Chapter 72- Demonstration

  Savage Land- Clearing outside of the Lost Sanctum- 4- Nov. – 2008 (06:10 am Local time)

  Lucian Aster, first disciple of Keacilius-

  "There's no need to rush." He told Ortani's disciple, and when she looked him in the eyes he added. "Each of us are here because we want to be reunited with a loved one. You and the other ter additions can be choosier of their ‘companion’, since after all, who you pick will be with you for the rest of your life.”

  Lucian was telling her the truth. Both his master and fellow disciples had something on them that was trapping the recovered souls of their dead loved ones. His master had the overly rge thermos, while his own sister's soul was trapped in a tin that originally held mints.

  "There's my worry," Aurica said from the table that they had broken their fast. "What if our loved ones don't qualify for being a Servant?" The former soldier understood her concerns. He and their master had to sy a lesser Bone Lurker to recover her son's soul from the Pne of Bone. Their infiltration specialist hadn't told them what her boy had died from, only saying he had been sick and died before he could even become a proper man.

  “While that is a problem you may encounter, I wouldn’t be too worried about it. Even Nightcrawler here qualifies for one, and he is the youngest member of our Brotherhood.” Magneto told his fellow disciple.

  “Him?” A red-haired disciple of Ortani’s asked surprised.

  The blue boy smiled and pointed his oddly shaped hands at himself before admitting. “I already qualify for a Saber cssed Servant.” Hearing that made Lucian raise his eyebrows, it gave him more hope that his sister would qualify for a combat css too.

  "How long will we have to work for the Magi? The Professor said something about years, possibly even decades." Another of Ortani's disciples asked. This one was a cute brunette, Kelly he thought her name was, from when he was helping them cope with what Oritani did to those who were unhappy with them giving up on attaining immortally.

  “That depends on you,” The mutant leader stated to expin. “If you go to the demonstration today, then the Magi are expecting at least twenty years of service. This is the price they are requiring for receiving the secret technique which allows them to bind a Servant.’

  “If you only want to join the Order to receive the standard training in the mystic arts, or to help those that you know are joining to get a Servant, then you are invited to remain here during that time. But they expect that the secret will be kept by the members that do attend.”

  While many of Ortani’s disciples nodded in understanding. Lucian reached over and rubbed Aurica’s shoulder, hinting to her that she should consider staying if she was unsure that her boy would qualify for a Servant Css.

  "And while myself and Ortani are not the best examples, as we didn't start learning magic till well into our lives, but learning magic will expose you to energies that will enrich and lengthen your lives. So do not think you are being cheated by this service." His master reminded the other gathered disciples.

  "From our encounters with the magic-wielding peoples of the Savage Lands, we can confirm that." The red-skinned mutant added.

  "Likewise we from Asgard can confirm that as fact as well," Frey added as well.

  Lucian then asked what few probably would want to press on, but he soon would have a sister to worry for so he asked. “If we are not being allowed into the Citadel, where will we be based then?”

  "The Order of Master will eventually be based in the city of Azic'Anii," Magneto answered.

  "That sounds familiar," Ortani muttered.

  Yet it didn’t to the former soldier so he asked. “Where?”

  Frey was the one who answered him. “It was a Magi city that was captured during the Betrayal of Atntis, and was the former capital of the Ice Carver kingdom. It was recently recimed by us and an allied coltion of Savage Lands tribes.”

  "You will of course need to work with the chieftains and shamans of said tribes, as it was they who fought and bled for the city." The mutant leader added. The former soldier shrugged, as it wouldn't be the first time he had to work with a patchwork government running a city. Then the mutant asked. “Any other questions?” When none of the magic users spoke up, Magneto's chair moved on its own to let him rise to his feet. Then he added. "Nightcrawler and I will escort those wanting to know the secret now to the demonstration."

  Lucian looked at the faces of the men and women he had fought beside. Aurcia started crying, but stayed seated while the others rose to their feet. Lucian's respect for their master was repaid again when he saw him lean into the grieving woman and whispered. "I know your pain, and I do not forget your sacrifices. They have a test, as the blue boy isn't a Servant yet, so we can try ter with your boy, once we make our own set of whatever tools are needed."

  She nodded and thanked him, before they started to move off.

  Lucian wasn't too surprised that most of Ortani's disciples decided to remain behind, and only the pair of blondes came with them. Sisters by their look, with one only slightly older than the other, they had their blonde tied hair into twin tails. It was the younger one who had asked where they would get their Servant from. The way that they walked and held themselves told the former soldier that these sisters had killed before, and would probably do so again if asked or pushed.

  They didn’t have to go far, only about twenty minutes of walking till they came to a hill with a guarded cave. Not the usual Magi guards, no it was a mixed party of cat and rabbit beast-folk, as well as a pair of insect-like men.

  The insects served as transtors for the other two groups as they quietly spoke with Magneto. Lucian tried to pay attention to the conversation, but Hugh Goodberry, his fellow disciple, leaned towards him and asked him in a whisper. “Is it just me, or are those two sisters dead ringers for Brittany Spheres?”

  “Who?” The former soldier asked confused, and slightly louder than he should have as everyone turned to look at the two of them.

  "As I was saying," Magneto said louder than needed, as he continued where he left off. "The magi are not limiting the Order of Masters to only humans, so Elder Lynet of the Leapers will join the rest of you. Meanwhile, the Cat People wish to see what your group can accomplish before committing some of their people to the Order."

  “And the two Shell-born?” Keacilius asked first among them.

  “While they will not be joining due to their inability to use magic, they will serve as transtors and instructors. They have already spent the st week teaching the Elder here, the basics of English.” The mutant leader expined.

  Then the rabbit-woman in question spoke up, saying. “Pleased to… see you.”

  No body corrected the rabbit woman, as many of them just wanted things to move along. Although given the number of people and the knowledge that the magi only have four sets of whatever it was that would allow them to revive their loved ones, most understood that they would be waiting. Lucian however, hoped that he wouldn’t be one of the people waiting.

  And sure enough with no compints or questions the magic users followed the two mutants into the cave. The lighting wasn’t great till they got deeper into the cave proper, and some half-magical half-mechanical equipment was set up basking the main chamber as well as any modern lights.

  Said light hung about the room casting odd shadows from the waiting and arriving people. Nath'aniel stood at a table, a sheet or something like it covering three sections. Off to the mage's left was a metal bed with a humming device that seemed to be powering it if his senses were right.

  Standing at the mage's shoulder was the rge four-armed woman, half covered in rock ptes, yet the only magic that the former soldier could sense off of the woman came from her neckce. ‘Must be another mutant.’ He thought as he looked over the others who waited for them.

  Unsurprising Nath’aniel’s two Servants were present. The bikini wearing spear-woman stood beside the odd bed, while the purple-haired woman was sitting on a stool, just this side of the table, she seemed to be dabbing a cotton ball against the edge of her sword while she watched them enter and settle into the chamber.

  What did surprise Lucian was the two guards in the room, one looked like one of the locals of the Savage Lands, yet his knives were of modern weapon-crafter's make, yet it was his opposite that really gave the ex-Legionnaire spooked him.

  Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth, had gotten his attention as a potential rival to him a long time ago. Back when they both served their respective armies, and yet seeing the whistling former Special Forces member had somehow healed his once scared constantly regenerating flesh, revealed not only the skill of the Magi. But it also showed how well rewarded loyal service to them was.

  As the former soldier approached the mercenary, the red-suited man pressed a button on an old school cassette pyer to pause the soft music that he was whistling to. "Mr. Wilson." Lucian greeted the other man.

  Deadpool pushed up his mask a bit more, to get a clear view of his face the former soldier thought. “Didn’t I shoot you once?” The merc asked.

  Lucian nodded before admitting. “You hit my left hip. That injury changed my life, while I was out on medical I learned my kid sister had been murdered by some human traffickers. And while was grieving at the funeral home I met my Master who taught me the real power in life.”

  “Oh, really?” The merc asked, his face breaking into a toothy smile before asking. “You want to go another round?”

  Lucian grinned back at the mercenary, but shook his head, saying. "Not sure future allies should be throwing down." The former soldier then noticed that most of the others were already gathered in a semicircle around the mage and his table. So he moved to join them, and since he was taller than most of the others, he just needed to stand behind some of the shorter disciples to get a clear view.

  Nath'aniel cleared his throat, before pointing at the metal bed and starting. "This is a spirit bed. Like the Magi bio-beds it can be used to scan spirits and elementals. Yet more to the topic of today's discussion, it can scan a person, or a trapped soul." He added pointing at Keacilius' thermos. "This scan will reveal said person's candidacy for binding them as a Servant."

  “Do they really need a css?” Katrina asked. While Lucian didn’t know much about the person she wanted to revive, he did know she too was worried about the person wouldn’t qualify like Aurica’s son wouldn’t.

  The mage diplomatically shook his head and expined. "I know that most of you are here because of the proven healing results from binding a person as a Servant, but you must remember that this magic is designed to bind either a champion or a companion to the magic user.'

  “You all want to bypass one of the most confirmed fundamental rules of magic. The dead cannot be resurrected…”

  "Then how do you expin the stories of Jesus Christ and his reviving Lazarus?" Hugh interrupted.

  “Easy. Heaven is in possession of Creation Stone, one of the eight Infinity Stones.” Nath’aniel answered without missing a beat. That statement took the wind out of many people’s hopes, although Lucian noticed that neither his master nor the professor was surprised by the mage’s statement.

  "And don't forget that there are csses for Servants not tied to combat," Magneto added from the back of the chamber.

  "Thus the need for two branches to the Order, because the key asset to this organization will have is our Servants," Keacilius concluded.

  "This discussion is all well and good, but it doesn't expin how you made it work," Ortani compined.

  "You're right it doesn't." The mage agreed, before expining the dey. "But everything going forward will be an Order guild secret. Recruits, junior members, and outsiders are not to learn of it. Only those fully committed to the Order or to helping the Magi will be shared it, and those members who are about to earn their own Servant will be taught it.'

  "Is that understood?" Nath'aniel took the time to look over everyone present. He waited for some sort of acknowledgment, whether it was vocal or Lucian's simple nod, before lowering the sleeves of his robes. "First to become a Master, you each will need to be seeded with a bind point and a command root.”

  The mage stated while pointing at the magical markings both on his arm and on the back of his hand. Even the inactive markings still held enough power for the former soldier to feel it from across the chamber.

  “But the real key was this," Nath'aniel stated before removing the cloth covering the table.

  Revealed were three completed, sets of what looked like wires attached to two bundles of some kind of node and an amber crystal. While a fourth set was id out but not connected. Everyone watched on as the mage reached out and picked up the unattached crystal.

  “This is an Arcane Stabilizer. It will allow the mystic arts cast through it to flow steady, preventing any surges or spikes from reaching the intended target. Technically a very skilled magic user or savant could have the level of control to not need one of these inside them, but few would reach that level of precision.” Nath’aniel expined.

  Lucian heard his master mutter softly. "So we were breaking the bond of trust by over-exposing them to magic. That's why everyone failed."

  “So it’s a magic surge protector?” One of the blonde college students muttered.

  “And how are we supposed to use them? We’re not mages. Humans will burn themselves to death by just shoving a magical tool inside of our bodies.” The professor pointed out the danger the mage was suggesting.

  The former soldier rubbed the tips of his fingers. The burns from his early days of learning magic left as a reminder not to fully handle the astral bdes that he could summon.

  Even the rabbit woman voiced her own worry in her sing-song nguage.

  Yet before the mage could expin, the mutant leader did. “Silicone. The completed sets are coated in them like the pstic on a wire."

  “The same stuff that breast impnts are made from?” Conrad asked from beside Lucian.

  "Precisely," Magneto confirmed. “The material needs to be slightly conductive to not interfere with the energy that needs to pass through it, while at the same time serve as a sheath or glove for our human bodies.”

  Lucian didn't blink as he saw the opportunity. The others were worried, but he had been enough scrapes and firefights that he wasn't concerned. So he spoke up loudly, when he said. "I volunteer to go first." When his Keacilius looked at him concerned he added. "This wouldn't be the first time something explosive was pced near my body." Pointing at a scar on his bicep.

  After a moment of thought his master nodded. Then the former soldier looked at the professor expecting him to challenge his actions, yet the concern on the older man’s face told him everything he needed. ‘The man’s fear will let me see my sister sooner, good.’ Lucian thought, before asking. “What’s next?”

  AnnouncementGreat news, the first draft of this book is now complete, so once the st few chapters are edited, I will be back to posting twice a week.