Farnír's POV
"Twenty-two days left." I said, looking out across the fort. To my left, there were rolling hills of blueish-green grass, waving in the breeze, a forest, and hundreds, maybe thousands of Neame flying about, doing various tasks, training, and just hanging out with one another. To my right, there was a mountain swarming with Neame. Huge chunks of rock and earth were being pulled from its base as they dug a path to the portal, straight to the center of the mountain. They'd only just gotten to work early this morning, but already they were nearly halfway there. The Sun was setting in the sky, but that didn't matter. Crews of mages were to work around the clock until the mountain was excavated. At this rate, it would be difficult by themselves, but more crews were scheduled to arrive in three days. In my hands, I held an arrow. Carved into it were runes; unbelievably dangerous ones. I looked down at the small words, and silently prayed that I would get to destroy this arrow in a fire when this was all over, never having to use them. I started at them, and the last words of the rune echoed in my head… "Chain-reaction," I whispered to myself.
Slowly, I started to wings flapping behind me. Suma called out, and landed on my shoulder armor. I was wearing the armor because in a few minutes I would begin teaching the Railgun spell to the Drakes, and a few Court and Royal Mages who'd requested the training as well. The other groups would also start training with me when they arrived with the extra crews later.
"Ja- I mean, Farnír," Suma said. She was still getting used to my new name. "The Queen would like to see you once your class is over."
"Okay." I said, and put the rune covered arrow in my bag.
"What is that?" She asked, her head cocked to the side.
"Plan Z. But don't worry about it. Not yet, anyway. I need to ask Queen Ompera her opinion on it first."
A moment later, several more Neame, about twenty-seven in total, started to land nearby. There were no perches here, so they simply stood on the ground. We faced the training ground, and at the other end were metal targets, reinforced by runes. We weren't on the training ground though. Technically, we were over one-hundred meters away from it. But this was the distance that the Railgun spells were supposed to be cast from, so this is where we were going to train.
"Hello everyone. I am Farnír." Looking around, I saw my Drake squadron in the crowd too, but I also spotted some others I'd seen around base, but didn't talk too. And of course there were the Royal Mages who I'd never seen before, or at least didn't remember. "Fair warning, the Railgun spell is highly complex, so before we even get started trying to practice it, I need to explain how and why it works, and then the mechanics of how to utilize the foundational principles to actually cast the spell. Before we get started, who here knows what magnetism is?" No one spoke, or even so much as raised a wing. "Alright, who here knows what an atom is?"
This time, Suma, whom I used to read my old science textbooks to, spoke up. "Oh! Is that the round things that spin? And they're really small?"
"Yes! Excellent. So, just as Suma said, Atoms are tiny round things that spin. And they have these things called 'poles' which is magnetism." I said, and pulled out my science textbook. Flipping to the page for magnets, I was about to start reading, but noticed everyone was staring at the book intensely. Some of them even looked frightened.
"What is that thing?" Someone asked.
"Oh, yeah, I remember the first time I saw it too." Suma mumbled.
"What?" I asked. "The book? It's a lot of paper, I admit. But this is just a teaching tool. I don't see what the big deal… Oh." Confused, I closed the book to explain, and then noticed the picture on the front. It was a Blue Maccaw. A bird that looked like a twisted and primeval version of a Neame. There were plenty of differences, but I guess it was still like the Uncanny Valley effect for them. Some of the Neame looked at it in horror, the others looked away.
"It is fairly creepy." Suma said. "It looks… wrong, somehow."
"Would it help if I covered it up?" I asked Suma.
"Perhaps not the nightmares, but for the moment, yes." She joked. I held the book flat, facing down so that they couldn't see it, then carried on with the lesson. I went slow, and was careful to explain things in a way I thought would help them after reading a passage from the book. Atmosia's education level was low compared to Earth, so this was going to take a while. An hour passed, and we still had yet to fully cover everything. When most of their eyes had glazed over, and it was clear everyone was confused, I decided to stop reading, and start answering questions.
"Okay, raise a wing in the air if you have any questions." I said. Nearly everyone raised a wing. By now, she had joined the crowd and was no longer perched on my shoulder. I was also sitting down, crossing my legs, and nearly surrounded by the Neame. "Okay… you." I said, pointing to a Neame.
"So, magnetism is… generated by electricity?"
"Yes. Or, more accurately, it is generated by spinning electrons, which orbit the atom."
Another raised wing. "Atoms, they are too small to see, but make up everything?"
"Exactly. They are called the 'building blocks of life,' in my world."
"Can you prove any of this?" Someone called out.
(There it is.) I thought, having expected this question. "Let me ask you all a question, can you create fire?"
Some of them said "yes," others "no."
"And what is that fire made of?"
"Mana," one of the Royal Mages said.
"Mana, a fair answer. And are you sure about that? Isn't it also possible that mana simply gathers the substance that fire is made from, and pulls it into one place? Who here specializes in Nature Magic? Specifically water." I asked. Only one person answered.
"I do." She said.
"How do you picture water when you gather it?"
"I pull it up from a source, like a pond, or the ocean. Even a cloud would work."
"And what if you were in a dry place, where there was no water around?"
"Um, that is a bit beyond my ability. Only the highest of ranks can create water." She said. Some of the Royal Mages nodded. The Neame who answered was a Drake. Skilled in her own right, but still with room to grow.
"And why can they do it, but you cannot?" I asked.
"They understand it better. They have spent years training to that point, developing an understanding beyond mine. They have meditated and experimented with their spells for years to achieve their skills."
Without another word, I raised my hands into the air, and cast a spell that pulled all the water from the surrounding air into a ball above me. It was a humid day, so there was enough to create a ball several meters across. The Neame were clearly surprised. Some squawked and fluttered back. Others just stood there with their beaks fallen open. Suddenly, all the humidity in the air was gone.
"I pulled all the water molecules from the air, and gathered them up. Oh, a molecule is just the word for a group of atoms in a specific order. Water molecules are made up of two kinds of atoms: Two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom." I looked down at the Nature Mage. "Come up here." She spread her wings and flew up. I manipulated the water, and caused it to fly off into the distance, hitting a tree and exploding into mist. Then, with her and everyone else watching me, I drew a picture of a water molecule. Carefully, I explained how I pictured the spell, and each step in casting it. Then, it was her turn. By the time she was ready to try, the wind had turned, and the humidity had set over all of us again. She closed her eyes, and chanted the words I'd said to her during the explanation. Slowly, a pea-sized drop of water formed, then grew until it was the size of a cueball.
"I did it." She said, stunned.
"Hopefully, you all see my point now, and that you believe me. Truthfully, my world was able to prove the existence of atoms using microscopes years ago, but I couldn't do that here, so this will have to suffice. Let's end it here for today. You all should consider what you learned, and think about how to apply to your own spells. If you have any questions for me, then come to tomorrow's class and I'll answer what I can. For now, I have a meeting with Queen Ompera." I said, standing up and walking away. Suma spread her wings and flew to my shoulder. They all began to chat excitedly amongst themselves. They were the best mages this country had to offer, but I knew very well from experience that this would excite them. Suma had taken well to my biology lesson, and had become an amazing healer amongst the Drakes. So I could only imagine what these Neame would become soon enough.
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Suma's POV
I rode on Jake's… Farnír's shoulder to where the Queen was staying. It was a simple home on the outside, built in a hurry by her guards and servant, but that was a deception. It was designed to blend in in case of spies. Underneath the simple exterior, which looked like little more than a rounded stone and wood cube, laid a grand labyrinth of lavish rooms that made up her command center. Each one was being used for different tasks. While I have not seen each one personally, I could guess a few of the purposes. Farnír bent down and slid through the relatively small hole. I flew in afterward, and landed on a nearby perch. The Queen and her guards were there, and we both bowed.
"Farnír, thank you for coming. I apologize if we disrupted your class." Queen Ompera said, and we rose. Well, I rose, Farnír still needed to tilt his head a bit to avoid the ceiling.
"It is my pleasure, your Majesty. And class went well. The Drakes and Royal Mages seemed to have taken the lesson well. Once I proved my claims, at least." He said.
"Good. If any of them seem to have any trouble, I would consider it a personal favor if you gave them extra attention. We need them all prepared."
"I'd be happy to." He said.
"Then on to other matters. A scout arrived just a short time ago saying he had seen Southern Union forces in the nearby forest; hiding beneath the canopy."
"Southern Union? This far inland?" I asked. Something like this had not happened in living memory. Even when they took Sangu-Dragon and the war began, never once had a single Southern Union member landed on the mainland.
"It would seem so, Lady Suma. Perhaps it is a mistake, or perhaps not. More likely these Neame are spies sent to investigate what is going on here. Everyone is worried that the Union may take advantage of the situation to disrupt operations." She gestured to several high-ranking Generals and Nobles all perched nearby, listening to the Queen speak. "We are having trouble getting enough supplies for everyone, and having spies sabotage our operations would be devastating at this stage."
"Do the Union spies seem to have supplies." Farnír asked. The Queen turned then nodded to a nearby Neame. He was younger than the Generals, had darker feather, and was absolutely covered in leaves and dirt.
"From what I could tell, Queen Ompera, the group did seem large enough to necessitate supplies. Though I would wager they use transport familiars rather than summoned supplies."
"Why's that?" Farnír asked.
"They had many familiars." He answered. "Quite large ones. It could explain why we did not see them until now, and did not detect them."
"How so?" I asked.
"Because they would have traveled close to the ground, on the backs of their familiars. If they never went above the canopy, then spotting them from the air would be much more difficult. And if they carried their supplies with them, they would not need to cast any spells, which would risk a patrol sensing them." He said.
"They're smart."
"Perhaps this is good fortune?" The Queen said.
"Your Majesty?" One of the Generals asked, sounding confused.
"We needed supplies, and Ahshem has sent us some, and a potential source of information as well." She said with a chuckle. "Farnír, Lady Suma, inform your Captain of my orders. Take a drake squadron and gather their supplies. And have any survivors interrogated."
"Yes, your Majesty." We both said.
"Then you are dismissed." She said. I turned and spread my wings, ready to fly out, but Ja-Farnír spoke up.
"Actually, your Majesty, may I speak with you privately? It is a matter of grave importance."
"May I ask the reason. I do trust my War-council after all." She said.
"It is regarding the dragon, and what I would like to do in the event our plan fails, and we are unable to either defeat him, or push him back into the Aether."
"I see, well, they would likely need to hear this as well. Speak, Farnír." She said. I looked around confused as Jake reached into his bag, and pulled the runes I had seen earlier from it.
"Queen Ompera… if the dragon defeats us and escapes, he will immediately begin his rampage. And it will not only be this country that dies, but the entirety of Atmosia." He said.
"I am well aware of the importance of our mission Farnír." Queen Ompera said confused.
"Then you understand that no matter the sacrifice, killing the dragon is our most important goal."
"What are you trying to say? Do you intend to ask for permission to use Death Magic? If so, granted." She said.
"Queen Ompera, if you had to sacrifice this fort, everyone in it, yourself, and maybe even a significant portion of your country to save the world, would you?"
Her eyes narrowed, and I swallowed a small lump in my throat. He sounded serious, more so than I had ever heard him before. The Queen's eyes cut down to the runes in Jake's… Farnír hands, and mine followed.
"Farnír, what are those runes?" She asked coldly.
"May I cast a spell to show you an illusion of the rune's affects?" Some of her guards tensed, but she agreed. Farnír's eyes glowed for a moment, and I was sucked into a vision. Suddenly everyone in the room now stood on a mountain's peak, looking out over the horizon. In the distance was a city, and a forest surrounding it.
"This is the power of the runes. Please everyone be aware this is an illusion, and you cannot be harmed." Farnír said. He pointed at the city, and there was a blinding flash so bright the whole world seemed to turn white. I panicked, squawking and flapping my wings in surprise. I might have been embarrassed if several others had not done so as well. Once the light faded, my vision immediately cleared, probably because none of it was real. Where the city once was, now a pillar of fire taller than the mountain churned, and grew, and twisted on itself. As if the top of the flames could not part away quickly enough, it rolled out to the sides.
"What is this?" Queen Ompera whispered.
"This is an atom bomb."
"This can't be possible. It's a lie! No spell has this power! Not even the most powerful of Grand-scale Tactical magic has ever made… this."
"The city…" I said.
"Not just the city, look… the forest. It's gone." One of the nobles said. He was right. A massive hole replaced the city, and the forest had been flattened as well. All the trees had either blown down, or destroyed completely. And then it started to snow.
"Is this… this is not snow." The Queen said, confused. And when I looked closer, she was right. Snow was white, and this was black.
"No, it isn't." Farnír confirmed. "It's called fallout. This is what's left of the city, and the trees, and everything in them."
"Farnír, this magic… is it real?" A Noble asked.
"It is." He nodded.
"I can scarcely believe it." The Queen said.
"This is not a whole country." A General said. We all turned to him, then looked back to the devastation. He was right. As colossal as the spell was, it was only a single forest and one city. Ambos had many cities, and countless forests, fields and villages.
"You're right. But it isn't the explosion I'm worried about. It's this fallout."
"The black snow?" I asked.
"Yeah." He nodded, and his eyes glowed again. This time, when we moved, we reappeared in a city, surrounded by Neame, and the snow was just beginning to fall. "Fallout is radioactive… meaning it's poisonous. Even touching it can make you sick. Prepare yourselves, I'm going to show you what the sickness looks like. If you do not think you can handle it, tell me now, and I will remove you from the vision." No one asked to be removed.
"I need to see." The Queen said. I was afraid, but something drew me forward. It was as if I had to follow through, to be by Jake's side, no matter what. Something inside me kept telling me if I wanted to live through this, next to him was the safest place to be. And then, the vision changed, and we were surrounded by dead Neame. Their feathers turned black and necrotic, limbs missing, blood everywhere. It looked like Jake's rot spell, but worse.
"By the dragons." A general said, and made noises like he would be sick.
"These are the effects of untreated radiation sickness." Farnír explained. As he talked, I realized something. That at some point, I did not know when, I had started to think of Farnír and Jake as different, despite what he said…
"How far?" The Queen asked.
"My Queen?" A Noble wondered.
"How far would this snow spread?" She clarified.
"I don't know. But I do know that it could cover the whole country." Farnír explained.
"I see now." She replied.
"This isn't all." He said.
"How can that not be all?" I asked.
"Anywhere this snow touches would be poisoned as well. The land itself becomes… corrupted, I guess you could say. No one would be able to live here anymore." He said.
"What" I said.
"For how long?" The Queen asked.
"Maybe… fifty years, or more?" Farnír said. "If I had a way to activate the rune further up in the sky, I could get that number down to twenty or thirty years, but there is no guarantee we could do that in the middle of a battle with the dragon. Plus, if it is too high… I'm not sure the dragon would die."
"One of us could activate the rune, maybe spare the country?" A General suggested.
"Maybe, but we should prepare for the worst-case scenario."
"How high up does it need to be?" I asked.
"Only about six-hundred meters. Which is just a little more than half as tall as this mountain. Which is easy, I admit. But what if the dragon isn't in the sky? The portal is at ground level, and we need to be prepared that the dragon will simply kill anyone to tries to get too close."
"So, we would need to drop it on him from afar while he is stationary… guaranteeing the black snow." The General said.
Jake turned to Queen Ompera, and the vision faded. Everyone was back in the command center. "Now, your majesty, I ask you again: would you sacrifice your country to save the world?"