reasons I try not to ever think about as otherwise I know I won't sleep well at night.
"It was an accident. I can't believe it either. Poor guy. Okay, let's get this over with. Take me to your leader." I know, lame right? It's just I've always wanted to say it and that was my chance.
"Dick." Dancer started up the Range Rover and pulled out into the damp streets of Cardiff.
I tried not to let my half finished breakfast come up. Yeah, Mage Rikka has that effect on you.
The Big Boss
Mage Rikka is the head honcho in the UK for all things magic related—he's even got a certificate and everything.
Although there are any number of subsets of people, and species, that have their own leaders or rulers, officially known as Heads—and some that answer to nobody and you couldn't organize them if you tried, have you ever met a troll?—we all ultimately answer to Rikka in our country.
He has an elevated position as not only UK Head of the Dark Council—nearly always composed of wizards as nobody else takes to rules and the Laws like they do—but also the UK Head of the Hidden Council.
The Hidden Council encompasses all Hidden, including vampires, whether they like it or not. Not that the vampires play by the rules, and you would never see Taavi doing something just because Rikka said so. It's all a bit daft really, as the Hidden Council beats the Dark Council—which is strictly for human magic users, so why they bother I don't know. That's humans for you, always got to have their own thing and make life more complicated.
All wizards, witches, users and abusers of the Empty that aren't innately magic by right of birth or species, a.k.a. humans, as well as those that are truly magical beings—true Hidden—answer to him. This is not an option. It is how it works for the Hidden. Think of it like normal humans answering to the law, except ours is written with a capital L, so it makes it more important—see how they think?
Rikka is our law, or "Law," and he dispenses justice or punishment as he sees fit. As long as he keeps everything in check then there is little interference from the Hidden or Dark Councils. Why we still insist on the "Dark" bit I don't know, I guess it stuck long ago, but there is no other magic for humans. It's all dark, and it all hurts to use, but I suppose other species don't have that problem, so for them it's just magic. Not even that, they just are what they are.
It's a strange hierarchy and not one that has any specific rules as to conduct, and that's probably why we get ourselves into trouble, and why there are people like me. More than anything else I'm an intermediary, able to move between Heads, species, Houses, Wards, loose collectives, even gangs, and usually be welcome.
What can I say? I'm an amenable kind of guy who deals with many problems that arise. I arrange meetings, truces, sometimes even fights when there is no other option, and basically enforce what Rikka wants.
He has his businesses, and he certainly has his people, but for the proper work, the delicate stuff, he calls on me and a few others. Semi-freelancers, more world-wise than many Hidden. People who know the lay of the land and can talk without blowing someone up, or conjuring a demon just because a zombie spilled your pint, or a necromancer stole that corpse you had your eye on.
Enforcer. Dealer of justice or punishment. Arbitrator, peace keeper, and all round lackey to the Boss.
Why the big wigs all chose Cardiff is a long story, but it goes back centuries and all stems from everyone failing to keep up with the changes of ever-advancing societies. Stuck in the middle of it all, in large cities like London, things easily got out of hand.
They couldn't cope with the pace, found no peace with things moving at breakneck speed, and as technology took jump after jump they all moved out here, where the pace of life is a little slower and there is room to breathe.
Personally, I think that is all nonsense and they
"It was an accident. I can't believe it either. Poor guy. Okay, let's get this over with. Take me to your leader." I know, lame right? It's just I've always wanted to say it and that was my chance.
"Dick." Dancer started up the Range Rover and pulled out into the damp streets of Cardiff.
I tried not to let my half finished breakfast come up. Yeah, Mage Rikka has that effect on you.
The Big Boss
Mage Rikka is the head honcho in the UK for all things magic related—he's even got a certificate and everything.
Although there are any number of subsets of people, and species, that have their own leaders or rulers, officially known as Heads—and some that answer to nobody and you couldn't organize them if you tried, have you ever met a troll?—we all ultimately answer to Rikka in our country.
He has an elevated position as not only UK Head of the Dark Council—nearly always composed of wizards as nobody else takes to rules and the Laws like they do—but also the UK Head of the Hidden Council.
The Hidden Council encompasses all Hidden, including vampires, whether they like it or not. Not that the vampires play by the rules, and you would never see Taavi doing something just because Rikka said so. It's all a bit daft really, as the Hidden Council beats the Dark Council—which is strictly for human magic users, so why they bother I don't know. That's humans for you, always got to have their own thing and make life more complicated.
All wizards, witches, users and abusers of the Empty that aren't innately magic by right of birth or species, a.k.a. humans, as well as those that are truly magical beings—true Hidden—answer to him. This is not an option. It is how it works for the Hidden. Think of it like normal humans answering to the law, except ours is written with a capital L, so it makes it more important—see how they think?
Rikka is our law, or "Law," and he dispenses justice or punishment as he sees fit. As long as he keeps everything in check then there is little interference from the Hidden or Dark Councils. Why we still insist on the "Dark" bit I don't know, I guess it stuck long ago, but there is no other magic for humans. It's all dark, and it all hurts to use, but I suppose other species don't have that problem, so for them it's just magic. Not even that, they just are what they are.
It's a strange hierarchy and not one that has any specific rules as to conduct, and that's probably why we get ourselves into trouble, and why there are people like me. More than anything else I'm an intermediary, able to move between Heads, species, Houses, Wards, loose collectives, even gangs, and usually be welcome.
What can I say? I'm an amenable kind of guy who deals with many problems that arise. I arrange meetings, truces, sometimes even fights when there is no other option, and basically enforce what Rikka wants.
He has his businesses, and he certainly has his people, but for the proper work, the delicate stuff, he calls on me and a few others. Semi-freelancers, more world-wise than many Hidden. People who know the lay of the land and can talk without blowing someone up, or conjuring a demon just because a zombie spilled your pint, or a necromancer stole that corpse you had your eye on.
Enforcer. Dealer of justice or punishment. Arbitrator, peace keeper, and all round lackey to the Boss.
Why the big wigs all chose Cardiff is a long story, but it goes back centuries and all stems from everyone failing to keep up with the changes of ever-advancing societies. Stuck in the middle of it all, in large cities like London, things easily got out of hand.
They couldn't cope with the pace, found no peace with things moving at breakneck speed, and as technology took jump after jump they all moved out here, where the pace of life is a little slower and there is room to breathe.
Personally, I think that is all nonsense and they
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