Chapter 1. The little things.
It’s nice to feel the salty air from the sea once in a while. Especially with the job I do and what it demands. It’s not normal for me to get to see the light of the sun, except for today. I look ahead and see the clear coast of Colonnia getting closer. Surprisingly, I don’t feel seasick, even though I’ve been traveling by boat for days. After the expedition I went on, I can’t wait to do what I do best. For the fourth or fifth time, I open my suitcase again like a child, and there it is. A small cube with shining corners, tightly closed. This artifact seems to hold a message, something important to say. What could it be? What secrets are hidden inside this small piece of lost technology?
Those questions disappear as soon as I feel an arm drape over my neck. I turn around with a hint of irony and see him. The brave, strong, and competent magician Arnold Smith is suffering after throwing up for the third time because of the movement of the sea. His jabbering tells me that he drank again last night with the other sailors and hasn’t slept in two days.
“Having fun, Arnold? We’re supposed to arrive in a few hours.” He, as charismatic and dumb as ever, raises his eyes and tries to be the serious one in the conversation.
“Oh, Connor Newgate, the library rat who’ll lock himself in the museum basement as soon as we arrive. Take a deep breath and look around, old friend. This is…” I believe the word he was about to say was “life” before he had to run off and throw up again. He’s not wrong. That is my destiny almost every day, but I enjoy it. Classifying, keeping records of, and protecting all the artifacts discovered by the Colonniers while investigating abandoned caves and other places. I was born to do this and I like what I do. I may not be strong like Arnold, but with my spell mastery, all I can rely on is my imagination.
I watch Arnold get taken away by the sailors. Good. He needs to sleep off his hangover. Soon we’ll arrive at Mountking and place this artifact in our pride and joy: the Museum of Colonnier Magic History. I decide to keep looking at the horizon. It may be a while before I can see it again. I could get used to this salty air.
One can dream.
The arrival, while mundane, is also refreshing for me. While I see Arnold yawning and complaining about how tedious the process is, I enjoy the little things. Officers checking my luggage, asking whether I’m returning to Colonnia or coming from foreign lands, and even requesting my identification and information. I’m usually reclusive most days, so this is quite interesting. After all, I’m not a social person by choice, and not many people request a tour inside the museum’s basement. How glad I would be if someone got lost and I got to share with them the secrets our civilization has found. Artifacts lost and forgotten by the other races on the continent. It’s a good thing that I get to do what I do. After all, those pieces of history would be lost or, worse, not taken care of properly. Once we get past the questioning and inspection, we climb a few stairs, and we are finally at Mountking, our very first settlement and capital of Colonnia.
The streets are as noisy as ever. People drive newly invented cars by channeling magic through their wands. Some entertainers offer magic shows to citizens eager to satisfy their curiosity. There are even some protesters claiming autonomy and recognition for other races. I usually leave late from work, so I miss most of these daily interactions. I would love to get something from the market, but alas, I’m the one carrying a brand-new, mysterious artifact. So all I can see are fragments of the town revealed by the guard escort Arnold requested, while he walks at the front. Luckily for me, I get to see the sky and everything going on above my head. People dry their clothes with wind spells. Construction workers move their materials around while others walk along those narrow structures without falling. Thanks to their wands, Colonniers can channel their magic and do nearly anything they imagine. All we need is our imagination and the spell we know from the day we are born. It’s bittersweet. I get to see them do what they love, but no one sees me. My nostalgia, however, vanishes as soon as I see my home, the Museum of Colonnier Magic History.
An amazing and imposing castle, located on top of a hill. A huge entrance covered in windows, as if it wanted to give you a glimpse of the magic inside. Around it, towers stretch back and forth, serving as a façade for the real secret: the Artifact Vault, a hidden basement level where we protect and catalogue all the magical objects forgotten by other species and recovered by us.
However, from where I’m standing, we still have to cross a huge esplanade with a fountain at its center. The ground is covered entirely with white mosaics. At the end stands a staircase of probably fifty steps leading up the hill to the museum entrance. It’s not a small feat. Still, parents and kids go up and down, ready to learn about our history. It must be fun to be able to give them the tour. But I’m happy with being where I am needed.
Before reaching the esplanade, we passed through a merchant street. For a second, I catch some foreigners trying to do business. I see some Amarath trying to read tarot cards for a few citizens. They are known for being nomads and for fooling those in search of fortune. Others are selling potions, their magical specialty. While they are easy to spot because of their brown, almost captivating skin, most of the merchants are Colonniers. It’s easy to see whom they prefer to buy from, just by watching the flow of people.
“Look at them. They come and steal money from our people. They use lies and trickery to hurt those desperate for a better life. They disgust me,” Arnold says, quietly grinding his teeth. Since we arrived years ago on this continent we call Archantika, we haven’t had good relations with the other races. Not by our own merit. After all, our history says that the Amarath tried to trick us, the Ashvani to kill us, and the Jollion ignored us in our most desperate times. We were a race from another continent trying to adapt to their cultures. It was always a hard sell. It’s probably the reason the Colonniers came to resent all of them. I’m being optimistic, but I only have the past to draw conclusions from.
And those are not good.
We cross the street and finally arrive at the esplanade. It’s been half a year since I last felt the hard, pristine mosaic beneath my feet. As we walk, citizens watch us with great interest. It’s hard to pass by quietly without drawing attention when you are being escorted. While some people stare at us in amazement, others go on with their day. Some street magicians make amazing animal balloons with their wands. Others use their control over water to make lemonade in the most amazing way possible. Some are even levitating while someone holds them from below. Their smiles and excitement fill me with joy and determination. Even the stairs are easy to climb. As I reach the top and see the entrance, a flame lights inside me.
“It’s good to be home.”
As soon as we enter the museum, the escort stays behind and we head toward reception. Arnold, as stoic as ever, walks in front of me. Meanwhile, I’m holding the artifact that is meant to be safeguarded in the museum. As we walk toward the checkpoint, I can’t ignore what’s happening around me. Paper birds fly around, and statues move on their own. Kids and adults alike listen to their tours while looking at pictures and paintings of our victories, losses, and experiences across the ages. I get so distracted that I realize I am making a huge mistake.
“Mister Newgate.” I recognize that voice. I don’t usually get in trouble, but when I do, that’s the voice I hear. I could recognize it from the basement below all the way to the clerks’ floor above.
“Adam Monroe, sir, sorry,” I say while nervously extending my hand to salute him. “I got distracted for a bit.”
Monroe only sighs, but as soon as he sees the artifact is safe, he restores his almost perfect composure.
“Welcome home, you two. How was the expedition?” I made the mistake in my rookie years of trying to speak before any commander above me had said his piece. Besides, I’m not good at small talk.
“It was amazing, sir! Not only did we recover the artifact, but we also fought some renegades. It was exhilarating.” Arnold is a soldier. Among the Colonniers, there are jobs and positions you can fill depending on the spell you were born with. For him, a spell capable of creating shockwaves on impact was always meant for our army. As for me, I decided to enjoy the quiet life when I became proficient in magical cataloguing and became the artifact sorter and a kind of librarian. I also have a photographic memory, which is nice. That doesn’t mean I’m not good at fighting. I went to war against other species, anyway. “What do you think, Connor?”
“It was interesting. I’m eager to investigate this artifact further,” I say, which makes Monroe’s eyes shine as bright as diamonds.
“So tell me, Connor, can you get on with it today?” He must be kidding. I’ve been waiting for this moment since I got on the boat.
“Mr. Monroe, I’ll get on with it immediately.” He gives a resounding clap, bows, and smiles at me. “Then off you go. You know what to do, and you have your key. See you soon!” He leaves with a little dancing step. No one enjoys our history like him, for better or for worse.
“Well, I’m off, bro. I really enjoyed our adventure.” Of all the current Colonnier soldiers, he seems the most genuine.
“I did too, Arnold. Where are you going now?” I ask curiously.
“I’ll stay in town for a bit. I was feeling homesick a few months ago, after all. Let me know if you’re free to grab a beer.”
I’m terrible at socializing, not because of how I’m wired, but because I hardly practice it. However, I had fun. I can give it a try.
“Sure, I’ll let you know.” Then I see his eyes, filled with excitement. For someone in his position, it’s strange that he doesn’t have that many friends.
“Fantastic, until later then!” he says, leaving the museum and heading toward an unknown adventure.
Me? I know exactly where I’m going. I go past security and show my credentials. The guards let me in, and I step into a secret elevator. Inside, it has only two buttons: Visitors’ Rooms and Exhibitions. Below them, however, there is a small hole with an engraving around it. I take out my wand and insert it. Just like a key, I turn it for a moment, and the elevator goes down two or three floors. As soon as the elevator doors open, a blue light washes over me, and I see countless shelves. While I can’t see their tops from below, I know they rise thousands of inches into the air, nearly reaching the ceiling. Each one holds artifacts recovered from missions carried out by Colonniers. Some have clear descriptions; others remain unknown, either inside caskets or still resting on the pods where they were found. Anyone would feel lost seeing all the objects in this room. Me? I know every one of them by memory. I can recall any of them by date of discovery, designated number, or order of discovery. As I walk down the aisle where the elevator stands, I finally arrive at its center, where there is only a small table, some archaeology tools, a notebook, and a small music player. This is my pride and joy. I take the notebook and review the artifacts still under investigation. My notes are clean and precise, which compensates for my terrible drawings of the artifacts I research.
I see where I left off last time. I close the notebook, take my wand, and recite, “Levight! Number 3894, come here, please.” From a point several feet above me, the artifact levitates down from the shelf. It settles right in front of me. It is some sort of device, still stuck in the hard rock where the soldiers found it. Last time I checked, the device was emitting a mysterious light. I turn on my recording device and begin examining the artifact.
“Examination Number 12 of Artifact Number 3894. Last time, six months ago, before the expedition, this artifact was emitting a strange blue light. Speculation suggested that removing the device from the rock could cause an energy discharge. Now, the light is off, so the extraction process will begin now.” I take my tools and carefully begin removing the device from the rock. I chip, pry, crack, and slowly pull the artifact from where it is stuck. The process is tedious, but I barely feel the passing of time. After maybe three or four hours of work, a large crack appears in the rock. From there, the extraction becomes easier, and minutes later, the artifact is free. It looks like some sort of piston, with pointed ends and a glass chamber where the light was coming from. I take out an infusion-energy battery, and with a touch, the artifact turns on. I take out my wand and, with a few magic words—“Levight”—the object lifts and remains in the air. I take a suit of body armor from a container, heavy and resistant. After putting it on, I take my wand once again, and this time I take a deep breath.
“Colupus!” The wand launches an energy strike at the artifact, which it absorbs. The blue light turns red, and the object begins shaking. I remove the armor, put away my wand, and take the artifact. Nearby, I point the artifact directly at a dummy.
“Colu…” Before I can finish the spell, the object releases the magic it absorbed and launches it at the dummy. In a second, it is pulverized. The smile on my face and the rush of adrenaline will get me through the rest of the month. I carefully place the artifact inside a glass box and write my final notes.
“Artifact extracted. Conclusion: an artificial wand capable of absorbing magical impacts and storing them. It responds to the spell ‘Colupus,’ the most basic magical attack. Danger: S. Do not use or remove it from the vault under any circumstances. Reason for Danger S: this weapon could be used by races other than Colonniers.”
I stop the recording, transfer it to a small memory device, and store it with the artifact. After closing the box, I go to the sending tube. It is a connected path that sends all restored artifacts directly to the museum curator, so they can be safely placed in the exhibitions for public display. I call the transport platform and place the box on it. I press a button, and off it goes, directly to the upper floor. Now I can finally focus on the next task: the artifact I found on the expedition.
The Squared Codex.
I check the time and realize I still have four hours left. I eat in seconds and place the new artifact on the table. With my table barely cleaned, I do the energy check, and as soon as I cast Colupus at it, I blink and I’m on the floor, burned, with my hair a mess. I unintentionally smile. This is going to take a while, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. I get up in one motion and begin recording. “Examination Number 1 of the Squared Codex, an artifact found during the six-month expedition carried out in conjunction with Colonnia’s army. It seems to be protected by magical armor that rebounds any attempt at energy scaling. Special attempts seem risky. Will try ordinary methods.” As I leave the record running, I try to touch and lightly hit the codex with my extraction tools. While the pick flies out of my hand as soon as I use it on the codex, my other tools light on fire from the magical energy. I remove my gloves and start the next piece of the recording.
“After twelve attempts at interacting with the codex, losing most of my tools, and being blown back by its immense energy, I can safely say that this codex is very well protected and may need further observation. I’ve never seen an artifact behave like this in my life as a Colonnier. I will require further…”
My communication device sounds, startling me and interrupting my recording. As soon as I turn to answer, my leg moves the examination table, throwing the artifact from it. With seconds before it hits the floor and my wand a few meters away, I break my touching rule and grab the codex before it lands. As soon as my hand reaches it, with the very first touch, a blue aura covers the entire artifact for a second. What just happened? The ringing returns. I need to answer.
“Who is it?” The other end doesn’t sound happy to hear me, despite being the one who called.
“Mr. Newgate, we talked about this! You need to save my number.” Yes, I forgot. Mr. Monroe tends to call everyone in the museum at inconvenient hours. I don’t mind, but I tend to forget that even I have a communication device.
“Of course, Mr. Monroe, sir. Do you need me?”
“How far along are you with the artifact?” I hate that question, because I know what’s coming after it.
“Marvelous advancements, sir. I believe I can properly decipher it in the next few weeks. I’ll send you my notes as soon as possible.”
“I know you will, but Mr. Newgate, we do have a request.” This is what I was afraid of. “Since this expedition is the first collaboration between the museum and Colonnia’s army, we want to show our citizens the fruit of their taxes.”
“Mr. Monroe, I strongly disagree,” I say, trying to convince him. “The artifact is still unknown, and we don’t know how it could behave around other people. I urge you to reconsider.”
“Worry not, Mr. Newgate.” Oh no. “We’ll just show it for one day, and we’ll have soldiers from our army guarding the artifact. You will have it in your study first thing tomorrow.”
Well, it’s only for a day. “I do feel better, Mr. Monroe, but I still do not recommend this.” I’m fighting a lost fight, I know.
“We’ll keep your opinions in consideration, Mr. Newgate. In the meantime, please do send the artifact to my office with proper warning and your discoveries. Thank you.” The signal goes silent. I turn around and see all my tools either broken or destroyed by that small cube. I have a bad feeling about this. But a job is a job, I say as I prepare the artifact, add my notes and recordings, and send it through the tube to Monroe’s office.
I know it’s just one day, but something bugs me. What was that aura?
The night goes by quite quickly. After a few hours of standing next to the artifact, smiling and posing with Arnold and the entire team that brought the codex home, I feel my social battery run out. After all, this is the most I’ve ever socialized in my life. I don’t hate it, but how I would prefer to be in that basement, revealing the secrets of our race, or at home with my rock collection.
Nothing exciting happens in those hours. Arnold smiles and chats with me and the team. Monroe seems less frigid than ever, which is weird and unsettling. All while the press takes photos of us and the codex with their magic-infused cameras. It’s fortunate for me that I get to throw Arnold to every reporter so I can avoid the occasional interview and questions about my job. With that, the night changes, and everyone leaves. The guard and Arnold depart, and a wasted yet sane Monroe gives me the keys to close up the museum. As I wave goodbye, I close the entrance and head to the exhibition. It’s too late to leave, so I’ll just crash in the bed in the basement, make myself some hot cocoa, and…
My thoughts go silent and my heart races non-stop. There is no one here except for me…and the young Ashvani who seems to be touching the codex. Her face is covered, with her left hand on the artifact and her right on the spell drawn on the floor. Damn it, she’s a thief, and she’s seconds away from stealing the codex. My legs move on their own, and as I try to reach her, I see some sort of magic activating below her. I need to reach her in time. I need to stop her.
“Wait!” I scream as I get hold of her arm…