Nebulae and Cosmic Filaments - A Second Anthology of SF SD Shorts

Part 6 - Extraction

"But of course, captain," the mage said with a smile.  Another gesture and the castle disappeared.  Along with it went the hill, the village and the surrounding territory, leaving them in that lightly forested area they had been traversing before the dragon's appearance.

"If that meets with your approval, perhaps you can provide me with your extraction point and I can open a portal to that location."

"Ah, no," Benton hastily said.  "That location is classified, in case we're compromised."

That lifted the mage's eyebrow.  And no wonder; if he was able to put words into Benton's head, there was a fair chance he could take things out of it as well.  Yet he was polite enough to ask.  Then the mage shrugged.

"Suit yourself, captain.  We'll do it the mundane way."  Settling his robes about him, and with Kennedy in tow, the mage began to stride firmly away from the bemused soldiers.

"Um, sir," Benton said after clearing his throat.  When the mage turned towards him, he pointed to the southeast.  "That direction."

The mage smiled thinly.

"Of course it is," he said, turning that way.  "Come along, Kennedy.  We've got quite a ways to go and little time."

Benton and the rest of the squad quickly fell in behind the mage, letting him and the turncoat Kennedy lead the way.  But the pair at the front didn't stay alone for long.

DeSantos cleared her throat nervously as she stepped up to fall in beside the mage.

"Pardon me, master, but I was wondering if you have the time to answer a question or two for me," she asked, looking over at the balding man in his green robes.  The mage returned her gaze, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

"A neophyte?  And one with skill as well, along with manners," was the mage's dry comment.  "Because of that, I will answer your questions.  For I have never been one to turn aside a seeker of knowledge." As he said that, he made a significant look in Kennedy's direction before returning his eyes to her.

"Thank you, master," deSantos said and the mage inclined his head graciously.  "First thing I'd like to ask is why did your people invade our universe?  We didn't even know you existed before your military struck and thousands of innocents were killed."

The hard, pressing question quickly earned deSantos another look, this one less charitable than the others.

"So much for questions about the intricacies of the Art," the mage muttered, then sighed.  "That is what I get for assuming.  However you are right to ask such a question, deSantos."  He called her by name even though she hadn't given it.  If deSantos was alarmed by that, she didn't show it.  Instead, she attentively listened to what the mage had to say.

"In truth, my people didn't plan on invading.  But when our universes collided and your universe spilled into ours, the energies from your plane of existence spilled into ours, reducing the amount of mana available for our magic, and making our spells less effective.  If they worked at all.  So the High Mages on our governing council decided it was best to fight to preserve our way of life."

"I can understand defending oneself, master, but attacking without provocation?  It wasn't the species in this universe that were responsible for the collision.  Or for the differing physics between our realities."

"True," the mage said with a smile.  "You make a point that I made several times before the High Mages myself, since I had once sat on that council for many years."  He made a gesture and a ball of light appeared in front of them, floating at about chest height with no visible means of support.  Another gesture fractured the ball into a thousand pieces, without shattering it.