In the most isolated areas of the Northwest Territories of Canada, lies a hostile region.
No sane person would consider living in this environment, mainly due to the brutal winters.
Amid this region, we can see three people, heavily bundled up, passing through the place.
One of them seems to cast light from his hand to illuminate the path through the blizzard.
They move forward until they reach the foot of a mountain.
The traveler who was lighting the way mentions that now they will have to climb.
One of the others takes the lead.
- Don’t worry! I can handle it.
He takes seeds from his pockets and throws them into the snow.
A plant quickly sprouts from the ground.
It forms a kind of support on which
he climbs and extends his hand to the traveler with the glowing hand.
- Lady…
The traveler takes his hand and the two climb up.
He extends his hand to the other, but he refuses:
- No need, I can manage.
Energy seems to surround him and settle into his leg muscles.
He begins to climb the mountain in light leaps.
The plant the other two are on begins to grow, lifting them upward like a hydraulic elevator.
They ascend to a plateau on the mountain.
The climb takes time, but the two arrive shortly after the other, who was breathing heavily.
After the other two arrive, the man with the seeds speaks.
- You didn’t have to climb by yourself; you could’ve come up with us.
- But I got here faster.
- You know that doesn’t make a difference, right?
The three notice movement above them.
Some unusual sort of bird descends from the sky, landing beside them.
The bird has a humanoid size and shape, but long wings and dense plumage with blue patterns ranging from white to a very dark blue.
At the tips of its wings, we see light blue glows similar to its eyes. On one of its legs, it holds a kind of bow.
The bird speaks with an imposing voice:
- Identify yourselves!
The woman steps forward:
- We are from the environmental division of the knights; here are our badges.
They generate lights from the tips of their fingers and concentrate them in the palm of their hand.
A shield with the face of a bear over the maple leaf, symbol of Canada, is formed.
- We had requested to ask some questions to your king.
- Yes, I was informed. It is a pleasure to receive you.
- Please wait a moment. And be careful to not get hit.
The bird turns its back and releases a gust of air that simultaneously clears the snow near the mountain and lifts it into the air.
This reveals an ornate gate, but it leads nowhere.
Only rock.
Still in the air, the bird grabs a bow and arrow with its claws and fires it directly at the gate.
That shot opens a portal within it.
The bird lands:
- You may proceed.
Following the indication, the three enter the gate, arriving at another place.
***
The three exit the portal into a kind of underground cave, but not only that:
A city of ice, inhabited by birds like the one who received them.
The place exuded beauty.
The light is provided by glowing stalactites on the cave ceiling.
The buildings are made of ice reinforced with magic and have splendid and well-detailed architecture.
Since the birds who inhabit the place fly, several doors are visible on different floors, which gives them multiple entrances options.
A bird similar to the previous one approaches them, but it has a much less robust appearance than the previous one, which gives it a much friendlier air.
It approaches with a device similar to a screen, which it held with the feathers at the tips of its wings as if they were fingers.
- Good afternoon, knights.
- The king is already waiting to receive you, but first I must scan your faces to confirm your identities.
- Do not worry about your winter clothing; the internal temperature of the cave is safe for humans.
They nod and remove the cold protection from their faces, revealing their appearance.
The woman has straight black hair that goes down to her shoulders; her skin tone indicates that she has family roots in India.
The two men, on the other hand, are two extremely similar young Caucasians.
The only detail that differentiates them at first glance is that one of them lets his beard grow while the other does not.
Both have short black hair and brown eyes.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Upon scanning the woman’s face, he sees her information:
Priya
Age: 42
Negotiator of the environmental division of the Knights.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED
He scans the face of the beardless young man, but a warning appears on the screen:
“Fingerprint verification required”
Below this warning was a circle.
Noticing the difference in the bird’s expression, the young man approaches:
- This happens because we are identical twins.
He removes his glove
- Since we look very similar in the face, the verifiers require fingerprints, since they are different even in cases like this.
He presses his thumb on the circle, and the information appears on the screen.
Rowan
Age: 22
Agent of the Environmental Division of the Knights.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED
The other young man does the same process.
Talon
Age: 22
Agent of the Environmental Division of the Knights.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED
- Perfect. Please follow me.
The three follow it and cross the city.
These people are mages.
They live in our world avoiding being discovered by non-magical society.
A system of coexistence that was created many centuries ago due to the witch hunts carried out by non-mages.
Even with their powers, the absurd difference in numbers would make a confrontation turn into a long, bloody, and virtually unnecessary war.
Aiming to avoid this unfavorable outcome, the Guardians of Magic (GOM) were created.
Initially, just a group of administrative mages who aimed to keep magic secret.
But it evolved into an independent government system for mages, acquiring various administrative branches and a democratic structure.
The mages who have received the title of knights represent the main active line of the GOM.
They perform various functions with the objective of keeping magic-endowed people safe, and non-mages unaware from magic.
The knights have several divisions among them.
Police Division: aims to combat crimes committed by mages.
Environmental Division (which the three are part of): aims to protect magical natural life, besides humans.
At this moment, these three environmental knights are making contact with the Glacies, one of the species protected by them.
***
The knights enter a palace in the center of the city.
There they find another Glacie whose feathers on his head are much brighter than any other they had previously encountered.
Surely this would be the king.
The three knights immediately bow.
- It is a pleasure to receive you, knights.
- I must apologize for making you come all the way here and considering the outside climate, which is extreme for a human being.
- However, due to the threats of hunts, we could not risk sending a messenger from our people outside the city.
Priya stands up:
- Do not worry about that; we were the ones who requested this meeting.
- To avoid leaks, we could not speak via remote transmission.
- Please allow me to know: how can I be useful to the servants who work so hard to protect my species?
Talon stands up and speaks while taking a tablet from his coat:
- It has not been long since we received an article indicating that something will be sold…
His brother interrupts him:
- Talon, try to be more polite when speaking to the king.
However, the king himself intervenes:
- Even if you are before me, we are not in a diplomatic meeting. There is no need for an extreme rigidity with formality.
- Sir, please continue.
Talon casts an irritated look at Rowan but soon turns back to the king.
- Thank you, Your Majesty.
He projects a kind of digital advertisement into the air.
The king pauses for a moment to read.
The information leaves him surprised.
- Were they not extinct for more than 400 years?
Priya stands up and speaks:
- These are the known data.
She signals to Talon to move the article forward.
- However, the advertisement showed the results of tests that, according to all possible examinations with humanity’s knowledge, would confirm authenticity.
- This would be an egg of a North American glacial dragon, which can still hatch.
- Therefore, this egg must be recovered.
Says the king.
- That is a fact! However, a reckless action could be even worse.
- Since the Glacies lived directly with them in the past, we would like to have some confirmation from you if possible.
- That seems logical!
- The lifespan of our species is short compared to a human being; because of this, we have the habit of recording experiences and knowledge from a very early age.
- I will have the archivists review possible data that may assist in your answer.
- We are immensely grateful, sir. - The three say in unison.
- In the meantime, please, I ask that you go to the infirmary and the palace quarters; this journey must have been hard for you.
- It is not necessary, Your Majesty.
- I insist!
- I refuse to live with any guilt if you do not survive the return trip due to a lack of proper care on my part.
***
[Days later, the knights are back at the branch in Toronto.]
The twins are waiting in the waiting room.
Priya speaks with the superior Davis.
-The Glacies’ records match the published files.
- Which means we have to recover this egg as a chance to repopulate the species.
The chief rests his forehead on his hand with a discouraged expression.
- I’m going to have to beg a lot to the superiors again!
He grabs a nearby bottle of whiskey and opens it.
- Sir, alcohol is harmful to your health.
- Alcoholic beverages are the best invention of non-mages and the only reason I still keep this damned position!
- In that case, maybe it’s better if you drink more.
- Many species depend on you…
***
(A short time later)
Chief Davis is in a videoconference with his superiors.
Thanks to the natural energy released by the mages themselves, it was possible to develop technologies based on it.
They may be similar to or completely different from those that non-mages tend to use in their daily lives.
For a long time, their technologies were more advanced than common ones.
However, currently, many mages had to swallow their pride and admit that over the previous century, mages have practically tried to improve non-magical technology with so-called techno-magic rather than developing their own.
Priya leaves the chief’s office after the meeting is concluded.
- Talon! Rowan! The chief wants to talk to you urgently!
- Gentlemen, it’s hard to say whether we have good or bad luck.
- But the superiors said they will collaborate with our operation.
- That’s because it seems that the interests of the environmental division and the knights’ police division are aligning.
- And we all know how beloved the police division is by the GOM.
The projection released by the device on the table forms an image:
It’s a futuristic ship shaped like a pentagon with several windows around it and thrusters below.
- This here is the ship known as ‘Upperclouds’ or as it is popularly called, the ‘Market Ship.’
- There are tens of thousands of commercial establishments here that are used for events, shops, and every piece of junk you can imagine!
- Several businesses rent space there to make trades for people from all over the world.
- In practice, this ship never lands and receives vendors, customers, and supplies from other compact ships that pick them up.
- Wow, even so, how does it manage to stay so long without landing? – Talon asks.
- I don’t know and I don’t care!
- Basically, it is a private company that, by not landing, has no headquarters in any country, and only the Guardians of World Magic (GWM) can inspect it.
- Because of that, there are dozens of suspicions about the sale of illegal merchandise, but yet no evidence…
The chief sits down and grabs another bottle of whiskey stored away before continuing.
- It seems that some analysts discovered that the place where the egg we are looking for will be sold is exactly there!
- That will give an excuse for the police division to find evidence of this so-called black market, but I managed to get them to accept taking two of our agents as support.
- However, they will be subordinate to the police officers who are there.
The brothers already understood where he was going and answered before the question:
- I accept!
- Me too!
- Great! Now if you have any questions, ask them now, because after having to beg so much to those supervisors, I intend to drown my consciousness in alcohol as soon as you step out that door.
***
[Later that night]
The twins position themselves at the place and time where they’d meet the police knights to begin the mission.
At a bus stop in Toronto that, due to the city’s cold weather, was enclosed.
Rowan looks at his brother with a serious expression.
- Look, Talon. You have to be more careful. You keep talking carelessly to superiors.
Talon sighs angrily, clearly showing disdain for the comment.
- Thanks to that, I realized that you’re more worried about it than they are! So get off my back!
- I’m your brother; I have to advise you!
- Stop acting like you’re so experienced! You were only pulled out a few seconds earlier by the doctor who performed the cesarean section.
- Ah, I’m not going to argue over nonsense.
- You only say that when you lose an argument…
[After some time…]
They observe some sort of glowing sphere approaching along the street.
In an instant, it disperses, revealing a techno-magical car at high speed.
The passenger window opens and a woman shows her face:
- Hey, boys! Are you going to freeze out there? Get in!
They recognized her from the image they were shown of the mission commander.
Her name was Selene.
She had brown hair not much below her chin, and her eyes had an unusual color even in the magical world; they were golden.
Knowing she was the right person, the two get into the back seat.
Rowan gets in first but is surprised to notice a boy who don’t seem to be more than thirteen years old sitting behind the driver’s seat.
The boy smiles and greets them, sticking out his tongue.
- Hey, guys! How are you doing?
Before they had time to question anything, Selene speaks:
- This is my little brother, Leon. He’s coming with us! You probably already know, but I’m Selene.
- Y-yes, we were informed. I’m Rowan and this is my little brother Talon.
- I think it's funny how you’re addicted to reinforcing that you’re the older one even though we’re twins.
- Yeah, I can see it: you really are look-alikes. If you didn’t have a beard, I wouldn’t even be able to tell you apart.
- That’s why I let it grow. – says Talon.
- And the driver here is Eira.
She only moves her head slightly, avoiding much contact.
She is clearly a beautiful girl; her eyes had a pinkish color, and her long blonde hair was braided back, reaching her shoulder.
- She’s a bit shy! You’ll get used to it! Before we go on the mission, we’ll have to pick up someone else.
Selene picks up her phone while Rowan questions whether it was another teammate.
- Teammate? Never! He’s the leader of an illegal club for battles between mages.
She shows an image on her phone.
- We need to take some information out of him to be able to proceed with the mission, so now we’re heading straight to his club.
