Dawn of an Age

Senior Magician Starchild was restless. He was intrigued by a barely developed area of knowledge in his texts. Some ideas were beginning to occur to him which he wanted to test. Presently, he arranged a research sabbatical. He would be available for advice in an emergency, but his third-in-charge could benefit from the organizational practice. Such a request was quite sensible during peacetime, and it was granted. He promised to inform the royal court of his discoveries when he was finished. Contact arrangements were settled, and the magician reposed to his personal library.

Senior Magician Starchild called a meeting with the Captain of the Royal Guard. "Captain Clendenning, does your army have time to support some of my research?"

"Hello, Magician. Yes, I can spare some manpower. We've been lucky enough to be safe for a long time, and I am certain a few of my men could use an exercise to keep them sharp."

"Excellent. I will be operating out of the unused West Territory past the castle premises. I will be there in a couple of hours."

At the site, the Captain presented his squad of twelve volunteer soldiers. The Senior Magician nodded to his colleague, and addressed the group. "Sirs, Gentlemen. Thank you all for assisting me in my studies. To start, I would like to conduct a small war-game exercise. Since your commanding officer has trained you well, do not blame yourselves when matters become confusing. Consider it a side-effect of assisting me with my magical studies.

"The goal will be simple. Work crews have built a mock-castle with a throne room for each side. The goal will be to capture the enemy king alive and bring him back to the home side throne room, such as might happen with a blackmail threat." The camps were set at one hundred meters apart, with the Captain guiding the Red team, and the Senior Magician guiding the Blue forces. The Red forces were offered first pick of the assembled quality swords, shields, and armor. A stone wall drawn by a horse&cart arrangement was also present. The Blue forces, upon advisement, chose leather and stone instruments.

The soliders began to relax at this news. So far, this was comprehensible enough. They trusted their magician, but when they volunteered, it became a question of when, not if, clarity would completely depart the premises.

The Blue Forces were content with a defensive formation, and their instructions were to deflect but not engage the enemy. The Red team opted for a classical charge on the enemy position. Soon the members of the Red team began muttering about "What strange force is making this so difficult?" Each successive step towards the enemy castle was increasingly difficult, and near the end the men were picking up each leg one at a time to haul it forward. However, the pesky flies buzzing around were having no problems. For that matter, the Blue Force scouts seemed "as swift as the wind". They simply ran past their counterparts swinging their stone maces, which "magically added a few centimeters" to their twists out of weapons range.

A couple of Red Team strongmen made it a point of pride to make it all the way to the enemy gate, where they hooked arms around the enemy gate lest they slide away. However, they knew that this was a symbolic victory at best, and that they were in no condition to actually attack the castle. The Blue Forces quietly hauled their mysterious wall into readiness and waited as instructed. The Captain waved for a meeting.

"Potent Magic, indeed, Magician. That must be tiring you greatly."

"In fact, I am doing absolutely nothing and my full strength is at my command should I need it."

"Really? You have apparently literally repulsed my offensive force, so I resign from my attack." With a signal, the Captain retrieved his exhausted offensive line. "However, what is your offensive strategy?"

"Watch. Blue Forces, secure the enemy premises." So ordered, they wheeled the mysterious wall closer to the enemy gate. It seemed to grow easier as they drew closer. At the final stage the stone upturned of its own accord and slammed adjacent to the enemy gate with a deafening roar. The Magician invited one of the Red Team members to attempt to move it. He was barely able budge it a centimeter. The Red Team king was trapped inside. "I submit a Siege Strategy. You will have to compromise your own castle to restore normal operations, at which time a standard offensive invasion should suffice."

The Captain nodded. "I resign my defense as well. What is the principle?"

"Lodestone, Royal Grade. It creates something called a Magnetic Force which operates in two directions. On my side, it repulses metal. Since your men gleefully decked themselves out in metal armor and weapons, they encountered this force which never tires. If they were to discard it all down to their basic uniforms, in peace, they could walk up quite naturally."

"Hmm. What about your mysterious wall stuck to my gate?"

"I did not wish to risk the lives of my men in an actual attack, which your army has trained to defend against for decades. That wall is also Royal Grade Lodestone, attracted to your gate by the same untiring magnetic force. When the enemy has exhausted their forces weakening their own fortifications, then we can also walk up to negotiate in peace.

"How do I get my man out?"

"Your men working together should be able to slide it sideways."

"Phenomenal. What branch of Magic is that called?"

"Science."

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