Chapter 17
It’s been 3 days and one horrendously long Skype call to headquarters, since it’s no longer feasible for the whole Task Force to assemble for weekly meetings. Things seem to be steadily getting worse, with more and more reports of strange phenomenon around the country, though fortunately no more major portals in populated areas.
Karl and Mary have made a whole wardrobe worth of outfits for the staff here, evidently designed by Mary. The traditional mage robes are a huge hit with everyone, but the lacy, ruffled blouses and frill cuffed tunic shirts have been hit or miss. The black slacks with a self adjusting fit enchantment are definitely in high demand though. The pair insists on one per person until everyone has a pair, but that’s not nearly enough.
Maybe they were actually destined to be a fashion design team, not combat mages.
I’ve been training daily with Zelda, who is a surprisingly competent water element combat mage, though she prefers to work as a nurse. It’s great to learn how to fight against new enemies, and she can create elemental golems that mimic the shape and fighting style of creatures she’s familiar with. Her knowledge is a bit limited, but so is mine, so we’re both learning new things.
Today we’re starting a sweep of minor portals within our region. Reportedly empty ones, small and well contained portals, plus a couple new openings are all on the schedule for the week. 2 or 3 a day is going to be a paperwork nightmare for poor Lala, but she seems quite excited to be busy again. She’s double checked all our gear, made post it note contents listings, found and packed a spare set of enchanted clothing for both of us, everything she can think of.
Karl joins me in the theatre room, followed by Mary. "We’ll be headed out in 30. Everything is packed and checked, so just finish your final prep and meet us at the Jeep"
"Us?"
"Yeah, since she’s an arcane mage I thought it might be important to teach Mary how to close portals. We shouldn’t hit anything too crazy, so I’m not too concerned"
No point in arguing I guess, Karl is a good guy, despite his appearance and reputation. If he says he’ll keep Mary safe he will. Plus, she should be able to somewhat take care of herself by now. She might not have had much formal schooling, but Karl’s tutorial sessions are intense, all the other trainee mages give her pitying looks every time they see a new schedule posted up on the whiteboard outside her door.