The life cycle of a flower wasnât something that she generally regarded as a bad thing. Indeed, everything died eventually, but it was not without the approval of mother nature. The nutrients from the decomposition would stay in the soil for future generations of fertilisation; thus, the cycle continued. Thinking of it as a major death each instance, well, it could explain why the Costoterra strayed from the main towns. In the end, the example was an analogy that Nova could get behind. The war was killing everything at once, both sides, and there was nothing small to do about it.
She sighed, dropping her head to her hands while taking a bench seat. One of the hovering lanterns from the gala made its way out, illuminating the shadows under the large trees.
âItâs easier to think of the other side as the enemy,â she responded, âbut we both know that isnât the case- ah.â
There was another woman present that had quite literally waltzed in with a proposal. If it was intellectual pleasure they were looking for, then Nova was happy to oblige. They were, after all, just talking about pinning a solution to the conflict. Granted, it was the infamous sorcerer, but the stories did say sheâd appear in times of trouble.
âCharlia, Iâm interested in this,â she said, âbut before we take the drinks, who or what do you think is the driving point of this war? I would love to end this, but I need a place to start.â
As the solitude intensified around his invisible bubble in the corner of the garden, Cassius become more invested in playing with the small orange flame, eventually growing it into a bigger flame, then formed a ring of flame. Wielding fire and playing with it was his passion and he was actually proud of it, since the other element he had the ability to control, was still somewhat uncontrollable and he would rathe not use it in a public place.
The luscious beauty of the flora was so enriched with magic that it provided Cassius with a great amount of energy. Consequently, he was so absorbed in performing his magic that he did not notice the silent spectator he had until then. The melted sunlight danced upon their ebony skin, he flashed a smile at them extinguishing the flame, as he spoke, âOh, hi!â, he greeted them. âDid you like it?â, he asked attempting to start a conversation.
âUmh⊠sorry, I guess?â she shrugged. It wasnât exactly her fault, the music was doing something to her! She had never liked dancing or singing or wild parties like these.
âYes! Thank you!â the man exclaimed. This was unexpected⊠She had assumed he would yell at her and insult her, causing a whole scene, but not this. âYouâre thanking me for what, exactly?â she raised her eyebrows at him. He sure was one weird man.
âMe slacking! Hardly, I even got Ms Iâm-too-good-for-parties to show up,â Damien winked in her direction while mouthing âparty crasherâ to Miles. Who had to die today for Zara to show up herself? On second thought, it was probably the opportunity to show off her latest achievements in artificial intelligence.
But on a serious note, she was a valuable cadet. No one did digital assistants better and Damien had been trying to make a sentient toaster for the last month. Zara was a hundred and seventy centimetres of body modifications and genius, who didnât want her on their side? A pity she never got her âfunâ switch working- not to mention the delicate glass of beverage for the younger. It was a celebration, everyone was rearing some reflective at least for the strobe lights, but no, Zara just waltzes in here with those neon lines across her skin and simply manage to look better.
So she was complicated, and Damien liked to leave it at that. Thatâs why he kept Miles around, at least someone here appreciated his masterful preparation for this late night outing.
âLuv, take a real drink. Iâll even dock it on my tab. Come one, itâs just one night and no one here has ever seen you drunk before. If you think that your AI friend is cute on your wrist, you have no idea what youâll think of while intoxicated.â
// Torkken Fortress//
I grinned as I saw her confused look. âsimple, now I have an excuse to leaveâ I said. âI canât possibly spent my time here in sticky wet clothes, I would make such a terrible first impression,â I said, kinds mocking those who really care about those things. âSo, thanks,â I said with a shrug. âBut be careful where you swing those arms, the next person might not appreciate it at muchâ I warned her. @elixr - Andrea
Amaranthae smiled at the young, naive girl whoâs probably never been in a war before, much less had one fought over her. âWell, I donât see many people who refuse my gifts. I admire that. You have a good night, Dear.â Amaranthae curtsied and slowly made her way back to the ball room.
âCharlia, Iâm interested in this,â she said, âbut before we take the drinks, who or what do you think is the driving point of this war? I would love to end this, but I need a place to start.â said another woman.
Amaranthae stopped and slowly smiled, âThere it is, the sound of desperation.â She turned around. âI donât fulfill my end before the other person does theirs, but since Iâm in a party mood Iâll oblige.â She handed the drink to the other woman. âI donât think, I know, Dear. As for your answer, itâs this. Fear and jealousy, sometimes equal parts other times one or the other. Magic is something special, something innate, one either has it or they donât. The majority donât have it and are jealous of it, so theyâve developed a way to do things without magic. They call it, science. So, once they found something that was available to all, they believe it to be superior and that it gives them the right to invade and destroy everything they donât understand or are jealous of or both. So, unless you can change destiny and fate themselves to make magic available to all, Iâm afraid thereâs not much you can do except make peace or win.â She sipped her drink and looked at the girl. âSo, now that you have an answer what do you think?â
âHeh, sounds like something I would sayâŠâ she chuckled and looked at him. âIâm Andrea. I usually donât do this, but- uh⊠let me help you. I donât want you to short-circuit and die or something⊠All the blame would go to me.â
âAnd I know, you donât need to tell me to be careful. Most of the people Iâve met here at xssholes,â she rolled her eyes and made a face.
She took the drink, sparing a glance at the contents before taking a careful sip. Amaranthae could be vengeful, but poisoning wasnât her mark unless there was some other deal targeting Nova especially; not that it was a bad beverage.
Magic was supposed to be a worldwide system, and somehow, half of the population chose not to indulge in it. It was valid to think that it was a rare gift, those who could wield magic and those who didnât. At least that way, Selenium could have a purpose for their blatant jealousy- but new theories developing were leading to an alternate option. Amaranthae was correct in that regard that a petty reason was good enough to spark something big this, but Nova knew there had to be more to it.
âTheyâve changed the definition of science,â she started, âWe teach science here in schools, biology, chemistry; all the basics to education, what DNA is, protein synthesis, the stars work. I donât think itâs a matter of basic principals. The other faction took a subject that was basic knowledge and turned it into a wide expanse of creativity and a way to progress society. They teach the history of magic there; these fundamentals donât get cut out just because the adults are fighting over it. Itâs what they do with the knowledge, right?â It was more rhetorical; she knew the mysterious sorcerer wouldnât respond with anything coherent, or at all.
âI just think the answer is complicated. What would I even make a deal for? To wish all of magic away? To give myself more abilities? The problem is that I see nothing in the long term, stars, I havenât even figured out the short term.â But things had to start small and only the heaves knew when Amaranthae would return. The fact that she was at this party was already a miracle.
âI suppose I could start with this. Is there any way I could keep you to our side? Everyone knows you bounce around as you choose, but I donât want my ideas compromised by some Selenium individual with a more enticing deal.â
âThe next time we throw a party,â Miles said with a smile, a glass of champagne glimmering in his hand like clear bubbles of gold, âwill absolutely not be in any kind of place where you could feel tempted to throw the new recruits overboard for the sake of testing equipment.â
The walls and pillars of the main room were strung with electric lights, and sleek ultra- modern tables and chairs were scattered around the whole space. Equally sleek, well-groomed men and women were raising their glasses to one another in a gesture of unwavering respect. After all, it took a great deal of courage to become a cadet in these times -each and every one of them knew that.
As Miles finished his drink, Damien made a move towards the dancefloor -at least he probably thought he did: as far as Miles was concerned, he was heading straight for one of the protacons that was flashing hues of blue and purple in every direction. Luckily, a sleek woman with a familiar face stopped him in his tracks. Her brows were knit in a sarcastic frown, though she looked as imposing as ever.
âGood evening, Zara,â he greeted very differently from Damien , standing loosely against the counter. Maybe, just maybe, Damien wasnât the only one whoâd had slightly more to drink than he thought. âI told him this wasnât exactly your scenery.â Yes, and Damien had seemed even more keen to send the invitation after that (though Miles took care to leave that part out). In fact, Damien did seem to be giving her plenty enough of a greeting by parading a variety of different drinks under her nose.
âWell, if youâre going to tell me your backstory, then please stop. Iâm not interested in you or your past.â she looked at him straight in the eye. âNow that youâre fine, I guess I donât need to comeâŠâ
âBut⊠I do want to get out of this shxthole, so can I please use you as an excuse and run away from here? Well, for a while that isâŠâ she asked him.
// Torkken Fortress//
I started to chuckle. âI like you,â I said before shaking my head. âBut donât worry, no one will hear my backstoryâ I reassured her. before taking a bow. âBy all means, I can be your knight in shining metal who can get you out of this shÂĄthole,â I said with a grin. âguess weâre escape buddies for nowâ I added before walking past her, giving her one pat on the head as I passed by just to annoy her a little. âAnd with that, I mean, I donât mind if you follow me outâ I added as I started to walk towards the exit. @elixr - Andrea
âIâm not sure if I like you too, but letâs see.â she shrugged and followed him. They pushed past the crowd and finally came near the exit. âWell, thanks for walking me to the exit, my knight in shining metal,â she did a small bow and smirked.
âI have to be honest, that metal really is shiny. It canât be compared with my gun, of course.â she searched her pockets for her laser gun, âShxt! Where is it?! Did I leave it inside? Ughh.â
// Torkken Fortress//
âWell I donât need you to like me, frankly I donât care what people think of me, Iâm better off alone anyway, which is why Iâm so glad I have an excuse to leave earlyâ I explain. âHey, I try my best, but this stuff is functional, not fashionableâ I point out.
I turned around to see her frantically looking for her gun. âYou lost your gun at a party?â I asked with a raised eyebrow. âFinding that will be like finding a needle in a haystack,â I said looking at all the people itâs probably kicked all over the place by now. âAnd it wonât be as shiny when you find it either, I suspectâ I added. @elixr
Zara titled her to a side as she plopped down on one of the seats, giving the dangling black locks a flip. âMe slacking! Hardly, I even got Ms Iâm-too-good-for-parties to show up,â, Damien responded and Zara glanced at him over her glass of Lime Zinger. The sacrifices I make not to appear as an impolite cadet. - She mentally commented restraining herself from making a very rude response and giving a sarcastic nod with a thin-lipped smile. âImmaculate deduction, buddy.â, she, however, teased.
Miles, on the other hand, was a decent companion; less arrogant and more tolerable than Damien. Zara politely smiled at his greeting. Though both of them seemed to be slightly tipsy, but Zara did not mind it. âItâs fine, Miles. Parties can actually get enjoyable, but only with, uh, wise and professional persons around. Iâd even go as far as to admit youâre one of them.â, she replied to Miles , eyeing at Damien as she spoke. Damien was a intelligent one, Zara would give him that but if he had used the time in research than partying around, he could have been more perfect at what he did.
âLuv, take a real drink. Iâll even dock it on my tab.", Damien said to which Zara quirked her eyebrow. âThatâs so kind of you, Damien. But no thanks, I still have enough credits on my tab to at least buy myself those drinks your having but you would not want me to drink and vomit all over the fine fabric you guys are wearing, or making ridiculous drunk jokes, would yaâ?â, Zara refused. âAs a matter of fact, Zen is actually amiable.â, she stated to which immediately her assistant responded, âThank you, Zaraâ. She shrugged her shoulders with a proud smile.
It appeared the man had been just as engrossed in his fireplay as they had been. They didnât blame him; if they were able to control a blaze like that, itâd be the only thing they ever did.
She nodded slowly, breaking into a wide grin.
âCan you do anything else?â
She stepped forward, as if that would get her a response sooner.
âHow long have you been practising? Where did you learn? Who taught you?â
Too many questions, no time to get an answer. âAre you self-taught?â Lithia, however did not pause to consider that.
âHow hard was it to-- âgetâ? Iâve been told that you improve faster when magic is just a hobby. Is that true? Is it a hobby for you? Or an enjoyed profession?â
She continued to drum off questions for a notable amount of time, leaving one to wonder how many times they may have repeated themselves, and allowing no room for anyone else to speak.
She silenced herself just as suddenly as she had started talking, looking expectantly at the man as she waited for an answer. Several answers. More than several answers.
Amaranthae smiled, âA deal can only be made when each party has something the other wants. I can do a lot that people have asked for. Money, higher position of power, murder, even love.â She scoffed at the last one. âMy point is I can do a lot, what do you have or what are you willing to do to ensure I pick a âsideâ, and not just any side, dear, your side?â She took a sip of her drink. âAre you willing to kill, steal, lie, cheat? The daughter of an important political figure? A political figure yourself? Do you possess or know of any exceptionally powerful magical artifacts that I havenât already collected?â She took another drink that finished the glass.
He would, in fact, tolerate Zara puking all of him if it meant that he caught the whole thing on tape. Just imagine that the mighty computers expert losing her inhibition and making a scene. Thatâs what parties were for; everyone gets messed up in the end.
âYour loss,â he muttered, turning back towards the dance crowd. What would be really amazing was if this place was turned up another notch. Damien wasnât picky, but hacking all the protacons to start throwing spirits at Zara would be entertaining enough. Then, they could all see how well that âZenâ actually functioned. They already missed out on the drinking opportunity, what else was there to do? Sure, socialisation worked, yet there was an entire floor, a plethora a rooms blasting different music, all for pure fun.
Throwing recruits off the roof seemed that much more interesting.
âMiles, heyâŠâ Damien started, swinging back to his friend, âSo a projector, but holographic hypogens. All of that, and I just throw them around this place. It would freak the stars out of everyone. Am I clever or what?â
âI want to lead the council,â she stated, âWith that position over the Lakorite forces, I can finally put an end to all this madness, make everyone see reason.â Although she just wasnât quite ready yet, and thatâs not even including the fact that they donât take elections in times of turmoil. Sheâd have that position one day. There were too many younger cadets in the forces and Nova already had a strong sense of attachment. Leaving for a political position would make her seem weak and the views on parliament werenât exactly positive right now.
And all of that was hinging on striking a proper bargain with this sorceress. Nova wasnât about to break the laws over this, but then again, most actions tended to get overlooked when the main focus is surviving.
âWhat do you want then? I wouldnât know what you hold in your collection.â
The Professor approached the club with scorn. There were so many better things he could be doing. He scoffed in disgust as he walked through the entrance. There were many people sitting down and partying.
âWhat waste of time partying must be.â he mumbled under his breath.
Still, he moved his way around the club and then sat down in a chair. He had to be here, it had been a year since the war between Lakora and Selenium broke out and he pledged his loyalty to his faction. Many senior cadets were talking amongst themselves, but The Professor was in no mood for chitter chatter. He wanted to talk about something important that actually mattered.
Nova Kane 
