Chapter 6 - demonic talk

When the girl exited the room, Just a kid really. My god, what goes on in Vincent’s head? , Elijah raised her head again. Shadows. She didn’t see it but the shadows distorded when she yelled at me. That’s no potential, that’s fucking miracle. And she pass through my Shadowstep like it’s some refreshing summer breeze. She felt another headache coming. The Exorcist cell of the city was restless since last wednesday’s event and she had nearly lost a member in a skirmish just yesterday. Her second Counselor was still missing and Pierre was giving the Adept in charge of him a lot of problem. Fucking spoiled brat. And now, on top of that, Vincent fucking Chrystobalt, High Counselor of Brussels’ Demonic HQ, Vincent had come personnaly to put a girl, a child, in her care. I just want my vacation to Hawaii, bloody hell! But no, with wednesday’s event, she ought to stay and supervise her cell herself, lest she found it destroyed when she got back. A fucking mess, that’s what it is. Why would the girl be in danger? By dint of having those thought stressing her, her old wound started aching again. She got ut and started massaging the bottom of her back. Exorcists, or wild demons. If there is a problem, search for one of those, maybe even both… Ignorant faithful fools. She suddenly felt a ripple going through the structure of this space. Someone used the emergency entrance!

***

“Try moving it, please?” Asked the man, Phillip. “Everything seems alright?”

“Yes, thanks!” Happiness was painted on Lysandre’s face a s she tested her newly healed arm, the cast split in two lying on the ground.

“Perfect.” He took the cast and poured some strange liquid from a vial he just took out. “There. You arm is healed, but no one should know until a doctor look at it so, for now, keep your cast on. I’ve glued it’s two part together so that, if you draw a bit on them you can separate them again, then put it back together. At will.” “Handy.” Commented the girl, testing the claim of the Alchemist. “Thanks, it’s a personnal formula.” With his ritual mask, she couldn’t see him smile, but she could hear it. “Why do you wear a mask?” “Why? Because you’re not yet part of this cell, Claimant. Your escort broke protocole, not having his’. This one, he is always making trouble.” The last part of is sentence was said in a very low voice, and Lysandre didn’t know if she was supposed to have heard. Seems like he is not a douchbag only to me. I mean, he is cute, but what a asshole. “Claimant!” “What?” She had lost herself in her thought and Phillip had called her three time before she snapped out of her reverie. “You look like a zombie. Pierre will take you back home so you can rest and think about your day.” “Pierre? Why him?!” He looked at her, contemplating the idea of not responding to her. “...Because he’s the only one amongst us that can use shadow magic, and we were on short notice to take you here. It took a surprisingly long time to find you, considering Lastreau and its surroundings aren’t that big.” “Thanks…!” She was cut short in her sentence by Pierre and his bad mood. “Let’s go dear guest, I don’t have all the night!” And he went past her, not even waiting for Lysandre. “This brat. Go after him, I’m sure he would let you in the parking seeing the mood he is in.” Phillip’s voice was sympathetic, and she rushed behind Pierre while hurriedly thanking the doctor. What a monday...

***

The travel went quietly and he had dumped the girl on her doorstep. Fucking kid! He raged while rushing through the silent houses, exceeding the speed limit. How dare she mess with my plans, that bitch! But under all of his anger, a hint of fear was flickering, images of his mom. I won’t let her destroy my futur! In Lastreau, a dark thing sped-up even more...

***

She slept the sleep of a corpse, her cast removed so she could be more confortable in her bed, until something woke her up.

Who the fuck is calling me at this hour? Sleepy anger propelled her toward her ringing phone.

“Yes?”

“Glimmer? I call you because school just called me to say that you weren’t there…” The hidden question in her mother’s tone was pretty clear.

“Oh yes, sorry mom. I don’t feel very good today, and since yesterday didn’t go well, I prefered to stay home and rest.”

“...Of course Glimmer. Next time, warn me, understood?”

“Yes mom, sorry again.”

“Don’t worry Glimmer. I know that you’re not on your peak form right now. Go rest a bit, I will come back sooner today so you don’t have to cook to have something to eat.”

“Thanks mom.Well, I’m going back to sleep. Bye mom, I love!”

“I love you too Glimmer! Bye!”

The phone put down, Lysandre went back to sleep. Tried to go back to sleep, in reality. What she fell in was a fevorous half-sleep with mixed dreams and nightmares, demons, angels and all sorts of things. Why is it already so hot? We’re just but in May. I HATE THIS HEAT! The thought was loud, very loud.

***

She was awakened by the cold, shivering under her thin summer blanket. She moved and heard and felt ice crack along her body and around her hands. Her breath was a cloud and frost covered the walls. W-what the fuck? Her body was numb and she was lightheaded. Bad! She jumped into action, opening her two windows wides, letting the hot air of the afternoon go in, washing the cold away from her body and bedroom. “Urgh!” She had been so startled by the event that she hadn’t directly felt the pain coming from her left hand, now crashing down on her. Did I produce the cold? She thought. I really cryoburned myself? She touched the book hanging at her waist, caressing it. That’s dangerous. She realized, watching the frost melt away. Her eyes fell on her clock. Already 2pm. It seems that I’ve slept more than my share. Soon enough, any evidence that something had happened disappeared, minus her injury. How should I take care of a cryoburn? She turned her computer onn her cast stored not far away, quickly searching the answer. Thaw the burn in lukewarm water, then cover with a sterile dressing. Got it. Since the burn wasn’t extensive or profound, she took her time taking care of it, making herself some tea while being at it. A bit more than half an hour later, she was back in her bedroom, wishing she had closed her windows sooner. Where the atmosphere had been below-zero temperature, the heat of the afternoon had now taken over, with its unbearably damp warmth. Out of habit, she sited herself in front of her computer but she then hesitated, looking back and forth between her pc and her grimoire. I’ve time and I’m well rested. Let’s see what I can pry from it. She went back to her bed, sitting on it crosslegged this time, and took the book between her hands. Demons and Angels, magic and monsters… She didn’t really know how to feel about all of this. On one hand it was extremely scary, her life being at stakes and parasitic demons flooding her surrounding, magic threatening her and demonists recruiting her. But… But on the other hand she was also excited, and quite a lot. Magic! Angels, Demons! Pretty much each reason she was scared were also reasons she was excited. A life of excitement. How many people would kill to have that… How many not to have it…

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Stop, you’re caught in it, stop to worry over what you can’t control. And try to control what you can… She focused her attention back on the book but couldn’t stop herself scoffing. I’ve a magical grimoire and her I am, with my mug of tea in the dim light of my bedroom, my pc turned on, wondering if I shouldn’t try and study instead of doing magic. She opened the first page of her grimoire, the paper feeling strangely heavy under her hand. From time to time, the bloodmark of her back hand appeared before disappearing again, flickering back and forth between the two state. How strange. Let’s check something before going forward. She looked at herself in her mirror, in particular at her forehead and there it was, the twin mark of the one on her hand, doing the same back and forth. I wonder why they are doing that. She went back to sitting on her bed and got back up right away because, airheaded as she was, she had forgotten to take had tablet and headset.

All ready now? She asked herself, annoyed, checking that she hadn’t forget anything else. Finally, she turned her music on.

“In the world that I created, I’m intoxicated~...” She hummed with the song, taking the book back.

Like the last time, the first page was covered by the instruction for two spells, Freezing Hand and Shadow Cloak she had decided to call them. Wow? What the fuck? As soon as she had tought of the names, two new lines had appeared in the book. It as named the spells after my thought? She was surprized, but not for too long because it was, after all, a magical book. Let’s see if something appeared on the other pages. She tried to turn the page but it was even more heavy than the first one. She finally succeeded after a big effort. ...All of this for a blank page? But as soon as the thought ended, text started appearing on the paper.

Sil--O-Lysandre

Hello, Enduring one. She read, translating naturally. Enduring one? She had translated her own name without thinking about it, but she couldn’t find a better description than Enduring one for it. Strange.

Ot-Y-Roushra-Lysandre-DeoDeaMeaDrid-Etas(Yx)

That’s the meaning of Lysandre in the Demonic Language. Answered the book.

Can you read my thought? She suddenly thought.

Breo-Tyl-Y-Mel-A-Nikt-O-Trostl-Y-Wly--Lysandre-Grifa(Jid)

Krsna-Xiwrishi-Vavlatiosl-O-Wly-Z-Arata-X-Etas(Yx)

Only if you don’t keep me out of your head, Enduring One. What a fitting name for my bearer.

She started reading without even thinking of the Demonic version.

Guarding my head?

Of course. You can keep your secrets if you want, like this thought about Nora of 4-latin-greek. It teased her, making her blush more than a little. Or about Jonathan of… All right all right I understood the first time!

I know.

Once the words weren’t needed anymore, they disappeared to make place for the next one.

You’re mean.

No, I’m teasing you.

It’s the same.

If you want.

I want.

...Good… Can we go on now?

Yes, we can.

Perfect. First of all, you’re the first human to have broken the First Seal! Congratualtion, Enduring One!

The first seal?

Yes. I have multiple seal keeping my power in check. Breaking the first one mean you can access the first strata of power and knowledge I possess. WHich is, He kept going, feeling the confusion in its bearer’s head, Basic spells, basic knowledge about magic, demon, alchemy and other mystical art, and advanced knowledge on the human world.

So you tell me that I can ask about those, and you will answer me?

Yes. For all other knowledge, a price will be asked till you’ve opened the seal needed to access it freely.

Copy. So, what are you?

The price to answer is too high.

Already not answering? ...Questions, questions…

***

The girl struggled under two of the Exorcist, her parasitic demon snarling and attacking everything it could. A blade of light cut through it and both of them stopped moving.

“Take her to the infirmary and asked Father Noctro to come. She was profoundly infected, she may have sequela.” Said the woman holding the light blade.

“Yes ma’am!” Answered the two young Exorcist, taking care of the matter at hand. She didn’t go to school today, I hope she’s well. Laeticia put her blade away, looking at the blue night sky, so clear.

“Ma’am, the Master-at-Arms is asking for you.” “I’m coming.” She didn’t loiter going back to ther HQ. When the Master-at-Arms called, you came running. When she arrived, he was working on a weapon, as always. Strange tools came from the walls and cealing, hanging on robotic arms, ready to be used.

“Laeticia. I think you wanted to talk with me?”

“Yes sir. It’s about your… your daughter.”

“What about my daughter?”

“We talked a bit after school, yesterday. It’s highly likely that she can now see parasitic demons…”

“What?” The voice of Lysandre’s father echoed for a long time on the walls of is workshop.