The Mawe Town Police Department or MTPD for short was in a partial state of disrepair. Partially in the case that the old Sheriff's office was worn down with age. Over one hundred years it had been in service with relevant infrastructure always coming a handful of years after it was obsolete. The town within the past few years had been upgraded under the newest elected town council.

  Prior to the war thirty-five years ago it was simply a small blip on the map. During war time the key facilities built, managed, or brought onto site made it for a time a major place of importance. Left in the wake of the war was a gaggle of people wanting a home and needing equipment to do so.

  Under the co-opting act passed by congress non-lethal military assets were to be logged, and reported. After the process was finished whatever municipality, district, city, town, or province had placed the order under the Fair and Free Use act of 2050 were free to keep it. That was how a nearly dying town like Mawe had expanded to become a suburban slice of bliss. Many hours and hard fought, though not in the literal sense, battles were waged to better the land.

  In the prior town council meeting a vote had been conducted to establish Mawe as a city. Under the careful guidance of Mayor Baker it had passed with only one objection, which was later rescinded. This sole nay was from none other than Jack Arnold, the current sheriff. It was placed on the grounds that he would be pushed out by a police force to take over his standing Sheriff's office.

  Mayor Baker had made it clear that in no uncertain terms the new police commissioner was to be none other than Sheriff Arnold. The man was average height and in his fifties. He always carried a fox-like smile that went well with his salt and pepper hair. Many of the older widows in town often called him their Devilish Fox. They had unknowingly landed upon the truth.

  Basket balls thudded against the court in a chorus of movement. The old Foxes body weaved in and out between the youngins that faced him. With a quick pass his second in command easily scored a layup. Bill as he was called for he had no last name was always his go to man.

  Dark flickers of Yellowed miasma wafted out from their opponents bodies. Small amounts of movements adjust the four or so off duty officers as they returned to the bench. Water sprayed out of their bottle soaking their faces as they tried and often failed to fill their parched mouths. Anyone of them felt it was bliss incarnate as now they often went without breaks or proper meals.

  The only reason they were allowed the small service of water was that it would break the immersion if they didn’t drink. Neither of the superior officers wanted to be suspected of cheating. That was in spite of the fact Bill was forty pounds overweight and could only perform a layup with great struggle.

  When the officers could speak their minds they often did so behind his back. To them he was only kept around by Sheriff Arnold to fill his ego. His own body was in peak condition for a man of his age furthering the gap between the two. Now they couldn’t say a word about their varying figures, nor what they were doing to them.

  Wayne observed from the rooftop skylight. He could identify a rudimentary puppet soldier spell. They had been designed for the battlefield. Deployed specifically in units composed of prisoners of war. It was reported by the Necromantic Council Of North America that nearly fifty thousand people had been used in this fashion by the United Faction alone with double from the Opposition.

  During his more limited time on the field he had encountered such people on two occasions. He did prefer not to think about their terrified faces as they had ground themselves into his Mark One. A sudden smell of burnt flesh and oil pervaded Wayne’s mind. He took a long breath before turning his attention back to the Sheriff.

  “So Sheriff, you get anything new back from the Mayor?” Bill asked.

  “Nothing good. It seems we’ll be looking into the hospital starting tomorrow. He set a deadline of the end of the week. The man thinks time is his alone to have.” The Sheriff replied.

  “Oh, so we got to harass em? Sounds easy enough. Just send a few of the officers over, knock a few skulls, easy stuff.”

  “Don’t call it that. Do you want a lawsuit? No, we were told to deal with it above board. Make sure everything passes muster.” The Sheriff Reprimanded.

  Bill rubbed the back of his head. A slovenly pudgy hand that was now slick with his sweat. He appeared to be thinking long and hard on how best to in the words of the Sheriff “Properly Harras” the hospital. The two approached the other officers with idle steps. Once close enough the larger of the men began to feel up on one of the female officers.

  “Thank you sir. Much Appreciated." She choked out from gritted teeth.

  “Much obliged. Say Sheriff, how'd you go about this again? Can’t you teach me? Would make it a lot easier in life.” Bill said.

  The Sheriff cast a curled lip of disgust at his comrade but didn’t move to stop him. His personal taste was in a fine woman that would pursue being pursued. The lack of effort that went into weaving the black magic onto their bodies was of no interest. Though it did serve to assist him.

  Wanda who was being accosted had been offered the position of Commissioner by several council members over himself. In spite of telling him she had turned them down, he had been informed by the Mayor of her true intentions. A friend of hers from a well known city was going to take the position. He had helped a restructuring police force on numerous occasions each ending with a well functioning enforcement of law and order.

  The Sheriff naturally couldn’t let such a thing slip into his domain of control. He was the law. Judge, jury, and executioner. Even if he answered to the Mayor’s money that didn’t mean he would just let him run roughshod over him. That is why he had delayed a day before moving on the hospital, pettily showing him he wasn’t a puppet, like the others.

  A magic circle slowly formed on the roof top as Wayne painted out lines and symbols. He had seen and heard enough to give out his own punishment. In this case he would leave it up to those bound in chains, once broken free theirs was fire he took glee in watching. Spirit energy surged into his circle.

  The problem with the Puppet Soldier Spell was that it wasn’t meant to be used for incredible lengths of time. Instead it was better in the case of prolonged use to switch to the Minor Illusion Spell Mental Suggestion. He made a mental note over the lack of its presence. The two spells required roughly the same catalyst and marking methods.

  If Zeus had been a part of a Department of Mental Warfare or higher up of a Prisoner Squadron he would have known both. It might be he had a reason not to lay it within the Sheriff's hands or that the Mayor was stingy. All in all this was better for him.

  Puppet Soldier slowly faded over time but could only be fully removed with a magical mental blow. Wayne had found the low grade Mental Clarity spell was perfect for this. All it would take to free the victims was a few pots of coffee worth of caffeine and sugar. Which he carried within a small pouch around his hip. The Grandmaster was a night owl and often asked him to cast the same spell upon her to go for longer.

  “Let’s free you lot and then see what I can extract from these bastards.” Wayne said with a grin.

  ***

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  “Again. How is this so hard for you? Can’t follow some simple instructions?” The Grandmaster chastised.

  Nate was a puddle of sweat. Each time he pulled at the Grade one Spirits he felt as if his own soul was going to snap in half. The feeling had been growing worse and worse over the past two hours. Mentally he was wishing he was back fighting Shotgun Grandma or Hercules.

  Renee, Karah, and Lupita were slumped against one wall. The youngest in appearance had been sulking since she was informed by the Grandmaster in no uncertain terms to not awaken her Spirit Housing till after they resolved her problem. Which was scheduled to occur in the next two days. A missive had been sent requesting a delivery from the Tyrant’s store.

  As for the other two Lupita was acting as Karah’s parking brake. Their bickering was all that was keeping the short girl from flying out and attacking the Grandmaster. Both of them could feel the mounting stress from Nate as he continued the harsh practice. The wolf girl was just controlling herself better. Neither could have lasted staying within the spirit house given his condition.

  “So what happened to my cousin?” Renee asked.

  “Oh, yes what was it that the two of you were discussing?” Lupita followed up.

  Karah’s face fell a bit. She didn’t like being the one to comfort others and in this case she’d been left to look after her rival. Sheepishly she scratched her cheek as uncertainty filled her gaze. Would they be mad if she told them? No, it would be fine.

  “Well, you know how much she loves Nate?” Karah said.

  “Yeah, I found some very off posters in her room.” Renee replied.

  “So I set her on the path that would get her the closest to Nate. Right now we need more help magic wise and she’s smart. So if she studies with Teddy then she can become a Necromancer.”

  “What you really mean is that you pushed her onto my love and gave her a difficult task. So that she would stay far from the training room?” Renee asked.

  With a no longer worried face Karah nodded emphatically. What else was she supposed to do? A normal human stood no chance on their current crash course, it was better to remove her early. Renee agreed but still felt bad for her cousin. She had always heard she was an earnest girl from her father.

  “Just trying to get rid of competition, I’m sure.” Lupita quipped.

  “What competition? No one has any chance while I’m here.” Karah Argued.

  The feeling of pain and nausea rushed him once more. Something was not clicking for him. He could order Lupita out with ease, she just did what he told her. This mindless spirit which was no different than pure energy simply wouldn’t listen, or couldn’t in the first place. At last he let the energy fade from his body.

  “So you are giving up? Let me give you some motivation. If you do not figure out this process by tomorrow you shall not assist in our fight. No reason to have a puny, weak, liability around.” The Grandmaster said.

  “I will get it just let me take a moment to breathe.”

  “Oh, so you need to breathe now. Will your enemies let you do so on the battlefield? I think not. Back to work Apprentice.”

  “I need to think.” Nate rasped.

  “Thinking is for the intelligent which you only are if you can do this properly. Now get back to practicing.”

  Nate’s mouth twitched into a grimace as he stood once more. He had strengthened his spirit energy into tendrils that he was using to wrap around the shape of spirit. The idea was that by holding it tightly enough he might be able to forcefully hold its shape outside his body.

  The only guidance from the Grandmaster was summed up in the words of “Just do it.” Which she had taken to repeating now instead of totally. His irritation over the words hadn’t diminished as they had simply traded from one saying to the next. Just do it? Was this really something she could just call an “It” as if it were that simple.

  His wandering mind caused another failure as the tendrils recoiled back at him snapping into and slamming into the walls of the basement. Each one left deep gouges that pained him and sent his mind spinning. Still he resisted the urge to fall down. He wouldn’t, couldn’t give her the satisfaction.

  Seeing that her provocation’s weren’t working, Grandmaster tilted her head back and forth. People were hard to understand, most evidently with the young and the new. Racking her brain she finally settled on something she believed might work to finally motivate him.

  “Come on now, this is the best you can do? Is that what you told your family? Is that why they all died on you? Your best just wasn’t good enough, never will be.” She said.

  “What are you…”

  Nate breathed out, he knew she was trying to get a rise out of him. He tried to remain calm. That was in the past, this was now. He wasn’t the reason his family died. She was speaking out of her ass.

  “I bet that goes doubly so for those still around you. You're going to get your cute pet wolf killed and that shorty with the fierce eyes. Worse still you got that powerless girl wrapped up in this. How ever will she live a normal life.”

  “You can stop, I don't need the motivation. I’m giving it my all.” Nate said.

  “Oh now it’s your all. How quaint then just do it. But you can’t.”

  She finally determined to give him the last push that she could think of. Her own body heated up in revulsion as she spoke the next few words. He had been disrespectful but that wouldn’t call for all this. In for a penny, in for a pound.

  “I guess the worst of the worst is actually that dumb little brother of yours. I saw how he looks at you, like you're some hero. You are no hero, just a boy. He had a bright future if it weren’t for you. What selfishness it was to keep him by your side. If you haven’t ruined the future you’ve all but sent him down the river with the ferryman. All because you're too weak, and pathetic, just like I always knew you were.”

  At the end of her words she pulled off her face covering letting him hear it straight from his mothers lips. The act had gone way too far as Lupita and Karah in silent agreement rushed out to beat the woman to death. Failure might be guaranteed but they’d do it with a smile if they got one good hit in.

  Nate’s rage burned white hot. Why did he have to suffer her abuse? Weren’t they on the same side? Why did she have to use his mothers face to say those words? They were similar to the night she’d died. He had been delayed on the bus to get Teddy from school. He could hear the echo in his head.

  “This is just like when your father died. You are going to leave us all alone as well.”

  It wasn’t her fault, he hadn’t been there for them. That was what it meant to be responsible, even a minute late meant he was failing. His body in the makeshift gym froze. Hot raging bile spewed out of his mouth.

  Ignoring the pile of unattributed spirits he touched the bleed spirit. Its body was constantly flowing blood from its eyes down into its hands. Grasping it with a firm hand he gave out a resonant command. The Basement shifted as he did so. Emotion mixed into the blood.

  “GO FUCK HER UP!” He shouted in the room.

  In the gym his body stopped spewing, and spasmed. The Grandmaster clicked her tongue in disappointment. He really was just a trash level Necromancer. A thought crossed her mind to just end him now and deal with the fallout later. It was cut off when an apparition slowly pulled itself free from an unmarked part of the ground.

  Blood spewed from its hollowed out eyes. Its body started out as a pure glowing white akin to the other attributeless spirits before turning jet black. The Grandmaster realized she made a mistake at that moment. Fingers elongated along with the toes. Fangs popped out from a mouth that unhinged at the back of the head.

  With pattering steps it charged at her. Swift as a bullet it slammed into her shield. The flickering clear magic rumbled lightly before small pin pricks of lights started to shoot off into the air. She mused to herself over the effect ready for it to dissipate. The summoning should only last a few seconds.

  Its head reeled back and blew into the shield once, twice, thrice. It littered her field of vision with countless attacks. Each one pushing more and more lights out of small holes all around the circumference of the barrier. At last she stared wide-eyed as a minute had passed. This wasn’t something he should be able to do, she thought.

  “Quick stop him girls. His life is in danger.” The Grandmaster ordered.

  Karah and Lupita had already felt something was wrong and rushed to his side. Only when they made contact did their own bodies begin to change. Lupita’s full werewolf form took shape but did not stop growing. Karah was only slightly better off as the thunder rolled out around her body, dark clouds forming around her wrists.

  “Shit. Totally, not cool.” The Grandmaster cursed this wasn’t going to be easy.