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Authors: AR DeClerck
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even as he moved slightly in front of Cora.
“We were just meeting to discuss our problem.” the young man said, looking over his shoulder to snicker at the men behind him. They shuffled. A few seemed scared, their eyes wide as they edged away from the main group. Those would live, Icarus decided. These others, perhaps not. They had violence on their minds, and they were severely impeding his search for Archimedes.
“And what problem is that?”
The brash man's face grew hard with hatred. This is what the Grand Master had tried to warn him about, Icarus realized. Every problem or perceived injustice these men had ever faced would forever be the fault of magic. And of magic users. There was nothing they could say to change it.
“Our families starve while you wizards live in your palaces!”
The crowd roared with approval as the man raised his fist.
“We pay every penny we earn for the privilege of allowing you to light our homes and protect our families!”
Cora moved close to Icarus' back. He felt her trembling fingers curl into the back of his coat.
“We want freedom! We want science! We want steam!”
It became a chant, the air of menace growing as the men surged toward Icarus and Cora.
Icarus held up his hand, holding them all back with a simple shield spell. They beat on the barrier he had created.
“Icarus, don't hurt them.” Cora pleaded behind him.
“And what, Cora?” He looked over his shoulder at her, exasperated by her soft heart. “Allow them to come across the next unsuspecting wizard and have their way with him?”
She shook her head, her eyes wide and boring into him. “You're a powerful mage, Icarus. We don't have to resort to violence.”
He groaned in frustration but turned back to the mob with a sigh.
“Go home!' he called out, amplifying his voice so that it boomed over the roar of the crowd.
Some went silent and backed down, but, as he'd feared, the others grew more enraged.
“Parlor tricks!” the leader cried, trying to bolster the others. “Don't be afraid!”
“No.” Icarus kept his tone soothing. “I don't want to hurt you. Go home now.”
The crowd pounded against the barricade, ignoring him. He glanced at Cora. “What would you have me do now?”
“Cast a spell. Make them forget. But don't hurt them. Please.”
He sighed. “We're wasting time. Archimedes is out there waiting for us.”
“Icarus.”
The leader reached into his pocket and Icarus wanted to laugh. Guns wouldn't pierce the barrier, but what the man took from his pocket was not a gun. He held up a round spherical ball in the palm of his hand.
“Icarus, what is that?”
He didn't answer.
The crowd did quiet as the young man held the ball out triumphantly toward Icarus.
“You had no idea we had one, did you?”
“I can honestly say I did not.” Icarus answered dryly.
He felt Cora tug on his coat. “Icarus, I think we need to run.”
He ignored her. The young man held the ball out toward them. A bright purplish glow began to emanate from it. Icarus grimaced as he felt an awkward pain envelope him.
“Icarus, please!” Cora tugged hard on his hand. He shook as the purple light reached out, bypassing the barrier. Icarus could feel the aether screaming as the light moved through it.
He couldn't move, or stop her, as Cora stepped in front of him and held up The Hand.
The talisman gave off a bright white glow in the palm of her hand as he staggered against her. It grew so bright that the crowd began to cry out and shield their eyes. When the light of The Hand came into contact with the purple light of the strange orb the resulting shock wave threw Cora into Icarus. He managed to hold her up with sheer will.
The orb shattered, the shards raining down as the crowd ran in opposite directions. Icarus felt his magic begin to grow in strength again once the ball was destroyed.
He reached for Cora but she shrugged him off as she approached the leader of the mob who lay on the ground, covering
“We were just meeting to discuss our problem.” the young man said, looking over his shoulder to snicker at the men behind him. They shuffled. A few seemed scared, their eyes wide as they edged away from the main group. Those would live, Icarus decided. These others, perhaps not. They had violence on their minds, and they were severely impeding his search for Archimedes.
“And what problem is that?”
The brash man's face grew hard with hatred. This is what the Grand Master had tried to warn him about, Icarus realized. Every problem or perceived injustice these men had ever faced would forever be the fault of magic. And of magic users. There was nothing they could say to change it.
“Our families starve while you wizards live in your palaces!”
The crowd roared with approval as the man raised his fist.
“We pay every penny we earn for the privilege of allowing you to light our homes and protect our families!”
Cora moved close to Icarus' back. He felt her trembling fingers curl into the back of his coat.
“We want freedom! We want science! We want steam!”
It became a chant, the air of menace growing as the men surged toward Icarus and Cora.
Icarus held up his hand, holding them all back with a simple shield spell. They beat on the barrier he had created.
“Icarus, don't hurt them.” Cora pleaded behind him.
“And what, Cora?” He looked over his shoulder at her, exasperated by her soft heart. “Allow them to come across the next unsuspecting wizard and have their way with him?”
She shook her head, her eyes wide and boring into him. “You're a powerful mage, Icarus. We don't have to resort to violence.”
He groaned in frustration but turned back to the mob with a sigh.
“Go home!' he called out, amplifying his voice so that it boomed over the roar of the crowd.
Some went silent and backed down, but, as he'd feared, the others grew more enraged.
“Parlor tricks!” the leader cried, trying to bolster the others. “Don't be afraid!”
“No.” Icarus kept his tone soothing. “I don't want to hurt you. Go home now.”
The crowd pounded against the barricade, ignoring him. He glanced at Cora. “What would you have me do now?”
“Cast a spell. Make them forget. But don't hurt them. Please.”
He sighed. “We're wasting time. Archimedes is out there waiting for us.”
“Icarus.”
The leader reached into his pocket and Icarus wanted to laugh. Guns wouldn't pierce the barrier, but what the man took from his pocket was not a gun. He held up a round spherical ball in the palm of his hand.
“Icarus, what is that?”
He didn't answer.
The crowd did quiet as the young man held the ball out triumphantly toward Icarus.
“You had no idea we had one, did you?”
“I can honestly say I did not.” Icarus answered dryly.
He felt Cora tug on his coat. “Icarus, I think we need to run.”
He ignored her. The young man held the ball out toward them. A bright purplish glow began to emanate from it. Icarus grimaced as he felt an awkward pain envelope him.
“Icarus, please!” Cora tugged hard on his hand. He shook as the purple light reached out, bypassing the barrier. Icarus could feel the aether screaming as the light moved through it.
He couldn't move, or stop her, as Cora stepped in front of him and held up The Hand.
The talisman gave off a bright white glow in the palm of her hand as he staggered against her. It grew so bright that the crowd began to cry out and shield their eyes. When the light of The Hand came into contact with the purple light of the strange orb the resulting shock wave threw Cora into Icarus. He managed to hold her up with sheer will.
The orb shattered, the shards raining down as the crowd ran in opposite directions. Icarus felt his magic begin to grow in strength again once the ball was destroyed.
He reached for Cora but she shrugged him off as she approached the leader of the mob who lay on the ground, covering
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