We ended up politely declining the offer to officially join the lunch, choosing instead to eat what we had packed while sitting on a park bench nearby. This gave both of us a chance to observe the family and the surrounding environment for anything that might explain what the heck was going on.
“You ever run into something like this before?” Maguire asked.
“I’ve come across people who swapped consciousnesses and/or bodies as the result of a spell gone wrong, but I don’t think that’s what's going on here. These people don’t seem magically inclined or aware. I don’t think they have any idea what is going on.”
“Whatever’s happening probably is recent enough that they haven’t had time to notice.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. The effect could also be sneaky too, changing things back before they are noticed. What I’m more worried about is whether this is an ambient thing or if it was done intentionally. Ambience will fade in time and they will go home none the wiser, but if this is the result of something purposefully done in this place, who knows how long it will take for people to get back to normal.”
“Neither of those options sounds great, though I imagine we could learn a lot from the ambient one. If someone did this on purpose, though, it can’t be for any good reason.”
“Unless it's an unintentional side effect of something,” I countered. “The end result is still the same.”
“Why don’t I keep an eye on the family while you do a walk around, see if you spot anything that could be the source. You can always explain it to me later, once we know these people are safe.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Good point and good plan. You watch for any new weirdness cropping up and text me the second something happens. Anything that catches your attention.” I pulled the coin out of my pack and pressed it into his palm. “Run your finger along the edge and you’ll be able to see the auras. Changes in hue are fine, color shifts are a problem. Things get crazy, just put the coin on the ground and spin it. That will buy us some time.”
“What kind of crazy do you think will happen?”
“Always better to play it on the safe side with mental manipulation. I’ll let you know if I find anything.” I stood and patted Maguire on the shoulder before starting my wide circle around the park.
As I walked I pulled a couple of marbles from my bag, gently rolling them around in my palm. The clicked and clacked gently against each other, light glinting off their inner facets. The sun shone through the trees, casting dancing shadows across the ground. Every so often I stopped to take a picture. Some of them were to remind myself of things I wanted to come back to collect. Others were just because it was something pretty.
Each time I stopped, I checked the marbles. Each time I checked the marbles, I got more nervous. They were carefully crafted to react to certain kinds of magic and much as I hoped the colors would shift, they refused to do so. The tiny flecks of metal did start to glow slightly as I neared the trailhead, though. My stomach sank when I saw that.
I kept my face neutral as I returned to the bench where Maguire sat waiting for me. His face turned grim once he saw the look in my eye, but he quickly schooled his expression into something more pleasantly neutral.
“How bad is it?” He asked casually as I sat down next to him.
“Ritual magic. Old ritual magic. Someone found something in the woods and has been messing with it on purpose. We will need to find the source to get the full picture.”
“Want me to stay back and keep an eye on the family?”
“Depends. Did you see any switches happen on my walk around?”
“Nope, and I don't think anyone has noticed the active switch yet.”
“Good. We have time. Come with me. I want your eyes on this. You have a closer connection to this flavor of old magic and chances are I'll need a second pair of hands for this.”
“I assume you have a way to find it.”
“Yep.” I held up my hand. “Follow the marbles.”
