking about it, and I think it's a good time," Delilah said. "I'm in my prime and in peak health. And I'd rather do it now than wait until I'm older and have less energy for raising children."

"..."

"I know you have some standards for your partners, but I believe I meet them all," she said. "I've always gotten along with other races, and my family is very progressive. I'm also clean and am willing to perform whatever sexual acts you require of me for you to reach a satisfactory climax."

Sierra snorted and slapped her hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter.

"So? What do you think?" Delilah said before biting her lip nervously.

All of this had completely come out of nowhere, but Evan couldn't truly say he was surprised. He had been aware that the women he was working with were secretly aiming for this, so he was somewhat prepared for them to make a pass at him eventually. However, Delilah was much more bold and forward than just about any woman he had encountered since he fell into this crazy life. Yet despite that, she was still so pure and earnest in her request that he couldn't help thinking she was adorable.

"Well... when did you want to do this?" he said.

"Any time! Tonight even!"

"Ok, how about we go out tonight and... see what happens?"

"Ok!"

"Woo woo!" Sierra said next to her friend, happily cheering her on.

Chelsey also lightly clapped with approval, although she did so quietly while looking down at the table with a reddened face.

That's how Evan's first date in Far Water was set. The afternoon went as routinely as the morning, but there was an added excitement buzzing in the air, mostly coming from Delilah. When the workday was done, she told Evan she was going home to get ready, and she would be back to pick him up in an hour. Evan took that time to shower and get prepared for the big night himself. True to her word, Delilah returned to pick him up right on time, and they were soon off into town to find some food.

Far Water, like Tourmaline, was one of those places that had just about everything you needed, but in small numbers. When they got on the road in Delilah's big black SUV, they started discussing where they might eat. There were only a handful of options, and Delilah insisted that Evan pick since she ate at each one rather often. After thinking about it for a few minutes, he opted to go to the local Mexican restaurant.

It had been too long since he had Mexican food, and he really hoped it would be tasty. When they were seated and he got a taste of the creamy, white queso that was provided by their waiter, he knew he was in for a treat. It was so good that he had nearly eaten the whole bowl of chips on his own before the waiter had even taken his order. But soon he did put in his order for a nice big chimichanga, and he forced himself to sit patiently without eating any more dip.

Delilah did not seem put out at all by his hogging of the chips. She actually seemed rather delighted to find him enjoying himself so much. She had ordered a large burrito plate... and a quesadilla to go with it. It sounded like a lot of food, but it wasn't the first time Evan had seen a mage capable of eating for two.

"So, Sierra mentioned the other day that you're an Oni?" Evan said.

"Mmhmm! That's right."

"I don't know much about them," he said. "What kind of special abilities do they have?"

"We're a race of oversized brutes," she said, laughing. "We are large in stature and our magic is almost exclusively focused on increasing our strength. Other than that, we have thicker skin than most when we transform, making us very sturdy."

"Bet you're pretty good in a fight then."

"Yeah, we're natural warriors."

"Do you do much fighting?"

"Not really," she said. "I decided long ago I'd rather sharpen my mind than my muscles. Still, it's in my nature, so I spar with Kimberly often at the gym."

"That's cool," Evan said. "Was there something specific that made you want to do what you do now?"

"Well, I suppose you wouldn't know, but Oni are generally considered to be stupid," she said. "Just because we're big, people always assume we are only good at hitting things. I wanted to prove them wrong, so I studied hard, and before I knew it, I was graduating top of my class."

"That's awesome."

"But sometimes I know I can be a bit of a doofus despite my education, which doesn't help," she said, looking embarrassed. "Sierra says I just trust people too easily. I'm still working on that."

"I don't think that's such a terrible quality to have," Evan said, smiling.

They chatted more as they received their food and finished eating. Evan was pleased with all his food and decided he would gladly come back again sometime. Delilah finished her great pile of food even faster than he had. She made it all disappear with impressive speed that reminded him of a couple of small-bodied twins he knew.

"Shall we head over to my house?" Delilah asked anxiously after they had paid for their meal.

"Yeah, let's go," Evan said.

Delilah was thrilled and nearly danced her way out to her car. They drove their way through town until they came up to a blue two-storied home where Delilah pulled in and parked in the long driveway. It looked like a newly built house, and it had a nice big yard. She ushered Evan inside and began giving him a quick tour.

The inside looked even richer than the outside had. It instantly made Evan think that the scientists' salaries were higher than he would have thought. The walls and tables of the home were decorated with family photos and Japanese artwork. It was all very tidy and beautiful. Delilah made sure to point out a large group photo of what she said was her entire extended family. There were about thirty or so people huddled together, all smiling for the camera. Most were women, with only a few, mostly older men dispersed within the group, but all of them looked to be tall and muscular.

"That's not a crowd I'd want to piss off."

"Yes, I know what you mean," Delilah said, smiling while looking at her beloved family. "But they are really gentle people, I promise."

"Do you get to see them much?"

"Not really," she said. "Travel is heavily restricted, and I'm often very busy, so I tend to see them every few years or so."

"That sucks."

"It makes mom sick," she said. "She's always on me to move back home and be with family. Also, she's worried I'll never be able to give her a grandchild like this."

"Haha... yeah..."

"But that's why I'm so excited that you're here!" she said. "Now I can continue my work and still do my duty to my people by keeping the family alive. As long as you're still willing..."

Evan had no intention of backing out after coming this far. Besides, Delilah really was a sweet and beautiful woman. He could think of no reasons why he should refuse. It was a bit awkward since he had to step up on his tiptoes, but he leaned in close and kissed her lips gently for the first time. She smiled wide as she understood what it meant.

"Come on," she said, leading Evan towards the stairs by his hand. "My bedroom is up here."

Ch. 28

Delilah's room was wide and spacious with a huge king-size bed set in the middle of the far wall. It was mostly dark as a soft orange light from the master bathroom served as the only illumination for the room, likely by design. Delilah closed the door behind them and went over to the bedside table where an impressive collection of toys had been set out. There were dildos, vibrators, handcuffs, plugs, gags, clamps, ropes, and plenty of lube.

"I didn't know what you might like, so I got a little of everything," she said, moving things around. "Is it alright?"

"I'm happy without any of that," Evan said. "But I'm sure we can use a few if you really want to."

"I just wanted to please you however you wanted..."

"I'm plenty pleased just by being with you," he said. "But there is one thing I would like your permission for."

"What's that?"

Evan proceeded to explain his siphoning spell to her. He shared with her its importance to his training and what kind of aftereffects there were. When he finished, Delilah had a few questions, but they were only to satisfy her scientific mind. In the end, she had no problem with him using his spell and gave him her blessing.

With that settled, they were ready to get down to business. Delilah smiled and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She stood there nervously bouncing on her toes, waiting for Evan to take charge. He might not have noticed that's what she wanted a year ago, but he recognized the signs now. Despite the age gap between them, he was most likely the more experienced of the two, so he had no problem orchestrating things.

"Come sit on the bed with me," he said.

They sat on the bed and at last he no longer had to look up at her. He put a hand on her shoulder to turn her his way and leaned in for a kiss. Delilah took in a deep breath and sighed as she leaned over into Evan's arms, their kiss slowly growing hotter as they tilted their heads and opened their mouths. They continued to kiss for a while, exploring each other's mouths before Evan's hands found their way to her large breasts. He squeezed them gently and rolled them in his palms, drawing a gasp and a moan from her throat.

"You're so beautiful," Evan said, pulling back to look at the huge orbs he held in his grasp.

"Thank you," she said softly, allowing him full access to her body.

"Take off your shirt."

She did so without hesitation. There was no bra beneath. Her large breasts bounced around wildly, exalting at their newfound freedom. They were the biggest pair Evan had ever seen, which made sense, because this Oni woman was surely the biggest woman he had been with yet. He watched her wonderful breasts dance only for a few moments before he could wait no longer and bent down to take one into his mouth.

"Oooh," she moaned as Evan sucked on first one nipple, and then the other.

He felt like he could get lost in the great expanse of her boobs, and it was a ton of fun sucking and squeezing them, especially as he could tell it was really making her feel good. But he could only tease himself for so long before his lower brain demanded he take things up a notch.

"Lie down on the edge of the bed," he said before kissing her neck. "Put your hips over the edge."

She did as instructed and yelped when Evan stood up and began pulling her pants and underwear down her legs. She did her best to help the process along until she at last was completely naked before him, pussy glistening with excitement. Evan took the opportunity to quickly remove his own clothes before he stepped up between her long, thick thighs.

"Hold your legs back," he instructed.

Ever eager to please him, Delilah held her legs up in the air with her hands and consequently angled her hips up right towards Evan, which was just what he wanted. He closed the last few inches of distance between them and kissed her lips with the head of his cock. Delilah felt it and nodded wildly.

"Yes, yes! Do it, please!"

With one firm push, Evan steadily sunk his entire hard shaft balls-deep into her soaking wet pussy. They both groaned at the amazing sensation, and then Evan started to saw his full length in and out of the lovely Oni woman before him. He couldn't believe how fucking good it felt. Maybe it was due to going a week or two without sex, or maybe it was being with a new woman for the first time in a while, but whatever it was, he was really feeling it that night.

The same could be said for his partner. Her eyes were wide as she craned her neck forward to watch Evan's cock penetrate her roughly over and over. It was like she couldn't believe it was actually happening. The only sound she made was a short little yelp that snuck out of her throat every time he bottomed out within her. Other than that, the room was only filled with Evan's groans and the slapping together of their most private parts.

"It's... so... good," Delilah panted out between thrusts.

Evan agreed as he took hold of her legs and held them against his chest. He used the extra leverage to hammer into her center as hard as he could, making her large breasts bounce with huge waves like an ocean of flesh.

"Oh, Oh, OH... GOODNESS EVAN!"

Goodness? Evan nearly laughed, but he contained his amusement and continued to pound into her hard. He could tell by her short breaths that she was getting close to cumming, and he wanted to throw her over the edge into a pleasurable abyss as fast as he could. He also wanted to see if he could force something out of her a little naughtier than "goodness."

Sure enough, Delilah legs soon quivered in Evan's grasp as she began to cum. She closed her eyes tightly as it came over her. Her pussy clamped down so hard in the throes of her pleasure that Evan's cock was forced out completely, which had the effect of keeping him from the edge of his own climax. When she eventually calmed down, Evan got on the bed next to her and kissed her neck. At the sensation, she suddenly opened her eyes and fixed Evan with a fiery stare.

"How was it?" he said.

Her only response was to kiss him forcefully, pushing her tongue deep into his mouth in an instant. Something came over her as she no longer seemed content to be passive. She took advantage of Evan's surprise in the moment and pushed him back to the bed as she swung herself on top of him. That's when Evan noticed she was changing. Her beautiful pale skin became dark and red, and her body grew taller and heavier. Soon a red giant with large fangs and black horns was sitting astride Evan's waist.

"Delilah?"

As if she hadn't heard him, Delilah grasped his hard cock and fed it into her slick hole, sinking down with one solid plunge. It was Evan's turn to helplessly moan as the sexy Oni woman began bouncing on his cock while firmly pinning his shoulders to the bed with her huge, clawed hands. He might have been alarmed in the moment if he hadn't felt so fucking good. Despite her body growing greatly in size, her pussy squeezed him tighter than ever, and the wild bucking of her hips meant there was no way Evan could hold back for long.

"Fuuuuuck," he said, gritting his teeth. "I'm cumming!"

Delilah felt his dick begin to shoot off within her, and she planted her hips against his and swiveled her hips in a circle, clearly delighting in the sensation of his warm seed filling her. Long after Evan had fully emptied himself, she continued to shake her hips with her head held back, eyes closed in bliss. Finally, she tired or had enough, and she fell forward onto Evan's body. She sighed contentedly and wrapped Evan up in her arms and nestled him solidly into her hot, red body.

"That was great," she whispered.

"Yeah, it was," Evan said.

"Thank you... Evan."

It seemed like she was fading fast, barely able to even get out those words. It wasn't surprising considering the significant amount of energy Evan felt flow into his body when they finished. Soon her breathing steadied, and unbelievably, she fell asleep still clinging to him like he was a doll. Evan was unable to move and was completely smothered by a sea of flesh from the two largest breasts he had ever encountered. Not that he had a big problem with that. He resigned himself to his enviable fate and settled in as best he could to get some rest next to his new formidable lover.

Fortunately, it was only an hour or so before Delilah woke with a start and apologized profusely. She had no idea what came over her. She said it was like her instincts took over and her body just did what it wanted. She fussed over his body, worried that she might have hurt him, but he assured her he was fine. Better than that, he let her know that it had been really hot and felt amazing, something that greatly delighted her. He kept to himself the thought that he might want to wear some pads to bed next time, just in case.

Ch. 29

Delilah and Evan ended up having more fun in the morning when they woke up early. After a little stretching to shake off the lingering sleepiness, they soon found themselves embroiled in a sixty-nine. Evan lapped and sucked at her clit, and she did her best to suck as much of Evan's cock down her throat as she could, which turned out to be almost all of it. That served as a pleasurable appetizer, and they soon moved on to the main course.

This time, Delilah did not transform, and Evan took her from behind. They both knew they didn't have a lot of time before work and wanted to finish quickly. He also didn't use his siphoning spell so she wouldn't be too tired for the busy day ahead. Delilah's wide hips made for a very attractive target for his assault, and he hammered into her hard at her request. She was soon left satisfied on the bed, white cum oozing from her slit, while Evan left to take the first shower.

They both quickly got ready after that, and they managed to leave the house at just about the proper time. Evan was relieved they weren't going to make a scene by being late, but he grimaced when he saw Robin standing next to her car parked on the curb. He felt bad because he knew she most likely stayed the night there to stay close while allowing him some privacy. It was surely a shitty situation for her.

"Sorry," he said after crossing the yard to greet her. "I guess we should have gone to my room at the base."

"No apology needed," she said. "You don't have to worry about me. This is my job."

Despite her words, he did still feel sorry for making her stay the night in her car, so he insisted on buying her breakfast, which they picked up on the way back to the lab. When he walked into the lab later with Delilah at his side, there came a wolf whistle from Sierra in the corner. She laughed when she saw the big Oni woman get flustered at the attention. Evan was already prepared for it. He was certain there would be plenty of gossip about the previous night, and he was right. All morning, whenever the assistants met to discuss anything, there were long, whispered conversations and glances in Evan's direction. It didn't bother him much, though, since he was long used to such behavior.

With the women of the lab mostly keeping to themselves all morning with their gossip, Evan ended up working almost exclusively with Dr. Franklin. Franklin had mostly finished the initial batch of experiments he had planned for Evan's arrival, and he was busy trying to determine what direction he would go in next. As he was muttering to himself about artifacts, he mentioned something that especially perked Evan's ears.

"If only we had a grimoire," Dr. Franklin said. "I would love to see if we could project the images within to a screen for all to see. Maybe if I..."

He trailed off, getting lost in his own thought, but Evan chimed in at that moment.

"Do you not have any grimoires here?"

"Huh? Oh, no, we don't sadly," Dr. Franklin said. "They're rarely found outside the possession of a family's private collection. I'm not sure the government has even one. It really is a shame, because I've always had a ton of ideas to try out with one."

It just so happened that Evan also had an artifact he wanted to try out as well. One that he knew had to be here at the facility somewhere. He had been biding his time, looking for the perfect opportunity to get into the artifact vault without seeming too eager, and he finally felt like the perfect opportunity had presented itself.

"You know," he said. "I could get you a grimoire if you wanted."

"R-really!? Definitely! Definitely bring it here!"

"But it's a very valuable artifact," Evan said. "If I let you use it, then I want to use one of the cool artifacts you have in storage too."

"What do you want it for?" Dr. Franklin said, looking puzzled.

"Practice, mainly," Evan said. "I haven't been able to train much while I've been here, and I think I can make up for it if I can handle an artifact that is sufficiently strong."

"Hmm, is that how magicians build up their strength?"

"Well, I don't know about others," Evan said. "But it's helped me in the past. Really helps me understand how the magic works to feel it in my hands, you know?"

He was completely making shit up out of nowhere, but luckily, despite his immense knowledge of magic, Dr. Franklin didn't have much information on how magicians grew stronger, so he was in a position where he had to accept almost anything Evan told him.

"I see. I have heard that complicated magic is more about feeling than anything else. Ok! I'm sure we have plenty of powerful artifacts that would suit your needs. There's one or two I wouldn't mind studying further myself."

So, the two of them left the assistants behind and went out into the halls with their two bodyguards in search of the artifact room. Much like at the base in Tourmaline, the most powerful artifacts were behind heavy guard and stored away in a vault-like room. It took more time to get inside than it did for them to walk there, but soon enough, the door opened fully. Evan looked around with wide eyes as he entered. He could instantly see that it looked the same as what he saw in his vision.

"Alright, let's see," Dr. Franklin said as he began browsing the collection. "Which one would be best?"

Franklin began puttering around and explaining what each artifact did as he looked at them, but Evan paid him no attention. It's not that he wouldn't have been interested in learning about each artifact there, but his mind was only on one particular artifact at that moment. The tall staff sat on a podium in the middle of the room. It was there, looking exactly the same as when the Eye of Kronos pointed it out to him months ago.

Evan walked up to the case and read the plaque beneath it. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of information there. The descriptions simply indicated when the item had been found and who had donated it. No mention of its powers was made, and there wasn't even a name for it. The plaque simply called it "the staff." Noticing what had captured Evan's attention, Dr. Franklin came to stand beside him.

"Ah, the staff," he said, smiling. "It's a mysterious artifact. The only thing we really know about it is that it carries immense magic within it. I've confirmed that myself with my equipment."

He wasn't joking. A quick activation of his magic vision confirmed that the staff held more magic than just about every other artifact in the room. And the spells within were complicated, far more complicated than anything Evan had yet seen. His head hurt just looking at them for long.

"Did you try to activate it?"

"I did," Dr. Franklin said. "But it simply wouldn't do it. I think the power needed for this bad boy was more than I could provide with my machines."

"Not surprising," Evan said. "From what I can tell, this artifact must do something really amazing."

"Ooh, that sounds exciting," Dr. Franklin said. "So, is this the artifact you want to work with? I'm all for it if it is. I love me a good mystery."

Evan thought for a moment before he nodded. Having come so far just to turn back at this point would have seemed silly, but he couldn't help feeling troubled for a moment at the prospect of turning this artifact on. Nobody had a clue what it did, and even though he had been led to it by a seemingly all-knowing intelligence, he wasn't a hundred percent sure that it would lead to only good things. However, good or bad, it was supposedly the answer to stopping future disasters, so it had to be done.

It was lucky that Dr. Franklin was fully on board, because Evan had a feeling he wouldn't have so easily gotten access to the staff otherwise, but as it was, Franklin was able to get access to it nearly immediately. He was giddy at the prospect of what he might learn through this experiment, and he went to task setting everything up as soon as they returned to the lab. He had a lot of equipment to prepare, including safety measures to put in place, so there was no way they could do it right away, but he assured Evan it would be ready to go in two days at the most.

The rest of that day was mostly uneventful. Dr. Franklin barely spoke as he worked with Freya to set up the lab for the coming experiment. The assistants were informed of the coming experiment, and they spent the day setting up their own equipment to capture the readings they were personally most interested in. Evan was left to sit on the sidelines with Robin and Agent Jackson, who was busy getting in her usual nap. The place was buzzing with excitement over what they might soon discover, but Evan was simply praying that his actions wouldn't have horrible consequences - for him, his friends, or even the world.

Ch. 30

The next day was entirely spent setting up the lab for the coming experiment, but Dr. Franklin declared that it would be ready to go the following day. Since there wasn't much for him to do in the setting up of equipment, Evan mostly sat around thinking, and his thoughts were completely filled with worries. So much so, that he had to dip into his medication to find a little peace.

Even with his pills, he thought often about the staff and the immense power within it, and he couldn't help but be a little frightened. The only other artifact he had handled with that kind of power was the Eye of Kronos, and that experience wasn't one he was eager to relive. It had helped him overcome a crisis, but he had to spend who knows how long in a white void to do so, and it took a toll. Would he have to pay a similar price to use the magic within this staff? There really was no way of knowing at his current level, so all he could do was try to make things as safe as possible for tomorrow.

Dr. Franklin and the others had already set up some barriers around the area where the staff was to be activated. They assured him the material they were made of was very durable, even under the unique pressures of magic power. He wanted to believe them, but he still asked if they might put up a few more, which they had no problem doing. Other than that, he wasn't sure what he could do to ensure that things went smoothly. He wracked his brain, but all he could think of was that they should have a plan if things did go foul.

For him, he had his shield, and Robin would be right by his side. She would surely get him to safety in the event of a disaster. Similarly, Dr. Franklin had Kimberly, who was a guard for all, but prioritized his safety above others. If something went screwy with the artifact, those two would surely act to save Dr. Franklin and him, but who would look out for the others? When it came down to it, the only option was Agent Jackson. But... he wasn't so sure she would be up to the task. He knew he would have to convince her to be active during the experiment or she'd likely be too busy sleeping or playing on her phone to help anyone. So, he took a deep breath and went to sit next to her in the corner. Before he could even say anything, she threw up her hand and shushed him.

"Shut up," she said. "I'm on an important level."

Despite her seriousness, Evan could see she was only playing a game that looked like Candy Crush - far from something that shouldn't be disturbed.

"I need to talk to you for a minute," he said. "Please?"

With a great sigh and an annoyed expression, she put away her phone and turned in her chair to face him.

"What is it?"

"I need a favor," he said. "Tomorrow, during the experiment with the staff, can you look after the women?"

"What the fuck are you talking about, kid?"

"I have a feeling something might go really wrong tomorrow."

"Then don't do the experiment? Boom, solved. You're welcome."

"No, we have to do it," he said. "But if something did go wrong, you know Robin and Kimberly would save me and Dr. Franklin first. I just want to know that you'll be there for the others too."

"Fine, whatever," she said before returning to her game. "If everyone is in danger, I'll save the women and leave you to die. Happy?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Even though she was flippant about their conversation, Evan knew from experience that Jackson was a woman of her word. He also knew he could rely on her when shit hit the fan, so he did feel a good deal better knowing she would be keeping an eye out for trouble during the experiment. After that, Evan's anxiety eased, but only slightly. He didn't think he would feel completely better until he knew for sure how things turned out.

Since he had nothing better to do than sit and think, Evan left for lunch early that day and found himself eating alone in the cafeteria. He spent a good while slowly nibbling at his meal and thinking before someone unexpectedly sat down across from him. He looked up and saw Tiffany smiling back at him.

"How's the food today?" the brilliant redhead said.

"Not bad."

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Tiffany spoke up again.

"Hey, Evan? I have a question."

"What's up?"

"I know I'm not as cheery or as beautiful as Delilah," she said, eyes fixed on the table. "But... do you think you could help me have a baby, too? Maybe, if it isn't too much trouble..."

Evan's thoughts of the next day vanished in an instant. It looked like getting propositioned for sex at lunch was the new way of things at Far Water. He was flattered, but he didn't think he was up for it right then. He might be able to perform, but he was sure it wouldn't be his A game, and that's what she deserved.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Tiffany," he said. "I'd be happy to spend a night with you. But can we wait a few days? I'm a little distracted right now."

"Oh, sure, that's fine! Whenever you want is ok with me," she said, blushing. "I just... it would mean a lot to my family and all, to have a kid that is."

"I get it," he said. "I'll do what I can to make that happen."

"Thank you so much!"

Even though he was honest about not feeling up to it right away, it did feel nice having something good to look forward to. Tiffany often talked bad about herself, but she was truly a beautiful woman. Her short red hair was unique, and Evan loved the smattering of freckles that dotted her face. He knew it would be a great pleasure to spend a night having sex with her. But it would have to wait, because he had something else he wanted to do that evening.

Shortly after everyone left the lab for the day, Evan was seated in his room meditating. He had neglected it recently, and he felt it needed to be done before the big day. He sat with his eyes closed, focusing on his inner power for hours without moving. He had gotten a small boost in power after siphoning some energy away from Delilah, and he was focusing on stabilizing it within him. It wasn't hard work and was finished rather quickly, but Evan wanted to be in top shape for the next day, so he stayed in that mode for a long while after he had confirmed everything was fine. It was only when there was a knock on his door that he finally gave it up.

"Hello, Evan."

"Hey, Robin," he said, letting her in. "Is something wrong?"

"You looked like you weren't feeling well earlier, so I wanted to check on you."

"Did I? I'm sorry. I feel ok, just been thinking a lot."

He offered her a seat, and they both sat down in the apartment's small living room.

"Do you need anything?" she said.

"No, thanks," he said. "How have you been? I haven't had a chance to talk to you much lately."

"I'm fine."

"How are the lessons with Kimberly going?"

"Very well," she said. "I've learned a lot."

One of the reasons Evan hadn't spent much time talking to Robin lately was that she was spending the bulk of her days learning swordsmanship in the lab while the scientists did their work. Often Evan was stuck standing around and powering up machines while she got a good workout at the far side of the room. He was a little jealous that he wasn't able to use that time to train as well, but he was happy she was getting something useful out of the trip.

"From what I've seen, it looks like you're a natural," he said. "Still, I hope you don't have to use those new skills any time soon."

"Me too," she said with a small smile.

After a few beats of silence, she stood back up and faced him with a small bow.

"If you're feeling fine, then I will leave you alone. Have a good night."

As she was heading towards the door, Evan felt a need to say something.

"Tomorrow... I think something big might happen."

"Big? Big how?"

"I don't really know, it's just a feeling," he said. "But... just be alert, ok? I don't want anyone to get hurt."

She furrowed her brow and thought about his words for a few moments before she gave him a small nod. With nothing left to say, she left him alone soon after that. Evan spent the rest of the night watching anime and trying to distract his busy mind. He ended up staying up later than he wished, but he was grateful that he did eventually get a good amount of sleep. And it was a good thing too, because Evan's feeling was correct - something big would happen the next day. Something that would not just change the direction of the summer but completely reshape history.

Ch. 31

Evan jumped out of bed the next morning and got ready in a hurry. After stewing over what was going to happen with the staff all night, he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Whatever the outcome, it would be better knowing than anxiously going over every possibility in his head. Expecting it was going to be a trying day, he went ahead and took two of his anxiety pills. One to help with what he was already feeling, and another to combat what he was sure to face later.

Before he left his room, Evan repeatedly checked that he had everything he needed. It wasn't that he needed to bring anything special with him that day, but his anxiety kept eating at his mind and making him think he was forgetting something. Just after he confirmed his phone was in his pocket for the tenth time, he was about to finally leave his room when his eyes caught sight of the backpack he kept the grimoire in.

Access to the grimoire was the price he was paying to check out the staff. Even though he was worried about something bad happening, it was just as likely things would go smoothly and the day would end on a happy note. If that were the case, he would be expected to fulfill his end of the bargain. Maybe he should take the bag with him? Acting on a whim more than reason, Evan grabbed the bag and swung it over his shoulder. Then, he quickly walked towards the door before his nerves caused him to waste any more time. When he exited his room, he found Robin already on high alert in the hall waiting for him. Together, they made their way through the building and to the lab.

They arrived to find everyone else already there, including Agent Jackson, amazingly. She was sleeping in the corner, but Evan took it as a good sign that she was heeding his warning, and he was just glad she made the effort to appear earlier than normal. Besides Jackson, the others were all going about business as usual. The only thing different was the staff standing tall in the middle of the room.

At some point in the night, or perhaps in the early morning, the mysterious staff had been transported to the lab from the vault. It was already placed in the center of the room attached to the machines and sensors that Dr. Franklin had prepared. Even behind the clear shields that surrounded it, Evan thought it looked ominous, towering over everything else in the room.

"Evan! You're here!" Dr. Franklin said, spying his arrival. "We're just finishing up the final preparations now. Give us an hour or so, and we'll be ready to get this show on the road."

Sierra gave a cheering whoop from the far side of the room where she was busy checking the connections leading to a bank of computers. It seemed the assistants had caught Franklin's excitement as they all looked to be in good spirits scurrying around and setting up equipment. They all had smiles on their faces and joked around with each other as they worked. Even Kimberly showed a small smile as she watched it all at the back of the room. Only Evan and Robin wore serious expressions as if they were about to enter a battlefield.

Evan was grateful that Robin appeared to be taking his warning seriously. He would feel bad about potentially ruining her day if nothing ended up happening, but it made him feel better to have at least one person to share in his discomfort. Evan sat his backpack down in a safe spot, and he waited together with Robin and Kimberly as the brains finished setting up. Time flew with the anticipation of what was to come, and it felt like no time at all when the doctors reported that all systems were go.

"Alright, let's go over what we want to do with this first try," Dr. Franklin said to the group. "The goal is to activate the artifact briefly and gather as much data as possible. We aren't looking to use the spells within just yet until we can get some idea of what we're in for. Freya will handle the hard part. She'll analyze the data we receive and compare it to our magic database to give us the best idea of what we're working with. Sierra, Delilah, Chelsey, and Tiffany, you four will be manning your assigned stations in case we encounter any hitches along the way."

The four women all agreed easily, having already known exactly what they were to do.

"I'll be behind the main console with Freya to interpret what she finds and hopefully catch any problems before they get out of hand," Dr. Franklin said. "Evan, your role is simple, but I'm sure it will be the most difficult. You'll be providing the power to activate the artifact through the transference machine we've set up. That way you'll be behind the shields like the rest of us without having to actual touch the artifact. You just need to slowly feed it power until it reaches the point of activation."

Evan nodded.

"If there is a problem," he continued. "I'll press the shutdown button here on the main console. It will completely cut off the circuits in the transference device and severe the flow of magic, thus disabling the artifact. But if you sense anything wrong, you're free to stop on your own at any time. Understand?"

"Yep, sounds good," Evan said.

"Alrighty then. If everyone knows their roles, then let's take our places," Dr. Franklin said. "Good luck, everybody!"

Everyone took up their assigned stations, including Evan as he approached the transference machine with Robin right at his side. The input device of the transference machine was the same as what he was used to back in Tourmaline. It was a metal sphere where he was to place his hand and direct magic into. Long cables flowed from the device under the shields to the other end which was securely fastened to the body of the staff. Evan looked around and saw that everyone was settled before he looked towards Dr. Franklin at the center.

"Ok, all set?"

Everyone nodded or gave a short affirmation.

"Let's do this!" he said almost giddily. "Evan, start whenever you're ready."

Taking a deep breath, Evan placed his hand on the sphere and began to rouse the magic within him. He then started sending a steady stream of power into the device. Just a small trickle, an amount that would have barely produced a thin string from his solidifier.

"Ok," Dr. Franklin said, intently watching the screens before him. "The machine is working smoothly. Sensors are working and picking up the power, and it is being delivered beautifully, no hiccups. No readings yet from the artifact. Increase the power slowly when you're ready."

Evan did just that. He widened the stream of power and slowly began to feed a normal amount of magic power to the staff. With this amount, any artifact he had back in the hidden library would hum to life with no problems. However, he could feel nothing from the staff. Usually, he would get some feedback when linked with an artifact, almost like the spells within the artifact could be felt through his senses when his magic connected. But despite seeing the immense magic and complicated spells within the staff, his power wasn't reaching. Was it because he wasn't physically touching it? He didn't think so since the transference device had worked on other artifacts just fine. So, what was the deal?

"Alright, good job, Evan," Dr. Franklin called out. "We've now passed the power levels we were able to provide previously with just our equipment. Still no readings from the artifact. Keep going."

Again, Evan increased the amount of power he sent into the artifact, but still it had no effect. If he increased much more, he wouldn't be able to power the artifact for long if he did get it working. The depletion of magic would come all too quickly. Still, he wasn't going to stop until he tried all he could to turn the artifact on, so he continued to put in more and more. Finally, he felt something. A vibrating sensation coursed through his body, and he knew the staff had awakened.

"Wait! There it is!" Dr. Franklin cried. "Freya is picking up readings from the staff! Hold it steady right there, Evan!"

Evan did as instructed, but as the scientists began to call out readings around him, he didn't hear any of it. He was too focused on what he was feeling from the artifact. It was a strange yet familiar sensation. It took him a few seconds to remember where he felt it before, but then it came to him. It was the Eye of Kronos. The staff had the same odd feeling when activated, the feeling that it was alive somehow. That it had a will. As he continued to observe it, he got the impression it was moving around methodically in all directions, like it was searching for something. Then, one of the voices around him managed to break through his concentration. It was Freya's computer-generated voice.

"Magic unidentifiable," she said. "Magic anomaly detected."

"Anomaly?" Dr. Franklin said with a confused look. "What... "

Before Evan could register what he had heard, he was startled as he felt the consciousness within the staff turn its attention in his direction suddenly with a snap. He could feel it stronger than ever through the transference device. The staff was looking back through the connection right at Evan. A bead of sweat flowed down Evan's face, and he nervously waited to see what it would do next.

The staff, taking another page out of the Eye's book, began to forcibly draw out more power from within Evan and absorbed it greedily. Evan tried to stop it by cutting off the flow of power, but he couldn't. He also tried to remove his hand from the device, but it wouldn't budge, as if it were cemented in place. He could do nothing but groan as he felt his power drain away quickly.

"Evan!" Robin said, springing into action as soon as she sensed something was wrong.

She began to pull on Evan's forearm in an attempt to sever the connection, but try as she might, she also could not get it to budge. She tried to talk to Evan to figure out what was happening, but he was unable to respond. His power was draining fast, and it was making his head spin. He was doing all he could to just stay conscious. Seeing she wasn't getting anywhere, she turned to Dr. Franklin and yelled.

"Hit the kill switch! Cut it off now!"

Dr. Franklin looked taken aback as he had been too engrossed in Freya's results to notice what was happening with Evan. But when he saw the young generator's condition, he quickly pounded the red shut-off button next to him. Unfortunately, it did nothing. Even pressing it several times again did nothing. The power from Evan continued to flow into the greedy staff.

"I- I don't get it!" he said. "It shouldn't be possible! The device is dead!"

The others all left their positions and began unplugging everything they could to shut it down, but it was to no avail. They all stopped in their places and stared up at the staff as a large ball of light popped into existence above the staff's head. Inside the ball they could see something amazing.

All sorts of visions were shown within. There was a scene of a great war of tanks and bombs, then there was a calm meadow with a gentle spring flowing through. After that, there was a spaceship lifting off and flying towards space at an amazing rate. Then it showed a great battle of shields and spears. Each scene lasted only a second before it was replaced with a new one with the sound of a ticking clock. It kept going and going, and everyone in the lab was mesmerized by the sight until Evan screamed and broke them from their stupor.

"WATCH OUT!"

No sooner did he get the words out of his throat did the ball of light grow in size at an exponential rate. It was too fast for anyone close to it to react. The ball encompassed them all in a flash and spread out to the far ends of the lab. When consumed, they could no longer see the scenes from around the world that were visible before. All they got was a blinding light, and a sensation as if their bodies had become weightless.

Evan did all he could to stop it from happening, but he failed. His shout had taken everything he had, but it came too late - the staff completed its mission, and the lab was swallowed up in the magic it had prepared. Evan, like the others, couldn't see or feel anything around him as the light took him. He floated in nothingness for a few moments before he again felt something solid beneath his feet. However, the sensation was short lived. Whatever had happened had left him completely drained of energy. He had only been standing again for a moment before he collapsed to the ground, passing out and knowing no more.

*****

"WATCH OUT!"

Agent Jackson had been staring at the scenery playing in the orb like everyone else, but when she heard Evan's shout, she instantly knew something was wrong. Her instincts served her well, and she was the only one that was able to react as the staff's magic began to expand at a rapid pace. Well, she saw that sword-obsessed gorilla Kimberly move too, but she was too close to the staff and was swallowed up almost immediately.

Jackson didn't have time to do much herself. She ran as fast as she could and grabbed the closest person in the lab, the only one she had a chance of saving. Grabbing the redhead around the waist, she pulled her away from the approaching light and sped towards the far doors. Even with her impressive speed, the light looked to take her all the same until she jumped desperately through the doors with the redhead in her arms. By the thinnest of margins, they managed to fly through the door and escape the spell.

They landed roughly on the tile floor of the hall and slid several yards before they stopped. Behind them the light flashed brilliantly in the lab before it disappeared completely with a loud rumble. The redhead sat up rubbing her banged up elbows and stared wide eyed at the lab. For some reason, the window in the door only showed darkness. Jackson quickly got up and walked over to peer inside and was shocked.

She swung open the door and looked into the lab, or where the lab used to be. Everything was gone. Not just broken or destroyed, it was completely missing. The floor was gone, all the equipment was gone, and there were no signs of their colleagues. It was like a chunk of the building had been surgically removed.

"What the actual fuck!?"