A pair of disks hovered under the cover of night and stopped at a grove near a riverbank. Beams of light shot out of their undersides before the flying contraptions tilted up and resumed a skyward journey. Two figures materialized after the last particle of luminance dissipated into the air; gray uniforms glowed as the bluish aftereffects lost their grip on their surfaces.

  Gerhard and Cornelia looked at the compound not far from the cover of trees they were brought to. It would have resembled a castle from the older times, if not for the lighting that highlighted the open-window rooms and the sight of Imperial riflemen roaming up and down the battlements.

  “So the Boss sends us out here, just because he can’t buy what he wants at an auction.”

  Gerhard walked closer to her, not uttering a word. He looked at her, nodded, and shrugged his shoulders. She knew he wasn’t out here for fun and games, and as usual, he chose not to be in on what his partner felt on the matter.

  “I get it. Magical book that could fetch a pretty pfennig for the Empire when sold. But all this is just because it’s not in a catalog.” Cornelia looked ahead, seeing the high walls and a constant patrol of rooftop guards loitering or moving about. “All this place needs are a bunch of cannons, and we get a full-fledged fortress.”

  “Cornelia, remember.” Gerhard’s hand pointed to his left temple, concealed by the brim of his hat.

  “Oh, THAT. Sure, Boss – I hear and obey.” Cornelia went ahead of her work partner and bowed in front of him. She continued:

  “While this ‘talk inside your mind and let that other guy hear you out’ is cool, our lips are supposed to do that job. Anyway, you’ll go ahead and force me to accept the fact that I’ll get used to this someday, right now would be no, it cannot be done, and I don’t want to.”

  “Admit it or not, our silent talking will help us a lot later on.”

  Both reached the top of an incline where the road to the Imperial Archives was set. An arched gate stood in the middle of two guardhouses; both of them arrived and saw three motor transports stop in front of it. Salutes were exchanged as what looked to be a commander handed a piece of paper to one of the sentries on the watch, who, in turn, did not bother with inspecting the vehicles’ contents and waved a hand to open the gates. A booming close of the gates swallowed all three of the motorized carriages, and the silence of the watch was restored after the subtle shaking of the ground stopped.

  “You’re not thinking we’re going that way, are you?”

  “The guards will quickly suspect us if we enter through the main gate. There should be a personnel entrance somewhere here. Let’s take a look around.”

  “That would be a much better idea, Gerhard.”

  Gerhard and Cornelia vanished into the trees and followed the river until they found a section of the Archives connected to what seemed to be one of Aurelburg’s outer extents. Soldiers and other workers gathered around nearby stalls and restaurants; a sea of uniforms and suits moved in and out of the establishments, taking advantage of the free time allotted by their jobs.

  The pair shuffled and squirmed through some of the crowded areas until they reached the source of the flow of personnel. This entrance was not as heavily guarded as the main gate; no more or fewer than six men were assigned to patrol the area. Magic-wielder and swordswoman were about to enter the place when an Imperial soldier crossed their path; his cheeks were flushed red, and the scent of ale mixed with meat leaked out of his mouth.

  “You’re spending the shift together… I mean, sorry to interrupt, Lieutenant and Sergeant, sir-” A pair of drooping eyes stuck on Cornelia “…and Ma’am. I did not pay attention, Sir.”

  “Go home, private.” Gerhard’s forehead crumpled, and his eyes shot at the soldier.

  Gerhard went ahead, with Cornelia giving one last look at the drunken man before following the magician. Both went straight through the entrance, ignoring the guards that silently went on their watch.

  The ground level of the archives that served was the only section open to the public; the pair passed by various scripts and yellowed texts housed inside glass showcases. At the end of that hallway was a desk with two guards attending to the door behind it.

  “Good evening.” The receptionist closed her eyes and bowed to Gerhard and Cornelia. “Your identification cards, please.”

  They pulled out leather-bound booklets from their pockets and gave them to the desk officer. She looked at both of their faces and checked if they matched what was in the pictures. The clerk looked up to them after a few nods.

  “Please sign.” The logbook beside her was opened; Gerhard and Cornelia took pens from a nearby holder and affixed their names and signatures. “What brings you to the Archives, Sergeant Claudius and Lieutenant Bonn?”

  “We are here to copy a few documents on military doctrine.” The lieutenant answered; his eyes were fixed on the desk clerk. “We’ll need citations for the… officers’ training course.”

  “I see. For military history, it’s Room K. Go straight, then two turns left and one right at every end of the hallways. Enjoy your night.”

  How the clerk moved her head about while keeping her small cap on her head unmoved was something Cornelia was curious to ask the lady clerk, but Gerhard was in no shape to entertain the thought.

  Their blue and red uniforms stood loud and quickly distinguished them from the gray-wearing workers and clerks inside the archives proper. Most of the soldiery was put to guard duties, and many officers returned home after work. The duo got to an intersecting room that linked the General Information section with two of the most restricted areas of the Archives: the Artifacts and the National Histories rooms.

  “Based on the map, the tome is most likely kept in the Artifacts section. This is the end of the help offered by our disguises.”

  “End huh? Care to tell?”

  “I would say that a low-ranking officer and a non-commissioned soldier would not be allowed to go in there. Only the highest-ranking men and women of the land had ever laid their eyes inside.”

  “We’re breaking in, Gerhard?”

  “Exactly. That sword of yours will see at least some good use later.”

  Gerhard and Cornelia followed the directions given by the hallways until the two reached a section of the Archives with a booth and a couple of heavily-armed guards protecting an iron door. An officer in charge of the watch quickly noticed the stray soldiers wandering around and approached the pair right away.

  “This area is off-limits.” The dry voice of the watcher echoed in the near-empty room – perhaps he might have been stuck in the job for too long to feel anything for it. “Leave at once.”

  “Just a question: is this where the ancient records and all those old things are stored?” Cornelia smiled at the rather sharpened eyes of the guard.

  “That’s not for you to know,” was the officer’s answer.

  “All right. I’ll take that as your ‘yes’.” Cornelia drew closer to the man and, with a quick movement of the hand, struck his abdomen with the round pommel of her saber. There was an abrupt cough, followed by the officer kneeling and losing his senses.

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  The other guards were quick to respond and ran towards Gerhard and Cornelia, and the magician released two small bolts of energy at the men. Both of the pretend soldiers walked past the unconscious bodies that sprawled on the path before the heavy door to the Artifacts chamber.

  “There should be a switch to the door at the officer’s desk.”

  “I don’t think we have the time to find that.”

  “What do you mean…?”

  Cornelia flashed the naked blade from the sheath. She stretched out her hand and waited for it to glow white before spanning her palm to the sword’s whole length, channeling the gathered strength to the blade. Her weapon was stabbed to the top of the iron doors and was quickly pulled down with a little of her strength. Cornelia drew out the blade and kicked the middle portion of the door to watch it collapse on its own weight.

  “I didn’t know you could do that.” Gerhard took quite some time before he picked up his jaws from what he saw Cornelia do; he forgot to use the telepathy device in the process.

  “I have my own tricks, only that I don’t like using them too much.” The swordfighter flashed a smile before stepping back from the door. “After you, Sir.”

  Both descended into a wide, moderately-lit room where various books were placed in shelves as high as three men standing together. Gehrard drew something out of his pants pocket and revealed a jade crystal rod from a small leather bag.

  “This should get us to the book.”

  His restraint brought him back to his dry self, and he resumed talking using the telepathy headband. If there was one thing Cornelia found interesting in her working partner, it would be his ability to recover rapidly from surprises.

  He connected the stone to the small shaft in a screwing motion. Gerhard held the crystal for almost two minutes; the green light grew and went on until the stick resembled a small luminous dart. It flew out of his hand and stopped adjacent to a book on the top of the central shelf.

  “From walking metal monsters to this: you guys are weirder by the day.”

  “Anything as long as it gets the job done fast.”

  Gerhard propped himself up on one of the ladders and went to where the mystical probe stopped. He removed up to three books that occupied the space. Inside was a tome: old, lined with silver and a never-seen-before substance that made the book cover glow like a prism. The magician held the floating implement and pointed the crystal at the illuminated artifact. It gave off a white light before the large book dissolved into specks that were absorbed by the crystal.

  “Now I get why the Boss wants that book – and why the Empire can’t sell it.” Cornelia watched Gerhard come down from the bookshelves. “Today, I learned that the Ancients had cheeky gimmicks.”

  "These books were made to ensure the stored knowledge endures the worst of times." Gerhard bent to fix the thrown books and put them back in place. "They were also made with the intent that a messenger could carry several of them with little trouble."

  The job was done, and everything was about to go smoothly – almost.

  Alarms rang and echoed throughout the halls of the Archives by the time the two arrived at the same intersection. Scrambling of heavy boots thumped and stomped from the three other hallways.

  “Looks like we have to fight our way out…” Cornelia sighed, although her hand was yet to reach for her sheathed weapon.

  “I didn’t expect having to resort to using much magical energy for this task.”

  “Be ready now, Gerhard. Let’s take the right hallway; the footsteps are least here.”

  He had no other option but to follow her. The two came across half a dozen soldiers whose rifles were held to their chests. One of them asked:

  “What happened?”

  “Somebody broke into the Artifacts storage.” It was Gerhard who answered this time; he stood in front of Cornelia and delivered his matter-of-business approach - even at the risk of being captured and compromising their task. “We’re going to report to the commander about it. Last of what I’ve heard was they ran to the left sector.”

  “Thanks, Sir. Be safe.” The soldier gave a salute before leading the rest of the crew away from the pair.

  “Nice touch there, Gerhard.”

  “It's best not to rely too much on our fortunes. We don't want that to run out when we need it most. Let’s go.”

  “Right in front of you, Sir.”

  They were far from the intended escape point. The stairways to the lower floors would be barricaded and choked with guards by the time they would be near enough. Gerhard and Cornelia passed by a trio of riflemen who ran their way. Luck was still on their side when they were not ordered to stop by the rushing personnel.

  Their luck turned about-face, abandoning them the moment they reached the room that was connected to the generator sections. Beyond the open door were a dozen men forming an arc; rifles were aimed at Gerhard and Cornelia. Their leader stepped forward – a woman whose sleek bun of maize hair was exposed, unadorned yet neat.

  “As expected, you were coming this way.” The woman spoke with a reserved air of authority; her mellow voice contrasted with the urgency of the command. “Surrender whatever you stole from here, and your sentence will be lighter.”

  “This officer isn’t any of the Regulars.” Cornelia’s eyes were on the ornate sword the officer was using; she also noticed the blade giving off a yellowish glow.

  Gerhard did not respond. Cornelia felt his force building up, and to her surprise, their opponent also sensed it.

  “Shoot the man first!” The officer’s sword pointed at Gerhard, whose right hand gave off a faint earthen-hued light.

  Crackles of guns sang in cacophony on the commander’s orders. The floor shook, and from it sprang a cloud of dust that compacted and solidified into an obstacle that soaked up the bullets.

  “A magical practi-? How could this…?” The Imperial woman’s eyes, rounded and surprised, stared at the shielding that was conjured right in the middle of the barrage.

  Something shot out of the magic-induced wall; an orb of conflicting white and blue light stopped between the soldiers and Gerhard’s barrier. A blend of colors took the soldiers’ eyes off their sights – but that proved to be the formation’s undoing.

  “Take cover!”

  The warning came too late. There was an implosion, followed by a visible shockwave that spanned throughout the entire space. Men and their weapons were thrown to the walls; their bodies thudded to the floor and forced their senses out. Only the commanding officer remained standing; the yellow blade somehow stopped the magical attack from harming her. The Imperial was kneeling, but she recovered and resumed poise in a few seconds. Her numerical advantage was gone, but as long as she held her weapon, Gerhard’s elemental projections wouldn’t find her easy to subdue.

  “Cornelia, I’ll need your sword again. Our opponent is not as easy to defeat as I thought.”

  “I was waiting for you to say that.”

  Cornelia unsheathed the sword and jumped out of Gerhard’s earthen barrier; her blade hammered at the Imperial officer from above, but its force was thwarted with an effective parry. She spun back and started her assault on the commander anew. Cornelia’s sword struck like a mallet, left and right, keeping the enemy swordswoman from posing for a riposte. They were a match, with neither gaining any advantage over the other. Swords glowed in the half darkness; sparks flew as the officer’s weapon kept up with Cornelia’s attacks.

  “Impressive.” Her blade was swung aback as the commander eased her arm before assuming another defensive stance.

  “I guess I’ll have to fight you on even terms.” The same skill was used for a second time; Cornelia’s hand infused energy into her saber and set the now-glowing cutting edge horizontally.

  Cornelia lunged at the opposing officer with a thrust that was deflected with more strength than before. Her strike proved to be a ruse rather than anything else – Cornelia’s blade shifted from the ground to an upward strike set to meet the opposing sword head-on. Her enemy had no time to use a second hand to strengthen her grip on the yellow-bladed weapon. Both swords connected; sparks jolted and fizzled as both their forces canceled. This Imperial was not to be trifled with. She took two steps back and assumed a defensive stance.

  “Cornelia, we can’t be here any longer.”

  “Way ahead of you. I got this. Here I am thinking I can do a film hero getaway by using this when cornered...”

  Cornelia leaped back from the enemy swordfighter and drew a small canister from her jacket pocket. She rolled it to the ground while Gerhard somehow brought a weak air current inside the drafty room. A yellowish smog hissed from it as the pair turned and ran outside the room. The lone Imperial drew her pistol in an attempt to shoot the fleeing infiltrators, but the gas started to take effect.

  She was coughing, falling on her knees to the floor while trying to reach for a handkerchief. It was too late by the time she drew it out; she lay still on the floor, her consciousness sapped away by the chemical that filled the chamber.

  “Is she dead?”

  Gerhard wondered as the mechanisms clicked and blocked their view of the officer with the glowing blade. Cornelia put her sword back in the scabbard and tried to look back at the closed room. Thin stalagmites rose from the floor, further sealing the already-closed door. She looked back at the magic-user and went ahead of him before answering:

  “No, but that will be enough to stop her from bothering us until we get out of here.”

  The voices of a gathering of soldiers were heard from above; it seemed that the short battle that had happened alerted the rest of their presence. Gerhard and Cornelia nodded at one another and headed out. They had to find another way to the Archives’ sewer system, if their getaway was to be done accordingly.