BlindsideTex
One Time Luck
Jules Brisco
Months passed. Those months turned to years. The Mages became enslaved to the Mechs, ruled by the creation of a device. A small trinket that was attached to the right wrist of every mage. It stole the magic from the mages, causing them to be unable to cast spells, unable to defend against the Mechs and their weapons. The capital city Voxstein was the center of everything, where the government thrived from drawing power from the mages, using them to power the cities, to power their weapons...to defy age...anything that a Mech could create...
The mages lived here enslaved by the Mechs, much as they did in every other city. Though, the mages here were kept here for good reason. The family lineage of these mages was of great power, these mages were used to power some of the most incredible machines that the Mechs had created to date. Each mage was on a schedule and was to report to Lord Redding or his men in the tower by their specified time. If caught late, or avoiding such appointment, the mage would be set on lock down in the prison...and unpleasant things would be done to the mage. Most every mage followed the schedule, like a well oiled machine...for fear of what happened in the prison...
Within the city of Voxstein the mages had their own jobs outside of their unwilling donation of their magic...it was a well functioning city. To the outside eye it may look like a normal city.
**
Music played loudly as the sound of a hammer beating against metal clanked through the garage. A young woman held a leather bag in her hands, her eyes darted about, sweat beaded upon her brow. She reached up and rang the bell upon the counter. Her fiery red hair pushed into her evergreen eyes as she bit her lip slightly.
A man came from the back, he had a short scruffy beard, grease was smeared upon his arms. He wore a button down shirt with grease stains in it and suspenders that had seen better days. “May I help you miss?” He leaned forward on the counter as he rubbed his hands with an old dirty towel.
The woman looked up to him and offered a shy smile. “Um, yes. Is Jules here?” She asked softly, her eyes looked to the shop over his shoulder. Searching.
The man watched her a moment, “She’s working. Pretty busy actually.” He tossed the towel over his shoulder. “You’re not bringing any trouble, are ya?” He asked as his eyes narrowed.
“No, no. Just an old friend, from school.” The woman smiled to him. “I was passing through Voxstein and thought I would see how she was...” She shifted slightly.
The man chuckled, “Alright.” He nodded. He stepped to the garage area and hit the top of the stereo.
“Hey what the hell Henry?!” A woman’s voice came from beneath a car.
The old man chuckled and stepped forward. He reached down and grabbed the edge of the creeper and jerked it out from beneath the car. “You have a visiter, Jules.” He smirked.
The woman reached up and lifted the goggles from her eyes. She had silver hair that was pulled into a messy bun. Her eyes were a beautiful blue with a golden ring around the center. “A visiter?” She questioned as she brushed a bit of oil from her cheek. She sat up and slipped her wrench into her back pocket of her pants that hugged her body. She wore leather boots that reached up to her knees and a tunic with a shape fitting vest over the top. She pushed the swinging door open and her jaw nearly dropped. “Agatha?” Her brows raised. She rushed forward nearly jumping over the counter and threw her arms around the young woman. “It’s been years!!!!” She squealed. “Oh how is it on the outside you dirty Mech?” She chuckled. “I wish I could have come with you on your adventures!”
Agatha smiled and bit her lip slightly. “I wanted to talk to you about something, Jules.” She glanced to Henry whom was standing near the car that Jules was working on.
Jules glanced to him a moment. “Don’t worry about him.” She grinned and leaned her head into the shop. “Hey! I’m going to grab a bite.” She smiled, “Want me to bring you back something?”
Henry looked to her, “You’d better.” He grumbled as he climbed beneath the car.
Jules looked to Agatha and winked. “See?” She chuckled. “Let’s grab something hm? Catch up?”
Agatha shifted slightly, “Sure, but I need to talk to you...somewhere...” She glanced around again, clearly uncomfortable.
Jules brought her brows together. “Come on.” She spoke and grabbed her arm gently. She led her out into the streets of the busy city. Airships floated overhead. She made her way through the crowds of the business district and down the back streets to the residential district where apartment homes stood. She climbed up the old metal stairs where she unlocked the door of her small apartment. She shut the door and locked it. “What’s bothering you? Are you in trouble Agatha?” Jules crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes filled with worry.
Agatha looked to her a moment and took in a deep breath. “Could be.” She spoke as she held the leather bag forward. “Look, Jules, you don’t deserve what’s happening to you here. I’ve been to Aeradenn, the mages there...they are free...it isn’t a myth...there are only a few but the Mechs...the ones that are in this city, they aren’t there, and it’s safe...you won’t have to endure them draining you anymore...”
Jules watched her friend carefully for a moment as she looked to the small bag that was pressed against her chest. Her fingertips curled around it. The thought of being free...she closed her eyes a moment. “Agatha, you know I can’t leave the city, I’m a mage...only Mechs can leave...”
“That’s the beauty of it, Jules...I got you a ticket...” She glanced to the door. “Look, I can’t be seen with you, they’ll know...and...” She looked to her friend a long moment. “You probably won’t see me again...I had to pull quite a few strings to get you this, just do it, okay? Don’t look back.”
Jules bit her lip slightly. “If I get caught...”
“Trust me...look I gotta go...” She moved and looked out the window. “Shit...” She muttered. “Don’t look back, Jules.” She spoke, her eyes locked on her friend for a brief moment before she slipped from the apartment.
Jules stepped out onto the stairs to see her friend taking off in a sprint.
“There! That’s the traitor!”
Jules turned her eyes to see three officers in black race after Agatha. She drew her brows together as she watched them run after her friend, a girl she’d known since she was a child. Moments later, gunfire rang out. Jules felt her heart leap into her throat. She rushed inside and moved a painting from the wall where she had a hidden safe. She turned the dial quickly before she tossed the small leather bag into the safe. She then rushed from her apartment and down the stairs. Her mind raced as she bound around the corner. The officers stood over Agatha’s body...one pushed her onto her back with the toe of his boot. She was limp as a child’s rag doll.
Jules took a few steps back her eyes widened. Did they just kill Agatha because of whatever was in that bag? She fought to breathe. It was then that her eyes moved to the big clock that overlooked the city from the tower. “Shit!” She cursed. She rushed through the streets, she shoved one man out of the way. “Sorry!!!” She cried as she sprinted along. She skidded to a stop before the tower and reached her right arm out. The red laser of the scanner scanned over the bracelet that held a gentle blue glow. The door chimed and Jules walked in, her chest heaved as she stepped inside of the tower. She was greeted by two guards that looked to her with guns in their hands.
“Almost late huh?” One asked with a chuckle behind his tone. “Too bad.” He grinned wickedly as his eyes gazed over her.
Jules looked to him, her brows drawn together. “I was busy at work...I lost track of time.” She walked toward the stairs.
The guard chuckled. “Like I said, too bad.”
Jules ignored him and stepped into a room where she sat down in a padded chair. She shut her eyes as restraints locked around her wrists to hold her in place. Having the magic taken wasn’t a comfortable process. Though, over the years she’d grown used to it...at least as much as she could. A machine moved forward and clipped over the bracelet. Jules leaned her head back as the machine began to whirr. She grit her teeth as pain began to rush through her body. Her eyes opened and a beautiful blue glow had taken on her eyes. She groaned as the machine drew her power from her. It felt as though she was being compressed and ripped to shreds all at the same time. The process lasted an hour...longer than usual...though it drained what she had...her emotions could have driven up her magic...
Jules stood shakily once the machine released her. She stumbled forward and swallowed. She’d never felt quite this weak after a session. She held her wrist which ached. “Damnit...” She muttered to herself as the door to the room slid open. She blinked a few times and found her way toward the door.
“See you tomorrow, mage.” The guard chuckled. “Don’t be late.”
Jules paid him no attention as she stepped out onto the streets. The rest of her day was a blur. She returned to the shop to work on cars, though her mind kept racing back to Agatha...her friend...dead...
For what?
Jules couldn’t understand it. She pulled the leather bag from her safe and stared at it for several minutes, her thumb ran over the stitching of the bag. “Why would you throw your life away? Like that?” She shook her head. She slowly opened the bag and pulled the contents out.
Jules held a ticket in her hand. She flipped it over reading the ink upon the thick paper.
One way ticket to Aeradenn upon the magnificent Leverpoint Sky Ship, Mech’s only, no Mages aboard. Passport required for all travels to Aeradenn.
Jules took in a breath and shook her head as she looked to the glowing bracelet upon her wrist. “How do I hide that, hm? Ag? Tell me that...” She whispered to herself as she pulled the next item from the bag. It was a passport. She drew her brows together slightly as she opened the small booklet. It held a picture of her, though the name was Lilly, her age was different, her job different...and it stated she was a Mech...
She shifted back on her couch, “Gods...how did she get this?” She muttered. “Why is it so important to her that I go to Aeradenn?”
Jules pulled the next thing out then it was a small device with a piece of paper attached to it. Place this over your wrist, it was Agatha’s handwriting. She drew her brows together and placed the item over her wrist. The device whirred slightly and then it opened up and clipped over her wrist. It glowed yellow and extended into a leather glove. She stared at the device for a long moment, it completely hid her bracelet...
Jules pulled the next item out, a letter.
Jules,
I know you think I’m an idiot, especially if you’re digging through the bag...I am more than likely gone now...there are bigger things at play here than you could imagine. You must trust me. Just take the ticket and go, never look back.
Ags
Jules took in a shaken breath. She looked to the ticket again and then to the clock that clicked with each second. She had an hour before the ship departed. “Okay...” She breathed. She packed a few things into a bag and pulled it over her back. She looked to the device upon her wrist, it looked much like some of the expensive mechanical devices that the mechs wore. She’d fit right in.Jules bit her lip slightly and nodded. “Alright....” She walked from her apartment. “No looking back.” She spoke softly to herself as she walked down the streets. “I’m doing this for you Ags...” She kept her eyes away from the strangers that passed beside her as she made her way to the travel district from the slums of the residential area.
Jules looked around, the docks were dead this time of day. The hustle of the city had died down hours ago. This was it. Jules walked to the gate that led to the airships.
“Ticket.” A man spoke as he held out his hand.
Jules dug the ticket from her pocket and held it forward.
The man looked up to her from where he sat, his eyes looking over the rims of his glasses. “Passport.” His voice was gruff.
Jules dug in her pocket again and pulled it out. “Here you go.” She tried to hide her uncomfortable gaze by looking away.
The old man opened up the passport and looked it over. He held it to the light, “Hm....” He hummed. He then punched a hole in her ticket. “There you are Lilly. Safe travels to Aeradenn.” He offered a smile.
Jules took the ticket and the passport back from him. “Thank you.” She spoke, her pulse was pounding within her ears. She took a few steps forward onto the docks. Her mind began to race. She glanced around, half expecting an officer to come after her. She half expected a gun to be pointed in her face....
Jules walked over to the airship then, she looked up to it and took in a breath. “No looking back.” She nodded to herself. She climbed the stairs and made her way onto the deck. Jules stepped inside and took a seat at the bar. “Strong one please.” She slid a few coins across the bar.
The bartender looked to her a smile on his lips. He had a top hat on and was dressed rather well. “Welcome. First time flying is it?” He asked.
Jules looked to him, a bit of a frightened stare.
“I can tell you’re nervous. Don’t worry.” He chuckled as he mixed a few things together. “This’ll fix ya right up.” He pushed the milky liquid across the bar. “It’s called a painkiller. Helps with nervousness too.” He winked. “Relax, enjoy the festivities. It’s a good ride to Aeradenn.” He moved to the next guest.
Jules took the drink and took a swig, her nose wrinkled slightly and she forced herself to drink down the glass. It didn’t take long before she’d relaxed a bit. Jules walked out onto the decks and leaned against the railing. By this time they’d taken flight. She smiled as she looked down over the city. The lights. Her eyes fell on the tower. Her pulse quickened. What would happen when she missed her appointment? The bracelet was meant to lock her down...at least that was what they threatened...she shook the thought from her head. What could they do if she was in Aeradenn by morning?