Magical Girl City: Empire of Ice

After a well-deserved rest, I had hoped everything that had occurred, had just been a dream, but no… no it was not. My new creation was alive and well, or at least as alive as it could be, all while wearing some spare clothes Talia had lying about.

They were a bit big. The girl, if she could be called a girl. She was petite. Her hair came down to her waist. Wild, unruly. Her eyes wide, innocent, though they gleamed like they belonged to a predator. Those very eyes lit up in unfiltered joy at seeing me. Our connection, the tether binding us, marking me as master and her my servant, vibrated in joy.

It was obvious that I had messed up somewhere, this wasn’t in the plan. She was supposed to be something else, a mindless doll, a servant. I had every intention of using them as a disposable tool and throwing them away once they became useless.

Then again, it wasn’t like my knowledge of necromancy, or of the soul was complete. My grimoire covered a lot of topics, but not very deeply. At most, it was the fundamentals…

A revenant was supposed to be a cold reflection of the person they had been. A mockery that gained in strength as time passed. This… this was nothing like that. Yes, given time she’d reclaim her old glory, but…

Now she was like a toddler. A newborn seeking affirmation, love. That… I could not abide.

Not wanting to deal with her, I brushed her off and went off to find Talia. She wasn’t hard to find. She was overlooking the array. Only…

“Is this… from the aftermath?” I asked, noting the scorched floor.

“Yeah, the array went bust.” Talia said. “And even after I added all those extra safe-guards and measures…”

“Well, it preserved our lives. So, I’d say it did its job.” Say, and clearly, Talia did not like that answer.

“Are you serious, we almost died! How can you be so… casual about this?”

“Well, we didn’t. We just need to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

That annoys her even more. “Maybe we shouldn’t have attempted a ritual of this scale, with an array like this. I mean, it’s made of chalk! Do you even know how much energy gets lost during transition? I mean, yes, its capable of channeling magical energy, but it’s not very efficient!”

“So, what, we should have focused on making a better array, before doing this?”

“Yes! At the very least!” She cries out.

“Then, why didn’t you mention that?” I say back to her. “You were perfectly happy to sit back and keep your mouth shut. Even when you made your multiple interjections, it never occurred to you to bring that up?” I press.

She opens her mouth to reply, only to pause and stop. “I…” She starts, only to pause yet again. “Your right… I should have brought it up. I just… I didn’t think.” Her head slumps.

“Yes, well… as I said, we survived. Don’t beat yourself up over it. No permanent damage was done. Just, next time, if you have serious concerns, bring them up.”

“I’ll… I’ll do that.” She finally says.

It wasn’t like I was innocent either… I guess, I could be considered just competent enough to get myself killed. If not for Talia, maybe I wouldn’t have even survived… Not just because she shared the load, but at some point, I’d have pushed that array a bit too hard…

It was only inevitable. It was also a common trap to fall into. Just because something works, doesn’t mean it isn’t problematic. Like a used car, one that struggles to start, has trouble getting up to speed. Sticking with it because it was still a car, up until it breaks down stranding you in the middle of nowhere…

Not just that, but… I’ve fallen into a similar sentiment that dooms many companies. A prime example being the helmet. When introduced into the military, the politicians had thrown a fit over the increasing number of injured soldiers and the associated costs. Only to be shown that the increasing number of injuries were because of the increasing number of people that survived lethal hits to the head.

I could make excuses, but honestly, I should have been better prepared… Which is why… “Regardless of what happened, good work.” I say.

She gives me another long look before speaking. “Really? Even though…”

“As I said, the only reason we are here is because of you. If that’s not worthy of praise, what is?”

“I… suppose it does… Yeah, I did do a good job, didn’t I?” She says after processing what I said, nodding to her own question. It was clear that my words had an effect on her, as she started to hum while looking over the damaged array.

“Honestly, it’s a good thing I didn’t link it to the other array I placed along the walls. I can’t be sure the warehouse would have survived…”

That wasn’t a good image. “I’d rather not lose my deposit…” Then again… the floor was pretty scorched up… Surely it would buff out, right? Right?

“So, what’s the plan here?” I ask, pivoting. Not wanting to consider that maybe, just maybe, that my deposit was already forfeit.

“Not sure… I need to better assess the damage and fix it up, in the meantime, I don’t think we’ll be able to use it.”

“I’d think not, with the state it’s in… How do you plan to fix it?”

“The marketplace in the Lower District has a lot of materials, I might be able to find magical materials that can better conduct energy for our rituals.”

“Really now? Any idea what that would cost?”

She just shrugs.

“Well, when you do know, leave me a note and I’ll recompense you for any purchases.”

“Will you now?”

“You’re working for me, your buying items to improve what’s mine, it’s only fair I pay you back for it. Just, be mindful of the price.”

“I will and thank you! I can’t wait to give it a go!” She really couldn’t, she was practically salivating. I watch her look over the array a bit longer, make some notes and sketches on a notepad. While doing that I checked my watch, it was about sundown now, in a few hours, the moon would be at its apex.

“You ready for tonight?” I ask.

“Ah, yeah, I packed everything already.”

“Well, give it another go. We’ll leave in a bit here.” I said. She hummed back an agreement while I went back up to the office/living area and packed up. Not much later Talia came up and packed her own bag.

As we were preparing to leave, she asked a very important question.

“Hey, so, the new knight you made, he’s rather… big, isn’t he?”

I glanced over to the as of yet named knight. He was definitely on the bigger side, sure, Cobalt was a bit bigger, but this guy, he was notably bulkier. Which was surprising, since they came from the same sized block of ice.

“Yeah, he is, is that a problem?”

“Well, I mean…” She pauses, gesticulating something with her hands. “How is he going to fit in the manhole?”

I stared at her for a good minute. Surely, surely, he’d fit? I couldn’t have made that kind of dumb mistake.

“I was just, uh, asking…” She relents under my stare and backs off, but… it was nagging me.

“There’s an entrance not far from here, lets book it and check.” I answer.

A short jog later and…

“He… He’s too big…” I said, defeated.

“I… thought that would be the case…” Talia murmured. In tow was the as of yet named knight, Estrella, Luna, and of course, our other newest addition. She looked lost. Though, she did follow us like a baby duck would their mother. Which was, concerning.

“Does that mean we’ll have to leave him behind?” Talia asks after a moment.

“No… I don’t think so. There should be larger maintenance entrances into the sewer.”

“What makes you think that?”

“It would make sense. With the size of them, it would only be logical that there be a way for larger crews, or even machines to enter.”

“Well, where would those be?”

“I have no idea, but… it shouldn’t be that hard to find. Let’s go back to the car and…” I thought, realized… “Ah, I don’t have my truck anymore…” I murmured.

“Is that a problem?”

“Just means these three will have to follow behind us. It’s late enough that it shouldn’t cause issues. We’ll just have to drive slow.”

I glance over to the three. “You three okay with that?” Estrella and Luna both nodded. Acceptance of their lot was sent over our connection. As for the unnamed knight? Well, he was completely unbothered by the fact that he had to walk.

“Great, then let’s go, hopefully we can find it before it gets too late…” And hopefully, me saying that doesn’t curse us.

We get back to the car and we drive. The newly risen corpse sits in the back, with Talia in the passenger seat. There was no mist yet, but an unmistakable pall settled over the city as the moon began to ascend.

I tried to keep calm. The roads in the Port district were wide and primarily unattended. Some areas had their lights on. The distant lights of trucks could be seen as the mist slowly coalesced. Making it easier for my knights to hide in the shroud. From afar, they merely looked like overly large figures. Nothing truly alien.

Yet, my heart still thumped in my chest. My palms sweated. My mind couldn’t help but conjure up every single way this could go wrong.

Surely, if we went towards the central district, we could make for the subway? I remember, that I had come up from the sewers once from there, perhaps there was a maintenance entrance there? Only, by the time we arrived, it would be far too late. We’d have to pass through the business district to get into the central district, and that would take time.

Time we didn’t exactly have. The sooner we found the entrance, the better.

It wasn’t long until the roads became a bit more deserted. It was clear that we were near the edge of the city. The edge of the Port district. The road twisted and turned, entering into what looked like a cargo storage area. Large containers were scattered about, and I could smell the sea on the cold, brutal, biting wind.

After a few more turns, we found an odd spot. Odd, because it wasn’t deserted. Cars, or more like family vehicles. Good old SUV’s and trucks. They were parked in a lit area, the light hummed and punched through the rapidly thickening mist.

There was a parking area, one I did not hesitate to use. On getting out, It was clear there were eyes on us. Others, an eclectic mix of men and women. All of them wore masks or with the hoods on their jackets pulled up. Obscuring their faces and forms. There appeared to be groups, cliches that some stuck to, while keeping distance between other groups.

Our arrival was met with a mix of interest and worry. Especially as they noted that we weren’t covered up. I could tell they were marking us, remembering us, but none of them spoke out, or even approached us. Their eyes were on a singular place.

A door, a solid steel door that sat at the end of what looked like a large pipe. Made especially eye catching by the sole light that beamed down on it from above. The whole lot was lit up by lights. Many that buzzed and flickered, all doing their best to keep the mist away, and whatever horrors that may lie within.

We garnered even more attention as my knights came into view. Still, nobody approached us.

In the end, we settled into a corner and waited. Nobody spoke, but one particular individual was watching Talia with an odd amount of curiosity. Before I could even ask about it though, the moon had finished its ascent. The very moment it did. The air seemed to shift. With it, came a loud, kerchunk, like that of an old lock coming undone.

With it, the steel door creaked open, as if to invite us in. A ghastly wail erupted out.

Nobody stepped back. Nobody looked at it twice. Everyone simply accepted it for what it was.

By some pre-established pecking order, one group went, and once they were inside, the door slammed shut behind them. Nobody moved, not until the door creaked open once more and the next group went. On this went, until we were the last group up.

We did one last check before stepping inside. The interior was… bright. And warm. Lights lined the walls, beaming down, illuminating the space. The air smelled wet, like damp stone.

Once we were all in, the door slammed shut behind us. The lights flickered, briefly plunging us into darkness and the next moment, they were back on and yet…

“I think we just moved.” I said.

“I agree. There was a shift of some sort.” Talia agreed. The others weren’t really sure, and I wasn’t sure their opinions mattered here.

After another, final, final check, we were on the move.

“What’s the plan, how far are we going?” Talia asked.

“I’d like to get to the catacombs, if possible, the third layer. Though, the second layer might prove troublesome without a guide.” Not that she had a frame of reference for what I was talking about.

“A guide?”

“Yeah, it’s fairly maze like.” I began to explain what it was like.

“I think I can help. I’m pretty good at sensing ambient magical energy.”

“If you could, that would save us a lot of time.” I said.

“I’ll do that then…” A pause. “By the way, were you going to name them?” She asks, pointing to the knight and the girl.

“I had an idea, or two.” I say.

“What were you thinking?” She asks.

“Your awfully curious, aren’t you? The knight I can understand, but what about the girl? Wasn’t she your captain or something? Didn’t she have a name?”

“No… she wasn’t in that much of a better position compared to us. Foxes tended to take orders directly from the big boss, but even then, only the top magical girls were even given names, let alone proper clothing or food.”

“So, she was just another fox?”

“Yes, it afforded her certain privileges, but…” She pauses, searching for the words. “Honestly, I never liked her. None of us did. She was insufferable, a pain, but… Seeing her like this, I realize, it would be a shame if she wasn’t at least given a name, you know?”

“I can kind of understand that… Fine, the knight, I was going to call him Fathom.”

“Fathom?”

“Yeah, like the measure of depth. Since, he seems completely unbothered by everything.”

“And… her?”

“Shi… It can mean corpse. It can also mean stone, depending on the language and how its written.”

“That…”

“That’s not a good name, right?”

“No, I mean, its pragmatic.”

“Should I give her a last name as well?”

“No… I think that’s fine, just, I was expecting a bit more.”

Now it was my turn to give her a look. Part of me was curious as to what she had in mind, another part of me just wanted to get on with this expedition. Ultimately, I cared more for the expedition than such simple curiosity.

“No matter, let’s just move on. Fathom, take point. Estrella, Luna, take rear. Shi, you’re with us at the center.”

Each moved according to my will. Shi nodded and ran to or sides. Her eyes wide with wonder, taking in everything like a child would.

The passage was large. The sound of Fathom’s steps echoed down. There were no twists and turns, but on a whim, I looked back. From whence we came, the passage was dark. Empty, an abyssal darkness that seemed to claw its way forward.

Unnerved, I faced back to the front and went on my way, acting as if I had never seen anything. Before long, the passage shifted, the sound of running water reached our ears.

We were now officially in the sewers. A river of sewage flowed beside us. Above pipes sat, some dripping, others shot out gouts of water into the flowing river.

It wasn’t hard to follow the flow of water, and it didn’t take long before we found our first opponent.

A simple shade. Meandering, wandering, as if lost. And perhaps they were. My mind drifted back to that man I had helped, the figure I had seen in the reflection of a puddle.

These shades were the city denizens, shifted, changed by the miasma, or by whatever it was that existed below the city. Here, they lacked the inhuman qualities of the monsters above. Blackened forms, covered in a slight haze of what I could now tell was corrupted magical energy. Their body, quite literally being suffused and changed before our eyes.

I wonder what it felt like. Did it hurt? Did they feel untold agony as their body shifted and churned? Or… was it like being suffused in the cold. Under the ice. A numbing sensation, followed by a burst of warmth…

In the end, I suppose it didn’t really matter…

“Fathom. Show me what you can do.” The knight, obliged. With a stomp, they launched themselves forward, their massive cleaver crunched into the shade, immediately pulverizing them, reducing them into little more than a meaty paste that plastered against the wall.

Talia whistled. I couldn’t help but agree. That was impressive. It didn’t even look like he put any real force behind the swing. At a glance, it was clear. Fathom was stronger and sturdier than the other knights. Perhaps that was because he was a bronze?

Without much ado, we continued on. It wasn’t long before we met another shade.

“Shi, your turn.” I commanded. The girl looked at me with wide eyes and then looked to the shade. I felt her confirmation over our link, her hand extended out. With the sound of crackling ice, a spear came into being. It looked like the one she had in life, only, it wasn’t red, but blue.

Not just that, but the spear itself seemed to emanate a chilling frost. Had her nature changed with the transformation?

As I considered the implications, Shi moved with startling speed. Nearly silent, she essentially glided along the floor up until she came up to the shade. With a single swipe of her spear, the shade was cut in half. With a pair of kicks, the halves were sent into the river beside us.

Once done, she looked at me as if expecting approval.

“Is that all?” I asked. Her joy, dimmed. She frowned and I felt something over her link.

“Okay, show me what you can do with the next one.” She nods, eager to prove herself.

The next shade, she doesn’t approach. She slams the butt of her spear into the ground and not a moment later, a new spear juts out of the stone floor and impales into the shade… Only…

The shade was still alive. All too easily, it pulled at the spear and broke it with its hands. Freeing itself, only to fall to the ground and writhe. Even then, it kept trying to crawl for us.

“That it?” I ask again. “Is that your limit?”

She slammed the butt of her spear into the ground again and yet… nothing. A limitation, or was this really the best she could do?

My disappointment bled over our link. Desperation echoed back. With closed eyes, the girl seemed to ask permission. For what, I had no idea. Still, I gave it.

She inhaled, exhaled. Her eyes went shut, hands crossed over her chest. I felt it, heard it. It echoed out from her, and my own heart echoed back.

Before my eyes, she transformed. Her body froze over, shattering and breaking, until she was revealed. Her uniform… was different as well. The motif, different.

It looked like a uniform, similar to mine, but more like one fit for a student. The color scheme was similar to mine, but with a key difference. Her uniform was white, like mine, but the trim was black with a line of red. Her eyes blazed. Magic surged out.

With a stamp of her spear, more spears sprouted of the earth, one after the other, each impaling the shade. Rising it higher and higher until it hit the ceiling. The temperature dropped. Frost covered every surface. The air crackled.

Shi breathed harshly. Her uniform scattered into motes of crystalline dust. She fell to the ground, exhausted and…

Hungry.

Her eyes were predatory as they gazed over us. The gleam of intelligence quickly faded as she began to succumb to her hunger. Her desire, her need screamed into my skull with startling clarity.

I didn’t hesitate.

“Come.” I commanded and pulled up the sleeve of my jacket. Without hesitation, she did, she leapt out, her teeth bit into my arm. Talia let out a yelp, but a single look kept her from intervening. Only once she had her fill did Shi stop. Her eyes glistened between worry and pleasure. The nourishment of my blood sending waves of ecstasy through her being.

The wound was small. It barely bled. The area around it felt numb. Exhausted and now full, Shi fell forward, into my embrace and fell right to sleep.

This… was going to be an issue.