Two Half's Before Magic

         Three silver bullets smashed into the wall behind where I was huddling. Swearing I looked into my gun and counted the clips. One clip Holy water infused, another silver, and two clips hard iron. I also had three standard clips for general use ready at the go. My Faerie Trigger was locking on the type I was up against. One of the standard clips slid into the active seat. Freemag’s were not bad, but in a fight they were dangerous. Unlike Magic’s who thought they were damn near indestructible.
         Opening my jacket I threw three spy eyes over the wall along with some flash pellets. I saw the wall light up and looked on my palm screen. I got good pictures of four humans and what looked like two half breed Weres with automatics. Half Breeds and
Mages don’t mix. There are human with magic and there are Magic’s without the use of magic’s. In short terms they hate magics for being able to do what one of their parents can do. Me they hate in general. I am a Mut by any standard. My parents are both half breeds but because I was born with the ability to use magic even they had a hard time fighting their first inclination to kill me when I showed signs. I was raised to hate the Mages that went around scanning the kids. I was looked over because of my heritage.
         When I was ten my first blast of magic came from to mage children who thought I was an easy target. Half-bloods heal quickly but still feel pain. My mixed blood made me almost instantaneous healer. They fire blasted me till I was choking on ash from the inside.  I thought I was going to die and so did one of the mage kids who was picking on me. That was when I heard his thoughts. First time I heard someone being concerned about me and it was in my own head. As soon as that happened my wound healed completely and I was full of energy. I stood up smiling and feeling a new peace flow over me. One of the mage kids thought I should stay down and sent a force wave toward me.
         I just brushed it to the side like it was nothing and started walking toward them I saw the kid who thought they had gone to far and sent a mental command to him to stand by the wall and do nothing. Without batting an eye he did as I told him. The other mage kids were firing spells left, right, center, up, down, any way possible to try and subdue the half-breed. They were backing up out of the alley and into the street. Traffic stopped. Two mage cops watched in awe as this half-breed was walking calmly deflecting spells as he advanced on mage kids blasting me with every spell that they had.
         When they hit the other side of the street and I had trapped them with hidden force walls I let them feel all the pain that they had dealt me through a forced mind link. And I pulled from them every time they had done this to other half breeds and fed the pain over and over for each of their victims. The one who had lead the group screamed and was unconscious within seconds. The other were trembling and on their knees after I had stopped. I kicked in a small mental link to each one and told them that if they tried to use their powers for half-breed fun they would feel the pain they gave ten fold back on them.
I turned around and saw the kid who had felt pity for me on his knees puking up his guts at the scene.  I walked over to him and using my destroyed shirt I gave it to him to wipe the vomit off his face. The Mage cops decided to come down and take control of the situation. The power spike I had had faded and I was feeling like my old self except now I could feel the magic coursing through my body.  One of the cops approached me and asked what my end of the story was.  I told him that these brats had thought it good fun to pick on a half breed because once it was over who would believe a half breed with no wounds over mage kids who backed each other up.
         He started to say that they could still do that when I sent him the memories of what had happened to me as well as the memories of the leader.  I never saw a mage look that angry.  He stalked over to the kids and looked down at them. The other cop looked on confused. The first words he said that I will never forget when he pointed at the leader was. “Get that piece of shit to the precinct I want a magic block collar on him so that he doesn’t give us any issues. If I have my way this little fuck will have it on forever.” The other cop looked completely surprised and looked at me then to his partner.
Two hours later I was in a room with two magi druids probing my now new magic defences trying to feel around them. Nice thing about being half breed is that you can sense when someone is looking you over. I had figured out from the feel of the magic that they could not get through the null zone I had placed in front of my shield.  I was an anomaly. After another hour they finally left and my parents were allowed in. My mom looked at me and I could see hatred in her eyes and what I had become. My dad was a packs Delivery man looked at me with cold indifference.
He wanted to know what had happened. I told them everything including the exact revenge I had taken on the little bastards who showed no mercy. That was when my mom looked quickly up at my dad. “He’s magekind now.”
          Dad just shook his head. “ No they will not take them into their learning halls. By all rights he is still a half-breed and they will not subject him to mistreatment from the prejudices of the other children there.”
          Mom looked at the table. “Half-breeds won’t accept him either. He holds what we wish to have dearest.”
“Mom I am the same and, yet… different.” I tried to get her to talk to me. “I am still a half-breed in all circumstances. I could always heal faster than all the other kids and I was always faster and stronger then most at school.” I looked down at my hands. “I just now have something different than others of our kind.” My mom bowed her head and I could feel the sorrow flowing out of her. “But I am still your son and I love you always. I am not like these people who show us contempt for our mixed blood, I am still Jeremy Sungrass.” Mom had started to cry.
Dad put his arm on Mom. “They also say that you have mind powers as well.”
Mom looked up at me. The look in her eyes was not of despair. “You’ve got mental powers as well?” Nodding I lowered my head expecting her to burst out crying, but instead she started to laugh in between her sobs.
          “Honey what is it.” Dad was now looking at mom with concern.
          “He inherited it from his human Grandfather. Dad was a lower Empath who no one believed was one. They thought it was a joke but it was how mom had found out he loved her.” This time she reached across the table to me. I put out my hand hoping she would not fling it back at me. “I know what to do now. Your grandfather will help raise you and he has been after us to come to the house for along time. He can train you on how to focus your mind powers.” I felt her starting to pull away. “As for your grandmother she might help with the magic.”
          I held onto her hand looking at her then at dad. “I don’t need someone for that.” Mom looked at me in surprise at the determination in my voice. Dad tilted his head looking a little confused. “When I, as the Clerics called it Awakened, I felt every Magical mind in the city and found their knowledge to magic opened. I pulled all of their resources into me and I instantly understood what I could do. I don’t know my limits but most of the training they had to go through I absorbed into my head. I understand spells and spell books and how to mix potions, create charms, create talismans, nullify powers, jump locations….” My Dad had put up his hand.
          “Ok we get the point that magical training is not needed for the most part but you will need to learn magic on the basic front so that you can get your mage licence.” I heard his mind saying that this room was probably bugged and it would not be a good idea for everyone one to know all that I could do. Surprised I nodded.

         A week later we arrived in the middle on Nowhere. I’m not kidding, my Grandmother had formed a piece of land in the Fae nothingness plane for her and her husband to live out their lives. She never thought to name it but Grandfather had joked so many time that they lived in the middle of nowhere that Grandmother in one of her Snarky moods had named it Nowhere. Grandfather was the first to rush out to greet us. He was the type that did not care who you were he would treat you as old friends. And seeing his little girl and her husband always brought and extra wide grin on his face. He had worried about her in the early days of her life dealing with being a half-breed but was glad she had found love.
For me he looked me over and when I mind spoke hello to him he whooped for joy yelling to my grandmother. “Get your Immortal backside out her and see your Grandson, he just mind spoke with me.”
My grandmother was a hearth spirit and LIVED for her house and home.  I heard a humph come from the thoughts in the house and closed my eyes. I could feel the love she had for her husband and her daughter radiate out but she was wary of my father. But when she looked at me I could feel a flood of emotion that she was surprised she had for a half-breed child like me. Her heart was warm and she was thinking of Mom growing up and how she loved seeing her baby become a woman. Opening my eyes I looked in the direction I knew she was and smiled. The feeling of love hit me like a tidal wave. The caring and hope behind it was so strong I had to hold onto moms arm.

          Over the last week Mom and dad had started to get use to me being the way I am. A few friends I had at school I had made personal magic shield talismans that I gave them to protect them from the mage kids. I also left a mind print on them that when they found out I was now able to use magic that these talismans were protection from Mage kids and their cruelty.
Within a day the school had learned that I had Magic. And just like that my friends kept their distance from me. I let them know I didn’t blame them. When they found out that I could talk to them like this they kept the friendship open through their minds and wished they would not have to. Their parents had either turned away and wanted me to have nothing to do with their child, or were in awe of what I was, and afraid of what harm could befall them.

          Grandmother was a tall beautiful woman who kept changing her hair , eye, and skin color. Mom had told me once of a time that she did this and her father had said it was because she was trying to put her feeling into words. I walked up to her and Smiled. “It’s ok Grandma I love you.”
At that she was on the ground kneeling next to me with her arms wrapped around me. I could feel the relief flooding out of her as the tears of joy ran down her face. “My little Kidrillie.” I found out later this meant another peace of my heart born from a piece of my heart. At this my mom choked back a sob. Grandmother looked up and motioned mom to join us. For a little while I had to sobbing women filling my mind with joy.
          I heard a cough and looked over to see my dad smiling from ear to ear and Grandfather looking away. Dad Laughed. “If you to don’t stop you are going to have this old man next to me in tears as well.” Grandmother laughed and was by her husband’s side trying to tease him about his tears. Grandfather was trying to deny it and keep his face away from Grandmother which seamed to turn into a game giving time for the both of them to recover and allow Grandfather to catch his wife and start tickling her.
Life was good with my Grandparents all five of us had no issue with returning to the outside world. I grew up under the careful eyes of both my teachers. Grandfather was always pushing my mind to its limits seeing what I could and could not do. We practiced every day exploring my further most mind reach. I was a quick study so we would use a new technique every month. Grandmother first wanted me to show her all that I had absorbed. After a month and the initial shock she started showing me trick with magic I never knew of. Mom was my school teacher who taught me what I needed to know about the real world. Then Dad would let me tinker with him and his electronics.
          Electronics had fallen to the side in the old world when magic was reintroduced. But dad loved the devices and was always trying to make them work. I guess with me picking up on what he felt I also started to tinker. With my magic and mind powers I started creating inventions for myself. I didn’t need to order parts I just thought them up and the nothing that surrounded us materialized them. Even Dad enjoyed this because when he needed a part I would catch the idea and it would materialize on the bench between us. The first time I did it he smiled.
          “Since us half-breeds can’t use magic, machines from the old world are really helpful.” He smiled and went to work. As our creations got more and more complex I started to realize that to advance further I needed to learn about programming. Me and dad checked out the old info net and found all sorts of programming material. Between the both of us I think we went through it pretty fast. I found that if we had both of us reading and I set up a two way link we got through everything faster. After awhile Mom and Grandfather joined and after 2 years Grandmother did too.
          I caught Grandmother looking at the house differently after that. She seemed to be seeing it in a new light. Within days the house started to change. The floor and the walls were moving as if they had a will of there own. Grandmother was in the expanding kitchen as the counter were now twice their original size and more floor space was added. Her and mom were sitting watching what was going on. Smiling she watched as me and dad walked into the room.
          “It was a time for a change.” Taking a sip of her Coffee she waved at the counter and new appliances appeared. “Your mother can’t use magic like I can and I thought it would be nice that she have a old world kitchen to help me out in. This house has run on magic so long I can now feel the drain. But with this old world technology I can pull myself away from it and let these machines of yours do the work.” Getting up she headed to the new industrial coffee maker. “The nice thing about this technology of yours is when you tweak it just right it makes a pretty perfect cup every time and you don’t have to use you personal magic to change it till it’s right.”
          Over the next 2 days pieces of old tech started appearing all over the house as well as a new closet appeared with a computer in it. Grandmother said it was the server room for the house controls. I did not really understand how she saw this but the house started responding to verbal commands. Our little workshop outside grew to a full old tech electronics workshop. Diagnostic computers and a magic powered parts creator were in the center. A micro fitter arms were set for motherboards and creation of all the smaller gadgets me and Dad could think of. From time to time other members of the family joined us in creating things.
          By the time three years had passed we had come up with so many gadgets that  we had to create a storage house behind the main house to collect them all. Some of the devices worked off magic that me and Grandmother had figured out. And other worked off Psy use. Dad whooped when I created a magic and Psy detector. It showed on a screen how close a magic or psy user was and at the distance how strong it was giving off readings.  From there we started playing with magic and Psy Frequencies.  At one point we had a frequency up and I could still feel my power and I tried to conjure a drink or water and instead got a drenching from a bucket of water that had appeared over my head upside down.
I heard running from outside and Grandmother came in out of breath. “What the heck was that?” The front of her dress was covered in what looked like tomato paste. Looking at the device that got wet and was now shorted out she smiled. “Can you make another of those things?” Nodding our heads I saw the biggest evil grin in my life. “Good we will need it when I go into town for my next hundred year check up.”
We switched the field to the opposite polarity I kept the power down and found that I could not use magic. We created five of these that looked like wrist bands. The power needed was so minimal that a small field could be created to encompass the body but if you turned the dial all the way up then you could effectively deaden a small house of magic. When dad left I started creating small balls that emitted the frequency. I set a 30 second timer on them so that they had a chance for me to throw them and not be in the dead zone.  I found also that if you had the other device on then the magic inside its radius was not affected. 
          I started playing with the frequencies and trying to make things give off the vibration frequency that I wanted. After three months I had a pen, pocket watch, and stapler that when power was applied to them created the fields. The sword I was working on didn’t want to tune to the frequency at all. Dad said to try iron instead. Using a small amount it gave off such a high amount of frequency that some of the ether that the ground was made from tried to pull itself apart.  From there I started reshaping the Iron and giving it a refined edge. I also thinned it and combined it so the Edge of other metals over lay it and the frequency still came through. Now my failure of a sword was working and with the metals I used it was now sharper and on a test ripped through the beam of magic that I conjured as if nothing was there. Okay I know that creating a weapon was a little dangerous but on the first time I awoke the powers I could feel the fear and anger towards me and how much some of the magic users hated the half-breeds seeing them as Vermin that needed to be exterminated. I needed to create something that I felt was going to be needed in the future.
          Grandmother came back from her check-up beaming. Not only had she been given a clean bill of magical health but they were impressed with her reshaping of her own personal magic.  We all had a laugh but that evening everyone was down when I came to the table. The Council had sent my Grandmother a notice that a magic inspection team was coming in a week to see her because of her development.
          That night I showed dad the sword. I gave him the Idea for making Shields contained in magic that once unlocked would spring to full size and then we would apply power to them. The next day we made the first. On the side of the holder no effect was made but we put enough bolts in it that the field covered the front of the shield. Dad held it while I increased the damage I could do with the power but all tries just harmlessly dispersed in front of the shield. We started making four more and by the next day they were done.  I took a rubber bola idea and adapted it to the Frequency. With a pull string I was able to create a bola that when the string pulled out allowed power into the two pieces of iron and created a magic dampening field. And would surround a large area around the two rubber balls with the iron cores.
For the rest of the week I helped my grandmother strengthen the magic all around the house. I also infused more than needed magic into the ground as well. The workshop was cleaned up and with my grandmother we placed pots all over the place and a kennel wheel in the middle. The Small storage shack was left alone. I connected the magic and Psi detection field to the houses main grid. The wall panels could all call up the display of where me and Grandmother were perfectly. Me and dad handed out the shields to everyone and fashioned them onto bracelets and watches.
          They arrived early in the morning. Twelve mage kind floated onto the porch and knocked. Just like we rehearsed I opened the door. Two of them I could see were repulsed by me being there. “If you find me offensive then leave the rest are welcome.” The leader shot the two of them a glare.
          “We are here to see the magic worker of the house.” Tilting my head I smiled.
          “Which one?”
          Looking down he tried to send a obedience spell over me which bounced off my shield effortlessly. I smiled even broader sending a mental link to him. IF you try that again I will have to teach you not to treat me with such disrespect.
          Shocked his eyes widened. “M..My apologies to you I did not know another magic user resided here.”
          Nodding I looked at him. “Me and my parents are just staying for awhile here with my grandparents. Please show them the same respect you would show me.”
          All of them were definitely surprised at what they saw. I was a half breed that used magic. The leader nodded his head and I lead them into the parlour.  As they walked through the door each accumulated a colour above their head from the spell me and grandmother worked out. Blue was safe, yellow was low hostility, and red was ready to do harm.  One of the ones that had looked at me in disgust came through and was immediately yellow the other showed red. With a look I bounced her out of the house.
          “If you have a wish to do harm this house will fight back. No harm is allowed within these walls. The first offence will be and ejection from the house the second if that the house will actually fight. Low hostile intentions are watched very carefully and given a warning to calm or be ejected if they venture into harmful region. The colour above your heads is to protect you as well as those in the house. As you see now that you are in the house most of us have a blue light over our heads. This is no hostility. Yellow is low or moderate hostile intent. Red it hostile to the point of bodily harm.”
          The woman on the ground outside was fuming. “You have no right to do this I am a member of the inspection team.”
          Walking to the front door. “Shall I tell your colleagues your thoughts on halfbloods? Or what you use to do to those halfbloods when you were a teenager? Or would you just like them to hear what you would like to see done with me?” Walking very slowly I let anger flow from me and forced the anger towards her letting her feel how really pissed I was. “You think that just because you have had a simple life that you are better than halfbloods? Well guess what this halfblood has more power than the likes of all you combined and if you think the shields you are thinking of right now can stop what I can throw at you then you are far dumber than any halfblood because we had to learn one thing above everything else. Do not fuck with someone who can kill you with a twitch of their fingers.” I held up one finger and squatted down next to her. “Calm yourself and your thoughts. Do not try to work yourself up to wanting to do harm and you may come within.”
          Visibly I let them see me trying to calm myself. “House may I enter?”
          A small whisper of a voice came from every piece of the house. “You still wish harm.” A lit candle appeared on the window sill. “When the flame goes out then you may enter.”
          Nodding I smiled at the council members. “Please the house will see you to grandmother. If you stray house will show you more quickly to her.” Looking at the house I spoke. “Tell grandmother I will be in the work shed until the candle goes out.” Looking down at the member on the ground I shook my head. “House is this one allowed in?”
          “Yes she is now to afraid to do harm.”
          Nodding I went around the side of the house. Okay I know this was going to scare them a bit but they needed to know that no harm was going to come from anyone. I went into the work shed and checked the magic cameras I had set up with dad’s help each one would turn off when scanned for magic and could only be turned on again by me or grandfather through mental command.  The team was being very orderly in their way to grandmother. None were straying from the route the glowing house boards had laid out for them. Father was working in the room close to the kitchen grandmother was in. It was one of the old radios we had started to make. All the pieces were made of pure magic but acted like the real deal. One of the mages looked at him then at what he was doing.
          “Is that a radio?” This mage was a tall brown skinned man his eyes were to focused in on the radio.
          Dad smiled and did not look back. “Yes, me and my son try to make non magic technology work. We have built a transmitter out in the field and we are going to test its range with this radio when it is completed.”
          “Fascinating.” Reaching over my dad he picked up one of the transistors and frowned. “The voltage is to low on this if it was a little higher you could filter out some of the power overload that might come through.”
          Dad looked up at him. “Very good but we want to test the distance first so we need to let this radio get the full use of the power. We are going to use Morse code and see what the full range of the transmitter is.”
          Smiling the mage rejoined the team and went into the kitchen. Grandmother was baking as usual. The calm atmosphere of the house changes in the kitchen. Grandmother has numerous concoctions going on. Pots were flying around to different stoves with utensils stirring and measuring.  Several apples were being pealed and sliced in a invention me and dad made for her that sat net to a stewing pot. A soft ding of the stove  brought Grandmother to the over as the door opened  a small pan of brownies gently floated onto the counter. Taking out a fork she tasted a corner. “Not sweet enough but will do for now.” Letting the brownie cool she turned to the mages. “Forgive me but it has been over 70 years since the last time I saw a inspection team of any kind on my piece of reality,”
          An elderly mage stepped forward. “I am Merle Russell. We mean to check out and see no degradation as well as the normal checking for forbidden magic’s and the usual magical contraband. It is rare we get to one of the old planes and be able to check out things. Yours has drifted close to ours and it seemed a perfect time for an inspection.” Looking back at the number he smiled. “Usually we are a three person team but when old realms show themselves many of us just join to check out the new environment.” Bowing he looked around. “Lets get this task done. I have to ask you what magical artefacts or devices do you have in your realm?”
          “Hard to say. I can tell you of the ones I use and that I see from day to day. My grandson can tell you more. He has explored more of this place than I have in many years.”
“What you can tell will be fine. Anything not on the list and we will ask your grandson for a more complete list that he can give.”
          Grandmother nodded then pulled into existence a small tablet. “Tap on the front to bring up the next page and tap on the back to go to the previous.” Another soft ding and the industrial coffee maker poured a cup of coffee and added milk and sugar. A small stirrer came down and whisked in the mug then retracted. Grandma went over and picked up the mug and took a sip. You could actually see the tension just drift out of her.
          Russell looked on with interest. “I don’t detect and magic in that device. What is it?”
Grandmother smiled. “Industrial coffee maker, my son in-law and grandson built it for me. I learned how to set it and now I just fill it and it does the work for me.” Taking another sip she smiles. “Makes a damn good cup to.”
          Nodding he looks at the team. “Okay you know the normal drill just try not to crush anything. Slowly the group spread out over the house. The tall lanky one that talked to dad opened the server room door. “Um sir you should see this.”
          Merle went and looked in. “What is it Jacob?”
          The lanky Mage never took his eyes off the inside. “From the old texts this is something that hasn’t been seen in decades. The old ways described this as a server. A device that did programmed functions on a massive scale. This one looks brand new. Even some of the connections are showing magical power use.”
          “Is this harmful in any way?”
          “No sir it will only do what is programmed. I am guessing that there is no magical weapons connected so there is no way it can harm us.”
          Grandmother looked at them. “It can kick you out of the house and defend against magical and non magical attacks but it cannot do more than that in the way of harm.”
          Merle looked at the server. “What is connected to it right now?”
          “A few repulsion talismans, and a relocate talisman that has the ability to relocate someone to outside the front door. A small bit of magic is pulsed from the input into the device and then the server directs a magic ring around the person through the floors above and below and emits the command word. It happens in about one tenth of a second so if the person it happens to notices, they can’t react fast enough to get away.”