Magical Girl City: Empire of Ice

Our meeting point was in a parking garage inside one of the residential districts. It wasn’t the district I lived in but it was adjacent to it. At first glance, the patrol seemed simple enough. An easy jaunt around a city block and that’s it. However, knowing how time and space twists at night, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be so simple.

On parking, we unloaded and prepared for Liche and Joan’s arrival. I went ahead and transformed, taking the time to fill my packs with enhanced bullets along with some explosives. All the while taking stock of our crew.

Shi and Talia had ridden up front with me. Estrella and Luna had been stuffed in the back, alongside Fathom. Then came the soldiers, the silver ranked soldier was at the front, with the surviving ice and stone soldiers from the event following just behind.

They had been crammed in rather tightly. Allowing for no room for the gatling gun. I could have left behind one of my knights to make space for the gatling gun but seeing as we were going to be in an urban environment. I wasn’t sure the gatling gun would be worth bringing.

As I was making bullets, everyone else was just idling, save for Talia. Her eyes were solely on a notebook she’d brought along. Mumbling and making notations as she went.

“How’s the project going?” I ask as the minutes pass.

She jerks at my voice and looks at me, blinking for a moment as her mind adjusts. Only then does she speak. “Ah, yeah, good. I’ve narrowed down the options for what I can make from the bone you gave me. I’ll definitely have a list for you by the end of the week.”

“And you sure you want to ask me for my opinion rather than do what you want?” I ask.

“Absolutely.” She states firmly. Leaving no room for doubt.

“Then I’ll look forward to what you got.” I reply and she gave me a smile before getting back to work.

We didn’t have to wait too long before a car pulled in. It wasn’t an old junker like my own, instead it looked more modern, newer. On noticing us, the car slowed and parked nearby and out came a pair of familiar faces, both Liche and Joan with bags in hand.

The pair greeted me, and brief introductions took place. They’d seen Talia before, and technically Shi as well. But they’d never really gotten the chance to really talk. Not that Shi talks.

After the introduction, we began discussing the upcoming patrol. But first…

“How has everything been since the event?” I asked the pair.

“Good enough, all things considered.” Liche answered.

“I imagine you’re still trying to understand your uniform?”

“A little.” Liche says after a small pause. Her eyes drift to Joan. “I can’t keep it up very long, but I’ve been transforming every chance I get at home. I’ve got a grasp on some of what it does, but not everything.”

“Makes sense, it took me awhile to get used to my own uniform. If you don’t mind, what does your uniform do?” I ask.

“Well, normally, I kind of have to focus my energy into a specific part of my body to make my magic work, like so.” She shows off her hand covered in a dark purple energy. “Passively, I can let it run and it diminishes my presence.” She follows up with. A subtle hue covers her form, and I find it hard to focus on her.

A moment later, the hue fades. “In uniform, it’s more of a passive effect. Not just that, but magic effects don’t work on me. They don’t latch on, if that makes any sense.”

“Does it work only on hostile magic?”

She shakes her head. “No, it works for beneficial effects too… I can turn it down, or even off, but there is a benefit. Shrugging off hostile effects takes a bit of magic, but when I’m hit with a beneficial effect it actually restores energy. Not a lot, but it’s something.”

I nod along. “That is useful. Anything else?”

“Yeah, I can more easily control my magic, and I can even project it out a little. Creating screens of void that just, eat everything.”

“Stationary screens?” I ask.

“Yeah, more or less.”

“Still useful.” I say.

“And what about you? And well, the others here?” Liche asks.

The moment our introductions had finished, Talia had gone back to her notebook, making notations and what not. Shi was just idling at the back of the group.

“Talia’s magic is ritual based. Which isn’t very effective in an immediate fight. Her uniform provides her with a totem which she can use to bolster an individual. It has a fairly strong effect, but it can only work on one person at a time. She can cheat it by rapidly switching the target of the effect, but its rather costly.” I say, Liche nods and frowns.

“That’s… I mean, that sounds useful, but I don’t think that will help me.”

“You’re not wrong. She can heal, though, not as well as Joan can. She can do more, but really, it’s not as effective as someone with a dedicated magic for the task.”

“So, a jack of all trades sort of deal?”

“More or less. Her weapon is fairly straightforward as well.”

“An axe and shield, right?”

“Yeah, the axe makes wounds that don’t like to heal. It doesn’t stop healing entirely, but it slows it down quite a bit. Which is useful against regenerating enemies. As for her shield, it’s really just a shield. It’s sturdy, but it’s meant to crack and help mitigate damage from what I’ve seen. And, just so you know, Talia is a Support Dog.”

“Is she now? Well, I suppose that makes sense. I imagine she’s good in a fight?”

“Yeah, she is. As for the other, well, she’s a bit of an enigma. As you know, she is the fox I fought back during the blood moon.”

Liche nods.

“The issue is, her magic changed a bit with the resurrection. It also didn’t go as planned, so her abilities and capabilities are a bit different. I’m not too sure what her uniform does, but I know her magic is being able to copy objects and create copies with her magic. As for her combat ability, I imagine it has improved a lot in the last week due to a few items I brought back from the third event.”

“That’s good to know. I know Talia is a decent fighter, and well, even if the other girl isn’t quite what you expected, I imagine she’s still useful in a fight.” Liche said.

“She is, exceedingly so. Shi’s alteration means her body is abnormally strong. Which makes her a good frontliner and her magic makes her viable as a secondary frontliner if need be. Not to mention that it now synergizes with my own magic.”

“That definitely helps to know.” Liche says. “And you? Has anything changed? I know you upgraded your weapon.”

“A little has changed, I have a new bullet type. And I can make stronger bullets too. That, and I have access to explosives now.” I show off one of the grenades I made. “Shi also took the chance to make copies of my rifle and pass it out to my ice soldiers. They too can make their own bullets as well as explosives, only they’re the weakest version.”

Liche whistles. “That’s kind of terrifying.” She says after. “I mean, you have a lot of utility and then you have your soldiers on top of that. I can’t imagine how a fight with you would go.”

“I doubt it would be as clearcut as you think. My uniform and weapon are focused more on utility than raw power. Yes, it gives me options, and it makes me rather hard to kill, but it doesn’t mean I can necessarily win fights. At least, not without support.”

Liche nods along. “I get it. I mean, just thinking, if I had a weapon, and we fought one on one, I’d just need a good hit or two, while you’d have to do everything you could to avoid me.”

“Sounds about right. I’m sure your own abilities would make it hard, if not impossible for me to lock you down. Regardless, I do have another question.”

“What’s that?” Liche asks.

“Joan, how is she doing?”

Liche takes a moment to glance at Joan. She clearly heard me and takes a moment to speak up for herself. “I’m fine, really.”

“I know it hasn’t been long since the last event, but is there anything you want to talk about? Do you plan to use your uniform?” I ask.

She shakes her head, “I don’t want to talk about and… if possible, I don’t want to use my uniform.”

“That’s fine. This patrol shouldn’t be that big of a deal, so I won’t expect you to transform.”

“That… Thank you… I promise, I won’t be a burden.”

“I know you won’t… Now, let’s get ready to move, assuming everyone is ready?”

Liche nodded, Joan did too. Talia jumped up at my words, stowing away her notebook. Shi has been ready for some time.

I almost couldn’t wait until these two met Éclair. If only because I wanted to hear her insights and see if she could pry out what Joan’s problem was. She seemed talented, skilled even with a knife, and how to avoid hits. I really did want to know why that was, and more so, why it is she seems so against transforming.

As for whether or not Éclair would actually teach Joan, well, I didn’t think she’d pass up the chance to help Joan out. Not unless Joan was truly a threat, which I didn’t see. And sure, it was a bit of a gamble, but what else was I going to do?

I couldn’t simply sit back, and hope Joan gets over her issues, especially if she’s going to keep working with me. I can’t have her taking part in such dangerous activities without a uniform, not when she had one available.

With all that in mind, we started the patrol in earnest.

The parking garage itself wasn’t fully enclosed. Even then, the fog didn’t enter. Much like a vampire, it seemed to stop at the threshold of the building as if seeking an invite. The air though, was cold. There was a chill that hung in the air. It emanated from the fog that clung to the building, as if it were drawing in the warmth and life from inside the building.

The lights closer to the edges of the building were dimmed. Casting parts of the garage into relative darkness. The humming lights glowed, failing to properly illuminate the space. Some lights flickered ominously. As if the fog were pressing in, trying to smother them.

In some places, the lights had given out. Fog seeped in through the cracks. Where it passed, the ground crackled, leaving a faint trail of frost in its wake. The fog wasn’t thick enough to be a problem. The lights that populated the garage were enough to keep the creeping fog at bay.

Still, it felt like we were on a leaky ship. The fog, seeping in like water. And outside was the endless, dark ocean. Those thoughts did little to calm me. Blessedly unaware, the others pressed on, though… Joan gave the lights a worried look. Likely just as aware as I was of our current situation.

The entrance to the garage was shuttered. A singular side door opened easily enough from the inside, granting us a means to exit the building. The moment it swung open, the fog rushed in. It hissed on contact with the light. In turn, the lights began to flicker and hum as they fought back the fog.

There was a moment of hesitation. Of blank stares as we watched the lights inside dim and flicker. In the end, the fog failed to penetrate the building, but it sat against the opening like a wall, with tendrils reaching out licking against the floor. Leaving frost in their wake.

For the first time, I saw caution invade everyone’s limbs. Glances were shared, and with held breaths we breached the fog. It resisted entry, at first. A hard push had it relent, at which point it pulled us in.

On the other side, was a whole other world. The lights that sat against the building were dim, dying. What little light they gave was surrounded by swirling fog. Creating small pockets of distorted safety.

The air itself felt, wrong. The very space we inhabited felt like it was stretched and pulled like taffy. It wasn’t until we stepped away from the building, away from the dim lights dotting its side, that the feeling went away.

My ears popped. The air shifted. Something snapped into place. Mid-stride, I felt the world shift underfoot. Like I’d moved far too much for my natural gait. I looked about. Our tight knit group had been separated. Not by much, but enough to be worrisome.

We reconvened. Got our measure. And looked about. The city, was different. The fog hung everywhere and clung to everything. Forming into wispy and daunting shapes along the skyline. It felt like we were on a precipice. A knife’s edge. Like one wrong step would have us fall through to another world entirely.

It… did not feel great.

With heavy hearts we commenced the patrol. Seeking to end it sooner than later. Nobody spoke as we moved. Our heads on a swivel, eyes alert for trouble. My soldiers arrayed themselves around us. Talia and Shi took the wings, Estrella and Luna at our sides near the center, and my soldiers between. With the stone soldiers split between the front and rear.

We moved in relative silence. The occasional sound making us jump at shadows. We could hear them, things lurking in the dark. Watching, waiting hungrily. It was irksome, and really, I didn’t like the idea of having to sit and wait for them to move.

So, I made them move. After all, I was the star of the show, was I not?

It was all too easy to pull on those strands of intent. I felt them, their gazes, their attention beaming on me like a spotlight from above. It was a small matter to pull on those strings. A slight flex, a little tug. Just enough to pull them free from their hiding spots.

It started one, perhaps two. Which turned into a flood of bodies as they came like a rolling cascade.

I barely got a word out as the massacre began. Bullets sang their crystal song. Punching into the oncoming crowd. Blood and meat scattered around us. Spears jutted out of the earth in modest numbers. Impaling and stopping many. Leaving grisly trophies to hang about.

Those that came too close, met the magical steel of my stone soldiers. Their stone bodies, interspersed with ice that filled their cracked frames, held firm even as they stood against the living tide of flesh. A breath later, a wave of explosives were hurled. Each cracked into the crowd, obliterating small pockets of resistance.

In barely a breath’s time, dozens had died. In another breath’s time, dozens more died. Out of the crowd, they came. Bronze ranks. They crashed into my soldiers, their stone bodies rocked back but still stood tall.

Before the bronze ranks could press their advantage, Talia came in, clawing and cleaving with her axe. Followed closely by Liche as she sought opportunities to erase limbs and joints.

Before long, the bronze ranks died and the last of the encroaching crowd died. Their bodies slowly dispersed, joining the fog, and slowly, but surely forcing it to recede. In the end, only the bodies of the bronze ranks survived as they slowly melted away. Granting us the chance to harvest them.

“Holy shit…” Liche muttered. “That was crazy.”

I agreed. Quickly, we collected the loot and continued. As we moved, I continued to pull in errant gazes. It was nothing like the initial surge. Small groups of monsters, usually accompanied by a bronze rank. The gains, were exceptional. However, the danger was just as exceptional.

As we continued our patrol, we saw no survivors, no stranded people. The fog grew ever thicker, as if it were trying to pull us in. Even then, I felt no gazes. Nothing watching or hungering for us.

As we pressed on, delving deeper into the fog, almost like following a river upstream towards its source. As we did so, we finally found it. A larger building complex, a worn-down apartment building. It made me think to the city housing I had lived in before, and yet, despite how bad that had been, this felt so much worse.

The building looked aged and worn. Covered in indescribable graffiti. More worryingly, was the main entrance. The entrance had been covered by a large metal shutter. A shutter that had been torn through by large claws as if something had torn itself out of the building, rather than into. Fog gushed out from the opening into the street, leaving us unsure of how to proceed.

We deliberated, but no answer was forthcoming.

“Do we enter?” Liche asked the relevant question, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. Taylor had given me no guidance on how to deal with this. Perhaps I could give her a quick call, but the fog, with how thick it was, was disrupting the signal.

We’d have to distance ourselves from it, by quite a bit. Only then would we get a signal, and yet, if we did that, we’d have been better off making a decision. Especially with how far we would have to walk.

Do we enter? Do we continue our walk? In the end, I gave a look to the only other person that should know anything. Talia.

Sensing my gaze, and the gaze of others as they too noticed where I was looking, she turned to face me, us. She frowned, considered.

“I… I don’t know.” She answered, at first. “I think, if we do enter though, it should be safe, so long as we stay inside the building. Once the fog dissipates, it might return to normal, and if it doesn’t, I’m sure we could just exit out the front door.”

And honestly, that was as good of an answer as I could expect.

“Let’s enter then.” I say. “Any objections?” Heads shook. And so, taking it for what it was, we entered.