As Sophia and I made our way through the building of the Immateria council the weight of our failure hung heavy on my shoulders. The Rogue had slipped through our grasp, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that our mistakes had put much more than just ourselves in danger. As usual, the council chambers were dimly lit, casting long shadows across the ornate furnishings and polished floors. The members of the council were all gathered around their table, their expressions grim as we entered. “Well, well, well,” one of them drawled, “News of your return to the city has already spread to us, and we are well aware that you were unable to defeat the rogue.” I gritted my teeth, but Sophia stepped forward with the same calm confidence that she always seemed to embody while dealing with the council. “The rogue was more powerful than we anticipated,” Sophia explained, “And not just that, he mentioned… a patron, an unknown source that was giving him assistance.” The mood in the room changed a
I sat at my desk, surrounded by a chaotic jumble of books and notes that were scattered across the table. My quill scratched across the parchment as I tried to wrap my head around the intricacies of magic. Without Sophia to distract me, I was finally getting a chance to do the one thing that I had been longing to do since I was first introduced to the world of the Immateria.Science, with a little bit of magic thrown in for good measure. Actually, it was more like science with a lot of magic thrown in. Back when I was just a mere human, I had created technologies that people had only dreamed about. My masterpiece was a marvel of engineering - an incredibly marketable piece of hologram technology.I had designed it for use in communication and entertainment, but my dreams went beyond that. I had always wanted to create something like the holodeck from Star Wars, or the holographic communicators from… well… everything. But alas, that specific piece of technology was now owned by my old
It had taken me the better part of a day, blood, sweat, and more than a few electrical burns but the prototype version of the clean water device had finally been completed. Much like my initial designs had scoped out the device was small and cylindrical with a tap at the top. I’d chosen to go with a classic vintage crosshead design, twist one way to turn the device on and twist the other way to close it again. I held the device out over a bowl and twisted the tap handle. It sputtered for a moment, vibrating in my hand, and then a steady stream of water began to pour from the tap. “Fantastic!” I muttered to myself, “I knew that the prospect of Magitech was something worth going after. This’ll put me onto the map again without a problem.” I twisted the tap the other way and the water trickled to a stop. While I knew it worked in a standard laboratory environment I still had no idea whether the device would work in other environments. Considering the device pulled what it needed fro
As I meandered through the maze of winding streets and alleys that made up the Immateria City marketplace, I knew that finding the materials that I needed to create the microclimates would be no easy feat. Not only did I not have any real knowledge of what might allow me to do such a thing, but the stalls were also filled with a dizzying array of strange and exotic goods, the air thick with the scent of spices and perfumes. My eyes widened as I caught sight of a small shop that sold all manners of sand and soils. Whether or not magical sand would help me generate the hot environment of a desert I didn’t know, it would allow me to create the base of my environment though and that was just as important. The shop was a small, cramped space filled with bags, barrels and jars of all different shapes and sizes. Each one filled to the brim with various types of sands and soils, no doubt from all across the world. It was difficult to see much beyond the first row of goods due to the dim l
Leaving the sand and soil shop behind I strolled through the lively and bustling magical marketplace. Overhead the simulated sky that was cast over the ceiling of the cavern that the Immateria City was placed in had fallen to dusk, with the fake sun setting somewhere off in the distance. This left a warm, golden light over the crowd of people that were still haggling, browsing and chattering in the marketplace. Lanterns, which had been enchanted with a variety of different charms, flickered into life across the marketplace adding their own soft glow to the mix. When Sophia first told me about the underground city I had never imagined it looking so beautiful. My eyes darted around, taking in the endless rows of shops, filled with all kinds of curiosities and trinkets. Suddenly I caught sight of a vendor selling bags. Just what I was after. With my arms now laden with glass boxes and a bag of magical sand I couldn’t just keep adding to the pile. Eventually it’d become too much to ca
I hadn’t felt nervous butterflies in years, but as I made my way back to my lab I couldn’t help but feel them bubbling away in the pit of my belly like I’d swallowed a whole swarm of the things. As I descended the narrow staircase leading to my lab underneath the pub, I felt like a kid at Christmas, ready to open all of his presents and waste the day playing with his favourite ones. My market trip had been more successful than I ever could have wished for, and the items that I’d collected were all perfect for use in my experiments and my fingers were itching to start working on the micro-climates so I could test my first marketable Magitech device. But, as I pushed open the heavy oak doors to my workspace, my excitement turned to sudden shock. Sophia was back. Slumped in my chair, at my desk… and for the first time since I’d known her she looked hurt, her face battered and bruised. “Sophia?” I gasped, dropping my bag to te side, trying to keep the worry out of my voice. “What hap
I studied the map intently, feeling the rough texture of the aged parchment under my fingertips. My eyes traced over the faded ink lines, marking the location of the Cloak’s hidden lair. Sophia stood beside me, her intense gaze fixed on the same spot. I looked up at Sophia, and saw that her expression mirrored my own determination. "We have to be careful," I said, my voice low and urgent. "Who knows what they're up to in there." Sophia nodded, her jaw set. "I agree. We need to gather as much information as we can before we make a move." I bit my lip, thinking. "Perhaps we could stake out the hideout for a little while, observe their movements. That way, we'll have a better idea of what we're up against." Sophia's eyes brightened at the suggestion. "Yes, that's a good idea. We could hide on a nearby rooftop and keep an eye on things." I grinned. "I'm glad you agree. I've got a feeling this is going to be dangerous, but I'm ready for it. We need to put a stop to whatever the Cloa
I walked through the darkened halls, my heart pounding in my chest. The air was thick with the stench of mildew and decay. The walls were covered in peeling wallpaper, and the floorboards creaked under our feet. I held my wand tightly, ready for anything that might come our way.Sophia walked beside me, her claws extended and at the ready. Her sharp eyes scanned our surroundings, searching for any signs of danger. She was the best partner I could ask for on this mission. She was fierce, smart, and unwavering in her determination to stop the Cloaks.We had received intel that the Cloaks were planning something big. Something that could spell doom for the entire Immateria City. We couldn't let that happen. We had to stop them at all costs.As we walked, the sound of chanting grew louder and more distinct. It was coming from downstairs. We shared a look of concern and horror, knowing that we were getting closer to the heart of the Cloaks' operation."Sophia, do you hear that?" I whispere