Falling with folded wing.., p.23
Falling with Folded Wings 3: A LitRPG Progression Fantasy, page 23
“So, we’re agreed?” Arthur’s voice jerked Morgan out of his reverie. “We’ll issue a statement urging citizens to remain with the colony, warning them of the dangers of binding Energy contracts, and offering a legal review of all contracts for those citizens tempted by Captain Gella’s offer?”
“Yes, I can make a copy of the relevant pages in my text. I’m sure we have plenty of people familiar with contract law and the relevant legalese that would take up quests if the council authorized them at the Town Stone. Also, I’ll draft a pamphlet describing the dangers of revealing one’s affinities, especially their general Energy affinity. At the very least, I’ll explain that the people of this world keep such information rather closely guarded,” Olivia said.
“I have a proposal I’d like to bring before the council,” Tanya Delgado spoke up, filling the silence as people considered Olivia’s words.
“Go ahead.” Arthur turned to her.
“It seems we’re always down a council member or three. I propose we have a special election so we can fill a standing alternate position. In other words, we’ll have a tenth member that only serves to break ties in the event we have absent members. For instance, today, we have eight members present. If we had a tie vote on something, what would we do? Wait for Bronwyn to return before we can make a decision?”
“I have Bronwyn’s proxy,” Olivia reminded her.
“Still, I think it’d be a good idea in the event that wasn’t the case,” Tanya pressed.
“That’s a fairly standard practice on boards, and I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” Dr. Kerns agreed.
“Any objections?” Arthur asked.
“Will the position be open to any citizen?” Olivia asked.
At first, Morgan thought she was looking at him, but he realized her eyes were staring over his shoulder toward Issa. Did Issa want to run for council? As far as he was concerned, she could have his seat.
“Yes, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be,” Tanya replied, looking around at the assembled faces.
No one objected.
“Very good. I’ll schedule the election later today. Tanya and Maria, will you walk to the stone with me after the meeting?” Arthur asked, and both women agreed. “Any other business?”
“I have a piece of business,” Morgan said. “Kind of strange business, but I promised Bronwyn I’d bring it up when we got back to First Landing.”
“Go on, Morgan,” Alec prompted, nodding encouragingly.
“Well, this issue goes back to the very first day we arrived in the solar system. You’re all aware that the Noah unit woke me up to troubleshoot the scanners, right?” He glanced around the table, meeting everyone’s eyes as they nodded or otherwise affirmed his statement. “Well, the System noticed I was awake and sent me into the Crucible. You all know that. What I never mentioned is that it also gave me a title. I think I didn’t mention it because it’s kind of embarrassing; I mean, it’s so pretentious sounding. Anyway, it labeled me Human Champion.”
“Oh?” Alec asked with a chuckle. Olivia raised her eyebrow from across the table.
“Yeah, and it’s a pretty significant boost—it increases my Energy use efficacy by fifty percent. What it boils down to is that my spells and abilities are a lot stronger than they would be without that title.”
“That’s great and lucky for you, but why bring it up to the council, Morgan?” Maria Rios asked.
“Because it’s a transient title—it can be moved to different people somehow, probably at the Town Stone.”
“And you’re worried you don’t deserve it?” Olivia had a half smirk on her face.
“Well, more like I think it’s presumptuous of me to hang onto it. I mean, do you all think the populace should have a say in who holds the title? That’s kind of what Bronwyn and I concluded.”
“You helped save us from the Urghat! You found us our closest allies! Shit, man, you just dove through a portal to try to save some innocent folks,” Rene Bisset said. He looked at Olivia. “Not that you’re the only one, but I sure don’t have a problem with you holding that title.”
“Nor do I, Morgan,” Olivia added, smiling at Rene.
“I move to have Morgan hang onto his title for now, and that this matter be revisited in one year,” Alec proposed.
“Seconded,” Arthur answered immediately. “All in favor?” The table resounded with people saying “Aye,” and Morgan sat back with a warm flush in his chest.
“Any other business? I’ve got ribs in the smoker,” Alec said, pushing his chair back slightly. No one had anything else to bring up, so Morgan stood, turning to find Issa already walking toward him.
“That went well.” She reached out a hand for him to take.
They walked out of the building and stood to the side under a flowering purple-leafed tree in a brick planter surrounded by little shrubs. Morgan watched the people leaving the building for Olivia, and when he caught sight of her, he called her name. She strode over the cobbled courtyard toward them, her lengthy black hair iridescent in the sunlight.
“What a meeting, huh?” she asked, blowing out a big breath.
“Yeah, I’m not sorry to have missed so many while we’ve been gone.”
“You two should be more enthusiastic about the chance to govern yourselves! The same families have dominated the council in Tarn’s Crossing for generations, and nothing ever changes. I wish we had open elections like you do.”
“You don’t?” Morgan was surprised.
“Not really. Candidates have to be approved by the council, and newly elected officials are held on probation for years, with their votes only counting as half a normal vote. It’s very difficult to affect change because, even with the backing of the people, by the time a new council member gains full voting rights, their driving issues may have been forgotten or lost momentum.”
“Yeah, I don’t like the sound of that.” Olivia shook her head.
“Exactly! Do you think I would stand a chance if I tried to run for the new alternate position?” Issa asked, looking from Olivia to Morgan.
“Hell yes,” Morgan said automatically.
“I think you have a good chance, Issa. My only concern is that people might think you being with Morgan puts you two into a conflict of interest.”
“Then I’ll step down.” He shrugged.
“You’ve been itching to get off this council from day one.” Olivia laughed.
“Can you blame me?”
“Come on! You heard Issa. We need to appreciate our civic privileges.”
“Well, seriously, I know Issa would be twice the council member that I am. If it comes down to it, I’ll step down if people have a problem with you running.”
“It might not be an issue. I mean, I know for a fact married couples are serving on the same boards and town councils back on Earth. There is precedent! And you guys aren’t even married; at least not yet,” Olivia said, grinning at Morgan’s red face.
Issa didn’t say anything, just stared at Morgan with a big, sweet smile, and he stuttered for a moment before he could form any words. Issa bailed him out, turning to Olivia.
“I have some news that we haven’t told anyone. Can I tell her, Morgan?”
“Sure. I’d like to tell everyone in the world, so yeah.” He reached an arm around Issa’s shoulders while she reached forward to take Olivia’s hand in both of hers.
“I’m pregnant, Olivia! Morgan and I will be parents!”
“Oh my God! Seriously? Issa!” Olivia pulled her into a hug, lifting the smaller woman into the air and pulling her away from Morgan. “This is fantastic! Do you know what this means? We must share common ancestors! The fae, maybe? This means we can stop worrying about our population so much, Morgan! We’re not going to die out!”
“Yeah, I wanted to say that when Kerns accused me of being racist. I’m not trying to keep humans pure or some bullshit; I just don’t want us to lose sight of our history, our roots, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t know who Kerns was trying to impress with that little line, but trust me; no one thinks you’re racist, Morgan.” Olivia reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Do you guys know what you’re having? I bet it’s a little girl!”
“No, but we’re having twins!” Issa’s grin was so wide that Morgan could have counted all of her teeth.
“Oh, wow! You’re kidding! I can’t wait to tell Bronwyn. I can tell her, right?”
“Yes, of course. I hope you’ll both have a part in our children’s lives,” Issa said, still clasping Olivia’s hand.
“I’m at a loss! I can’t even think of what I was going to do right now. All I can think about are cute little pale blue babies.” Olivia had tears welling in her eyes.
“Oh God.” Morgan shoved a hand through his hair and looked away. “Really? Let’s not get all teared up, alright?”
“Oh, hush!” Issa shushed him. “They’re going to be so cute, Olivia! I can’t wait!”
“Yeah, yeah. They’re going to be the talk of the town for sure. Come on, I know what you need to do now, Olivia—we need to go over how the portal stones work with Tiladia because I really want to set up a permanent connection to Fainhallow.”
“That would be so great! I’d love for my friends to come visit, and if we have a portal, we could come every weekend! I could see Bronwyn all the time. And you guys, of course!”
“And the twins!” Issa added, gripping Olivia’s hand and pulling her along the cobbled walkway toward town. “Let’s stop for a snack on the way back?”
“Yes! I’m starved!” Olivia agreed, walking along briskly.
As Morgan stood in the shade of the flowering tree, watching them leave, he realized they’d completely forgotten about him. He sighed loudly and started after them.
He could grouse and complain about being bored in a council meeting, but really, he had it very good. Issa was happy, healthy, and making good, solid connections with the people in his life. He’d almost cleared his tower of guardians, and the only existential threat to the town seemed to be a slightly overzealous recruiter. Things could be worse.
He stretched his wings, fluttering them lightly in the sunlight. They’d grown cramped after sitting in the council chamber for hours, and the air and light felt terrific. The feathers were like hair—they didn’t have sensation—but the part where they sprouted from the skin was very sensitive, and as the breeze fluttered them, it made him want to flap them and take off.
“Why not?” He laughed, and his wings cracked as he launched himself into the air.
At the apex of his upward momentum, he flapped again and really rocketed up. It was thrilling, and the wind whistling by his ears and through his hair and feathers was like a drug—he wanted more.
He opened his wings, angling his body so they caught the air and slowed his progress, and tilted to the right, banking into a slow, wide spiral, looking down at the cobbled path and Issa and Olivia. They’d stopped and were watching him, and Issa raised a hand to wave. Morgan waved back, then tucked his wings and dove toward the ground.
As he came near, he opened his wings, slowing his descent and angling into a curve so that he zoomed by, parallel to the ground, then back up into the air. He flapped a few times and was suddenly much higher than he’d ever flown. Morgan laughed, enjoying the feeling of ultimate freedom as he explored the sky above First Landing.
As he slowly made his way toward his tower, happy to let Issa and Olivia have a little time together, his eyes drifted toward the enormous airship docked at the northern edge of town, and he wondered if he should pay it a visit or just wait for his dinner appointment the next day.
Olivia
So I put this stone here, and Olivia uses the other one to set up the target portal? Does she need to prepare the location somehow?”
Morgan was holding two smooth, dark gray stones, both of which looked more like metal than actual rock. One was wedge shaped, similar to the stone Bronwyn’s patron had given them to open a portal to find Morgan. The other was rectangular and about three times the size. They were both carved with runes and had an identical symbol inlaid with silver that Olivia recognized to mean simply One. She wasn’t sure if she’d learned the symbol in one of her texts or if the System was translating it for her.
“That’s right, Morgan. Yes, Olivia will need to choose a location that won’t be disturbed by traffic or construction. The space should be ten by ten feet with a vertical clearance of twelve feet. It’s best to activate the anchor on bedrock or some similarly solid surface out of the elements. It’s imperative that she not place the anchor portal within twenty feet of any other dimensional or spatial-magic structures.”
“So don’t put the anchor stone on top of the teleport pad at the academy. Got it,” Olivia said, reaching out for the larger stone. Morgan handed it over, and she felt the Energy resonating within the heavy object. “Will the gateway be present all the time, or will I need to activate it?”
“The gateway will be present, but the portal will remain inert until activated. Only people who Morgan gives permission to will be able to open it.” Tiladia paused for a moment, collapsing and expanding in a tinkle of chimes and an explosion of mist, then resumed speaking. “That’s not entirely true— someone with enormous power could force it open, but they’d have to be able to overpower the tower itself, which not even Vormendion could have done. He designed this building to withstand entry by beings far more powerful than even he.”
“I gave you permission when you touched it, Olivia,” Morgan clarified, nodding. “I’ll be sure to give Bronwyn permission too so she can use the portal whenever she’s around.”
“Thank you, Morgan!” Olivia smiled. “Is it safe to put this in my ring?”
“I’m sorry, but no, Miss Olivia. This anchor stone is a spatial container in itself—it will expand into a gateway when you activate it.”
“Oh, it’s alright. That’ll incentivize me to set it up quickly—don’t want to carry it all over the place, do I?”
“Do you have a bag you can carry it in?” Morgan asked.
“Yes, don’t worry. I’m going to gather my things and get going. You’ll know when I get this set up, Tiladia?”
“Yes, I will. This portal will illuminate once the anchor is set as well.”
“Alright, well, Morgan, I’ll hopefully be seeing you soon. Be careful at that dinner tonight, and make sure Issa comes to watch your back. You know how distracted you are by good food.” Olivia laughed as she pulled Morgan into a hug.
“Right, well, take care of yourself, and yeah, now you should be able to come back anytime you want. So if things don’t go well, or they’ve … you know, expelled you, come on home, alright?” He squeezed her tightly, and Olivia felt a real sense of fondness for him—they’d grown close during their shared exile.
Not wanting to prolong the goodbye, Olivia turned and stepped onto the magical stairway, thinking about going to the guest quarters. Three steps later, she was on the landing leading to her rooms. She’d already said her goodbyes to Issa, and Bronwyn was nowhere to be found, so nothing was holding her here other than her lingering guilt about abandoning the council and the community again.
Olivia supposed she felt guilty mainly because she was eager to return to the academy while having niggling fears about the airship and the captain who worked for ap’Gravin. Perhaps she could find some more information about the professor’s father while at the academy, though.
As far as the council went, they were handling things quite well, in her opinion. If she lost her seat at the next election because of her absenteeism, that would be fair. She could always campaign and try to regain it sometime down the road when she was ready to spend more time at First Landing.
She looked around her quarters, making sure she hadn’t left anything she wanted to bring back with her. Most of her belongings, especially the ones she truly valued, were in her storage rings. After talking to Issa, she had taken her advice, splitting her belongings up between her rings—if she lost one, she wouldn’t lose everything.
Walking around the room, she scooped clothing and toiletries into her ring, laughing to herself when she realized more than half the discarded garments were Bronwyn’s.
Olivia sat at the edge of her bed and sighed. She really was disappointed that Bronwyn had left so suddenly.
“What’s the deal with this Summer Queen bitch, anyway?”
She sighed again and shook her head. Bronwyn had been so open and happy while they’d been together on Unu and in the dungeon, but she definitely had a leash attached to her neck, and Olivia didn’t like it. That thought always brought with it other, even less pleasant ones, like what exactly were Bronwyn and Olivia to each other? They certainly enjoyed each other’s … company. They’d professed their fondness for each other, but was it really love? Was there a future in it?
Olivia sighed again, heavily.
Thinking about her relationship with Bronwyn brought up another worry—how would she treat Adaida? They’d been growing close, and Olivia was excited to see her, but would she need to keep her at an arm’s length now?
“Maybe she’s assumed I’m dead or not coming back, and she’s forgotten all about me.”
Olivia stood and gathered up Bronwyn’s clothes, folding them and setting them on the bed before moving in front of the mirror inside the armoire door and giving herself a good once over. She held a finger to a little cluster of runes at the hem of one of her robes’ sleeves, concentrated for a moment, and the garment shifted from burgundy to gray. She’d spent some time in the dungeon learning to add the runes to her magical robe, taking it a step further than Oylla had suggested—not only could she make them gray to fit in at the academy, but she could imagine nearly any color, and the fabric would shift to match it.
