[Babymullet Ver 9.8]

Treehouse 2.1.2: New Kids on the Block

“Shadow Walkers.” Zagmut said with a chuckle, replying to the unspoken question Chad had yet to ask as he relayed the information gathered on his mind-flight.

“What?” Chad asked.

“More like who, Shadow Walkers are a rare and secretive class of Novalen users.” Zagmut said as he pushed himself out of his chair and walked over to one of his many shelves of books in his personal office. Chad could only guess at Zagmut’s true age, he had never asked, nor had Zagmut ever mentioned. But he moved with the fluid grace of dancer, but his beard tickled the ground.

Extending an arm draped in a deep, rich, green robe Zagmut grabbed a book and quickly flipped through its foxed pages to a diagram before handing it over to Chad. Looking down at the diagram, Chad saw that is was written in Novalen-infused ink, and such was constantly forming itself into new patterns and shapes.

“I don’t understand, this is nothing like the patterns I have studied in my reading.” Chad said to Zagmut who had sat back down in his chair at his desk.

“Nor have I” Erica added as she looked over the diagram. Chad thought that fact was a little troubling, Erica’s study were more intensive than his due to her specific nature in the Novalen world.

“It is something few can explain, and then very poorly. Shadow Walkers are the antithesis of Novalen, if such a thing could exist. Were as Novalen classes like Erica and myself, summoners who share a powerful connection Novalen, enough to grant sentience to inanimate objects, Shadow Walkers live their life knowing of Novalen, but never have the ability to use it in any fashion.” Zagmut said as he leaned back in his chair, his fingertips resting against each other in front of his face.

“How sad.” Erica gently whispered to herself. “To know of magic, but not to use it.” Zagmut nodded gently at her words before continuing his brief lecture.

“We have no idea how Shadow Walkers maintain their stance with Novalen, to my knowledge everything on the planet has some amount of Novalen in it, otherwise we couldn’t create Novalen crystals. But Shadow Walkers seem to be able to use Novalen in the exact opposite ways than most classes, they can force it away from an area, most can use this to render themselves invisible, except for their shadows. A group of them can use their powers to purge all Novalen out of an area, creating the square you ran across in the city Chad.” Zagmut said, gesturing to Chad at his final statement, who nodded in confirmation.

“It would seem that whomever you are chasing has employed the use of Shadow Walkers in order to protect his work; an effective strategy against most Novalen users, such as Huatam, who depend on Novalen to use their abilities.” Zagmut added.

“But it won’t work for us.” Erica said while smiling, she had now understood while Zagmut was relaying this information to the two of them with such delight.

“Exactly, and you can tell me why, my pupil?” Zagmut asked with the tone that only a teacher could reproduce.

“Well, as a summoner I can just use my elementals, which are powered by Novalen crystals, not the ambient Novalen in the air. Chad, as a Spellblade, is completely powered by his own Novalen crystal, and doesn’t need Novalen in order to use his abilities to his fullest extent.” Erica dutifully ratted off. Zagmut nodded proudly before standing up and looking at the two of them squarely in the eye.

“Well done, you are a fast learner my dear.” Zagmut beamed proudly. “It is this reason that I am letting you complete this particular mission. All other members of the Treehouse are busy elsewhere, and this mission seems tailor made for you.”

“You…you, you, want us to go live?” Chad stuttered. “Everyone is going to know about us then.”

“That is true” Zagmut said soberly, “However, the world will eventually have to find about the two of you, a Spellblade working alongside a Summoner. Such a group will draw great attention, but for now, let us cross the bridge when we get there. I expect you to leave within the hour. Good luck.”



The two of were lying down gently on their bed, tracing each other’s bodies with their fingers. Soft skin tickled up against each other, sending almost warm circles tickling down their spines.

“What’s wrong?” Erica asked.

“I’m nervous.” Chad said honestly.

“Nervous? About what? You’re a Spellblade, the first one in four hundred years, you beat Huatam in a duel one week in training, what can you be nervous about going live?” Erica said in a warm jokingly fashion. Chad licked his lips thoughtfully before replying.

“I have no doubts on what we can do; I just don’t want to be like…be like Huatam. I don’t want to kill so readily as he does, I don’t want to kill. That’s what most of our training has been about, to fight, to duel. Going live means that we’re no longer dealing with practice targets.” Chad said slowly.

Erica leaned in and gently kissed him,

“The man I love is not some cold-hearted, cynical bastard like Huatam. He is caring and gentle, and still plays in the forest instead of doing his studies.” Erica said with a giggle, before adding with a soft whisper. “It’s not in your heart to be like Huatam, Chad. As long as you remember that, everything will be okay.”

“Aye, one step at a time.” Chad replied thoughtfully, he looked Erica up and down before he suppressed a smile. “For now, how about we change before we head into battle?”

Erica wiggled her rear end to have it emit a clear, crisp, crinkle.

“Hmm…a very good idea.” Erica said.
David Jones thought, and he would be the first one to tell you this, that he has a very important and well-paying job. He sat in his workroom with four other slightly less important and slightly less well-paid co-workers, and spent the day looking at a massive wall of monitors that displayed the view of every single security camera in the city.

Their official job was to look for wanted persons that happened to show up on film, but in reality they sat around and played poker or other card games as facial recognition software drilled away at every passing person on the street. When they got a hit, they reported it to the blue suits upstairs, and got a nice bonus on their paychecks for protecting the peace. And if they so happened to report someone that had no criminal background at all, they still got the bonus. No one had yet to report the ethical breach of conduct, and frankly no one would.

Blip…Blip…

“Got a hit boss.” Said Bob, automatically pushing against the card table to launch himself across the room on his wheelie chair. Quickly tapping a few keys on a keyboard, the printer in the room started to issue loud screeches and rattles as it printed out two pages.

“Ooo…two hits boss, this is gonna be a nice paycheck.” Said Bob as he wheeled over to the printer and picked up the two sheets. His face quickly got a confused look as if he trying to pull a large mathematical equation between his brain.

“What is it Bob? Forgot how to read?” David said with an evil chuckle.

“Ahh….think so boss. Never seen this code ‘ere before.” Bob answered as he handed off the sheets to David. Looking over the sheets David saw a quick headshot of young boy and girl, most likely in their late teens or early twenties, nothing special there. But their face shots were accompanied with a very weird list of instructions.

-Report code 1984 to Special Division, sector 11.

“Special Division, sector 11? Who the hell is that?” David asked aloud.

‘Isn’t it that British guy?” Said one member of David’s team whose name he ever bothered to learn.

“I think it is, let me give it a ring.” David walked over to the phone and quickly punched in the extension for Special Division.

“Yeah, I need sector 11….I’ll bloody hold…This sector 11? Good, good, I got a, whatsit, code 1984, what the-“ David slammed the phone back into its holder.

“Whoever that was said he be right over, clean the place up.” David said to his team. With a flurry of movements they carried the card table and placed it against a desk and out of sight. No sooner than they had put away the last card and poker chip did a man dressed in a suit that oozed expensive walked into the room. He was bald, and his skin was wrinkled so much it made one wonder how he still was holding together.

“Hello old chaps, what have we got today?” The old man said in a perfectly balanced, tone. David hypnotically handed him the two sheets. The old man looked over the two sheets, his face twitching into a half excited, and half fearful look for just an instant.

“My good friends, cancel any plans you have for today, no one is leaving this room till this situation is resolved.”