bindsthedead | IC CONTACT POST

Hello. Is this Sabriel?

[ Okay, deep breath. ]

My name is Richard Gansey. My friend Adam said that he was learning magic from you. Do you remember that, and him? It's just -

Half the imports here seem to have forgotten who they are. I really hope that you're still yourself, because I need help, and you're the only expert I know of who isn't also a supervillain.

I do remember. Is he affected too? He hasn't shown up for his lessons.

I'm not affected. And if I'm the expert you're seeking out... I take it you think it's magic, rather than some sort of technology reprogramming the nanites?

[ Gansey breathes a sigh. Thank Christ. ]

He is. He thinks he's led a completely different life. So does my other friend, Noah. And Matthew is a child, for some reason, and...

Well, so is Billy. The bottom line is that I'm not clear on why it's affecting everyone differently, but I think it's magic. I think it's magic gone wrong. Billy told me he was trying to work a spell, and I've been going through his notes. He told me before that he uses objects, sometimes, to anchor his spells, and I think he did that this time.

[ A pause, and a breath. Because this is why he needs help. ]

If we could find it, I think we could stop what's happening.

So the one common factor is that everyone affected has altered memories?

I see. A physical anchor for powerful spells isn't uncommon- if that's the case, any attempt to undo the spell without it will be temporary, if it even succeeds at all- and considering I don't have the first clue how it works, I can't even do that.

Do his notes have any hints about where he hid it?

Not exactly.

[ That would be too easy, wouldn't it. For Christ's sake, Billy, why would you do something like this?! ]

They mark out what he was thinking. The good news is that they mention ley lines, which I've been studying for the last seven years. The bad news is that finding one object along a ley line is much like finding a needle in a haystack.

Listen, can I show you what I've found? I'm good at finding things, but I can't do this alone. And half my friends are affected by this. I also don't want anyone trying to take this out on Billy, because I know he's done wrong, but he's a terrified eight year old right now. He doesn't need an angry mob at his door.

I- yes, that would be good. Do you think more magic-users would be useful? We can ask for help without telling everyone who's responsible.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with ley lines because they don't exist in my world. If there are multiple ones, could we determine which one it's on and search along it?

Ley lines are worldwide. They criss-cross, intersecting at various points. Finding the right one is the first step, but we can narrow it down. Billy was in De Chima when he did this, so it must have been the line that runs through Virginia. In my world, that's the one I know best...

But it doesn't necessarily follow the same path here. We would need some idea of where to start. If we could find the line, in De Chima, is there magic that could chart its path? It's essentially a line of energy, but invisible to the naked eye.

[ Not invisible to magic, though. How he wishes Adam could see it, like he can see the one at home. He also wishes Adam were still his Adam, though. He's under Billy's spell too. Either way, he's not going to be helpful here. ]

I should be able too- I'm not blind to other supernatural powers, so it ought to work. How do they normally move- straight, curved, in spirals?

[There's a rustling sound as Sabriel rummages around, muttering something about maps.]

I'll take the Porter and meet you there.

Straight lines, but they also cross each other at various points. It's easy to get confused, or stray off the path. I have an EMF detector that I used at home, but I imagine Billy probably charted his path with magic. If we could do the same, I think we'd have better results.

[ He's in Billy's magic store now. He texts Sabriel the address, just in case she doesn't have it. ]

I'll let you in. And about asking others...if you think there's people with the power to help, and you trust them, then do it. I just don't want them hunting down Billy. He can explain once he's himself again.

Unfortunately, I don't know many other magic users who haven't been affected by this that I trust. But I'll make a post to the network tomorrow, see if any of the new arrivals have any magical skill.

[Half an hour later, Sabriel's knocking on the door, several maps clutched in her hands.]

Okay. Maybe we’ll get lucky.

[ As long as they protect Billy through this, he’ll take whatever help he can get.

When she arrives, he’s quick to answer. The store is quite dark around Gansey; only the back room, the office, is lit, and his eyes are very tired. ]

Hi. Come through, I’ve laid it out in here.

[ And on the desk in the office, Billy’s notes sit in piles. It’s not the mess it was when Gansey found it; instead everything has been organized into piles, and various things have been underlined and circled. He’s clearly been at this for a while. When she enters, he points to several of the papers, with a lot of highlighting. ]

So, here is what I found. He makes reference to this object, and then something about the sky being better. That worries me, admittedly, because ley lines are very much on the ground. From this, I gather that he followed one, and then potentially flew up to cast the spell…

But he’s obviously not flying now. And he ended up back here, so either he bounced back, or he never left at all. He could have teleported it away from himself, maybe?

What about something tall built over the ley line? Like a skyscraper, or a radio or cell phone tower?

[Sabriel's looking over the notes, trying to read each and every one.]

And some spells aren't designed to take effect immediately. He cold have placed the object, then teleported back and waited for it to take effect. Or set it off remotely, but that seems less likely.

[ Gansey leans back, considering that. ]

The magic of a ley line requires contact. If you're not touching it, it won't help you.

But if he stood on, say, a building which touched the ley line, that's possible. Especially if he's channeling it deliberately. Are you thinking that he placed it and then came back here?

[ Gansey reaches for the notes he's made, and then he points at Sabriel. ]

Are those city maps?

Could he have used the ley line itself as a point of contact? Placed the object, then moved somewhere else on the line to set it off?

[Sabriel pauses, then nods.]

Yes. The Porter cities are probably our best starting points.

Theoretically, yes. I'm sure he could. They connect places, after all. If Billy chose a particular point, he would have been connected to it from anywhere else on the ley line.

[ A pause, while the meaning of this sinks into Gansey. ]

...So if he was somewhere connected to, say for example, his shop here in De Chima, he may not have needed to be in contact at all.

So if he teleported to put it there, then went back to De Chima to set it off, it could be anywhere along the ley line.

[Sabriel groans, suddenly realizing the implications of what she's saying.]

It might not even be in the US!

[ Gansey is nodding, and his eyes are energized in a way that they only ever are when he's deep into his subject.

Later, he might actually be grateful to Billy for this. It's gotten him back into his work in a way that matters, in spite of what happened with Glendower.

Gratitude can come after victory. ]

That's right. And don't forget, these lines criss-cross at various points. They all connect to each other in some way, which means it could be anywhere. When I was searching for Glendower's tomb, I went through England and Wales, all through Europe, up into northern Iceland and down into South America.

I'm hoping your magic can narrow the search better than that. It's not an option I had to work with at home.

Probably. Even with the ley line as a conductor, less distance would make it easier- and if he's not registered, he might have stayed in the country to avoid getting AWOL status and attracting attention.

I'll start looking in De Chima- even if it's not here, I should be able to find what direction it's in.

He's definitely not Registered.

[ Billy wouldn't even consider it, Gansey knows that. ]

Maybe if you start in the shop? He may not have begun his work here, but this is where it ended. I found him under the table, where he'd very clearly been hiding since it happened.

Good idea- let me see... [Sabriel closes her eyes and concentrates, reaching out for traces of magic, trying to sift through them to find what she's looking for.]

[ Gansey watches, trying his best to stay still while Sabriel works. He keeps his voice low. ]

Anything? He was here in the office when I found him, if it helps.

I don't think it's anywhere in De Chima, unfortunately. [Sabriel slumps against the wall.]

The most I can give you is a general direction.

A general direction is a start. And better than nothing at all.

[ He pauses, watching her. ]

You're willing, then? You'll help me fix all of this?

Of course! Someone has to, since the one responsible isn't in a fit state to do it.

[ Gansey breathes out a sigh of relief, and leans his shoulder against the wall. ]

Thank you, Sabriel. I won't forget this.

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bindsthedead - 2016-07-03 03:34 (UTC) - Expand

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