Mirage Phenomenon

Wiccans and Sorcerers

Merlyn and Vanessa stood, both dressed in black, as they watched the ornate casket being lowered into the ground. "Mary Drills," Merlyn said. "I can't believe I never learned her name. She was a constable for longer than I worked for B.R.O.M."

"You can't blame yourself," Vanessa said, giving his arm a pat. "Alistair, you did everything you could."

"Everything I could wasn't enough, clearly," he said. "Two dead constables, two dead security mages, and three dead Cultists, all at the hands of our enemy. These Cultists are not going to enjoy my retribution."

Vanessa sighed. It had been only a week since the attack at the Black Fortress. "It's going to be okay."

"Not for Mary," he said. "Or Ulysses. Or the other constable. I can't even remember her name."

"Tanya," Vanessa reminded him. "Tanya McDonald."

"It's ridiculous," Merlyn said. "So much death, and for what? Just to get Quinn back?"

"Maybe they're more desperate than they seem?" Vanessa suggested. "Quinn seems pretty powerful. If her fire thing exploded the way you said, maybe they're willing to put money on a chaotic time bomb."

"Maybe."

"Either way, right now, you need to mourn," Vanessa said.

Merlyn smacked his teeth. "You're not that torn up."

"Well," Vanessa said, "I was pretty shaken when I finally came to. But I didn't know them. And I won't ever know them. But at the end of the day, they did what they could to stop these monsters. They died heroes. It's hard to ask for more."

"I guess, but still. Their deaths are in vain."

"Right now. We'll get to that though."

Merlyn sighed. "Are you ready to go?" Vanessa nodded.

The two of them walked out to their B.R.O.M.-issued sedan. Merlyn turned on the radio, playing a slower, sad Taylor Swift song.

"So we know they seem to have four leaders," Vanessa said. "The old man."

"He's too powerful," Merlyn said. "That staff is unlike anything I've ever seen and he was able to cast spells in the dark without a Magic Detect spell on?"

"Maybe he did," Vanessa said. "You said his eyes were different colors?"

"Yes, one of them was blue and the other one was gold."

"Gold?"

"Yes. Gold."

Vanessa nodded. "Alright. Is it possible one of them was using Detect Magic, but was concealed behind a spell?"

"Even if that were possible, and I do not believe it is, when he walked through the Lavigne Portal it would have been cut off."

"Alright. Well, what about the others. The Dwarf."

"Yeah, the Dwarf," Merlyn said. "Dwarfs can't use magic. But he had that hammer and he clearly is well trained in fighting magic."

"Not much to go on," Vanessa admitted. "And the black guy? Popov, you said?"

"Whoever he is," Merlyn said, "I'm also pretty sure he can't use magic either."

"Why?"

"He used a sword. A katana, in fact. Most mages aren't trained in swordplay. That, and his suit seemed to be made out of some sort of rubbery material. I can't be sure, but I think it was actually made of something called hardened potio."1

"Okay? So what does that mean?"

"It would make it effective against magic attacks," Merlyn explained. "A bit like the Shield of Hestia. The Shield of Hestia can be broken, obviously, but it takes a lot to break it with magical attacks. Get a physical, real object though, a hammer or a baseball bat, the Shield of Hestia might as well be plastic wrap."