Chapter 15:

What is Security in this World?

The Creator


"You may refer to me as Security Councilman Range, I'm in charge of the policing of both our home isles and the entire world." Range stands outside of the main palace in courtyard in front of JDG and Kalmar. It is early in the morning, just an hour after dawn broke, however Range wants to move as quickly as possible with the two.

"Security Councilman huh? How does security even work?" JDG asked before he yawns from tiredness.

"I head the Security Council here in London, I have my own advisers and my own systems in place. I supervise all Security Councils throughout the world and I am sure to keep things in running order. If a Creator wants to become a member of the Council of London, they first intern on my Security Council as police and their main goal is to arrest and police those who break the Magical Doctrine, the Council has its own branch for civilian policing." Range explained with quite a loud tone, however the volume did not move Kalmar nor JDG.

JDG sighs, "I did not ask how you hire people, I am asking how you police people in the first place." JDG stated.

"Watch your tone with me boy, I am more patient than my fellow councilmen, that doesn't mean you could speak to me such way." Range raises his right hand in a fist.

"How do you police people?" JDG asked while dropping his eye lids barely open.

Range then sighs and places his hands behind his back, "We have two main branches, the Security of Magic Council and the Civilian Justice Committee; we on the Security Council obtain reports of suspicious magical activity from the Magical Investigative Council. Once we have a report, we then do our work arresting whoever our target may be and bring them in for a trial where they will receive their sentence." Range explained.

JDG then tilts his head to the side, "You are very open about this information." JDG comment.

"You two are the only other members of my council, and I know both of your lives," Range walks up to JDG and looks him in the eyes, "I know you have little family nor friends to spit this information to." He then turns to Kalmar, "Same goes to you, Keeper."

JDG grins and Range takes a step back, "I'm going to go over some basics when dealing with magic users. Most of the Wizards you might be sent to capture will probably be rather compliant knowing that harming those sent by the Council means certain death." Range turns away, "Still, there are those who either don't care or don't get it. That's why you have a rifle. Most magic cannot defeat the stopping power of a high velocity round, however be warned that Keeper's have dangerously effective barriers."

JDG then turns to Kalmar, "You never told me what kind of barrier you can caste."

Kalmar then shrugs, "I can caste multiple types of barriers. My main barrier is the Blindness Barrier which renders people blind."

JDG's eye widen and he glares at Kalmar, "Keepers are capable of casting multiple barriers?"

Range enters the conversation, "Not every Keeper is capable of casting more than one type of barrier. It's a special gift that Kalmar here has. Not even the Keeper of the Bridge is able to perform such a feat." Range explained while only turning his head back.

JDG nods and grins as he returns his head to face Range. Range then lifts his right hand in front of him and takes a deep breath, "What are you doing?" JDG asked Range.

"I'm just taking a deep breath before we begin." Range explained.

"Do you mind if I ask your age? You and a couple others stick out as the youngest looking ones in that group of geezers." JDG leaned his body forward.

Range then turns back around to face JDG, "I'm forty-eight years old." Range responded.

JDG then leans his head back with wide eyes, "You are way older than you look."

Range leans his head, "I'll take that as a compliment." Range replied.

"How old are the rest of the Council." JDG continued to question.

"I'm the second youngest; the youngest is Nano, he's forty-five years hold, and the one older than me is Dagovich, he's only forty-nine." Range scratches his cheek, "Supreme Councilman Appel is eighty-nine."

JDG's mouth opens wide, "That old man is that old, he acts as if he is thirty years younger."

"He is quite healthy, it's good because if something were to happen to him there would be a power vacuum." Range sighs, "Well that's enough questions, I'm going to start by teaching you how to use your rifle, and then we are going to the photography center in order to get you an identification card. I believe tomorrow you will be receiving your first assignment."

JDG tilts his head hard to his side, "We are doing things so soon." JDG commented.

Range nods, "We don't have time, I can teach you only so much today, however it will be up to your own initiative to take care of the first Wizard. I'm sure you will learn as you go along."

"Excuse my interruption sir, however I think that this course of action is reckless." Kalmar adds in his input after idling to the previous conversations.

"I won't disagree with you, however, this is the our course of action. Kalmar, you are very powerful, and JDG, you have an incentive not to fail. I have faith that it will all work out, there is a reason you two are here right now." Range explains as he walks up to JDG, "Let me see your rifle." Range holds his hand out.

JDG has been resting his rifle on the wall behind them for comfort, he turns around to grab it and bring it back to Range. When JDG hands the rifle to Range, Range takes a good look at it before continuing. Range unlocks the bolt of the rifle.

"This is a bolt-action rifle, meaning that in order to shoot it you have to work the bolt. Every shot you fire, you will have to follow by grabbing this handle, lifting it up, pulling it back, pushing it all the way forward, and then dropping the handle back down. You then aim this rifle and pull this trigger with your finger." Range works the bolt in front of JDG to give him an example, "You have ten rounds in this thing to so make it count. You aim the rifle by using the little hole hear where you rest your cheek to see it. Also keep in mind the safety, it's this little button at the back of the bolt. Depress it to lock the safety, and lift it to unlock the safety."

JDG leans his head, "How do you put the rounds into the rifle?" JDG asked.

"Loading the rifle is rather simple, we will be giving you what are called strips." Range opens the bolt again, and then pulls out an empty little metal piece from his pocket, "Rounds will be loaded on these strips," he places the stripper clip onto the open part of the bolt, "you place it here keeping in mind the guiding grooves, and then you push down the rounds. Each strip only has five rounds so after you unload one strip, pull it out and load another." He then closes the bolt, "Then you lock the bolt and you are ready to fire." 

Range hands the rifle back to JDG and JDG then takes a look at the tool. JDG tries to open the bolt and at first is surprised by how it feels. He then pulls and pushes the bolt before locking it back into place. JDG then aims the rifle to the side of everybody and dry fires it by pull the trigger and watches the little block which is the hammer fall.

"You will hopefully not have to use this weapon, I would suggest using it either as a threat or a last a resort. However, it is okay to keep your own safety in mind. That is why we use these tools as insurance policies." Range explains as JDG continues to inspect the weapon, "I would suggest utilizing Kalmar's barriers in order to take down whoever you need to."

At the end of the day, JDG and Kalmar convene in their shared room. JDG was relaxing his outfit while Kalmar was sitting on his bed messing with his fingers. JDG looses the top buttons of his shirt and takes his shoes off, he then pulls out a paper card from his pocket.

"Photography has really gone a long way, the cameras were really big but it managed to capture my face pretty well. Though, I wonder when we'll be able to see pictures in color." JDG commented while examining his identification card.

Kalmar continues to look at his hands, "About what Range said where you had no family nor friends, is that true?" Kalmar said while keeping his head down.

JDG looks up from staring at his card and looks toward Kalmar, "I mean he's not very wrong." JDG shrugs his shoulder, "I still have my parents around, however, they sent me to Devonshire when I finished my primary education. I haven't seen them since. I never really talked to them much anyway so it was no issue having to leave them." JDG looks back down at his card, "I feel like I've always been without them." He looks back to Kalmar, "What about you? That guy said you were in the same position."

Kalmar then looks up to JDG and sighs, "It's a little more complicated. I have two other brothers–or well I had two brothers, I only have one now. I don't know where he is and I don't know what he is up to. Neither do I know where my father is," Kalmar looks down again and JDG tilts his head, "since my mother died when I was really young, I didn't get to know her. I was real close to my father but he disappeared without a reason. I don't know if someone took him away or if he left on his own. All I know is that after that I ended up here."

JDG looks down, "I'm sorry to hear about all that," he then looks back to Kalmar, "if we get through these missions from the Council, I'll help you find your father and your brother."

Kalmar's eyes widen, "Do you really think we could?"

JDG shrugs, "Eh, sure, why not? I'm sure after we learn to hunt down Wizards we'll be able to find your family. I hate to see people separated like that, makes me feel pity."

Kalmar then lets a little smile, "No need to feel pity for someone like me. I am more fortunate than many others out there. My job here with you pays very well you know." Kalmar then stands up from the bed.

"Lucky," JDG grins and chuckles, "I am not even really getting paid, all I got was a lousy contract that promised I could learn magic after this ordeal."

Kalmar leans his head, "You already know some magic don't you? What incentive do you have to learn more?" 

"Although I respect Keeper Magic greatly and I appreciate what I was taught. I have ambitions which require me to become as powerful as I absolutely can." JDG takes a look at his right hand, "I've already opened and unlocked my soul, I wonder what more I am capable of." JDG becomes lost in the sight of his hand.

"Well, you shouldn't be afraid to use that magic when we start our assignments, that Security guy told us that we can deal with Wizards on our own initiative. This could be a way to practice what you have learned so far before you can learn something new." Kalmar explained with a larger grin.

JDG looks up and nods, "Yeah, you're right, this is a great opportunity." JDG responded, "I just hope that the Council isn't lying to me."

Kalmar looks to the ceiling, "I guess you're right, we can't always trust those people."

"Yeah," JDG looks up as well, "it's interesting to think how we even got here. I don't even know how the Council found out about me learning Keeper Magic. I thought I kept it a good secret, and I thought it was at least legal because of what I read in the Magical Doctrine." JDG looks back down at his wardrobe and then turns to Kalmar.

"Yeah I wonder how the Council is able to catch people who violate the Magical Doctrine. It seems suspicious that you were randomly discovered if you kept it such a secret." Kalmar then lays down in his bed and looks to the top bunk.

JDG then tilts his head as he thinks, 'How did they find out?' JDG places his fingers on his chin, 'Unless it was her...' JDG's eyes widen as he nearly floats from the floor.

JDG then quickly turns to Kalmar, "I am such an idiot." JDG lamented.

Kalmar then jolts his head toward JDG, "What happened?"

JDG stares at Kalmar and slowly walks toward him, "I told this girl that I was learning Keeper Magic. I was so stupid for thinking I could trust her, I thought she actually wanted to listen and help me. Goddamnit." JDG explained.

"A girl? Oh man." Kalmar chuckles, "I'm sorry but you got fooled by a girl." Kalmar's chuckling turns into laughter as JDG turns away and puts his hands on his head and bends down.

"I know," JDG whispered, "what the hell was wrong with me back then? I should have known it was suspicious for a random person in the school trying to get to know me, I thought maybe she had some sort of positive interests."

Kalmar gets off of the bed and walks over to JDG still chuckling, "It's alright man," Kalmar puts his left hand on JDG's back, "You were just put into a trance by a girl and that's it. Women like to do that sort of thing, at least that's what I've seen so far. I've never had a woman take interest in me so I can't say for certain. However, it's alright."

JDG then stands straight again, "If I ever see her again, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."

-june-
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