Chapter 394 394 Making Friends
Chapter 394 394 Making Friends
Freshly created magical items weren’t something that the locals saw on a regular basis, or at all, really. The old lady’s walker wasn’t a strong item, but for her, it was the most valuable possession that she owned at the moment. That simple spell allowed her to regain her mobility without exhausting herself or her helpers by casting constant Wind Magic to help her move.
The Gravity Magic also took the weight off her old joints, easing some of the aches and pains that came with walking around when you were well over a hundred years old.
“You really know how to make friends, don’t you?” Justine mumbled as they were led to the tavern for a proper meal.
“Of course, the answer to making friends is head pats.” Wolfe joked, then ruffled her hair.
Justine glared at him while Ella and Christa laughed quietly, and the locals pretended that they didn’t see anything strange. He might be a Familiar, according to Ella, but they were still nervous to have Wolfe in town now that they realized that he wasn’t a human guard.
How the other village messed that up, they didn’t know, but they suspected that it was an illusion spell the group had used to avoid causing a sensation like they did today. It was well within Ella’s powers, so nobody would question that it was a possibility, only the motive behind choosing to keep their identity a secret.
Some had already worked out that when they had reached the neighbouring village, this group didn’t know what Faction they were allied with or how the locals were being treated. It made the Gormana natives curse the Grand Dutchies silently for giving them all a bad name.
Wolfe noticed a ten-metre-long metal box sitting in the town square, still being unloaded as they passed. It was painted drab green with white lettering on the side to mark its number for transport. That must have been the supply drop that they had received, and it gave Wolfe a good idea of how much food they were expected to ship out when they made the trade with Gormana.
There would have been money in there as well, or perhaps it was all in a bank back home, but trading containers to be moved by helicopter was an excellent way to get the supplies to an airbase large enough to land cargo planes without alerting any of the major Covens.
“Here we are. I hope you don’t mind if we join you for breakfast. I am Mayor Mills, and this is Colonel Meek. We are working together on the new projects that this village is implementing.
You saw the supply crate that they dropped for us. We send an order with the supplies that we send them, and they take it out of our total. It might seem strange to have witches using high-tech devices instead of magic for everything, but it’s a good solution for us.
Have you considered it yourselves? Or are you purely nomadic?” The Mayor, a dark-haired witch in her later middle years, asked.
Wolfe nodded at Ella, encouraging her to tell the locals some of the truth, and Ella shook her head at the Mayor.
“We have taken residence, along with a few thousand other Witches, in the Fae Forest inside the Frozen Wastes. The mana density is too high there, and the imbalance won’t let you use any sort of high-tech device reliably.
Some will still work, like the radios. But they’re garbled and lose a lot of range. More sensitive things like cell phones and computers are known to short out when the mana density in the air is too high, and the Fae Forest has mana twice as dense as most of the continent.” She explained.
The nearby witches gave a startled look at that news. High Mana Density in the air might explain how Ella had gotten so powerful. But if that was the answer, then it could work for them as much as it worked for her.
Power was a tempting proposition, even though they had a good life here in the village, and they were beginning to see more luxuries in their lives.
“Is the Fae Forest open to outsiders?” The Mayor asked cautiously.
Ella shrugged. “That answer is complicated. It is both yes and no. The Forest decides who it lets in, and what it needs from those who try to enter. So, you never know if it will accept new people.
I will say that those who have never cast a spell in anger, the ones who have never used a single bit of offensive magic in their lives, are more likely to be friends of the Fae.”
That seemed to confuse both of the people at the table.
The Colonel spoke next. “So, you’re saying that I would have a greater chance of getting in than one of those young witches since I can’t use magic?”
Ella shook her head. “The Fae only see humans as amusing toys. They might let you in if they think you will be fun and a good person, but for those who can use magic, they expect them not to use it to harm others. It corrupts the aura in a way that the Fae can sense.”
That was definitely news to the Mayor, and the Colonel just looked confused, so Wolfe decided to elaborate.
“The Fae have a lot of power, and the woods link to their home world. If you go in, you will get lost. It’s just part of the Forest’s magic. But what happens to you afterward all depends on how the Fae receive your presence.
If they think you’re a decent person, they will either let you go where you want or lead you back out safely. If they don’t, then there is a good chance that you will keep running into the powerful magical creatures that live in the Forest.”
The soldier gave Wolfe a rueful smile. “It sounds like it’s no safer than anywhere else in the Frozen Wastes, just more picky about who it is extra dangerous to.”
Wolfe shrugged and smiled back. “I can’t say you’re wrong there. But it’s home, and if it decides that it likes you, it’s a beautiful place to be.”