To Be Fair This is Not Entirely My Fault Like Most Things

"Halt!" Why do people tell you to halt? This is a question that has arisen many times since I've been back in circulation. I mean I guess with the rise of ranged weaponry telling people to stop moving is a smarter move so you can better shoot them, but why would they want to do that for you? "Oh hey yeah I'll stop moving I hate to be a bother for all the shooting." Slats to my dismay followed orders. I tell you its like most of these young people don't understand the concept of resistance to authority! I turned to face our accusers and tried to blow them up as I had done before. Slats attempted to stop me, but since magic is basically me causing something to happen stopping it is impossible. Well or so I thought, because instead of my enemies bullets exploding nothing happened at first, and then a huge gout of flame exploded back towards me and Slats.

I guess in my time out magic while diminishing had also been contained as of sorts, there were devices used now that can "swallow" magic and then release it in highly destructive ways. They aren't really directed devices, more like a mirror, so its not exactly a weapon you can utilize directly, but in my case it did almost roast my silly ass. I really need to start paying attention to those command briefings, though to be fair to me (as I always am) this wasn't covered in the command briefing.  At least the fire gout allowed slats and I to evade our halting overlords.

"What in the gods was that?" I was not particularly happy about being almost roasted.

"Magic reflector, I haven't worked with someone magical before didn't even think to mention it."

"Thanks Slats you're a pal." He frowned at me, it wasn't his fault, even if he worked with magical people normally they'd have been more aware of the device. Which did raise the question of how lucky I got that the group we landed in originally apparently didn't have their own magic reflector, probably because we landed in a base and not a patrol, still happy to be alive as usual even if it was by dumb luck (my preferred way of doing things).

Slats and I were doing decently, making good time outside of that one patrol, of course in the light of the early morning we found out how wrong we were.  Apparently our drop had gone disastrously off course and not only were we far away from the rally point, we were in the middle of the entire enemy army. Because my life sucks and apparently airship pilots are idiots.