Andromeda

Chapter 9

"So, you're sure we can do this?"

Andromeda watched as Cliff paced the room, deep in thought. Sorren and Slate sat to the side of her. They had just explained about the Daeren-Sor to him, and now he was taking the information in, hopefully devising a plan.

"It can't be that hard, can it?" Andromeda said. "We just need to find transportation to the farthest north town and then go from there. Like trains, there seems to be plenty of those."

She still didn't understand anything about "electricity" or anything else about the new technologies invented by Icekeep, but on the map there were several lines stretched out across the southern half of the continent. Slate had explained they were called "trains," and helped get people places quickly.

Cliff sighed and turned to face the three of them, but especially Andromeda and Sorren. "I suppose I should let you know what the situation is really like."

"What situation?" Sorren said, shooting him a skeptical look.

"The situation between Icekeepians and Leorans, of course. I don't know what it's like in Leoral, but here, especially in Glacier City, well... you're lucky you got to the inn in one piece." Cliff moved to sit in a chair by the three of them. "You know about the ban on travel between continents here, right?"

"Yeah, but people still go anyways," Sorren pointed out. "As long as they've got the money, nobody's stopping them."

"People go from Leoral to Icekeep, yes, but have you ever seen anyone coming from Icekeep to Leoral?"

"No..." Andromeda said. "But we don't live near Jervin. We only went there once, and that was to get here! Icekeepians probably come all the time."

Cliff looked up and gave her a sad smile. "You live by the largest city in Leroal, though, do you not? And have you ever seen anyone unusual there? Someone from Icekeep?"

Andromeda fell silent. She didn't want to admit it, but she feared what he would say next. There had been a nagging feeling inside her ever since they had arrived in Glacier City. The strange looks she had been given, the colorless landscape, the way everyone hurried past, the way there wasn't a single Leoran, not even the ones that had come on the same boat they had. It had all been eating at her insides for the past day.

"I suppose you should know about the President," Cliff said, "unless you already know about his history and ideals?"

"I actually don't," Andromeda said. "We only have a few books about Icekeep at the Headquarters, and they're all old. Like, history books from before the war."

"It's not that surprising, really," Sorren said. "Chamomile avoids the topic of Icekeep like the plague."

"Hm. Well, it all started with the Great War, when Icekeep invaded Leoral," Cliff started. "Leoral has many natural resources that Icekeep does not. Yes, there is plenty of oil up here, but we still need wood, and there is plenty of that in Leoral. Plus, there are lots of animals to hunt and give us something to eat other than the farm animals we brought with us when we settled here. But that was 25 years ago and, as you know, Icekeep lost.

"It was then that hatred for the Magicals really started to grow among the residents of Icekeep, and when Frost ran for President promising to make them pay, well... he won by a landslide.

"President Frost was the one who put up the ban on travel to and from Icekeep, and yet Leorans still kept coming. But their boats were only in the harbor for a day or two—and then they were gone without a trace."

Silence filled the room, laid thick around them. When the density of the air became too much for Andromeda, she whispered "And? What happened?"

Cliff waited a few moments longer before saying "They were taken to the Capital Building, where they still are to this day."

Slate's eyes widened and he tensed; it was clear he had never heard of this before. "T-the Capital? Why there?"

"Ah... yes..." Cliff refused to meet their eyes. "Well, ever since the War, Frost has held a certain bitterness towards Magicals within him. His family was killed in it, and we're still here on this continent without the resources Leoral has. But without magic, we'd just be struck down again. So, the solution... is to learn it himself."

"That's not possible," Andromeda frowned. "You're either born with magic or you're not. I mean, you might be able to see the energy that makes up magic, but you wouldn't be able to manipulate it."

"Frost has always tried to achieve the impossible," Cliff said. "He thinks there's some way he could draw that power out of Magicals and move it to a Non-Magical, or just recreate it entirely. He thinks that with technology, you can do anything."

"Well, THAT'S just not true!" Andromeda said. "Technology can't just find someone or move something across the room or make a light in an instant. It can't create art! This whole thing is silly. Right, Sorren?"

"Huh?" Sorren said with a start. "Oh, yeah. Right." It was clear they weren't paying attention; Andromeda could've sworn they were staring off into space just a few moments earlier.

"Anyways, the only way to get the magic or learn how to recreate it is to get it from Magicals themselves," Cliff continued. "So, Frost keeps the ports open to Leorals, and then... the Guard takes them to the Capital. A few individuals with magic are no match for a large group of armed people. It doesn't happen too often, so hardly any Icekeepians noticed, and if they do, well... they either prefer it this way, or they're too scared to say anything."

There was silence for a few more minutes before Slate said "How do you know about all of this? I thought we didn't have any spies."

Cliff looked away for a long moment, the silence drawing between them. Finally, he looked back and offered them all a weary smile. "Because," he said, "Frost used to be the love of my life."

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Thanks so much for reading! Sorry for the late update this week, I just needed some time off