unplanned landing

[characterquarry]

She's at the lead of a formation of six Witches, flying her metal not-quite-a-broom out on a routine patrol. She carries her bow, sword, quiver of arrows, four loaded flintlock pistols, two pot-bombs. The usual loadout.

What she finds is not any alien invader she's familiar with. It's a flying snake with a mirror for a head.

"Pull up! It's faster than us, so use formation wagon-wheel!" Bows come out, and arrows fly at it, but they bounce uselessly off its mirror-head and scales. After a few minutes of this she charges in, drops one of her pot-bombs on it at point blank range, then pulls a roll to dodge as it charges past, but not fast enough-

And she's somewhere else entirely.

Comments

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"I don't know if they're home right now, but even if they aren't they won't object to you temporarily dumping your things there."

[characterquarry]

"You're the one who knows them, I suppose... Say, what's your magic like?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"In what way, precisely?"

[characterquarry]

"Well, Witches get their magic in adolescence, and it fades slowly after that. There are a few things all Witches can do - shields, flying, basic elemental stuff. Most people get a specialty that is almost impossible for others to replicate. Mine is unusual speed and control while flying. I'm almost at the end of my active-duty career, though, and at the tender age of 27. It's quite annoying how fast the magic fades."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Ah. Nothing like that. Magic here is based on a combination of rituals, gestures and incantations. Anyone can do it, and the magic operates precisely the same way for everyone at any time."

[characterquarry]

"I think I'd very much like to learn that. How difficult is it?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"It's very...in order to perform a spell, you need to know the ritual for the spell. Most rituals are too complicated and time-consuming for convenient casting, so you replace individual steps with a gesture or an incantation--some action that can be solidly associated with the component. And then sequences can likewise be abridged, etcetera."

[characterquarry]

"So using it effectively relies on practice and memorization of mental associations?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Essentially, yes. Once a step or sequence has been attached to a word or gesture it stays attached, though, even if you forget it."

[characterquarry]

"Can it be reattached to something else? Will the original, more complex ritual still work?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"The original ritual still works. If there's a way to reattach it to something else I don't know what it is."

[characterquarry]

"Interesting. I foresee stacks and stacks of notebooks, in case I forget something. What kinds of things are the rituals for?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Nearly anything. Yes, stacks and stacks of notebooks so you don't permanently forget things is standard operating procedure."

[characterquarry]

"If it turns out there's a way for me to go home, I'll definitely want to bring this new training with me. Anything that gives us a better chance against the Neuroi is welcome."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

He drums his fingers again. "I'm not sure I can give you anything like the whole thing. There are very many rituals, and my own knowledge is more practical than theoretical..."

[characterquarry]

"Some is better than none. I'll just go through what I can as efficiently as possible. Are we almost to the quarters, though?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Yes, this is Lucy Hall, where they live," he says, rapping on the door. A young woman opens it and lets them in before wandering off.

[characterquarry]

"Thank you for your help, by the way. I'm not sure what I'd have ended up doing. Might have tried to hawk my amulet and gear, or something."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"You're welcome. You're very lucky you landed here, Borgia University is used to odd goings-on."

[characterquarry]

"You're very lucky there isn't a Neuroi invasion here. They're the devil to fight. Unpredictable, and they don't seem to have morale or a command structure or even a supply chain."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"True. That does sound exceptionally nasty. If you're facing something like that, I can probably convince--or convince someone to convince--someone with more experience and expertise in theory to help tutor you."

[characterquarry]

"Can you do lie detection? In your place, I would be worrying about my honesty right now. I'd like to clear that up."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Aha. Yes, I can, but no, I haven't been. To be honest, strange things happen to me so often I'm most likely more inclined to take them at face value than I ought to be." He stops, turns to face her, taps his pinky finger under each eye once, and says, "kastvoi. Alright, could you please repeat the salient parts?"

[characterquarry]

"I'm Major Annette Gepard of Italica's 23rd Witch Wing. Everything I have said to you thus far is the truth as I understand it. Our founding charter is to fight the Neuroi, devilishly tough alien invaders who destroy entire countries, given the opportunity. I have no intention to harm humans unless they are murderers or similar."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

He nods. "...And what about nonhumans? That aren't these Neuroi types."