Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3) (25 page)

At once, she faced him and asked, “Really? How? I thought—”

“I have connections. So, are we still on for tonight?”

“Of course. I would have forgiven you before the parade
started. I’ll meet you there.”

Roalt’s Community Center was hosting a Torch Day party. There
would be food for everyone that attended and a band called “Roland and the
Guardians” was commissioned to play holiday music before the parade started.

Eric changed into a nicer version of his normal outfit and
rushed over to the public library. He arrived just as Annala was locking the door.
She was wearing a skirt and stockings, along with a sweater and scarf, and all
in holiday colors.

Hands on her hips, she said, “I told you to meet me
there.”

“If I did that, then I couldn’t do
this.
”

He wrapped his arm around her and drew her next to him.
She snuggled into his side and they walked together to the party. Neither
noticed the cold.

Tomorrow is the Mana Mutation Summit, but tonight is
just for the two of us.

From every point on the compass, airships descended on
Roalt. There was a stainless steel ship from the United Island Autocracy of Liclis
to the west and hovercraft made of sand from the Chiefdom of Kyraa in the east.
From the south came the elegant wooden creation of the Theocracy of Mithra and the
intimidating behemoth/dragon-style ship from Anich. Latrot didn’t send any
ships because its Obelisk Carrier was already docked outside the castle. From
the north sailed a diverse fleet of one-person kayaks from the Federation of
Independent Monasteries of Rlawader and following them were Acemo Independent
Associated Republic boats rowing through air currents.

On the ground, one could see orcs sprinting across the
snow; this was the delegation sent from the orc homeland of Ozid. In the nearby
Shalt River, mermaids swam from the East Azure Republic. On the horizon to the
west, a flock of dragons fast approached from Najica. In a
poof
of magic
dust, fairies from the kingdom of Symphonia appeared in the air ahead of all
three. Even the mole-dwarf alliance of Digginum made a rare surface appearance.
All of these and more arrived at the capital city of Ataidar for the Mana
Mutation Summit.

The Queen of Ataidar watched this happen from monitors in
her bedroom. At the moment, she looked more like a stressed-out teenage girl
than a queen. She wore a simple nightgown; no jewels, no gloves, no make-up,
her hair down and tangled. She paced, bit her nails, scolded herself for doing
so, and then started up again seconds later. The ambient heat of the room was
ten degrees hotter than the rest of the castle, including the forge and the
kitchen. All of a sudden, she glared at her door and shrilled, “What took you
so long!?”

Eric de-cloaked and asked, “How did you see me?”

“Not important! Do something!”

Eric embraced Kasile, stroked her back, and whispered the
following into her ear. "You are a superlative queen and you are going to
do a superlative job today. There are countless ways I could describe how you
are superlative, but they would not fully capture your superlatively superlative."

Kasile moaned and nuzzled him. “I'd smack you if I weren't
feeling so relaxed."

“You know….some people would say this relationship is
unhealthy for you.”

Kasile stopped. “Are you one of them?”

“No.”

Kasile continued. “Then I don’t care.”

“So….how did you see me?”

Kasile held up her right hand and ignited it. The white
fire sprouting from it made Eric grimace and lean away. This same fire
reflected in her eyes.

“Fire is associated with Light, which dispels Darkness,
and Sacred Fire is more effective than standard fire at this purpose. I
am
Sacred Fire and thus I can see you no matter how much darkness you shroud
yourself in.”

Eric kicked the ground. “There goes my plan for your
surprise birthday party...”

“This is not the time for joking! Invisible people are a
security risk. I have to know everything that goes on inside my castle. As
hostess, it is my duty to keep my guests safe and make sure they don’t plant
surveillance bugs. By the way, do you mind spying on them? With that level of
darkness magic, you could.”

“Kas!”

She jumped and then tapped her head while sticking out her
tongue. “Sorry. I’m so wound up I needed a sleeping spell last night.” She
pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. “It wouldn’t be so hard if you were
watching over me…”

“
Kas
…”

She slumped. “I know. The last thing I need right now is
The Trickster’s Choice on my bodyguard detail. My PR department is already
working hard to quell rumors about this and that, but I want you to be nearby
at all times.”

Eric smiled at her.
I AM nearby at all times.

Kasile scowled in return.
You know what I mean.
She
pushed him away.

“There’s no use wishing for fairytales. I have a summit to
host, and while you’re here, you can help me rehearse.”

They went over the most recent research on mana mutation
with a focus on the successes: Kallen’s break-through in the Elemental Mana
Hypothesis, Tiza’s temporary bout of mana poisoning-induced monsanity, and Eric’s
own recovery in both mind and body. Then they went into potential leads for
future research such as the personalized treatment suggested by Kallen’s
breakthrough, the Scattered Identity Theory suggested by Eric’s recovery, and
the “blessed with monstrosity” philosophy gleaned from Dengel’s lair. Finally,
Eric tested Kasile’s preparation for skepticism and naysayers: hopelessness, cost
of research, previous tragedies like Butchin, and the cause of mana mutation
that made prevention impossible.

As the sun rose, so did Kasile’s spirits. She thanked Eric
for his help and dismissed him so she could prepare to receive her guests.
After he cloaked, she told him that a surprise was waiting for him at home.
Then her ladies-in-waiting entered the room and even a truly invisible boy
could not remain undetected in such a flurry. Once all of them stepped in, he slipped
out.

From her door to his own, he was on his best behavior: no
tripping, no splashing, and no making items float out of someone’s grasp. Despite
Tasio’s stated support of curing mana mutation, there were many who thought he
caused them as sinister plan or petty amusement. If the populace thought The
Trickster was up to mischief, it could put a bad start to a controversial
subject.

Nestled in with the snow at his door, there was a royal
letter in his mailbox and a package on his doormat. He took them inside and set
them down on his kitchen table.

“Didn’t you have a hangover?”

Annala was awake, immaculately cleaned up, and making
breakfast. After last night’s party, she had been so drunk she couldn’t walk
without falling over. She refused Eric’s support until he picked her up like a
bride. When they reached the library, she swallowed her house key with an
impish expression. Now she was the picture of propriety.

“Our Seed of Chaos constantly renews cells and filters out
poisons, so it’s impossible for elves to have a hangover.”

“Doesn’t that mean it’s impossible for them to get drunk
in the first place?”

“Certainly.” The imp returned. “I must have been so drunk
I forgot. Omelet?”

 “Is there something weird in it?”

Annala sliced off a piece with the edge of a fork and ate
it. Then she offered the plate to him. They ate together in comfortable silence
and Eric was struck by an earthshaking idea: what if every day started this
way? Every day until forever with an omelet made by Annala? He took another
bite and drank in the sight of her sitting across from him.
I like the look
of it.

 “Let’s see.” He opened the letter and, sure enough, a
ticket to the Mana Mutation Summit dropped out. “For you, milady.”

Annala accepted it and when she saw its contents, her jaw
dropped. “What-but-how…?”

“Remember my friend in a high place?”

Suddenly, Annala crossed her arms and looked away.

“What?”

“The only ‘friend’ that could have swung something like
this is the queen herself. It...uh...” She tugged her ear. “It makes me jealous
that you’re so close to someone so beautiful.”

Eric stopped eating to process such a bizarre statement. “Why
would you be jealous of my little sister?”

“Little sister?” She dropped her hand. “Oh, right. Thanks,
but I can’t go.”

“Why not? Do you have plans?”

“No, and I don’t have anything to wear either. Royals, abbots,
and heads of state elected and otherwise will be there and I can't go in these
worn-out school clothes. It would be much too embarrassing. They might get the wrong
idea about elves in general; after all, the most high-profile elf on the
continent is my father. So as much I want to, I shouldn’t."

She didn’t….
Eric opened the package. Inside was a
long and silky brown dress with matching accessories. Collar, gloves,
stockings, jewels, kitten heels; a girl could pass for nobility in this outfit.
Kas, you scare me sometimes, but I appreciate it.
 

Annala gasped. "It's beautiful!”

She held the dress against her body and Eric was seized by
a desire to see her in it.

“Where I can change?”

Eric pointed to the bathroom. Annala pecked his cheek
before running inside. Eric waited anxiously, wringing his hands. He waited and
waited, but Annala still didn't come out. Sounds of frustration were heard
within and, finally, Annala said, "The zipper's stuck. Eric, would you
please come in here and do it for me?"

Blood rushed up her boyfriend's face and he walked quicker
than necessary to the room. He opened the door to find his girlfriend facing
him, fully clothed, and amused.

He slouched. "That wasn't fair."

Like a haughty lady, Annala held her nose high, daintily lifted
her skirt, and walked past him. "Maybe next time," she said without
looking at him. Then she giggled, dropped the act, and twirled for him. "What
do you think?"

Hanging from her shoulders, the dress ran snugly to her
waist and then out into a loose ankle-length skirt. Just visible underneath
were the kitten heels. Elbow-length gloves and full stockings of a lighter
shade adorned her arms and legs. A satin collar graced her neck and small diamonds
shined in her ears along with a bracelet on her right wrist. Eric was dazzled
until she pouted, at which point he pulled himself together enough to say, "You'll
outshine anyone we'll meet at the castle."

At that moment, he realized his own state of dress. It was
shabby, dirty, and altogether unworthy of this golden-haired noble lady. He
searched his apartment for something halfway decent but found nothing. He
wasn’t used to attending formal parties instead of guarding them. Then he heard
a knock on the door.

He opened it, but there was no one outside. The knocking
continued. Eric turned back around and saw that it was coming from inside the
room. Pushed into the corners were bags of miscellaneous junk and a hand
extended out of one of them. It was knocking on the floor. Eric knelt and
grabbed the wrist. It dropped a piece of paper.

“‘Inside this bag are the clothes you’ll need,’” Eric
read. “‘Make sure you return them before midnight or they will disappear.’
Seriously?”

The hand retracted and dropped another sheet of paper.

“‘Yes. You’ll be naked on international CV. It will be hilarious.’
Tasio, what’s going on?”

“It’s not him,” Annala said. “It’s his cousin, Rojo Genki.
He’s an oddball even among tricksters; using bags to teleport and only talks
through pieces of paper. He steals socks, spare coins, house keys, and lemon
pies.”

“Of course he does. Then what about the clothes?”

“They’re safe. He provides what you’re missing when you’re
missing it, and also takes the stuff you need when you’re not paying attention.
He’s that kind of trickster.”   

A pair of hands held out a bundle of clothes. Annala
nodded and Eric accepted them. One piece was a black coat with gold buttons and
gold trim at the fringes. On the back was a stylized version of the Dragon’s
Lair crest. Underneath was a grey dress shirt with a dragon pattern. A pair of
black pants and a gold belt, along with black shoes, completed the look. Eric
did his own grooming, walked out of the restroom, and Annala sighed at the
figure he cut.

With a curtsy, she said, “Lord Eric, thank you for
escorting me today.”

He bowed and said, “My pleasure, Lady Annala, but before
we go, allow me to add something to your beauty.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Eric retrieved the package from the pawnshop. “I was going
to give you this later, but this is a better opportunity.” He opened the box
and revealed the choker.

Hands over her mouth, she exclaimed, “How in the world did
you afford this!?!” Her hands moved to her hips. “Did you steal this one too?”

“No. I exchanged it for one of greater value yet damaged
condition and I assure you that I didn’t steal that one either. It was a gift
that an ordercrafter prince gave to Her Majesty that she gave to me because she
didn’t like it.”

 “Whatever you say. Help me put it on.”

She took the queen’s collar off, then she turned her back
to him and lifted her long hair. The sight distracted him until she cleared her
throat. Sheepishly, he slipped the choker around her neck and fastened the
clasp at her nape.
Mine.
Then he helped her into her coat and offered
his arm. She accepted it and they walked out together.

Waiting for them on the bridge was the rest of Team Four.
Eric did a double take when he saw his mentor and suddenly realized what he must
look like. Dressed up and with an equally formal girl on his arm could mean
only one thing.

“Going on a date instead of a mission, are we?”

“No, Daylra,” Eric said with a straight face. “I was
escorting the daughter of Dnnac Ledo’s ambassador to the castle for the Mana
Mutation Summit at the request of Her Majesty.”

Basilard raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yes. I have a letter from the castle in my apartment that
contained her invitation.”

“Good. We do too.”

“You what?”

All three of them pulled out a ticket identical to the
ones Eric and Annala possessed. Basilard was invited to represent the Bladi
Clan, Nolien to represent the noble Heleti family of which he still insisted he
wasn’t part, and Tiza because of her recovery.

“I’m willing to let this one slide given recent events but
don’t let it happen again.”

“Understood, Daylra.”

Roalt Castle's curtain wall was just as snow covered as
everything else and the moat was frozen solid. Sculptors were using it as a
gallery for the aftermath of the Winter Blaze Festival and as a post-Torch Day
display. Annala and Nolien admired and discussed them while the guards looked
over their invitations.