Grimoires and Gunsmoke

Sector 7-G hummed with the sound of advanced machinery as engineers, technicians, and high-ranking officials spoke in hushed whispers.

A whole host of prominent individuals within the United States Government were present, and each of them looked nervous and excited. Some knew of the details of what they would be shown, while others were left in the dark and stood there unsure of what to expect.

However, regardless of what they knew, the fact that Yzael was taking part in this little meeting spoke volumes about how important it was.

Feeling the eyes glued to her, Yzael cleared her throat, moved with grace and poise that befitted her people, and greeted each dignitary and shook their hands one by one. The High Elf was no stranger to these kinds of meetings. It was a rough start at first; these strange humans had equally strange customs, and decorum caused her to commit a few gaffs, but she was always a fast learner when push came to shove.

“Hello, Mr. Secretary.” Yzael greeted with a slight bow as she grasped Secretary of Defense Mark Leigh’s hand. “Major General Elizabeth Harper.” She sidestepped and grasped the Pentagon’s Program Executive Officer’s hand.

As she made her way through the crowd, Yzael's eyes held a glint of mischief as she came across a familiar face– a woman with striking blue hair, short Sun-elf ears, and an eyepatch covering her left eye. “Madam Lysandra.” She smiled, grasping her hand.

They had already met some hours ago and played off they were seeing each other for the first time as she greeted her, Yzael couldn’t help but break out into a smile. It was an unusually expressive display for a High Elf, but seeing her former freelancer captain doing well still brought no end of joy.

"It's really good to see you again," the High Elf continued, her long ears wiggling slightly with excitement. The two would be showing off their abilities today, and Yzael couldn’t wait to fight along with Lysandra again, even though it was just for a demonstration.

Lysandra, less constrained by the muted emotions typical of High Elves, beamed at Yzael, but she still tried her best to maintain a professional demeanor. She was well aware of the important figures surrounding them and how little sway she had compared to her longer-eared friend.

"I'm delighted to see you’ve found a place in this new world," Lysandra replied with a very warm tone. "We need to sit down for some tea when possible."

Yzael's face became even more expressive as her eyes lit up and her hands clapped lightly together. For a moment, she seemed to forget where she was and who was in attendance. "Oh! Oh! Yes!" she nearly shouted as her voice went up an octave. I've found quite the lovely place with these little fluffy creatures!"

She began enthusiastically describing a cat cafe she had visited as her usually reserved demeanor completely vanished. "And the confections! Oh, the confections!” she said, completely oblivious to the stares and Lysandas side-eyeing the officials nervously. I couldn’t quite believe what they had in this world! They reminded me of what they served in the Rakthul Consortium of Guids in the southern islands!"

Lysandra's interest was visibly piqued, but her attention remained fixed on the group of very important-looking people who stood watching them with raised eyebrows. The stark contrast between Yzael's sudden burst of enthusiasm and the formal, tense atmosphere of the room made her even more uneasy. Some officials had even started whispering to each other as they exchanged glances. A mix of confusion and amusement clouded their faces as one older man, dressed in a crisp military uniform, spoke about how Yzael reminded him of his daughter in this very moment.

Gently grabbing and squeezing Yzael's arm, Lysandra tried to bring her friend's attention back to their surroundings in a subtle manner. "That sounds wonderful," she said softly with a hint of warning. "Perhaps we can discuss it more... later?"

Suddenly realizing her lapse in decorum, Yzael straightened up, and her ears flattened slightly in embarrassment. "Yes, of course," She cleared her throat as her voice returned to its usual calm timbre. "We have much to catch up on, but now is not the time."

She then turned slightly to acknowledge the watching officials with a polite nod. "My apologies for the outburst. Shall we proceed with the briefing?"

For the most part, the humans in attendance just chuckled good-naturedly in response, waving away as if it wasn’t a big deal. One of them, a distinguished-looking man with salt-and-pepper hair, spoke up. "Don’t worry about it, Yzael. I think you even lightened the air a bit." He replied, noticing that tension had visibly lessened. However, we should really carry on with why we're here."

A few acknowledgments were heard, and as the atmosphere shifted, personnel started to move. Everyone present knew they were about to delve into something extraordinary, and they were eager to see just what in the world had been so confidential that hardly anyone was clued in on what was happening.

It was show time, and Yzael caught a bit of nerves as she suddenly found herself at a loss of words. She had always been a poor speaker and was far more comfortable talking about the technicalities of a project, but now she found herself on stop muttering and stammering. "Well, um... I um..." Her eyes darted to the project manager, the very same man who had saved her from a public gaff earlier.

"Allow me to take it from here," The man with the salt and pepper beard said as he sensed Yzael's discomfort and smoothly stepped forward. He cleared his throat and introduced himself. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Liam Hawthorne from Anduril Industries. What we're about to present won't just be groundbreaking— it’ll completely dictate the rules for warfare from here on out." He spoke in a familiar and confident voice before looking over to a trailer with oddly shaped structures covered with a tan tarp.

Liam gestured towards the first of the tarp-covered structure, "Under this covering lies the culmination of our collaboration with Yzael. Her intimate knowledge of the very principles and building blocks of this new energy had been invaluable.” He spoke, pacing back and forth with one hand collapsed over his abdomen and the other gesturing with his other at the generals and officials. “What we once called 'magic' is becoming less unknowable and entering the realm of something tangible and malleable."

“Melvin, if you would please.” He nodded to a group of technicians working around the trailers. "Let's unveil our breakthrough."

The technicians immediately got to work and jumped on top of and all around the trailer to gently remove the covers designed to obscure the shape beneath it. The tarp itself was a complex, multi-layered affair structure with irregular patterns and textures that confused anyone who tried to make out what was undear near it. The design drew a lot of attention, but its main purpose was to confuse satellite imaging and prevent accurate analysis of what was underneath.

As the tarp was slowly and methodically removed, the group of officials leaned forward in anticipation as they laid their eyes on a structure nearly 12 feet tall. With a final yank, everyone was greeted with a strange metallic grey device with white surfaces that gleamed under the facility's harsh lights.

Sporting an imposing array of circular panels facing outwards, the device also had six enlarged fins arranged in a manner that made everyone’s head tilt in wonder. At first glance, one wanted to call the entire thing a radar, but each fin was mounted vertically vertically and placed between panels covered in a grid of small, highly sensitive sensors.

The top of the structure was equally complex, housing an arrangement of antennas and what appeared to be specialized receivers. Meanwhile, the base of device the was significantly more robust and sat on removable tripods while also featuring mounting lugs with a heavy-duty stabilization system. It was apparent that the array was designed to be modular enough to mount it onto a vehicle.

Liam stood up a bit straighter and lifted his chin slightly higher as he scanned the group silently, allowing them to take in what they saw and make their own decisions. One of his sales techniques was to create dramatic pauses to build a little tension. "Ladies and gentlemen,” he paused again before looking each official and general in the eye. I introduce you to Spectre, which is the very first in arcane detection, triangulation, and countermeasure technology."

He then gestured towards the imposing and futuristic construction. "Spectre represents a breakthrough in a brand new field.” Liam clasped his hands together as he continued to pace. “By leveraging Yzael’s profound knowledge in what we’re calling thaumatodynamics, we have fused it with cutting-edge defense manufacturing and artificial intelligence.”

"Spectre's functionality is threefold," Liam Continued. First and foremost, it's used for arcane detection and classification.” He raised his hand and held out his index finger. By utilizing sophisticated sensor matrices and advanced spectral analysis, it can detect ambient alternative energy fluctuations and identify them through machine learning."

He paused briefly. "However, I must note that due to data constraints, our classifications are currently limited,” Liam said somewhat apologetically as he glanced toward Yzael for a moment. “We need more arcane users utilizing more abilities or casting more spells to analyze and further our ability to map out what is being used and how."

Moving on, Liam continued, "Secondly, triangulation.” He held out two fingers as he resumed his pacing.” A network of these sensors can pinpoint the source of energetic events, although as a prototype, its accuracy is still limited."

At this point, Secretary of Defense Mark Leigh leaned forward. "How accurate are we talking, Mr. Hawthorne?"

Liam glanced at one of his engineers, a middle-aged Asian-American woman with short black hair, who seemed clearly uncomfortable as she cleared her throat. "Sir, given that this technology is still in its infancy, our triangulation capabilities are a work in progress.” She replies that she is shifting in place and adjusting her cardigan. “B-But, there is substantial room for improvement. Currently, we can detect concentrations of arcane energy within a radius of about 5 miles, with an accuracy of plus or minus 500 feet."

The officials exchanged brief glances but kept their thoughts to themselves, gesturing for Liam to continue.

"Finally," Liam held out a third finger, "and – this is still very much a work in progress, but showing great promise – countermeasures,” he said confidently as he rooted himself in place and faced the group of VIP’s. “Utilizing the more esoteric principles of Yzael's field of study, Spectre can emit counter-frequency waves that can disrupt or even nullify energetic events."

He held up a hand, pre-empting questions. "I must stress that this capability is currently minimal, with a range of only about 100 feet.” He said, pumping his hand in a stopping motion. “This is primarily due to the complex nature of these anomalous energies, limited data for our AI, and our still-developing understanding of how to counteract them effectively. Each type of energetic event seems to require specific variables to disrupt, and we're still in the early stages of mapping these variables out."

Liam's expression turned serious. "However, I want to emphasize that this is just the beginning. With continued research, development, and funding, we expect to expand these countermeasures' range and efficacy significantly.”

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and his entourage of generals began speaking among themselves in hushed tones. Each of them had a pensive look, and their conversation seemed intense. But, after a few moments, the Program Executive Officer, Major General Elizabeth Harper, spoke up.

"Mr. Hawthorne, I need more details,” the Major General said as she furrowed her brows. What are we looking at in terms of power usage, reliability, and, most importantly, cost?"

Liam nodded, expecting these questions. "Of course, General Harper.” He replied while his eyes shifted between the Major General and the massive array. “Currently, Spectre requires a significant power source – we're talking about a dedicated containerized megawatt generator or connection to a robust power grid. Reliability is high for the detection and triangulation functions, but the countermeasure aspect is still experimental. As for cost..." He paused, bracing himself. "The current prototype runs at about $50 million each, but we expect that to decrease significantly with scaled production."

The Program Executive Officer's eyebrows shot up, but she nodded, jotting down notes. Taking her place in asking questions was Thomas Dalton, the Director of National Intelligence, who pipped in. "This machine is rather... substantial…”

Director Dalton gave a complex look as he considered utilizing this technology for the various alphabet agencies under his purview. However, the size of this thing made it simply an impossibility at the moment..

“What are the possibilities for miniaturization?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. I’m not asking you to make it the size of a backpack, but would this potentially be small enough to fit in a commercial van?”

Unsure of how to answer a question so far out of his depth, Liam glanced at one of the engineer . This topic was the sole reason why these kinds of showcasing had a project manager present and someone technical to answer technical questions.

The female engineer cleared her throat before speaking. "Sir, our understanding of this field is still very rudimentary. I'd even go as far as to say primitive.” She said after finally gaining some confidence as the officials listened to her silently. “We’ve implemented numerous safeguards and redundancies due to the unpredictable nature of the energies we're dealing with. Until we have more time to experiment and, more importantly, gather more diverse data, we must keep things large."

"Miniaturization is certainly a goal, but it's not feasible in the near term,” Liam added, allowing the engineer to step back and heave a sigh of relief. We must ensure we fully understand the principles at work before safely reducing the size. Each component serves a crucial function, often with built-in redundancies. Removing or shrinking these prematurely could lead to catastrophic failures or, worse, unintended magical effects."

But just before she found safety in the background, the Engieer decided to clarify something and spoke up. "However, with continued research and more data from diverse magical sources, we believe significant size reduction could be possible within the next 5-10 years."

Liam closed his eyes and internally cringed as his own engineer threw a wrench into his sales pinch. Meanwhile, a flurry of unhappy murmurs erupted among the officials.

One asked, "What are the possibilities of accelerating the timeline?"

Another asked, "What kind of data are we talking about exactly?"

A flurry of questions followed in rapid succession. Seemingly overwhelming Liam and his Engineer.

"How much funding would it take to speed this up?"

"Are there any potential health risks associated with this technology?"

"How many are we going to be able to produce a year?"

The barrage of questions continued until the Secretary of Defense, Mark Leigh, raised his hand. "Alright, enough," he said firmly. "The questions can come later. We're here for a demonstration, so..." He gestured toward Liam. "If you will, Mr. Hawthorne."

Liam nodded, relief evident on his face. He turned to Yzael. "Madam Yzael, would you please do as we practiced?"

Yzael nodded, causing her long ears to wiggle gently in the air. “Alright, but do remember, I’m not a particularly skilled battlemage.” She said, looking sheepishly at Liam and those in attendance before walking deeper into the massive facility.

When Yzael reached her designated position, technicians started to power on machinery and electronics. A couple of technicians grabbed a large TV attached to a wheeled chassis and dragged it in front of the dignitaries just as the screen flickered to life.

The officials and generals all started whispering curiosity to each other or hummed in interest as what looked like an advanced radar interface similar to what was used for counter-battery was displayed. A circular grid pulsed with a soft blue glow, and concentric rings radiated outward from the center, each marked with distance measurements in both standard and unfamiliar units. Scattered across the display were various symbols and icons, some recognizable as topographical markers, others entirely new and enigmatic.

As the dignitaries leaned in for a closer look, they noticed thin, shimmering lines crisscrossing the grid, forming intricate patterns that seemed to shift and dance with a life of their own. These lines pulsed and flickered in response to unseen stimuli, creating a mesmerizing data visualization display.

Liam allowed everyone to become familiar with this new display for a few minutes before he launched into an explanation. Only when the whispering had subsided, and eyes floated to him, he finally started to speak. "What you're seeing here is Spectre's standard interface.” Liam walked to the large display and stood next to it. “It's designed to be intuitive for operators familiar with existing military detection systems like the AN/TPQ-53 counter-batter radar. When no magical activity is present, as you can see now, the display remains relatively clear."

He pointed to different areas of the screen. "The readouts you’re seeing right now are the ambient energy levels that fluctuate regardless of the high energy events,” Liam said as he gestured towards one of the technicians, and the screen went perfectly still. “Using complex algorithms and AI, we can reduce the fluctuations to nothing and focus on high energy events utilizing frequency spectrum analysis.” The once mildly fluttering readouts then went dead the moment the technicians flipped a few switches and typed a few commands

"Now," Liam continued a hint of excitement in his voice before turning further down the facility towards the High Elf, idling a few dozen meters away. "Alright Yzael! Give us something small!"

Yzael long ears softly bounced as she slightly nodded and raised her hands to cast a spell. Her fingers started to move in intricate patterns as she began to chant in High-Elven. "Aemis-serath, lythar miralan airin, na'dor felar thalorin ara," Yzael’s melodic voice carried across the facility, causing everyone’s attention to focus on her.

In what seemed like a gentle flash, a shimmering, serpentine made of what appeared to be a form of liquid gas began to form and flowed around Yzael and followed her movements. For most in the room, this was the very first time they saw magic in person, and they couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the surreal display. It was as if a glowing bolt of ice twisted and coiled like a living creature and even snapped its jaws as if it couldn’t wait to be unleashed.

Oohs and ahh’s dominated the facility as Liam gave a satisfied smirk. "What you're seeing here," he explained as his own voice quickened with excitement, "is the magical signature of Yzael's ice spell, which has its own unique 'fingerprint' that we can detect and analyze."

Suddenly, Yzael thrust her hands forward just when her voice rose to a crescendo. The serpentine bolt of ice then shot forward like a bolt of lightning and slammed into a nearby HESCO barrier.

The magical ‘serpent’ splashed spectacularly and instantly froze a large section of the barrier, causing the metal wire mesh to crack and shatter under the extreme temperature change. Even the sand and earth inside froze solid, sending the cracks deep and compromising the structural integrity. Just before the bolt hit, the audience saw it shimmer and dance before impact, but when it hit… a strange magical effect lingered before dissipating into nothingness.

Audible gasps escaped from everyone's mouths as they watched the incredible display. A few more military-minded individuals wanted to inspect the damaged HESCO barrier, but Liam drew their attention back to him when he spoke. "As you can see," he said, his voice carrying a more analytical note, "Spectre not only detected the spell as it was being cast but also tracked the general location of the caster." He paused, allowing the officials to collect themselves and digest this information.

"While the calculations are still somewhat off," he continued, "we're confident that with enough time, data, and funding, we'll be able to triangulate down to the meter, along with the direction of the magical effect and the potential impact point in real-time."

The room fell silent as the implications of what they had just witnessed began to sink in. At first, Everyone felt that the reports on this magic business were exaggerated, too surreal to be true. But now that they had been given an in-person demonstration, they found this threat to be all too real. Magic, anomalous energies, or whatever one would call it, went beyond their understanding and superseded their existing procedures. They needed to get on top of it as soon as possible.

Knocking them out of their trance, Liam continued his presentation as he started to pace again. "This isn't just limited to what we would call 'spellcasters,' either." He said, looking towards Jamie and the shorter-eared elf who stood at least a head taller than Yzael. “Would you mind if you let Ms. Lysandra participate in the next test?” Liam asked politely, looking directly at the blonde.

Finally understanding why she was made to attend, Jamie crossed her arms as she stood on the sideline next toToivonen. She gave Toivonen an incredulous look as if to say she wasn't quite believing her own eyes, but her friend shrugged.

Jamie let out a deep sigh before turning her gaze to Lysandra and nodding for the shorter-eared elf girl to participate.

Lysandra looked more unsure as she tentatively approached Liam as he turned towards the audience, who watched with renewed interest. Magic had left a substantial mark, but with the insinuation that it could detect other means of using this energy, curiosity got the better of everyone.

"What we're about to show you next demonstrates Spectre's ability to detect and analyze more subtle forms of anomalous energy manipulation,” Liam said as he walked over to a technician who had approached them with an all-metal sledgehammer. This has significant implications for intelligence gathering and counterintelligence operations."

Liam gave an apologetic look and bowed his head a little before handing the tool to the nervous Lysandra. "I apologize for not giving you a proper weapon, but this is the best we had on such short notice," he explained. “But could you please attack the object Yzael had frozen with all your might?”

Taking the sledgehammer, Lysandra nodded slightly as she twisted the tube in her hand. She had to acknowledge that this was much more of a tool than a weapon, but since this gentleman had asked so politely, she decided not to hold back.

With a sigh, Lysandra turned her gaze to the HESCO barrier. A maul or even a Warhammer wasn't precisely a weapon she was proficient with. Still, she liked to think she was capable enough to utilize any weapon she encountered should the situation arise.

Suddenly, the blue-haired Elf's demeanor changed, causing the read-out on the TV screen to spike subtly. Lysandra’s movements shocked everyone as they violently and abruptly exploded forward towards the HESCO barrier. With a devastating overhead swing, the head of the sledgehammer went down, crashing into the barrier and shattering a good half of the structure.

A vertical explosion rang out as debris shot out in every direction, sending everyone ducking as shards of ice flew by. Yzael had erected her own barrier and weaved another spell to blow away the dust kicked up from the blow. Once all was settled, however, everyone could not help but gawk as they reoriented themselves and saw that the hammer’s head had slammed into the ground, wedging itself deep into the concrete with its shaft pointing upwards.

An even more disturbed silence reigned in the facility. Even Liam seemed speechless as he stared at the woman.

“How much did you say these cost, Mr. Hawthorne?” the Secretary of defense suddenly asked.