“Fuck.” He said, his accent coming back for a second, making it nearly into a two syllable word.
Indeed.
“Guide, get with the working group. We need shields now. God, I… Focus and do batches of fifty. One per hour. When you can do that, try a hundred, got it? We don’t have time to play around anymore.”
The boy hesitated. It was a lot to ask after all. So far the only person any of them knew about that could do more than ten at a time was Tor and, well, he couldn't just then. That just meant that some of the others needed to step the heck up then, didn't it?
“Alright Sir. We'll do that directly.”
Tor knew they might not get it done at all. That was fine, it was mainly that people needed to be busy and also to know they were protected. Someone making more devices than the next best manufacturing concern in the kingdom could manage in a month in the course of hours would be reassuring. Even if it didn't work, he could pretend it was. After all, he was the new Counselor of things like that. People had to believe him in regards to magic. Even if he was lying.
A few minutes later his communications device started to glow and the palace sigil lit up. He tapped it, hoping it was, at least not bad news. Good was a bit much to ask, he guessed, given everything.
“This is Tor.”
“This is Smythe. The Queen asked me to inform you that we have several hundred military incoming and that the “cargo” has been removed, including yours…. Is that clear to you?” He sounded as if he though Tor might not get it. He did.
“Clear. Um, not to be a pain, but… um… I'm taking control of this situation until you get here. We need the military, but also investigators and really, any time the military gets involved in anything with me in it, some big and stupid fight erupts. I'll back your plan on the ground here for now, until we know it's all secure, but you know, I can't really fight with anyone for the time being. So if you could mention that to whoever is coming?” It was pushy and heavy handed and Tor figured he was about to be told off. Well, as long as they didn't kill him, but if they tried to arrest him for some stupid reason, he was just fighting.
He wouldn't last long with a bunch of abuse.
“They're already in the air… I don't think I can reach them until they land. Can you secure the area?”
“Yes. It will take about half an hour. Faster if possible.”
That was the best they could do, so Smythe just asked him to try. After a few fumbled seconds Tor got it. He didn't know what they should do either. Yay. Grand.
“OK. Well. For now, I'm taking anyone I don't recognize personally into custody. Just in case. It's harsh, but…” Tor didn't want to finish it, and Smythe didn't make him.
“Do it. Try not to use force beyond what's needed.”
“Understood.”
Kolb and Judith flew towards him just as he shut the communications line down to try and do… something. They landed “hot” slowing just about fifty feet from the ground and settling faster than Tor ever did. It made deep popping sounds from the ground as the force of impact buried itself to protect the fragile people inside the shields.
“Kolb. We're locking down the town. All your people are needed. Best students too. Anyone not recognized needs to be brought here. That includes any new students. First years too…” Tor glanced at Judith and shrugged, he had a truth amulet at least and more in his room.
He slipped his over her head and cleared her in about fifteen seconds. Then he took the field back and showed her the sigil, so she could get his out the trunk under his bed, if it was still there. If not they'd have to improvise.
Tor looked around and found the scared noble girl that still clutched her arm and looked to have taken a pretty hard beating already. He pointed at the girl.
“Her first. She was with the agent that did this. That doesn't mean guilt, but…” Tor just kept pointing as Kolb went for her. She tried to run first, which got her knocked down, shield or not, when the weapons instructor used an imploding weapon to hit the ground to her right, taking the stone out from under her. It wasn't anything he'd made at all. He didn't think, except, when he looked at it, he realized it was. It just wasn't a weapon. It was a stone concentrator, for turning rock and sand into a single piece. It was just a totally unexpected use for it.
Tor smiled as the girl fell to the ground and floated over, turning her shield off. It wasn't a good sign, running away, but when they questioned her, the light stayed steady the whole time, glowing away merrily.
“Then why,” Kolb asked her, suspicious still. “Did you try and run.”
“Because you're scary.” This came out in a tiny voice, slightly high pitched and very youthful. It wasn't a lie.
Kolb just chuckled.
It took a bit to secure the town, but they had about fifty people in the commons, waiting to be questioned when the military showed up. Half flew, half came in transports, but none of them were people Tor recognized. All tall, so special elites of some kind, most likely. He expected problems. The man in charge was older, over fifty, but thin and with a lot of black left to his hair still. He was also a bit of a jerk, yelling at Kolb's people to drop their weapons, which presented a problem. They really weren’t going to do that at all.
Tor waved the man over, hoping it wouldn't come to a fight. They really didn't have time for it.
“I'm Torrance Baker, Magics Counselor for the kingdom, yes it's new, and yes, you and your men are military. I'm working directly for Smythe of Westend however and will contact him right now, so we can settle this. But for the time being, could you deploy your men and work with the people who already have control of the situation please? You have my word that their solid.”
The man stopped talking for about fifteen seconds and just glared at Tor as if he was suggesting they eat a live cow together. Finally, going narrowed eyed he spoke, his voice suspicious.
“I haven't heard anything about any of that. I was just told to take control here.”
Tor shrugged, “things changed after you were in the air, because I was already here and had assumed control. Odds are you'll be in control anyway, but I have a communications device and it will take just a few minutes, trust me it will take a lot longer to try and fight these guys, since there already spread out all over town.”
The man glared and then just… Harrumphed.
“Good point. Alright.” He called out for his people to work with Kolb's, who were all in dark fighting leathers that matched, using their amulets just for that. It worked in this case for sure. As good as an official uniform.
The men deployed rapidly, as if they had a plan for something like this. If they did, Tor would gladly give over control. As long as the plan didn't involve smacking him in the back of the head for an hour or anything.
That was the nice way of explaining what had happened the last time he'd been taken in by anyone. That time was for “questioning” and was just the Capital city guard. Tor hated to think what the elite forces would do if they had a chance.
Connie answered almost immediately, sounding less tense this time, which Tor took to mean that everyone else was probably safe. She didn't mention that specifically, but, to his great relief, Tor could make out everyone talking in the background. Ali called out hello even, which was happy making.
“Good, it seems like that part is going well. Not to be annoying and have you playing servant, but is Smythe of Westend around? I have his…” Tor had no clue what to call the man in front of him and went quiet for a second. Well, the rule was to promote up, when in doubt, right?
He hoped so.
“I have his elite forces general here, his best man, but we need to get the orders straight. We've secured the town already, as best we can.”
Connie murmured “one moment” and there was a rustling from the device in front of him after less than a handful of seconds Smythe's voice came from in front of him, sounding very professional.
“General Teller is on hand?”
Tor nodded, then had to fight blushing, because that couldn't be heard. Duh.
“Yes Sir. He's right here.” That got the guy waved over, to stand next to him so that they could both speak. The guy was so much taller than Tor that the device had to be held up a little for comfort.
For some reason the man seemed really uneasy suddenly.
“Lord Smythe. This is Teller. As reported the situation is secure and we were about to consolidate that with
