Magical Girl City: Empire of Ice

The city was a mess. The moment I arrived at the clan leader, Liu Chou’s office he had me handling city rescue efforts and supply acquisition. Meanwhile, he went off to assist the army in dealing with the stragglers of last night’s attack.

Having essentially been given command over the city, I was quickly read into the situation.

The initial phase of the attack had gone to plan. Exceedingly so. While we fought with the silver ranked lizard, or whatever the hell we were going to call them, the army had done a decent job of controlling the lesser monsters.

Well, decent considering the circumstances. The monsters had been organized, which made containing them not only difficult but extremely costly. Casualties were through the roof. Luckily, most of the casualties weren’t deaths. Most of the damage consisted of lost limbs, which would normally be debilitating, and severe injuries that would have led to death eventually.

Joan’s presence changed that. Actual losses were minor in the grand scheme of things, with a loss between ten to twenty percent, with an overall increase in fighting power estimated to range upwards from fifty, all the way to well above a hundred percent.

And that was just the initial estimates. As more people settled into their newfound power, the ratios would drastically increase. That, and given time to absorb the frankly absurd amount of energy that now choked the city, everyone, even the most mundane of citizens, were gaining an unusual amount of strength. Normally, this would present a problem, but as it was, it was a miracle in disguise.

If anything, the battle would have been considered a net gain, if not for the gold rank. With its arrival, the monsters had shown a startling degree of coordination. More so than what they’d shown off before. In a matter of moments after first contact, they’d managed to breach the line and force the various forces into corners and push their way into the city proper.

Only the timely arrival of a fresh wave of troops, headed by Liu Lian, and even Liu Chou throwing his hat in the ring, did they manage to stop the invading force in its tracks and preserve what currently remained of the army and city.

As for the damage to the city, it was, in a word, catastrophic. The initial fire blast the dragon had sent out had blown through the central part of the city, passed through the outer edge of the residential district before blowing a gaping wound into the wall and beyond.

Thankfully, people had been in shelters at the time, but the following shockwave and superheated debris that rained everywhere started numerous fires throughout the city. Fires they were still struggling to put out. On top of that, the second blast had torn through the upper part of the city, punching another hole into the walls.

Additionally, while the city was quite literally burning down, the rain was still pouring down. And instead of putting the fires out, it only seemed to be adding fuel to the flames, making them that much harder to deal with. That combined with the numerous destroyed buildings, the torrential floodings and yeah, it did not look good.

In essence, the city was a sinking ship. Monsters were pouring into the gaps constantly. Even with soldiers guarding each entrance, monsters were still bypassing them, either by climbing the walls, or by rushing past the soldiers.

We simply lacked the numbers to maintain so many different fronts, and even after expanding the conscription order, the city was in a hot mess, to put it lightly.

At least, there was a single ray of hope. When the gold rank had died, the monster’s coordination had all but disappeared.

So, instead of having a singularly focused horde of monsters rampaging through the city, there were dozens of them wandering the streets doing whatever they wanted. Liu Chou’s job was to hem them in and kill them off before they could do more damage. Whilst my job was to get the populace under control, take stock of supplies, and finally prepare for evacuation.

Because apparently, the agent hadn’t simply come to talk with us. He’d also arrived to deliver orders to evacuate the city’s population to the provincial government. After all, the realm was rapidly collapsing. And it was only getting worse by the moment as reports of entropic creatures continued to pour in.

The whole realm had gotten the message, but nobody was sure who’d make it and who wouldn’t.

With all this, it still took a better part of the day just to finish putting out the fires. By evening, I’d only just started on getting together stores and stockpiles. Throughout the night I continued to work, and it was only when morning came that Liu Chou came to report in that the stragglers were dead.

The man looked older from the exertion. Like he’d aged years in the past few days. I didn’t ask anything as he settled down beside me and aided in the efforts and by the end of the second day, we had a basic plan outlined.

Which was about when Diana arrived. Like she said, making the trip was easy knowing where the city was. Having everyone pull together their resources meant that they could traverse a week’s worth of travel in under two days. Even if it meant fighting their way through a flood of horrors.

She wasted no time and the moment we were all together, we had an official meeting, spoke with Joseph and finally it came down to the vote. It was a rather short, but frustrating event. The majority believed we should aid the people here, even if it meant risking our lives. A select few agreed with me and decided they didn’t like the uncertainty of working with another, relatively unknown group. Even if it would just be Joseph and the inhabitants.

It was clear we didn’t have the full picture, but to the majority it didn’t matter. Especially when the alternative meant either waiting it out and losing the event anyway or deciding to conquer the place and eke out a win. Something nobody had the stomach for. And it wasn’t like anybody actually believed we could hold out against the coming storm, barring us from that option. Which is probably why the mascots never gave it to us as an actual option…

With that over with we continued to prepare, and by the start of the third day we were nearly done and finished by the end of the day. Hastened by the support of over a dozen magical girls, getting the last minute work done proved to be surprisingly simple, and with the start of the fourth day we moved out.

That night, there were additional talks with the Bureau agent. Mainly a series of questions and answers a bit here and there. I tuned most of it out as I considered my own resources.

My soldiers were mostly intact. Those left at the base were eager to serve and prove themselves. As for those that came with me, most were dead. The rest were either badly injured or crippled with lost limbs. Something that I mulled over the meeting until it ended and what I was going to do with them.

Especially since I lacked the time or energy to properly fix them up using improved stone.

Surprising even me, by the morning of the fourth day, my stone soldiers had fully recovered. Rather than wait for a proper fix they decided on an almost cruel, but more expedient method.

They ripped off the limbs of their dead compatriots and used those to make up for what they lost. It was effective, but… it was obvious at a glance that it severely compromised their durability. Even as became Bronze ranked at minimum with some close to the threshold of Mid-Bronze it became clear, they would not be able to progress beyond Mid-rank. Their stone forms were covered in cracks, cracks that had filled with ice. On top of that, the mismatched limbs were jaggedly connected with ice keeping them together.

I took some time to advance those at the threshold to Mid-Bronze, but if anything, it made them that much weaker. That much more fragile. Yes, they grew stronger, smarter, and more able overall, but this was their limit. Ands I could tell; they knew that as well.

In the time we had before leaving, they gathered what stone they could and tried to bolster up their frames, but the actual effect was minimal at best. As for everything else, well, confronted with the fact that I’d likely be fighting hordes of those entropic fiends, the idea of continuing to hold onto my gold coin was judged rather, unwise.

So, as we began our march toward the provincial capital, my mind was on what to spend the coin on. Luckily, I had the whole trip to make a decision. A few of the others noticed the coin. Rather, they sensed the magical power it emanated, but I wasn’t concerned.

Those that noticed it were unlikely to steal the coin. I’d be more concerned about Morrigan making a go for it, but we were on somewhat decent terms as of now. Joan had seemed to warm up to her as well, which was new.

Of the group, nobody was really notable. However, I could only just barely sense Liche hanging on the periphery of our group. Her magic was constantly going, her existence flitting in and out of perception. Most of the group, and even the caravan forgot about her, or outright failed to notice her existence as she moved about.

She didn’t look great. Dark circles under her eyes, face pale. I could tell her mind was occupied, that she wasn’t eating well, and yet, I also knew there was nothing I could do. Of the whole group, only Joan interacted with her. Those brief interactions brought some life back to Liche, but only some.

Her eyes occasionally glanced in my direction, but I made a point not to let her know I knew that. It was a struggle to remember her, but it was also good training. And a good way to keep me on my toes.

The trip was anything but uneventful. The entire realm was under orders to evacuate. Horsemen were sent out to deliver orders and coordinate evacuations. All too quickly our roving caravan stretched out to the horizon seemingly. Snaking down the road, filled with people, mules, and carts.

There was a general sense of unease. That was made worse by the constant assaults, by both wild animals and corrupted monsters. Fortunately, that meant there was plenty of meat for the trip. The further in we went, the more people we encountered and the more we heard.

Word of monstrosities wiping out villages, consuming all life before moving on. Of herds of animals sweeping through. On more than one occasion we were treated to such a sight. As wildlife, both prey and predator fled in shared harmony, all fleeing towards refuge, more specifically, towards the provincial capital.

Nobody had any scruples hunting and killing the fleeing wildlife. If anything, they were more concerned with the growing number of bellies on the march, and what may lie ahead of us.

It wasn’t until we reached the capital that we saw the absolute scope of this exodus. For miles around the city, people were camped about. A slow, but steady stream of refugees piled in.

Like the center of the storm, the capital sat unmolested, seemingly untouched by the surrounding chaos. All the while, all around it people teemed, and beasts roamed with abandon. Oddly though, so close to the center of the maelstrom, all fight left the beasts as they mingled with the people, clearly afraid of what was coming.

As for the city itself, it was massive, with walls that jutted into the sky. Large gates that could easily allow hundreds to walk in, side-by-side. All along the walls, soldiers patrolled in formation. Banners flew high, waving in the wind. It was clear they were on high alert, as teams of horsemen patrolled along the edges of the growing refugee camp.

There were many concerns, but it quickly became apparent food wasn’t one of them. Not yet at least. Efforts were made to coordinate living quarters, designated places to deal with waste. To make sure everyone was fed, with something to drink.

Our arrival gathered some attention. The long line before us parting as the soldiers at the gate noticed the banners and flags waving above us, signaling who we belonged to.

We quickly made our way in, which is where we split with Liu Chou and his granddaughter. As they focused on settling their own people and preparing for the days to come while we continued to follow Joseph as we went further into the city.

We walked quite the distance. Through multiple sets of gates, past multiple walls. All the way into the central palace. And truly, it was a palace. Large hallways, pillars that stretched into the sky. Ornate ornaments inlaid with gold or precious gems. Fine silks and just about every luxury was laid out, seemingly without care. As if they were simple mundane material.

We were brought into the inner part of the palace, further in, to the very core. Where, after taking a set of stairs down, deep underground, we found a large set of doors. The doors themselves hummed with magical energy. Adorned with glowing symbols and clearly made of a magical metal of sorts.

The symbols flickered when Joseph touched those massive doors. And with a simple push, they eased open without a hint of resistance. What lay behind was an underground vault.

The air inside had a tang to it. A tang I recognized easily enough. The tang of magic. The whole vault was built into the ley line. Magic suffused the space, condensing into wisping clouds that clung to the ground and licked every surface. Wherever the clouds touched tingled, like something charged with static.

The walls were piled high with shelves, filled with books, scrolls, and tablets. Tables were spaced about, each piled high with numerous items of interest. At the far back, and in each cardinal direction was another door, each was a set of double doors made of iron, or some sort of metal. Each was shut tight, but I knew already, whatever lay behind them must have been of value.

However, was truly caught our eye, wasn’t any of those things. Nor the promise of treasure. But what laid at the absolute center of the vault. It didn’t fit with the rustic, almost ancient ambience around us. Like we’d stepped into a museum.

No, what lay at the center of the hall was a slight upon the area. A thing of metal, with jutting hoses and wires that dug into the ground, upturning ancient stone in the process. Along with it, were other such monstrosities, placed about the space. Each of them connected, almost like battery banks to a generator. They all hummed, glowed, each was pitch-black, with a glassy surface like the purest of obsidian.

It was clear at a glance what these large, almost monolith shaped objects were doing. As the wires and hoses hummed and pulsed with a blue light, flowing into them with the rhythm of a beating heart. Very literally, these machines were drinking from the ley line. Feeding upon the realm’s lifeblood.

And sitting before the central monolith, was a corpse… no. A man. A man so ancient, he looked more dead than alive. Surely, there were ancient trees younger than this man. The wrinkles on his face were so many, so deep, it almost looked like the bark of a tree. His hair white, wispy and thin, it almost made him look like a ghost.

Tellingly, it wasn’t just his hair that was long. His eyebrows were as well, going out and drooping along his face. A full beard that reached down on his lap, as he sat cross-legged, his eyes shut, his body unmoving.

It wasn’t until we approached that the man moved. His eyes opened with a series of cracks, an exhale of his nose pushed out a millennium of dust that had been housed in his lungs. His eyes though, glowed with a health of vitality of a dying sun on the verge of going supernova. A brilliant spark, awaiting its final moment.

On seeing Joseph, us, a smile made its way onto his face. The mere action had his face cracking away like aged wood splintering as the wrinkles and aged skin moved to accommodate the motion.

“Joseph…” The man said, his voice, quiet, yet, it contained an authority, a kind of presence none of us could hope to contend with. As if listening to an elder well beyond our years, an ancient being worthy of respect, one that had seen countless lifetimes.

At hearing the man, Joseph merely bowed. “Ancestor.” He said, the old man nodded, his gaze landed on each of us, and each of us flinched under it, as it felt like his gaze scoured our soul.

With a final sigh, he closed his eyes and with that, his presence dimmed and faded, as if he’d seemingly died.

“This is Ancestor Xiao. The leader of the Xiao clan. I’m sure you’re somewhat aware of the politics, but the province has five clans. Four of the clans are all subordinate clans of the Xiao clan. Which makes the Xiao clan the ruler of this realm.”

We all nodded, with the occasional glances to the old man, however, Liche and Joan were a bit more focused on the giant machine behind the ancient.

“And this is?” Diana asked, speaking for us all. Her finger pointed at the machine.

“The Exodus Engine. This, is what will save this realm. Or rather, once it harvests enough energy, it will translocate this realm into another place, safe from Entropy’s predation.”

“This thing…” I spoke out despite myself. Garnering a bit too much attention in the process. “Isn’t it siphoning energy from the ley line?”

“It is.”

“Then… is this why the realm is collapsing so fast?”

“In part, yes and no. On its own, the engine won’t lead to the realm’s collapse. It only takes the bare minimum to prevent the realm from just collapsing. The problem though, is…” He trails off, gives each of us a look. “Your arrival.”

“Your arrival, not only broke that delicate balance, but has put this realm in freefall. Ordinarily, even with your mascot lancing the realm, you’d have up to a year before the realm collapses. As it stands, combined with the engine siphoning what is here, well… we’d be lucky to have another month.”

“Shouldn’t you just shut it off then?” Someone asked, ah, it was Raksha.

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea, but if we did that, the engine wouldn’t be able to save the realm.”

“Which is why you’ve recruited us.” Diana states.

“Exactly. As I stated before, the objective is rather simple. I’ll have the Exodus Engine slowly ramp up and draw more energy from the ley line. In turn, hastening the collapse of the realm. As that happens, entropic beings will continue to pour in, gaining in both quality and quantity.”

We all nodded along, having already gotten that part of the briefing.

“And the more we kill, the faster it charges, right?” Ruth spoke up.

“That’s the gist of it.”

“Right, and to confirm, exactly what are we getting out of this?” Another person spoke up, Morrigan.

“First, you’ll have access to the clan’s forbidden vault. Before you leave today, each of you will be given a weapon from the vault, if you want. Otherwise, you have full access to the information contained within here, all the tomes and scrolls and such. Or, you may decide to peruse the various treasures the clan has sequestered away. Ancient medicines or herbs, or even materials.”

Each of those benefits were valuable in some way or another. Then there was the other, unspoken benefit. The benefit of being able to kill and claim countless coins from the hordes of monsters that would descend upon this city.

“I have to admit, that sounds very interesting… but… why exactly are we being given so much?” The one to speak up was Faust. He was the one most interested in looking over the stored knowledge. I could see his fingers twitching at the mere thought of it. But he easily voiced what we were all thinking.

“For the clan.” The ancestor spoke. His voice like rolling thunder. “I do not have much life left in me. A mere spark. Yet, that is enough for me to act as a dao protector to this machine. If it will guarantee my clan’s continued existence, I would willingly give everything here away.”

He spoke with authority, a certainty that nobody dared question.

“Well, there you have it. Now, who wants to get started?” Joseph said, with an all too chipper tone.

While everyone jumped at the chance, and moved forward, I took a moment to stare at the ancient. Trying to glean something, anything out of his form.

Although, perhaps I’m just overthinking it. Though, it did sound too good to be true.