Major Alexander Manukov watched from the glass walled office in the big warehouse as lieutenant Vasili Novosiltsev supervised the loading of a string of recalcitrant mules. They had been training their previously non-existent animal handling skills in preparation for the expedition to locate the possibly mythical Tsarina Anastasia Alexandrovna Romanov .

Hearing footsteps approaching the office he found himself in he turned to see Shal in her Nadia persona approaching the open doorway. Nadia smiled at him when he turned round and joined him at the window.

“What do you need so many mules for?” Nadia asked.

“We have a mission off-world and need to carry all our ammunition and some stores.”

“Oh, why don’t use storage devices, you know a bag of holding kind of thing?”

“Storage devices? Bag of Holding like in RPGs, they exist!” exclaimed Alexander.

“Yes, I’ve got a small one here, the small ones are fairly easy to obtain,” Nadia answered and touched her necklace.

Alexander sighed, “please, how do they work and how much can they hold?”

“This one has twenty slots, not sure what or how a slot is but the quantity seems to depend more on – size I guess. It seems to be more unit based with a unit only occupying more than one slot if it goes over a certain size,” Nadia attempted to explain. She looked down at the mules being unloaded and tried again, “One round if loose would occupy one slot, but so would one clip or several if they were taped together, whilst one of those boxes might occupy two, if they even were able to fit through the opening of the storage device.”

The elf drew in a deep breath as his world changed yet again, well aware that the little trickster beside him was enjoying his frustration. “Right, where can we get these things? Adventurer’s Guild right!”

“Well yes, but you really should try the enchanter you have working at the university first. It should prove considerably cheaper and more secure than letting the Adventurer’s Guild learn you need several expensive magical items, they’d gouge you blind,” Nadia replied with a giggle.

Alexander dismissed his troops and took Nadia with him to see General so that she could demonstrate her storage device.

Both men were staggered by the possibilities, especially when Nadia casually mentioned that time didn’t seem to pass inside the devices and things didn’t deteriorate when stored.

* * *

Later that day Nadia was strolling round Copenhagen’s Freetown Christiania enjoying the sights and planning a tiny little joke when her mobile phone rang. Recognising the ringtone she answered, “Hi aunty dear, how’s your day been?”

“You’ve been naughty Shal, you know the Guild warned us not to reveal certain things, like the storage devices,” Droleen scolded.

“The guild can go... kiss a rabid dragon! Loki wants Midgard to have storage devices so now Midgard does.”

“Shal you should be careful, he’s a highly – erratic – God.”

Shal laughed loudly, “Auntie dear, given your speciality, what would happen to your little innocent niece if she drank an enchanted potion containing blood of her God and his entire family.” Shal paused for a few seconds enjoying the shocked silence at the other end, “as I did several months ago.” Then she waited again.

Finally Droleen recovered herself somewhat, “are you sure? Do your parents know Shal?”

“Yes I’m sure, all the expected symptoms have been showing up one after another and no they don’t. I haven’t been able to figure out how to tell them.”

After the silence lasted for a minute Shal added, “got to go auntie, got something to do. See you soon. Bye.” Shal cut the connection and grinned widely while looking at the Morgenstedet eatery.

A quick spell ensured no one was looking at her, she shifted to her wolf form and noted she’d grown again. She hopped over the pale blue wooden fence and headed for the door. Several screams rang out in the crowded street. She barged through the door destroying and the window above it while her shoulder broke the post between the door an the window. She looked round at the diners and staff and growled ensuring that smoke rolled out of her nose while blue white flames licked round her teeth.

Several patrons fainted and the rest fled following the staff through the kitchens.

Shal entered the dining room, curled a lip at the smells, and marked the place in a distinctive canine way – after all she didn’t want her prank dismissed as a result of drugs – before gating away.

* * *

Ashes was waiting with her adopted parents for agents Mandy Carvalho and Marcus Smith who this time had been unable to avoid visiting Kansas.

Ms Carvalho once again did all the talking while her partner loomed in the background. After rehashing Ashes’ knowledge of Badonia – excellent regarding the trade and working class areas of Foraville, good for the rest of the town and only second had stories and rumours regarding the rest of the world.

Ms Carvalho then asked Ashes what she thought of the chances of a pair of reporters who were planning a fact finding trip to Badonia. Ms Carvalho showed them a few video clips of the two reporters in question.

Ashes’ eyes opened wide in shock, “That Gate! I’ve never seen or heard of anyone opening a gate that easily.”

That led to more explanations and more questions Ashes simply didn’t have the knowledge to answer.

When they finally returned to the reporters probable chances Ashes replied, “They plan to poke their noses into everything and will be rood to boot. None, they wont last a week without very good and very tolerant bodyguards.”