Enchantress

8

^^ Aia Farman ^^

— Gina —

"So, answer me this, my dear, and I hope the answer isn't that you're all just total nerds; why not use Guns and Mass drivers inside the Dungeons? Why use Swords and Hammers like the savages from a hundred years ago?"

Zawahili looked up at me from her spot next to my desk, where I was currently drawing the runic pattern for a magic shield she'd brought me, so I could copy it. "Well, firstly, because no technology works within the Dungeons, or even close to a Gate. The stronger the Gate is, the bigger the radius of anti-technology is, so some of them are so strong that there are entire towns within their range with no technology. Some of those you know of as the Amish, here in America, because that's where the most powerful Dungeons are, leading the settlers of the place to believe that it was a holy land where the Devil's trickery, -in the form of technology,- could not penetrate."

"Ahh, and no one explained to them that it's the exact opposite of that that's causing it?"

"We didn't feel it was our place to burst their bubbles."

I laughed softly, handing her back the shield with surprisingly little effort; one of the Runes on the shield was the 'Lightening' Rune, which at first I'd thought was 'Lightning', but turned out to literally be 'To Lessen Weight', not 'To Fulminate'. "Can you have Vera call Lady Erica and inform her that I've learned the Runes for 'Lightening', and I can enchant two shields today if she wants, or something else entirely? Also, have Vera inform her that I meant 'Lightning' in my previous request?"

"Yes, ma'am." She nodded and carried the shield out into the second office outside of mine, where my new secretary was waiting patiently; she didn't have much in the way of work yet besides calling Lady Erica, as my business wasn't technically open yet, and I'd been wary about telling anyone the secrets we'd just recently agreed to keep, but Lady Erica trusted her implicitly, so she got the job.

We currently sat on the top floor of the Tower, where Erica's Architect had retrofitted the northern tower's top floor for the two offices, as he was slowly making his way up the building with his magical building; everywhere he went, the structure around him slowly but surely shifted until it matched almost perfectly to my artistic vision from the blueprints, but it wasn't visible, at first. The first four or five days, he's simply stood in the lobby or the basement calmly, meditating, and only after that had I realized that he was fixing the foundation and internal structure of the building to handle the changes being made. Today was day Seven, and the Fourth Floor was emerging into fruition, though the Glass was empty for now and did not yet contain either water or fish.

Zawahili returned and sat next to my desk again in the comfy armchair she'd set up in the corner so she could see the entire room as well as the window behind me. "Lady Erica says she'll look for something with Lightning, but that's a very rare enchantment, so don't hold your breath. Also, you've got a call on line one, from a Miss Farman."

I nodded and clicked the button to answer the phone, curious for the situation. "Desiree, why didn't you call my cell?"

A significantly younger voice answered, clearing up much of my confusion. "Ah, uhm, actually it's Aia? Gramma said I worked for both of you now? I think? I'm confused?"

"So she chose you for the Branch Office we're opening in my Building? The Spa?"

"Ah! Yes, I think that's right; she told me to take a few of the new girls with me, because they were crowding her salon anyway? So uh... where are we going?"

"You know the park where we walk the dogs for the Service Dog Program? The Private Area with the Electric Fence over there? Go there, and I'll have someone come guide you in. You'll love the setup here, I assure you; it's a little lacking in tools and customers as of yet, but the decor is close to finished, and it'll be gorgeous! I'll see you when you get in!!!"