Long after I left the lower quarter behind, and the Wizard Gang headquarters, my mind replayed what that man had said about my weapon. Not just that, but what a uniform meant. It stuck with me, replaying over and over in my mind.

  What did my weapon mean to me?

  Sure, it was a rifle, but… When I think of a rifle, I remember a creed. An oath I had heard once before. There was a time, a time where I considered joining the military before abandoning it, especially after realizing that there was no future in the military. During that time, I remember coming across an oath, that creed.

  This is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one, is mine.

  A small part of a larger oath. An oath every soldier was expected to learn by heart. Recite it even in their dreams.

  It was likely there wasn’t a rifle like mine. Perhaps it was unique and yet, believing such would be a lie. An infinite, countless number of cities. Countless magical girls, and whose to say my rifle is truly unique. Even in this city, among those living here, whose to say that not one has a rifle like mine?

  However, what made it truly special… was that it was my rifle.

  That realization, it made something click. The rifle had always felt familiar. Like an old friend, but now… it was something more. There was no grand shift or change, just… one of acceptance. No, more than acceptance, a full embrace of what my rifle meant to me and yet…

  What did it truly mean?

  It was a weapon, first and foremost. A gun, a rifle. Its sole purpose was to kill my enemies, but… a weapon did not think for itself. Wherever I aimed the muzzle, was its target. Whenever I pulled the trigger, it was me doing the action… Even if I were to drop the rifle, and it were to misfire, that would be on me, and me alone.

  My rifle was simply that, a weapon. It was without sin. A tool. The silver barrel, the ivory stock. It looked almost like an art piece. A weapon unfitting for war. It worked, it was functional. Each step of loading as bullet in, chambering a round, aiming the muzzle, pulling the trigger… Each step was part of a ritual. A ritual that could be aborted, shifted or changed.

  Once chambered, a bullet did not need to be fired. Even without a bullet, my rifle could be used as a club, or with the bayonet, a spear. It also could be used as a staff, to parry and redirect. It was a multi-functional tool.

  In a way… looking at the rifle made me feel filthy. Like my own hands were too dirty, too bloody to hold it. Like I was tarnishing it. Making what was pure, filthy.

  Perhaps that was why, when work went out, the first thing I did was buy a weapon cleaning kit. Sure, weapons were heavily restricted inside this city, but the police had guns. They probably needed cleaning kits, so, it was surprisingly easy to purchase.

  Inside my room, I focused on the task at hand. It took me a while to get the hang of it. Get the instructions down and start.

  That man behind the counter didn’t sat I had to clean it and yet… It felt right.

  Taking it apart, piece by piece. Learning about it, a part at a time. Taking the time and effort to clean it. It felt no different from my normal routine. Waking up, brushing my teeth, washing my face, so on and so forth. Only, it felt like something I had neglected, neglected for far too long.

  This rifle was not a living thing. To apply emotions to it, feelings, or any form of sentience was wrong. It was, however, my rifle. It was part of me. In more than one way. It always came when called.

  Not just that, but… I knew for a fact, that I was unworthy of such a weapon. Yet, it reminded me of a time, when I was a child. When my eyes were bright, when I could smile without care. Though brief they were.

  It feels like, in many ways, that my life hinged entirely on a single event. That day I fell through the ice. Whenever I focus and close my eyes. Sometimes, I feel like I’m back under. The cold rapidly pulling the heat out of my body. My extremities growing numb. Even that final burst of warmth as I felt myself drifting off…

  Only to wake up, in my bed. On death’s door.

  In a way, this weapon reminded me of who I had been… So, then, what was a uniform supposed to represent? What was a magical girl?

  My plans for the week went up in smoke. Life happened, and I focused instead on researching, pondering, and closing ties with my co-workers as we worked. It was the third week of the month. No work got done, and rapidly, Saturday approached.

  At which point, I made preparations. Though, my mind was still struggling to come to terms with what I had found.

  What was a magical girl? Did they exist to suffer? Were they simple children pulled into a faustian bargain, and forced to fight a war they had no business being in?

  Or were they more? Beacons of hope, shining rays of light that banish the darkness through it all?

  With my mind weighed down, I prepped. I didn’t have long but tomorrow was a day off. Hopefully, what I had would do. While I waited for the sun to set, I animated two new dolls and went to work etching enchantments onto their spears.

  Of the dolls, half were male, half female. It was cosmetic but felt fitting. Their bodies were hollow, but inside, channels of ice carried magic from their core to the rest of their body. Slowly, but surely, their hollow bodies were filling in with ice.

  The metal was adapting well enough, but… In many ways, they were limited. Even poorly made, my ice soldiers could continually evolve, as they were linked directly to me. As for the dolls, they were, without a doubt, expendable.

  It felt strange to acknowledge that, even as they followed my commands, and those of my knight, Cobalt.

  However, that was just life. Sometimes, it just wasn’t fair.

  Together, we went into the sewers. There, I finally got to witness and compare the times. It was minor, at least, inside the sewer. A two to one ratio, with every two minutes here being four minutes outside.

  The pickings, were sparse, however. It almost felt like the sewers were smaller compared to the last time I had spelunked, or even the time before with Grim. Then again, both times were on a full moon, when magic was at its height.

  At least, during those times, I had encountered a bronze or two, but now… I was lucky to find a normal shade. We walked through the sewers without much issue, eventually, we made our way down into the waterworks. It felt far less impressive, we still didn’t find any bronze, but we found plenty of practice targets.

  As they were, the doll soldiers performed leagues better than the ice soldiers had. They moved smoothly, with little to no clunkiness. The two doll soldiers I had animated first, had a slight rhythm to their step. They coordinated far better than their younger kin. I knew Cobalt had been teaching them over the past week or so. But seeing the difference between the old and new, was fairly obvious.

  It appeared training was important to their growth. As it was, actively fighting had an effect as well. Minute adjustments were made, adjustments I hadn’t even considered looking for back then. After all, Cobalt had been too shining, even then.

  As for Cobalt, he looked a bit better, more chipper, with the increased magic in the warehouse. It wasn’t much, but it still made a difference. I couldn’t wait to get more coins and truly get the warehouse magic levels up.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  As we continued to hunt, and train. My eyes were on my watch. The ratio of time had doubled to four to one. With every four minutes here, being a minute above. Making it almost viable for hunting, if only we could find a bronze rank.

  As we moved on, my mind began to wander. For the most part, Cobalt and my four doll soldiers could handle anything we fought, since they were so few. Allowing me a chance to think over my plans, my future.

  Work was going well, especially with Leo taking charge, but… It wasn’t a situation I liked. Sure, I wasn’t going to lose my job, but what if Leo takes to leading and wants to keep his job? What if he abandons his silly dream, what if he focuses on keeping his job?

  We had a plan, or more like, I had my plan and Leo had his, but how exactly had that changed with him stepping up? How was I going to move up in the world and take his place if he cleans up?

  There would have to be a discussion. Plans would need to be made… regardless of how that turns out. I knew, one way or another, I was going to move up the ladder. No matter the cost.

  As we moved deeper into the waterworks, we slowed. A sound, a voice echoed from further ahead.

  “Hello! Anyone out there!?” It sounded like a man, somewhat young. “I’m lost! I don’t know where I am!” They continued.

  I considered avoiding them, I could easily take another path, circumventing the voice and yet…

  “Cobalt, keep out of sight.” My knight nods and slips away, soldiers in tow. Once I’m sure they’re out of sight I make my way forward, rifle in hand.

  It was a small side path. Water trickled from above. Steam hissed out of pipes. In the distance, creaking mechanisms moved. At the center of the path, under a port light, imbedded into the wall, bathing the path in a yellow light, was a man.

  He wore a uniform. An outfit I knew all too well. One belonging to one of the subway staff. His hat was missing, his attire disheveled. His shirt and hair were in disarray, his eyes wide as he cried out for help. The moment I stepped close, closer to the light, he went entirely silent. His head turned towards my direction with such speed and force, I thought his neck would have snapped.

  He looked at me, with wide eyes. His pupils were shaking with obvious terror. He looked at me, then my gun, only to slide right off as if it weren’t there. The gears in his head slowly turning. I didn’t keep closing the distance. The moment he saw me, I had stopped.

  “Are you okay?” I spoke out, “I heard someone asking for help and…”

  “Yes!” The man yelled, interrupting me. “I… I don’t know where I am, and I need to get out of here. But I don’t know where to go!”

  He was panicked. He didn’t approach me, if anything, he seemed equally afraid of me, as he was of this place.

  “Well, I actually know the way out.”

  “R-really? How, why are you even down here? Did you get lost too?” He said, but notably, he still kept his distance, as if afraid of getting too close.

  Was he gathering himself? It appeared so, but… “No, I’m not lost. I came down here to explore.” I heft the rifle in hand. He looked at it, or tried to, then back to me with obvious confusion.

  “Why would you even do that?”

  I shrug. “Because.”

  “Everybody knows you avoid this place, they say there are monsters here.”

  Do I lie? Say the truth? He looked ready to bolt, so… “Well, I haven’t found anything yet.” I go ahead and sling my rifle over my shoulder and take a step forward. “So, how about I lead you out of here?”

  He flinched as I stepped forward, but his eyes were glued to my offered hand. Slowly, he took it. His hands were cold, his body shivering.

  “By the way, my names Prima.” I say, as to ease the man.

  “B-billy…”

  We shake, but I don’t let go, or rather, he doesn’t let me go. It was awkward, but I didn’t make an issue out of it.

  “We should probably get going then?” I ask, he nods rapidly. “Right, just follow me.” His hand still grips mine as we begin walking.

  Nothing was said as we walked. The ambient sound roared over the silence. Our footsteps though, grew louder with each step. The sound of shoes stepping down into small puddles on the wet floor echoed distantly along the path we walked.

  “Do you really know where you’re going?”

  “I do, trust me Billy.” He squirms, but his hand doesn’t let go. A good sign at least.

  The walk shouldn’t be far and yet… As we continue to walk, I feel my connection with Cobalt grow oddly distant. The path we walk, looked familiar and yet, why weren’t we at the stairs yet?

  “Are we close?” His voice took on an edge.

  “Yes, we’ll be there soon. Trust me.” I reiterated. He calmed, but only just. I could feel his pulse. His heart thumping rapidly through our connection. As the seconds turn to minutes, he speaks again.

  “I don’t think we’re going to make it.” Something in his voice changed. I felt his grip on my hand loosen, so I tightened my grip in turn.

  “You are Billy, don’t be silly. We’ll be there any minute.”

  He doesn’t respond, but I can feel his heart rate spike. His breathing grows heavier, more haggard… No, it was more than that. The way he walked shifted slightly, his gait seemingly growing. His hand shifted, I could feel it squirming in my grasp.

  His every breath was hot, almost scalding as he breathed down my neck. Every instinct screamed at me. Screamed at me to flee, to run. Even the ice could barely keep those fight or flight instincts down. Something had happened to Billy, something had shifted. Whatever it was, I needed to stop it, get him focused on something else.

  “Say, Billy, do you have a family, a girlfriend?”

  For a moment, I didn’t think he would reply, but he did. “A wife…” His voice low, grating. Raw.

  “Oh, congratulations. How long.”

  “Just… over, a year.” Every word was terse, forced out between heaving breaths.

  “A year, huh? I imagine you had your anniversary not long ago? She have a name?”

  “Yes… Her name, is Mary.” His voice evened out a little. He seemed to be recovering.

  “Mary, huh, that’s a good name. Can you tell me about her, how you two met?”

  And he did. All the while he walked. His voice evened out. His breathing lightened up. Still, I didn’t dare to look back. As we walked, I got a brief glimpse of Billy, just behind me, in the reflection of a puddle angled just right under a light.

  “Is something wrong?” The edge came back. Did he notice?

  “Just curious if you have any kids yet?” I pivoted, doing my best to keep the panic buried under ice.

  “One…”

  “A boy, girl?”

  “Boy.”

  “And what’s his name?”

  “Billy Junior.”

  “Ah, is that so?” It really felt like pulling teeth at this point. He seemed less receptive to speaking. Every passing second, my instincts were screaming ever louder to flee.

  “I… I don’t think I’m going to make it.” His voice, cracked. I could feel his terror. I could also tell that he was truly at the brink.

  “Don’t say that.” I replied. “We should be at the stairs, at any moment.” I swore. It felt like we had been walking for hours, and yet, still no stairs. “I swear, you’re going to make it Billy. After all, you have a wife, and a child waiting for you at home. Don’t you think they would miss you?”

  He grunts. Not even a human grunt, but something more animalistic. I feel his hand jerk in my grip. No longer even trying to keep hold. I was losing him. At any moment, he would collapse, and whatever was happening just behind me, would finish.

  The thought of that, filled me with frustration. Of failing here and now, after all of this. I couldn’t sense Cobalt at all, let alone my soldiers. I was truly alone, in these seemingly endless tunnels. Our footsteps echoed ominously, pounding against our ears and hearts.

  When had they gotten so loud? When had our surroundings gotten so quiet? I gripped ever tighter, as his hand jerked and fought against my grip. I would lose him at any moment, if only there was a way to calm him down, a way to make him relax…

  Then I blinked.

  “Hey, Billy… you smoke?” His hand stalls for an instant. “I understand that can be a strange question to ask, but… I have a cigarette here. It’s not much, but…”

  I trailed off… His hand wasn’t fighting against my grip. He seemed to be in a stupor. Do I continue? Do I not? Eventually, I came to a decision.

  “A long time ago, someone precious to me gave me a cigarette. It was really stupid, an awful way to help someone when they’re falling apart. I swear, the only reason I was out in the rain that day was so I could cry all on my own before picking myself right back up. After all, how could anyone know I was crying if it was raining?”

  I could feel his breathing evened out as I spoke. When I squeezed his hand, I felt it squeeze back. What was I even doing? Would it even work?

  “I don’t know why… but… I think they knew, knew I was crying my eyes out. They sucked at the whole, giving advice and I swear, I’m probably just as bad as them. So, instead of talking me down, they gave me a cigarette. So, how about it? Care to try?”

  “I…” His voice, sounded so raw, so broken. I didn’t wait for his full response as I pulled out the carton and presented it before him. I didn’t turn to look. I kept my eyes away. I could feel him shuffling with the carton, the cigarette within. Hands, that weren’t hands. With long claws, scraped against my hand as he struggled to remove the cigarette.

  The only issue was, I didn’t have a lighter on me… And yet… it didn’t matter. I heard it, the slight flicks of a lighter. Of a spark catching fire. Then came the smell of smoke and of Billy sputtering.

  “It burns right?” I started. “Feels like your throat is burning, like fire is in your lungs.” I continued. “But all you need to do is focus on that feeling. Take in a nice breath, just let it burn and hold it in for a moment, a breath of time. Focus entirely on that and nothing else, then exhale, long and slow.”

  He followed my directions. He inhaled, nearly coughing again, but slowly exhaled.

  “Now, again.” I said, our feet pausing. My hands still clenching his. And at my command, he did.

  “And again, and keep going, up until the cigarette is gone.”

  So, I waited. So, I listened. Breath after breath, puff after puff, until finally. It was done. The cigarette butt hit the wet ground with a hiss. And calmly, I stamped it out. With a breath of my own, I inhaled and exhaled before turning to face Billy.

  He looked normal. Calmer. Though, still at the end of his rope.

  “Feeling better?” I asked, and he nodded. His arm wiping at his reddened eyes. “Good, let’s keep going, we’re not far.” And so, we continued…