The trip back to the UK from Dakata was carried out in embarrassed and prolonged silence. No one wanted to address the issue of the physically alterations that had affected Akira since their return from Kenya. It had to be something to do with Akira’s nocturnal chanting and spellcasting, but what had been its purpose? The physical changes hadn’t worn off and whatever he’d done to himself (at least they assumed he’d done this to himself) it didn’t appear to have any real benefit beyond changing his physical appearance.
Mary secretly visited the Library on their return and explained Akira’s ‘symptoms’ to Tower and Dr Maxwell Bradbury. The only spell they could think it might be was Yig’s Inexorable Transformation but that was chaotic, dark magic usually used on those the mage wanted to punish as the changes were permanent. There were no benefit to casting it on yourself – unless… Mary almost had to drag out the rest of that sentence, as it was too unthinkable. The only reason they could think about using such a spell on themselves was if they wanted to somehow, channel the power of Yig, which was always fatal. The good news was that based on what Mary had described, it seemed as though the transformation wasn’t yet complete though they had no idea why. Once the transformation was completed, it would be irreversible.
It wasn’t as though anyone at the Library had any practical experience with this spell.
Meanwhile, Sam had an appointment at Claremont Academy that same afternoon – his worst job to date, speaking at a school assembly. He arrived at the Crate at lunchtime assuming that as Mary was in London on some ‘personal business’ and Mace had made it clear she wasn’t interested in public speaking, he’d be covering this event alone. To his surprise and consternation, Akira was already seated in the dark waiting for him. Seems his mood swings hadn’t affected his willingness to attend. Sam wasn’t sure this was such a good idea but couldn’t think of a diplomatic way to dissuade him so they sat together in the darkness as Adam piloted the craft to the school.
When they finally returned late that evening, Sam was convinced that Akira’s presence hadn’t been a good idea. Akira had given some really oddball answers in assembly (had he really advised the students to practice the Dark Arts and demanded that only Metas should govern Metas?) Sam was sure they would never be invited back again. Then of course, there had been the incident with the disappearing children and the Tattered Man. Sam needed a strong coffee and a good night’s sleep to recover.
Akira however was starting to wonder why the image of the Tattered Man reminded him so much of a recent nightmare he’d had of a man in the same torn cloak or robe, despite it apparently being a different colour.
(Link here to read their Claremont Academy adventure)
The day after, as the team wound down over beverages in the BASEment, Mary looked around the company with a thoughtful and troubled expression deepening her wrinkles. “You know,” she said slowly, “I think something strange happened to us all in Africa. I mean,” she half-laughed, “stranger than usual, and stranger maybe even than the obvious…”
Her sad and wondering gaze lingered on Akira for a moment before she pulled herself together and resumed, almost musing to herself. “Maybe it was the heat, or some sort of psychic pollution. Only Mace seemed unaffected. Akira got even more umpty than usual – which is saying something…” she managed to chuckle. “Which got worse and worse, until… But Sam, that was not like you, going in tooth and claw, no questions asked. You always ask questions first, see what’s troubling folk, try to persuade them to give up rather than fight. Maybe that was just adrenaline after the rhino-wrestling, but…”
Sam immediately stood up at that, “Hey now, Mace and I were doing our own kind of damage control. I didn’t see anyone else preventing harm of those innocent endangered animals. Those guards were armed and lining you guys up! I had to act, sometimes accidents happen, I think I made the right call. And after what happened at the Capital and the mines? It was literally a kind of warzone. Look, it could have gone better, but it could have gone a lot worse.”
Mary smiled, and gestured him to sit back down and continued, “As for me, all the while I was out there I was sort of lackadaisical and careless, standing back and waiting to be entertained, not my usual self.” She shook her head. “But be that as it may be, I think we should be talking seriously about the elephant in the room now. Or should I say the giant serpent?” as she scowled at Akira.
To everyone’s surprise, Akira said nothing. He turned, headed towards the door and instantly teleported away. Various sirens immediately began to sound highlighting a possible security breach.
Annie immediately headed towards the monitoring room and checked the base sensors. Akira had undertaken a series of rapid teleports around the BASEment apparently before leaving.
As Annie cancelled the alarms, Mary looked grimly round at her remaining companions. “Seems like we have some big decisions to make and not much time to make them… And some uncomfortable questions to ask ourselves first.
We kind of know what Akira is doing to himself, so the first big question is – is he doing it willingly or is he being persuaded or forced by someone or something else? If he’s being forced then we should do all we can to intervene, at whatever cost; but if he’s chosen this..? Do we have the right to say he’s chosen wrong and fight against his choice? Not sure how we can tell what the answer to the first question is – if Akira was here and himself, he could ‘view the past’.”
She shook her head. “Maybe we can just say that Darkness is Darkness and to be fought against, whatever shape it comes in; maybe.” She shrugged. “And then, there’s the question of ‘how’. Doesn’t seem like the folks at the Library know of a way to cure or halt this Transformation, though we could maybe ask them to research.”
She wrinkled up her already deeply-wrinkled brow in thought. “Though there was that powerful dispel-all-magic cantrip that Akira used in that last fight at ‘Furwd Dillion’. I could maybe improvise a ritual, given a little time, to the same effect. If we think that might work? What’s your take on this people?”
Annie nodded, “It’s a bit of a nuclear option given how it also affects yourself Mary.”
Sam looked around the room before commenting, “Mary, you would know best with all of the mystical magical stuff. Maybe we should try and find someone who knows him well, besides us. They might be able to enlighten us to some of his latest personal developments? He’s been all business with me for a little while, not appreciating my cheek as much as he used to.”
As the meeting broke up without any definitive solution, Sam just wanted to take Annie aside for a brief moment and talk, but he understood that it was bad timing with everything going on, provided of course she would grace him with her presence. He caught up with her as she went to re-enter the Monitoring Room, “Listen, I know we’re in a rocky place, and I don’t know if it’s just me, or if it’s you or if it’s both of us, but I want to help. I’m all in, I’m not folding.” Her face remained stony but she did grace him with a gentle touch to his cheek before turning away. He decided he would leave it at that for the moment, rather than saying too much and making anything worse.
It wasn’t until several hours later that they discovered that The Testament of Carnamagos was missing. It was also when Annie confirmed that Akira’s commdot seemed to place him at Akira’s Ffrwd Dylluan, but they were inactive. All attempts to contact him were being ignored.
Superhero Adventures, UK Style 