Chapter 209: Dangerous Talk

  “The real question is, how you made it all the way to England, then Denmark, if you didn’t use any modern transportation,” Nara said. “Especially if portal travel is so expensive and slow to organize.”

  They were somewhere near Rzeszow, Poland, although on the Farside, the full extend that a Silver 0 portal of a bronze ranker could manage. The secret outpost here was even more hidden than a massive tree, which wasn’t hard to do.

  They had approached a glassy, silver lake, with lolling blankets of fog and tall green grass. The nearby forest had formed a wooden corridor, branches arching into a gentle kiss of oak wood and leaves. Glowing gold acorns hung in pleasant trios with skirts of leaves, like out-of-season Christmas ornaments.

  Start from the bend of the lake lake, walk fifty-three paces, then turn left through the two trees with the golden ribbon and silver bell, visible only to those that possessed a charm. There was a subtle gauze of magic, a gently placed veil and an innocuous pull to distract those wandering from the true entrance. It was…some sort of wide scale array magic, woven with the natural features of the landscape, that created an effect that befuddled the aura and distracted the eye. Earth’s magic—at least on the Farside—had traveled a different path, one working in harmony with the surroundings. Nara could discern no more, unable to access or ignore the effects of the array herself. It was only with her well-trained aura that she had noticed the effects, and the focusing power of her guides leading her through the fog, banishing the distractions.

  The Forest of the Golden Acorns, whether by magic, myth, or folklore, was one of the many mysterious and dimensionally mischievous locales. A pocket within a pocket, a space within a space.

  Acorn Alcove was the next outpost, and closer to a real town than Behemoth Beech had been. Charming houses were built in tight rows, with corridors of leaves and their ornament acorns glowing softly above them. A wall of fog rolled about the edges, the limiter to the hidden space the Farsiders had found for themselves. Wind chimes hung from the branch canopy, tinkling soft notes of glass and metal. Charms hung from shopfronts, advertising their craftsmanship.

  “Acorn Alcove is the local charm crafting coven,” Raven explained, who Azure was happy to cede the duty of tour guide in favor of keeping moderately silent, although he was not inherently the silent brooding type either, quick to interject if he thought Raven was unduly representing his sect or the culture and values of the far-born. “When you earn your moniker, Shine, you’ll come to one of these little towns and design a charm based on your name.”

  “She won’t be earning a moniker,” Azure interjected. “She is not part of the Farside.”

  “You brought me into this. Do you expect me to answer to justice of a community I didn’t know exist before then?” Nara pointed out, shutting him down.

  Azure tsked and looked away. “I hadn’t known you didn’t know.”

  That was a curious assertion, but Azure was unwilling to further clarify, no matter how much she needled him for information.

  “Anyway, what’s your charm?” Nara asked, peering at Raven’s hips, hoping to catch a look.

  Raven presented her charm, an iridescent black and violet raven with wings splayed like an eagle, holding a polished six-shooter within its talons.

  “Now each charm has a nifty little function to prevent Identity Theft: It’s a serious crime,” Raven sing-songed. “When you inject your aura, the charm will glow.” She demonstrated, the raven’s eyes alighting with purple and the muzzle of the six-shooting glowing white-hot. “So even if your little charm gets stolen, the dastard thief can’t claim to be pretty little you.”

  Nara knew that it was possible to completely mimic an aura to fool aura locks (as long as one didn’t possess a soul crest), but it was a rare skill. Not even Eufemia could accomplish such a feat yet, and she was better than most at mimicry. At silver, she may finally have the aura quality and precision to accomplish a close enough mimicry to fool such protections.

  “I don’t think anyone could claim to be you,” Nara said, appraising her, a bold black woman with sparkly silver eyeshadow and leather clad legs. Not just anyone could pull it off. What an utter queen.

  She laughed, tilting her black Stetson. “It’s all part of the brand, Shine. You’ve got to stand out in the crowd. There’s plenty I don’t miss about social media, but there’s no internet and advertising to spread the word.”

  “Is making a living that hard?”

  “Disavowing society means living without the benefits of society,” Raven remarked. “Farsiders can get a little uppity about their own Wild Wild West, but our ‘freedom’ is at the cost of standard of living. We’re backwards, Shine.”

  “Our culture is no more behind than the Origin—” Azure interjected.

  “Riiiight,” Raven drawled. “Is that why you’re so scared of venturing origin-side? I don’t mind buying you a fake identity and a plane ticket, Azure, it’ll be quicker and cheaper than this hip-hopping you’re organizing here—As long as you pay me back, ace, I’ve done enough pro-bono this month. There’s plenty of places for that sort of stuff. The advantage of living a double life is getting the best of both worlds.”

  “It’s the fault of The Agency and nations for their restrictions upon the farside,” Azure countered. “Else we would not be pushed into such small spaces.”

  “The Agency is restrictive, Azure, but I know for a fact that they need to monitor for the good of Originside. The Farsiders want free reign and none of the responsibility. That just won’t fly, not with those volatile zones.”

  “The sects clear the volatile zones within their territory—”

  “And that’s chump change compared to what the Agency has to cover,” Raven said. “Ya’ll protect your areas for your ‘plausible deniability’ and complain that the Agency encroaches to close on what we won’t cover.”

  Azure looked frustrated, but it seems his internal sense of justice won out, and he relented, acknowledging his loss. “It’s true. As much as I honor my sect, we do not all fulfill our responsibilities. Our training and individual strength is superior to the agents, yet we leave them to flounder, afraid of increasing their power, but also unwilling to cooperate.”

  Nara was surprised at how flexible he was being. She never thought Azure was a terrible person, just that he was a bit stubborn and self-important.

  Nara could see the central conflict; The Agency wanted to keep magic unknown to the public, which restricted how essence users could live. Their lack of resources imposed further restrictions, forcing most essence users to work for the Agency and other related organizations in order to defend against the volatile zones. The Farsiders wanted to use their magic openly and publicly and have retreated to the Farside to live out their dream life, sacrificing modern conveniences like electricity and internet.

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  “So, what if magic is exposed to the world?” Nara wondered aloud.

  “Woah woah woah, hold on now Shine, that’s dangerous talk,” Raven said. “There’d be widespread chaos!”

  “Maybe. But I think most people will gossip about it with their coworkers and keep working their 8-5 unless something disastrous actually happens. Are you aware of the issue of increasing severity of the volatile zones? If the Agency doesn’t expose magic to the public, the volatile zones will eventually do it for them, and it’ll be with fear and destruction.”

  “I’ve heard of such rumors from my sect,” Azure confirmed. “The adepts sense the winds of change. No matter what the traditional elders think, the time for change is upon us, whether we are ready to relinquish the protection of secrecy or not.”

  “You’re surprisingly forward thinking, huh, Azure?”

  “Hmph. I think power is dangerous without responsibility and honor. There is little honor in secrecy, and less in allowing innocents to die, of which the truth was hidden by their own guardians. To allow the Agency to fail because we are antagonistic does not prove us superior, merely willing to stand aside and let atrocity occur.”

  “Is that why you’ve been going inside volatile zones and helping out? I’ve heard rumors that what you did has happened before.”

  “Not all of us Farsiders are content to leave Originside to suffer. Our leaders may not take official, organized action, but many of us help when we can.”

  Raven shrugged. “I do some pro-bono bounties as well. Just…not this time. A gal needs to make a living.”

  “So, I’ve been wondering,” Nara hedged, now that she felt that she was friendlier with Azure, “what supposed part of this Farside Pact does a pact breaker break?”

  Azure sighed. “You are deserving of an explanation. The Farside Pact is a Pact that has existed for hundreds of years and is at the core of the Farside. Those that reside in the Farside must endeavor to preserve the integrity of the Farside. Interpretations vary—some consider cooperation with the Agency as counterproductive to preserving the integrity of the Farside, but others allow their monitoring devices to allow the Agency to conduct their research to preserve the integrity of the Farside. Regrettably, we understand little about the Farside.”

  “So…?”

  “You are being accused of working to dismantle the Farside, whether it be the society, or the magic zone it lies within. Whether or not these claims are founded, someone has placed a bounty on your head,” Azure said, summarizing her situation adeptly.

  “There’s a bounty? For real?” Raven exclaimed.

  Azure crossed his arms and frowned at her. They gleamed, dangerous and metallic. “Will you attempt to collect, hunter?”

  “No, no, don’t look at me like that! Even I don’t pick up every bounty that comes my way. If I had no morals, I wouldn’t work pro-bono.”

  “So why have you come to duel me? If you suspect the bounty the bounty is unwarranted yourself?”

  “The Alliance of Sects agreed that the origins of the rumors of pact breaking were suspicious, and an attempt to manipulate the Farside.

  That was a relief. The Farside had the sense not to trust suspiciously precise information. “Not so easily convinced, then. Someone wants to get the Farside to do their dirty work for them?”

  Azure nodded. “Not every hunter is as discerning as you, Raven. The Alliance suppressed the rumors, and restricted attempts to disseminate your appearance and name.”

  “It’s not the first time someone Originside has tried to manipulate the Farside,” Raven thought out loud, although she did not provide a specific example. “Farside does house the unscrupulous sort. It’s considered working against the Pact to accept contracts Originside. In particular: politically motivated contracts. Too messy and too much potential for retaliation. But some are desperate, and work ain’t easy around these parts, and strength needs funding.”

  “They’ve done a good job of it then,” Nara said, “if Dylan could only recognize that I was a stranger.”

  “He did get unexpectedly lucky,” Raven said, “although that useless sack of shit may have just wanted an excuse to terrorize the local population. Reassert dominance and peacocking, that sort of thing. Gotta’ show the world who’s macho.”

  “Indeed,” Azure said, proud. “We have no internet and no electricity, no formal organization for mail and communication, as Raven said, but it can be an advantage.”

  “In this veeeery specific case,” Raven emphasized. “Oh baby, it’s usually a massive pain in the ass. Every time I stay back here I miss another episode of Bridgerton.”

  “An incredible price to pay,” Nara said solemnly. “It can hardly be worth it.”

  Azure shook his head in incomprehension.

  Raven and Nara toured the Acorn Alcove for a few hours more as Azure was left one again to organize transportation on his own. Since Acorn Alcove was a hub of charm crafting, Raven explained the basics and details of the Farside’s charming charm culture.

  Lesser versions of the master copies of personal charms were given to others as evidence of a favor owed. Companionship versions or synced charms would sound when nearing the master charm, allowing allies to recognize when their friend was nearby.

  “Some rude mother fuckers may steal your master charm—avoid that Shine, at all costs—it could help them locate your allies—not entirely practical—but it's usually for their sick pride. They’ll display it on their belts like some trophy. Most people consider this reprehensible, but they always have their little clubs...Oh, Azure. What is it, ace?”

  Azure was considerably more worn out, dark shadows beneath his eyes, and his lustrous silver hair losing a bit of its shine. He reminded her of Chrome, in a way, although Chrome didn’t care a whit for justice. Too mortal and too fleeting.

  “No luck, honey?”

  Azure closed his eyes and sighed. “No. We could chain bronze portals, but I trust none that I've spoken to. They’ve heard rumors of my mission.”

  “Mmm, tricky. A bit too curious, were they?” Raven deduced.

  “I have no desire to walk through a portal into a trap.”

  “So, we’re a bit stuck,” Nara concluded.

  They stood around in their little triangle, sunlight deepening to a darker gold as it angled in the sky, immersing themselves in the sensation of futility with a moment of silence.

  “Well...” Nara began, “I may have an alternative. How do you feel about sleeping on a cloud?”

  *****

  “What I do not understand,” Azure protested fervently, “is how you could have retrieved this...Mastercraft from where you had stored it! If you had it on you, you would not have needed to temporarily depart.”

  “A girl’s got to keep her secrets,” Nara said innocently.

  “I do not have your trust.”

  “And I don’t have yours. Can’t give all my cards up.”

  “This. This is some card though. I could get used to this,” Raven said, loose limbed and taking up as much space as possible on one of the outdoor couches on the patio-deck of the sky ship form of her nebula ship. “Oh! When did that drink get there? And how did you know I like margaritas?” She scooped it up from the low table in front of her, taking a gulp of a drink that should be responsibly sipped.

  Sage’s service, she suspected, but she wasn’t showing herself, and she hadn’t been detected. Azure gaze was narrowed as if he suspected paranormal activity, stiff posture at odds with Raven’s your-home-is-my-home demeanor.

  The cloud furniture was wearing him down though, and he relaxed in unaware increments.

  “Where, exactly, did you acquire this Mastercraft?” Azure finally posed after some restful, quiet minutes. Nara could see that this question had been bothering him, jiggling his leg and preventing him from fully relaxing. “Much is odd about you, pact breaker.”

  “Accused pact breaker,” she corrected.

  “Pact—”

  “Accus—”

  “…Shine,” he finally relented, hugely unwilling. “You are unlike those of the Agency.”

  “’Cuz I’m not exactly Agency. I mean, I have a contractor contract with them, like an employment contract, but that’s not exactly the same. I’m not like…” at a loss for words, Nara lamely finished: “an Agent.”

  “…A dark EI then?” Raven proposed.

  Nara raised her eyebrows. There had been something odd about Raven’s aura then, a flicker that belied something other than cool curiosity. And while Nara’s aura control was good, she couldn’t actually read minds, and Raven wasn’t the sort with strong emotions to begin with.

  “Definitely not that. See, I have no idea how I could possibly be an accused pact breaker. I’ve been in a coma for the past one and a half years.”

  “Impossible,” Azure immediately objected.

  “Well, if you want to look me up, my name is—”

  “Don’t,” Raven stopped her. “No names Shine, not even for this.”

  She sighed. “Fine. It’s adjacent to the real story anyway. When my body was in a coma, my soul got sent to another world.”

  “…You’re pulling my leg,” Raven said, swinging her leg off the couch to sit with better posture that mirrored her interest.

  “…I’m inclined to agree with this woman, rare as it is. Explain.”

  “Not pulling your leg, although I know someone who’d like to—Well, I don’t exactly know how, but my soul got sent to another world. My sources tell me that there’s interference on Earth by this Super Powerful Eldritch Entity. They call this entity the Weaver of Dreams.

  “This entity has been experimenting with souls of Earth, putting people into comas as a side effect.”

  “Nasty side effect,” Raven muttered.

  “Me, as a soul, managed to escape off to another world. C’mon, don’t look at me like that.”

  “It’s unbelievable, Shine. And I’m not normally such a negative Nelly.”

  “I’ve got proof. Want to see? And no, it’s not my name.”

  Raven and Azure exchanged a look with each other.

  Proof, they would see.