Chapter 54 Storyline U.S. (Part 5)

It would be strange if I spent all my time just working. I'll start in order. I started my wand training with Transfiguration, my motor skills are fine, so I skipped that part, and I have other tools for fighting.

The four wands I acquired I changed periodically, working mostly with metal — changing shape and density, and after that — with glass and wood, I didn't touch living things. I was greatly assisted by Suzanne and her lover Angela, a Ukrainian who had fled her homeland in search of a better life. Characteristically, Xu never once mentioned a threesome or "sharing. After two weeks of lessons with the girls, I realized that wand transfiguration is a powerful tool for a magician, especially an artifactor.

A few days of calculations, and here was my new project in action — a crystal wand that I decided to grow in the sphere. The apartment assigned to me had four rooms, a living room, a bathroom, a toilet, and a closet.

 One room I turned into a study, reinforced and sealed with seal barriers, and there was a sphere with a unique wand growing in it. I was slowly, or not so slowly, approaching my intended goal of a humanoid puppet, and I was in no hurry to start without a well-trained Transfiguration. But I had partially realized another idea that had popped into my head at the very beginning on the island.

The path to that idea took more than a month of thinking and more than a page of calculations. I have completed the main array, but there are problems with the reverse action. My conception looks like a wide wooden bracelet with steel plates, but very flexible and very comfortable thanks to enchantment.

The bracelet houses four flat rectangular quartz crystals. In one of them I have placed a low-ranking intelligent mind, whose task is to capture highly specialized information of a broad plan, to capture all possible nuances of the task, and to record them on one of the three crystals.

Through McConnelly's head of security, Jay Stone, I got a few addresses of good martial artists, not undertrained ones. Four turned out to be aikido masters, one a kyoku-shinkai master, one a kendo master, one a yaido master, and the last, a Chinese, a wu-shu master.

Torn between the last two, I chose the Chinese, and if I had time, I would go to the penultimate one. In general, the contract was as follows: for the agreed payment, the master must, without taking off the bracelet (and he would not have been able to take it off himself), perform all the complexes of the fighting style completely perfectly, including the techniques known to him, ribbons and whole "dances" — a complete, connected in one chain, a bundle of movements of the style.

The Chinese listened, nodded, without asking unnecessary questions, and just told OHRENETH what sum — two hundred pieces. He didn't haggle, he just said that what I want, they learn for years, and spend no less effort and money.

Besides, there will be only one style, no matter with weapons, or without, and I have to choose what I want. Frustrated, I decided on a wooden weapon, like the Naginata I knew, the Guan Dao. The master nodded again and gave me a bonus: he would show me a style suitable for a fighting stick, a spear and a guan dao.

With a heavy sigh, but encouraged by the bonus, I agreed. It's a pity, of course, because Jian, Shuangshou, Butterfly Sword, and even Daodao Sword are worthy of attention, and I would like to learn styles using such exotic weapons, not to mention the monstrous weapon Zhua, the mere sight of which is terrifying. Well, if it's fate, I'll get my chance.

So here's the artifact. Its task is to "feel" all the details of movement, nuances, and store them in memory — on the crystal. When the recording is complete, the owner places the artifact on their hand or foot and the training begins.

 When activated, the user's mind begins to have images of how to perform, how to move, what he should feel, and the artifact, during repetition, forcibly stimulates the necessary nerves, and the body performs everything perfectly... well... tries. That's my problem, as I've been unable to make the artifact less traumatic.

— The Apprentice Ring (I don't care if it's a bracelet) does everything by force, regardless of the body's readiness to receive or move, which can cause injuries of varying severity. I'm at a loss. No, it's already good for me, since I'm sufficiently trained, but if someone weaker than me picks it up, he's guaranteed to be disabled. Nevertheless, the Apprentice Ring faithfully recorded two incomplete crystals in a week and a half. And because I managed to do that, it was worn by an Iaido master for another week, for a mere twenty thousand. So at some point I started practicing with the pole for an hour and a half every morning and evening.

With plenty of food and meditation, and the proper infusions that Baa-san taught me, I was able to keep up with my current work due to fatigue. When the paintings were finished, I was pleased and excited about several things at once: the generous bonuses from Louis McConely's Scrooge, the finished wand (I hid it from everyone, just in case), and my tangible progress in transfiguration and wu-shu. I left the elderly harem owner on good terms.

It was hard to say goodbye to Suzanne — despite all the circumstances, the girl is unusually nice and pleasant to talk to, and "racing" with her has become a habit. I don't know how I'll manage without her now. She also sighed heavily — her libido is strong, and it's hard for a girl to find a suitable lover — and said goodbye to me. Well, it's not the end of the world, and I'll probably live in the USA, so we'll see....

***

I didn't want to go back to the hotel, so I rented an apartment with enough space to work and renewed my contract with Skillful Hands. One evening, as I was finishing a portrait of a lady, I was visited by Megan and Lizzie. The girls brought several orders for paintings and two orders for spirit exorcism rituals. I was quite excited about the last one.

— Megan, what's this last job? What are we going to do?

The girls sat on the couch and watched me finish my work. From time to time there would be faint flashes of magic on the brush, and sometimes the colors would change slightly if it wasn't what I wanted, or if the brush strokes changed slightly.

— I'm actually surprised myself, usually spirits are the work of shamans, Indians. Why they turned to outsiders is unknown. — The girl did not take her eyes off the observation.

— That's why I ask: what should be done?

— The description says: — The girl was silent for a while, watching how the same color changed in two different places, becoming slightly lighter and darker. — That there was some kind of construction, and that the task was to exorcise the natural spirits, the creatures had already been removed.

— That's funny... — I smile sarcastically. — So you have to take and break the natural mechanism that has existed for thousands of years, if not more... no, I will not accept that. — I shake my overgrown hair and draw another line, tracing the shades of the soft blue sky.

— Why?! — Lizzie jumped up. — There's so much money in there! Three hundred grand! — The girl blushed, breathing more heavily.

— I'm not a destroyer, on the contrary. Besides, you're guaranteed to catch a terrible curse for something like that, because it's nature itself that curses. Is that what you want? — I glanced at the blonde, saw that she had grown pale, and sat down on the large couch again. — That's what I thought. The unskilled could do nothing, and the skilled could die or be cursed. That's why, knowing the risks, we turned to buccaneers. They appreciate you, little Lizzie, for offering such a trick.

There was silence for a few minutes, during which I had finished with the sky, and it remained only to complete the elements of clothing. I decided to take a break and have a beer.

— By the way, Meg, did you ask about my admission to Ilvermorny?

— Yes, — she smiled gratefully and took the cool bottle. — Everything was confirmed and my friend told me a lot of new things. — The exotic woman frowned. — Even if you enter the final year and pass all the exams perfectly, you will have to pay for all the years, that is, for ten years. — When she noticed that I was about to say something, she didn't let me interrupt her. — That's not all...

***

POV Megan

In her twenty-six years, the girl has seen a lot, but it's impossible to say that her life has been extraordinary. She grew up, studied, buried her mother at fourteen and her father at sixteen, who had buried himself with hard work, but the man had paid for a full education at Ilvermorny, and after his death their daughter didn't have to transfer to some second-rate state college.

This was followed by a torrid affair with red-haired big man Will McGregor and the joint creation of a small private campaign, "Skillful Hands". Just as the couple was about to get married, somewhere in Louisiana, a breakthrough into a "dark" world occurred.

What it was, Megan learned during a briefing at a military camp, when they announced a general gathering of mages to destroy the creatures that had gotten through and to protect a group of mages who were supposed to close the breach.

Only the authorities knew how many mages had died, but the girl, not a fighter by trade, who had barely survived the meat grinder, had seen the horrible scene with her own eyes and still returned there in her dreams. For a few miles around, the ground was covered with a carpet of torn, burned, frozen, cursed flesh — a mixture of creatures and humans.

At the time of the gathering, no one cared about the level of the mages, their specialization, the government needed cannon fodder, and as always, they took what they wanted by force, without asking anyone. Wil died in front of the girl. The most frustrating thing was that among the gathered mages and wizards there was not a single pureblood with a strong gift, many were saved either by cunning or the ability to cooperate with strangers.

In her entire life, she'd only met about ten people with enough magical power to make an average wizard like her feel it. And now she was in her second month of close contact with a pureblood mage. No, no one in the general masses ever stuttered about the superiority of hereditary mages over the common class.

However, even a more or less intelligent person will quickly realize that there is a difference, for it is not for nothing that textbooks and manuals say that there is nothing higher than "Patronus", and even then, rarely can one do more than surround oneself with a silver cocoon or close oneself with a shield against evil.

Sometimes, however, there are strong half-breeds who can embody their spiritual guardian in the light of the Patronus, and people see the majestic figure of some beast, or bird, or whatever, for there are all sorts of living creatures. On the other hand, a striking example is the teachers.

Each of the teachers has at least one ability, and their power is always felt. It is said that the power of the gift can be increased by training, by working on oneself. But it takes years, and where do you get them?

By the time the brains appear and the magician realizes what needs to be done, the time is lost. And it turns out that a simple, not too strong magician gets stuck in an unbreakable cycle: to earn a living — you work almost all the time, get tired, rest, work again, and so on in a circle, until there is no sense of development — you get too old.

— When you enroll, there's a test distribution, and students are assigned according to their open aptitudes. — Megan waved her hand from side to side. — Well, there's more literature, or math, or biology, for example. During the course of the training, the teachers observe, identify hidden talents, and determine the potential for strength development.

Particularly bright talents are immediately taken under control. Such chosen ones are offered a lot: personal training with a master, transfer to a specialized educational institution, special marks in the personal file, and so on. In case of positive characterization, hard work and perseverance in training, but most importantly — the right political stance, the mage is offered better knowledge, the latest developments, better places to practice and jobs. — Meaghan herself didn't like what she had learned from her almost-friend, so it was uncomfortable to talk about.

— When I was a student at Ilvermorny, I'd seen the size of our library and I'd always wondered how much stuff was in there. But after I graduated, I realized that I knew and could do very little, and I thought it was my fault, that I was lazy, that I didn't study enough, and so on. It turned out that learning anything serious in magic starts outside the walls of Ilvermorny, and that is if you organize "clans" and someone likes you. Otherwise, you don't even know what's going on... like I did until recently. — The girl grinned bitterly. — The best way out for you is to find a master and ask for personal training, then get a good trait from him. Otherwise, the universities where you can get a mastery, even with a diploma, will not accept you.

— And to educate yourself? Pick up books, study them, and take the exams? — The Japanese looked at her thoughtfully.

Lately, Megan had noticed the man's strange "hungry" looks. Sometimes he'd look at her as if he were groping her, and she'd get goosebumps all over her body. And now his eyes moved over her, as if he was stroking her figure, her curves. It's nice for any woman to have men look at her like that, but it's too "tangible" and "real", as if they were actually touching her skin. Shaking her head, the girl pushed those thoughts away and tried to concentrate on the conversation.

— No way, — the girl shook her head negatively. — There are no such books on the open market, and the black market is strictly controlled.

— Yes, — the guy looked at the picture thoughtfully, as if he wanted to continue his work. — I noticed that, too. I wanted to buy some books, reference books, but they are simply not available, and the goods available on the black market are not too much superior to the widely available literature, but the price is many times higher. What about your wands?

— The guy started to get hot, and the girls once again felt a strange taste of bittersweet smoke from some herbs on their lips. — The price starts at one hundred and twenty dollars. And it's an honest product. When I asked about customizing the wand, I was asked for permission by some committee with an unpronounceable name. What the hell is that? — The boy looked into Megan's eyes, and she felt a sweet languor spread through her body, and the spicy scent of herbs became more palpable. Her mouth went dry and she looked to her friend for help. Lizzie did not fail.

— There is a law that states that a mere sorcerer, wizard, or witch may only wield a wand or magic wand of a rank no higher than D, or C in the case of congenital traits. Ranks "B" and "A" are only available to law enforcement and troops, respectively. Higher ranks are only available to masters of the magical arts with the permission of a special committee. Wand ranks depend on the degree of synchronization and the materials of the instrument. — Liz added, just in case, to at least prevent this question.

— I see... — the guy asked, returning to the painting after a few minutes of silence. — How will you make a living if the training at Ilvermorny is so bad? What are you going to do with that knowledge?

The girls looked at each other in silence: why hadn't they thought of this question until they had contacted this mage? Megan, who had calmed down a bit, spoke up.

— Learning at Ilvermorny Magic School is not as bad as you thought. In fact, they teach you the basics, the foundation upon which you can build your further development..

— That is, of course, if you have a lot of money or powerful connections. — Lizzie interrupted, unusually glum, and understandably so, for she had an unusual love of money for a reason.

— That's true. But the Central School of the United States teaches ordinary subjects, so it is possible, if you wish, to learn an ordinary profession and live among the simpletons. However, few people are willing to give up magic, so graduates often go to work elsewhere. A standard five-year contract is signed, and the magician is trained in the specifics of the job, in special spells.

Saying this, the girl involuntarily remembered how much effort and money had been invested in her company to build a minimum internal base of working charms and curses. Each new employee brings something new to the table, adding to everyone else's library and abilities...or not — it varies.

There are fighters, construction workers, former farmers, healers, even factory workers. But there's never been anyone with even minimal skills, so when Meaghan learned that Liz was present for a powerful and spectacular ritual and didn't call her, she took great offense to her friend.

Full-blown rituals above the level of a chalked pentagram and a goat's head had long been off-limits to the general public. Secretly, Meg wished she'd been lucky enough to see "speaking to the world," as Mrs. Norman, her former history teacher, called true ritual magic.

— Dahhhh... — the Japanese man said with a strange note in his voice, picking up his brush again. —

Aotya, this Japanese is quite strange in himself, and also quite eccentric: why would he spend a fortune on some materials and tools just to put them in an artifact and keep them?

Having worked with the Japanese before, the girls immediately noticed the differences in Sora's behavior and that of his former clients. Of course, he had a lot of positive traits, such as the lack of outright chauvinism, the contempt for simple ungifted people, the calm attitude towards magical creatures.

And he never once hinted or said openly and loudly that a woman should stay at home and that it was criminal to entrust her with important work. But the most important thing the two girls noticed was the absence of attempts to acquire a harem. Usually, the Japanese try to attract local beauties in some way, tempting them with something and taking them away.

Almost like the Arabs, only softer. Sora, of course, like any other young man, had been paying attention to the female sex, but not trying to get into the panties of every blonde he met. Meaghan glanced at her friend.

Megan was quick to pick up on the signs of Liz's "fight" mode, and how could she not, when her friend often tried to pierce her favorite t-shirts with her nipples at the mere presence of this Japanese man? Meg was frankly curious to see how things would unfold. Knowing Liz's assertiveness, one could expect a curious spectacle.

However, the girl did not understand at all why Sora had such a negative attitude towards liberation, sexuality, did not tolerate open conversations and jokes about sex. After all, it was normal and there was nothing disgusting about it, unless we were talking about dirty perversions.

 If he wasn't like that, they might even have a threesome, after all, Megan hasn't had sex in a long time, and this particular guy isn't the worst option. Sharing a bed with a friend, however, has never been something the mulatto has considered shameful or dirty.

They both have a fairly free view of life, and they have never been jealous of each other, in addition, they are good together, because it is better a long familiar clean partner than unknown from what hole climbed out of the fly-by "macho".

The girl was aroused by these thoughts, and with new thoughts she looked at the guy with a new look. Liz caught her friend's gaze and grinned mischievously: the mulatto had reached the "boiling point", the boy had done everything himself and she didn't have to interfere, so now it wouldn't be long before she had to wait....

Looking at each other again, exchanging meaningful glances, the friends missed the sharp, attentive gaze of the dark brown man's lilac eyes. They didn't see his nostrils flare several times, drawing in air.