The Fox, Red

101 - A Well Needed Break

Word spread about the attack on myself and Anne. The audio of General Weller and I's conversation was spread everywhere. News stations across the country could no longer ignore what I was doing. The few that ventured out into the desert that day on a tip that this meeting would happen were met with a spectacle that they could not have imagined.

Video of the drone strike played on a loop for days. People were asking why the decision was made to take this action against an activist for equal treatment of a group of people. Even though many tried to play to the fear-mongering that they had tried to work up before with the display of power that I had shown, the question stood, "Why did they bring an army?" The people wanted answers as to why they were so brazen to kill one individual.

No official answer was ever given. Every government organization was quick to dismiss General Weller as someone who had gone out of control and had ignored his orders to stand down during this time. Those on the inside knew. They knew damn well that this was an attempt to silence this ordeal once and for all. The audio was the smoking gun that they knew what was going on and that the actions taken were approved.

While the exertion of power didn't have the same rebound as it had before, it was suggested that I take a few days to recuperate. And that was a wise idea. It gave me time to sit back and watch this unfold. From the drive up. To the drone strike. To the raining fire. It gave me a chance to look at what I could do from a different perspective.

Anne did a better job than I expected her to do. Once she reached the media line she was swarmed with questions about what had happened. She knew nothing more than that we were attacked and did her part well to explain that this meeting was to get an answer for an arrest that was secretly set up to be a plot for assassination.

I have to admit, the dust trail from the wreckage of the tent across the desert looked cool. I didn't know my quick-step could do that. It just went from explosion to a brief pause, then a line of dust. Anne emerged from the wreckage unharmed and began doing her part to explain what had happened.

The reporters followed the dust trail to catch up with us as I was standing in the open. They caught the fired tank shells at an unarmed civilian helping my story of self-defense spread wider.

Once that video played, it wasn't long before we started receiving communications from all over the world. Media outlets were encouraged to give out some contact information. We wanted people to reach out. What we didn't expect was governments reaching out. Representatives from across the world wanted to check the validity of this action. We had to formulate an official response which was sent out when asked.

We had requests come in from news station after news station asking for interviews or appearances. We had to deny many of them or set them for a later date. I had other things that needed to be attended to. There was still the matter of finding this castle I had seen. My groups were still looking diligently to try and find it. We did get some support from some of these representatives. We asked if they knew of a place in their respective country where something like this might exist. We got a few leads here and there that were followed up on. Quite a few were eliminated. But there were still a few that we could not.

Three days after the fight with General Weller, I woke up with the sun. My followers have been kind and let me sleep these past few days. A new tail generally means that I have some kind of adverse reaction. This has been the easiest one yet. With two left to go, I wonder what will happen to them. I'm also wondering what I'll have to do to get them. I'm hoping that this castle will be the answer or provide one.

My mornings have also been greeted by Anne as she wakes up next to me. It feels strange to have someone to share a bed with after it's been so long. It's almost like I'm back at the manor. She's attentive to anything I may need. She moves with purpose and just like back at the manor, I'm concerned that she's overworking and over-worrying herself.

I've survived this far on my own without her. I have, however, learned that it's important to have support. And that's what she's doing. The problem with her being around is that I can see how others are treating her. They are biting their tongue about her being so close so quickly. She's seen as an outsider to them. They've dedicated their lives to my name even before they knew me. She's only known me for a relatively short time.

But none of them will treat me like Anne treats me. She brings a certain level of care that the others do not. They are all respectful but also fearful. They revere me but that also makes them jumpy when around me. In the few weeks that we've been here, they've lightened up a little bit with each other. I walk into a room and conversations seem to stop in their tracks. I urge them to continue but they are on pins and needles waiting for an order, request, or something from me.

There's not much I can do about it. They are in work mode. Anne's work mode is much different. She is dedicated to taking care of me. Sometimes on a personal level. She asks how I'm doing. What my plans are. Even if I need something "extra" now and again, she's been very attentive. Sometimes a bit too attentive.

I've been waiting for the aftermath of my actions to come back. Everyone was far too quick to dismiss General Weller. It looks good to the public, to a degree. I know this isn't the end of it. There is going to be an uphill climb. What I need right now is to find that location on the tapestry. There's something there that I need. I can feel it deep within me. It's pulling at me to come and find it.

I spend a good amount of my free time wandering around the desert only to come back to base and watch the news continue to talk about how the world is changing. There's been a huge wave of mages and magic users coming forward. There have also been a lot of non-magic users trying to pose as mages and magic users who have been oppressed for years. The collective community has been quick to weed out these false claims.

It's the new hottest topic to be a part of. To stay relevant, a lot of influencers are trying to jump on the bandwagon. The issue with this is that when asked to prove their abilities a lot of them shy away. They could have magic prowess but they don't have access to the materials to learn how to use it. That will be something I aim to fix. The knowledge will need to be circulated and established. For now, it's still coated in mystery for those not in the know.

Anne is one of these folks that don't have magical abilities. She asked if she could try, I gave her the teachings I had, but she couldn't seem to draw from it. It's only been a week and it may just be a mental block but for now, she's a non-magic user. That doesn't change her standing. She's working for me. She will be treated like anyone else. With a few exceptions.

The time continues to pass as I wait patiently. My people are working on finding that location. I'm watching the tight-knit seams that hid magic have started to unravel. Things are going as planned but there is still more. I can only wait patiently. Well, I should break my media silence about the attack. That might cause a bit more of a stir and push my goals further. I'll plan for that and have the media team set something up. We're no longer limited to local news outlets.