"And now for the latest news out of Europe! Negotiations between the Kingdom of Belgium and the Central African Federation appear to have come to a screeching halt today after the CAF's representative party abruptly walked out of their meeting in Dublin earlier this afternoon. After days of back and forth between the two delegations, the Belgian government has denied the CAF's request to turn over forty political refugees who have been living within the small European nation ever since the formal establishment of the CAF back in 2003. The CAF has repeatedly asserted that these men and women are terrorists who need to face justice for the crimes they committed during the brutal civil war that left over twenty million people dead by its end. And that the Belgian government should cease all actions in regard to aiding and abetting the apparent fugitives.
It is unknown precisely what course of action either nation will take in the aftermath of this situation. However, United Nations sources have told us that the CAF is set to make an official announcement within the coming days. Experts predict that this announcement will likely come with a disruption to the global trade of mineral and agricultural resources out of Africa..."
"Damn." Was all Cyrus could say as he watched the news feed on his phone. The young man was in the middle of making dinner and had decided to catch up on some world news while he waited for his hash browns to finish cooking. "Y'know...I still can't believe that the CAF is actually run by sorcerers. And by Iznana of all groups."
In his opinion, one of the most shocking things Cyrus learned after being introduced to the world of sorcerers was the truth behind the formation of the world's newest superpower.
According to the official story that was now cemented in the history books, the CAF was formed after a dispute concerning the result of the presidential election in the former Democratic Republic of the Congo spiraled out of control into a full-blown civil war.
The early stages of the war within the DRC saw every region experience massive losses of life within only six months. Multiple tribal warlords then declared themselves rulers of their own areas, and the situation basically snowballed from there. If Cyrus remembered correctly, over three hundred thousand people died in that short time alone. Even then, that was only the official number.
Before the end of the first year of fighting, the countries once known as the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and Burundi all got caught up in the mess. This was thanks to multiple guerrilla groups and militias establishing strongholds within their borders. By then, the entire region of central Africa was tearing itself apart, and no one was able to stop it.
Even multiple attempts by the UN to create some sort of order failed when a dozen of their dignitaries disappeared en route to Kinshasa. From what Cyrus read about the conflict during his sophomore year in high school, there were plans for other countries to intervene in the war. However, those came to an abrupt end thanks to the US's invasion of Iraq shortly after.
Unfortunately, that lack of intervention was exactly what all of the warring parties wanted. And from there, it could only be described as pure chaos across the region. Hundreds of reported cases of the use of chemical weapons, kidnappings, the use of child soldiers, high-level assassinations of government officials, mass starvation, the establishment of death camps, and other atrocities came flooding in across all of the major news stations. There was even an incident where the execution of a group of priests in the former nation of Burundi made its way onto the internet. By all accounts, some of the worst human rights violations in history were said to have taken place during the war.
Then, roughly two years into the war, a man known as Edo Akolo cemented himself as the dominant power player in the region. The man masterfully defeated and absorbed several other militia groups into his forces before taking down every warlord in the region in only a few months. After Akolo's official territory encompassed the entirety of the former DRC, the man surprised the rest of the world by announcing his intentions to establish a new country before swiftly invading the other three nations and taking them over. By September of 2003, Akolo was effectively the man in charge of one of the most valuable swaths of land in the world. And no one was able to stop him.
By the end of 2003, the nation now known as the Central African Federation was officially established. Akolo and his supporters had cemented his power base, and the man became the nation's first sitting President. From there, Akolo made quick work of stomping out the last of the remaining dissidents before spearheading the nation into a phase of redevelopment and industrialization that most thought impossible at the time. And by the end of his seven-year term as President, Akolo's CAF was a thriving nation with command of the most resource-rich region of the continent.
At least, that was the official story....
In truth, much of what really happened during the war never came to light. And that was because the world had a vested interest in suppressing the details as much as possible.
The real reason why Edo Akolo had been so successful in his campaign was because the first President of CAF was actually a well-known branch leader of Iznana at the time. The man, a 'light magic' user based on what Cyrus was told, used the resources of his criminal organization and his political connections to create a literal army of sorcerers. An army that absolutely steamrolled the other military forces in the region with ruthless efficiency.
According to what Ayako had told Cyrus, despite already being a major player in the DRC, Iznana wasn't involved in the events that led to the start of the war. However, once it was clear how things were going to play out, Akolo and the other branch leaders of Iznana decided to seize the opportunity and chose to take over the country for themselves. And sure enough, they were able to do so thanks to their superior firepower and the quality of their soldiers. In Ayako's opinion, once Iznana came into the picture, it could've hardly been considered a fair fight.
One of the things that Cyrus learned from both his partner and the reading he had done on the subject was that most of the chemical weapons attacks reported to have taken place during the war weren't even real. In actuality, they were all the result of a single A-rank 'poison magic' user using his powers to mow down hordes of people in a single night. And the same goes for many of the other seemingly miraculous military victories that Akolo's forces were able to pull off during their conquest of the region. They were only able to accomplish such feats thanks to the effective use of magic and skilled sorcerers.
Apparently, other nations were furious about this and were ready to send in a coalition of sorcerers to deal with Iznana's hostile takeover once and for all. However, some sort of deal was made between Iznana and the UN that stopped the other major nations of the world from sending their people in.
Based on what Cyrus was able to gather, Akolo was ready to expose the existence of sorcerers to the entire world if anyone dared to send even a single foreign sorcerer into his freshly made border. But, the 'tree magic' user wasn't really sure about that. Not much is known about what exactly was said between the two parties, but the end result was the official recognition of the CAF by every major world power almost immediately after its establishment.
"Even with all that, I did hear that it was a nice place to visit." The young man said aloud as he began to place his freshly baked hashbrowns onto his plate. Even taking a moment to sip on the glass of sweet tea that sat on top of his counter.
These days, the CAF is one of the safest and most prosperous nations on the planet. By the fifteenth anniversary of its creation, it became a certified global superpower whose citizens lived lives that put most European and Asian countries to shame. And that was especially true for sorcerers.
It was well-known among the global sorcerer community that the CAF had an "open border" policy when it came to sorcerers from other countries looking to change their lives. Which was no surprise considering the country was basically run by Iznana. Any sorcerer looking to improve their livelihood, escape persecution, or even dodge the law was welcome in the CAF. They were even given the fast track to citizenship if they so desired. The country was actually the go-to destination for any sorcerer who was trying to escape a lengthy prison sentence back in their homelands. And with the more sorcerers coming in, the more people Iznana had at its disposal to conduct their operations around the world.
Cyrus would be lying if he said that he wasn't interested in going to see the place sometime in the future. Obvious propaganda aside, the way that he's seen the country described made it sound like a paradise for his kind. Of course, sorcerers still weren't allowed to openly use their powers in the streets to avoid ruffling the feathers of the international community. Despite that, sorcerers still had much more freedom within the CAF compared to other places.
On top of that, the CAF was home to a ton of 'tree magic' users. The chance to study and learn more about his magic from people who were more knowledgeable than he was made Cyrus want to hop on the next plane to Africa and experience it for himself. However, such a thing wasn't really possible for him at the time.
"Maybe one day...." The young man smiled to himself before picking up his plate and making his way over to his desk. He then wasted no time before diving into his meal and watching a few more news clips before tossing himself into bed and falling asleep.
-(o)-
In the unmarked warehouse where the Iznana trio typically ran their operations, Aaron Donovan was casually making his way down the stairs en route to the basement. The stoic young man was having a rather satisfying day so far, thanks to him having an easy day at work. And he was looking to capitalize on that as soon as he was done here. But sadly for him, there was no rest for the wicked.
The young 'fire magic' user hadn't even planned on showing up at the warehouse today since there wasn't really anything for him to do here. All of his underlings were out handling their individual assignments, and there wasn't anyone that he needed to go pick up. Days like this were usually the kind where Aaron could just sit at home and relax. Unfortunately, plans changed when his sister called him and informed him that he needed to take care of some business regarding her special job.
Before he knew it, Aaron was standing outside of a metal door at the far end of the hallway. Even from where he was standing, the stoic teen could feel the cold air spilling out from the other side.
It was always obvious whenever Hannah was using her magic. The woman had a habit of spreading her mana out over a large area just to make sure that she maximized its effectiveness. Such a thing always came with the added effect of dropping the temperature of the surrounding area to the point that most people would've needed a winter coat just to stand next to her. Luckily for Aaron, 'fire magic' users could keep themselves warm by using their magic to internally heat up their bodies whenever they felt like it. So, cold temperatures never truly bothered him anyway.
With no intention of standing out here for long, the young man placed his hand on the door and delivered four forceful taps upon the cold metal surface. A few seconds passed by before the voice from the other side called out to him.
"It's open, come in!"
The stoic teen did as he was told and placed his hand on the door handle before pulling it down and entering the room. Upon entry, the man was met with the sight of a large room containing various pieces of medical equipment carefully laid out along a series of shelves, cabinets, and tables. Among those pieces of equipment were a few notable devices that Aaron knew the general purpose of, but couldn't readily identify. Then again, it wasn't like the guy was very interested in finding out what they were used for in the first place.
In the middle of the room, standing in front of a large examination table, was Hannah. The strawberry blonde was in the process of buttoning her shirt back up and fixing her hair. Her face was flush, and it was clear that she had just finished engaging in that little hobby of hers before her brother showed up. And judging by the look of the naked man currently strapped down to the exam table, Hannah had been there for a while.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice." Hannah gave Aaron a quick smile as she took a sip from her insulated water bottle.
"No problem." The 'fire magic' user replied in his usual tone of voice.
Aaron would be lying if he said that he approved of how his sister conducted her business. He knew that the woman's job was important, but something about the way she went about things never really sat right with him. Then again, he wasn't really in a position to judge others for their actions, especially when you consider how he usually takes care of business for their group.
Once she was presentable, Hannah then walked over to a nearby table and placed her hand on top of a metal container roughly the size of a shoebox. The woman quickly activated her mana and used her 'ice magic' to make sure that its contents were frozen solid. Within seconds, a thin layer of ice formed on the outer layer of the box. With that step now complete, Hannah then placed the box inside a large, temperature-controlled briefcase before closing it shut and locking it.
"And done!" The woman then said with a satisfied smile. "Now all I need to do is ship these off and we'll be good to go!"
"So...where're those going?" Aaron then asked out of genuine curiosity. He never really gave that much thought as to who his sister's clients were. However, considering the lengths he went through to secure this particular specimen a few weeks ago, the 'fire magic' user felt like he should be clued in on who the buyer was.
"If everything goes as planned, straight to the CAF." Hannah replied. "From what the Boss told me, one of the other Iznana branch heads has been trying to get their hands on 'explosion magic' for quite some time. With this, she's hoping to use it as leverage in order to get some things that she wants."
"I see."
"Luckily, getting these only took me a week and a half. Usually, it takes me a full month to get a full set of usable product before I can ship it."
Hannah then slapped her hand on the front side of the metal briefcase to further accentuate her point. She was right, though; usually, it took way longer for her to get what she needed from whatever specimen she had on her exam table. This time around was remarkably shorter than the rest.
"So, I'm guessing that you don't need him anymore?"
Hannah took a moment to look back at the man on the exam table. His naked body was completely covered in fresh cuts and bruises. And his long, shaggy black hair did nothing to hide the horrific state that his face was in. Even with the blindfold covering his eyes, it was clear that he wasn't going to be seeing straight for a while. And although he was obviously unconscious, the guy was shivering so badly that it looked like he was about to go into shock at any moment.
Aaron did feel a twinge of sympathy for the guy, though. Getting kidnapped in the middle of your own bachelor party and spending the next two weeks in an unknown location getting milked like a cow was certainly the kind of thing that caused long-lasting trauma. This is especially true when you factor in the amount of time he's been floating in and out of consciousness thanks to all the drugs currently circulating through his system. But hey, it could always be worse, right?
'How old is this guy again? Twenty-two, twenty-three? Yeah...he'll be fine.'
"Nope, he's all yours!" Hannah gave her brother a thumbs-up and a grin. "The boss said that we could just drop him off wherever. It'll probably be a few days before he's able to make it back home on his own. Not that I really care."
"I still say that killing him would be easier."
Hannah couldn't really argue with her brother's logic. After all, even if she made sure to cover her tracks, there was always a slim chance that something could go wrong when they released their captives.
"You know the rules, the boss has forbidden us from killing any sorcerers unless our lives are in danger. Besides, it'd be a waste to get rid of someone with such valuable magic. You never know when we might need him again."
"Sure, whatever...."
The two siblings then walked out of the room and began making their way upstairs. Along the way, Hannah decided to inform her brother of their next course of action as soon as the fundraiser job was finished.
"We're going to be going after Cyrus once everything from the heist is over and done with." The 'ice magic' user declared in a serious tone.
All Aaron did in response was look a the woman and quirk his eyebrow in her direction.
"The boss did some digging and she was able to confirm your theory. His 'tree magic' can absorb mana. Not only that, but the mana it absorbs can rapidly accelerate its growth and increase its strength. I remember him saying something along those lines when we all hung out that one night, but Cyrus made sure to keep out the stuff about its special property. Once we get our hands on him, we'll be able to sell his DNA for a high price. Hell, if we play our cards right, we'll be able to sell it all to the Blair family. You know they'll pay top dollar to have that kind of power in their gene pool."
"Understood." Aaron simply nodded. "I'll come up with a plan on how to capture him once we're done with the fundraiser."
"Let me know if you need anything in the meantime. The fact that she looked into it herself tells me that the boss really wants this guy. We need to make sure that we don't screw it up. I think we may have stumbled on a goldmine with this one."
"Noted."
The two then fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way up the steps. There was much work to be done before either of them could go home for the day. After all, they still needed to ship the guy in the basement back to Virginia before he ended up dying on them. But after that, the two Iznana siblings would be able to enjoy a nice and relaxing evening before hunkering down and getting ready for their big mission. And god knows they were going to need it.