Chapter 22

A Mortal Coil

  Before I realize it, my hand is snaking out and wrapping its way around the seemingly defenseless spirit of Maxine, my mentor’s personal magical rival here at Arcanarus University. A professor who up until a moment ago had been spying on me, circling around me in the spirit world as if I was some thirteen year old piece of art. Regardless of how you spin this, or what his intentions truly were, the optics for what he was doing are bad. Effectively he appears to either be a stalker, or something less than becoming of an Academic professor.

  Kind of odd really, I don’t mind real fire breathing monsters that threaten to burn down the world around me. But something about the way the guy glared at me was just slightly unnerving. Also the way he paced around me without any real definition of personal space. I can't lay a finger on it, other than it was unsettling.

  “What? What is this?”

  “I could ask you the same thing…” I say in a menacing tone.

New Skill Gained: Intimidation has reached level 1. Skill Intimidation is a Strength, Personality, and Willpower based skill.

  The system seemed to agree with my thought as it rewarded me with a new skill. Still, I didn’t have time for this, as I turned my cold dead eyes to face the professor.

  “Let me go, please.” The professor tried to struggle, but soon found they were powerless to stop my kung fu grip. I notice that in this form he is far weaker than one might expect. His body tries to struggle, but he seems to be ineffectual against my grip.

  “What are you doing, stalker.” I say, making sure to keep my dead eyes locked directly on him. Not that I need to see him with them, but I know it is helping me improve my Intimidation skill even as we speak. I still have it so I receive the first skill notification, then the others are muted until I go back and look at them. It makes it a lot easier for me to handle situations like this. Situations where I need to focus on everything before me. I am after all dealing with a mage who is at a far higher level than me, and one who could no doubt incinerate me with a thought if they were in their corporeal body.

  Fortunately for me they seemed to be stuck in some form of weakened spiritual state as they didn’t seem to be taking damage. At least not like I would expect. If anything this spell that the professor has created seems to have a few tradeoffs, namely no burning away of their soul, in exchange for diminished magical capacity. This would normally be fine, especially as the spell was clearly designed to be able to move around in the spiritual realm to effectively spy on people.

  You know, the more I think about this spell, the more I realize I think it is sleezy. Well, no, the spell itself is fine, the way it was being used, now that is sleezy.

  I know, I too could probably be called a stalker myself, as the only way I caught this stalker in the act was the fact that I was stalking him myself. But I was doing espionage, while he was completely just checking out a thirteen year old. Well, a nearly eighty-year-old mind that happens to be inhabiting a thirteen-year old’s body, but that doesn't change anything.

  “What happened to that dark elf girl’s hand?”

  “Yeah it just disappeared.”

  Two students are talking about me. I realize this is going to look bad here, if I don’t prove my innocence, so I grab with my free hand and cut a rift that is slightly bigger, then I pull.

  I am expecting some kind of resistance, but there is almost none. Imagine pulling congealed Jell-O through an opening and that is what the process I was experiencing felt like. Literally a light sac of loosely congealed slime that sort of flowed and reassembled after being stretched and pulled.

  “Whoa!”

  “Isn’t that a professor?” A third voice asked.

  “This man was spying on me from the spirit realm.” I claim.

  “What no, I was just examining you. You glow.” The professor said, using words that likely didn’t help his case of not being a stalker out.

  “Ahh! Stop, it burns.” The professor said, at that I realized he was finally taking damage from his state. It appears that his spell managed to convert his mental consciousness completely over to a spirit, meaning that once I pulled his astral form from the spirit world, he began taking damage.

  Looking at this, I couldn’t help but be impressed by both the brilliance and idiocy of the spell all at once. The spell proved that mana could be converted from one form to another, but then he went to use that spell to spy on students and staff.

  Sizzle.

  As I hold the man, I can hear and see the way his spiritual body is burning away quickly. Seeing him in this state, I am tempted to let him go. Only to realize that his tether, or long thin piece of slime that connected him to his body is now gone. The reason it is gone is that once I pulled him free of the spirit world, the hole I had created to pull him out sealed shut. Once that happened the tether that bound his spirit to his body was gone.

  This meant that even if I let him go now, which I wasn’t sure I wanted to, he would likely die as I don’t think he can go directly into his body from here. My assumption is that he would first need to go back to the spirit realm and then reenter his body from that realm.

  Sizzle sizzle.

  Still, I can’t just let him burn away.

  “What is the meaning of this?” An elderly female voice calls out in a tone that is used to being heard.

  “She won’t let me go.” Professor Maxine says.

  “Idiot. If I let you go now, you will die out here.” I state, as I use my unique class perk, Death Shroud, to protect the idiot professor from burning away.

  “Ahh.”

  The minute I do, he lets out an unmistakable moan of relief.

  “What is going on here?” The professor once again states.

  By this point I can tell that many people are gathering around to see what exactly is happening.

  “She won’t let me go.” Maxine states.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Idiot, I already told you that if I let you go, your spirit will burn away. As you are in the real world without your body acting as a barrier of protection.” I state.

  “Just how did you come to hold him?” The commanding professor asks.

  “This man was spying on me. Watching me, stalking me from the spirit realm, so I grabbed him to show everyone what type of monster exists in this school. One who would sneak up on and stalk a thirteen-year-old girl.” I state.

  Hearing this the woman with the commanding presence turned from me to professor Maxine. “What do you have to say about this situation?” She asked.

  “What, Vice Principle? I wasn’t spying on her, as she states. I was just testing out a new spell and then I happened to notice her and was interested in why she looked so different spiritually than everyone else. So I came over to investigate. Next thing I know she grabs me and then forcefully pulls me here.” Maxine says.

  The old lady, the vice principal, pauses for a moment, then seems to come up with a few other questions that need to be asked.

  “What exactly did you see coming from this girl?” The Vice Principal asks.

  “I didn’t know at first, but looking at her, I’d say she has a sort of innocence to her.”

  I feel my body cringe as I realize I still need to hold this guy to keep him here. Even now I am using a bit of my body’s converted spirit mana to coat my hand and make it so I can hold this man still.

  “Professor Maxine. Let me see if I have this story correct.” She states as she looks around at the growing number of people that are in the open air area of the campus. “You are accused with stalking a young girl, who then cornered you and is now holding you still after clearly catching you far from your office and physical body. When asked why you would be observing her, your answer was and I quote ‘she has a sort of innocence to her that you had to check out?’ Is that correct so far?”

  Even hearing that, I couldn’t help but shiver in revulsion internally. Externally I tried to keep a poker face on, as I didn’t want to give away just how bad I thought this was going. I mean, I could see the trap a mile away, yet this professor was either too stupid, or too disoriented to realize the trap that had been laid out for him.

  “That is correct.” Maxine states, “but really it was for research. This is a new spell that I have been developing.” He states.

  The vice Principal just turns to me. “How long would you say he was in your words spying on you?”

  With that, I proceed to go over the full chain of events.

  “I first felt his spirit originate from that room over there.” I say, pointing directly towards his office. “Then he proceeded to walk straight out from that room into the quad here. At which point he looked around and then proceeded to approach me from behind, then stop and stare down at me for several minutes, before slowly making his way around me, all within arm’s reach.” I say, as I flex said arm. “Then I waited until he came right in front of me and grabbed him in the act. From there I pulled him through and now here we are.”

  The Vice Principal casts a form of spirit magic, I can tell because of the dark purple color.

  “He is a spirit?” She asks.

  “That is correct.”

  “How is he not being burnt alive right now?”

  “He was, I just used a class perk to keep him from being burnt to ash.” I state.

  “To ash?” The professor states a note of concern in their voice.

  “Yes, now stop struggling so I can maintain the connection to keep you from burning alive.” I reply.

  At that he instantly stops resisting. No doubt he remembers those first few seconds where he was being burnt and realizes that my touching him is likely the only reason he is still alive, or at the very least the only reason he is not being roasted constantly. Of course, the truth is I don’t need to touch him to maintain the effect, but he doesn’t need to know that, at least not yet.

  There is a silence that fills the area for a second, before the vice principal asks her next question.

  “Child, I assume that since you are here and I am not yet aware of your presence, you are a new Spirit mage?”

  I nod.

  “Have you already found a mentor?”

  I nod again. “Master Groa has taken me on.”

  “That witch?” Maxine states, then turns to face the vice principal. “This is all a set up.”

  “A set up? One where you were lured to cast a new spell that no one has seen yet. One where you were all but forced to stalk a thirteen-year-old girl?” The vice principal asks, a note of incredulity to her tone.

  “Ophelia, please you must understand…” Maxine states, apparently using her first name as she quickly corrects him.

  “It is either Vice Principal, or Vice Principal Umbra.” Vice Principal Umbra states in a tone that clearly some line has been crossed, or a line would be crossed if he was unprofessional with her again.

  Even the professor in my hands seems to understand the implications of this comment, as he stops moving.

  During this time the Vice Principal casts some sort of spell. I don’t know exactly what type of spell it was, as it was in one of those odd neutral colors, well I guess shades of color would be a more accurate depiction, not quite silver in color, as it was a duller more lack luster shade of energy.

  During these next few minutes both guards and my professor come.

  “What is going on here?” Master Groa asks, a note of bewilderment in her voice as she comes forward to see a gaggle of students all gathered around. Then breaking through the line of students, she sees me and my tall but still small frame holding onto the spiritual cloak of professor Maxine’s spirit.

  “I wanted to ask you that exactly. This student claims that they belong to you, is that correct?” The Vice principal asks.

  “Yes, I just gave her a lesson on protecting her mind. Then I told her to meditate on this, did something happen?” Master Groa asked.

  At that, I couldn’t help but smile inwardly as she told the truth but omitted the part where she told me to spy on her rival. A rival that I was now holding in a way that stated that her rival was clearly in the wrong. Especially as neither the vice principal, nor the professor in question were trying to stop my hold of said rival.

  For a second I almost wanted to untether one of my mental Telepathic cords to connect to her mind, but I figured that would be bad form at this point. So instead, I just wait for this all to play out.

  “What would you want a mage who specializes in spirit magic for?” Maxine asks.

  “I am most curious about that myself.” The Vice Principal asks.

  Master Groa pauses for a moment, before turning to face her rival. “I would hope that such a response wouldn’t be necessary. Especially considering you are right now channeling a spell that converts your mental form into a spiritual form, meaning that you are likely converting mental energy into spiritual energy as we speak.”

  At that Maxine looks a little shocked, but then stops himself.

  “Is there any way I can do this from my own body?” Maxine asks.

  The Vice Principal just nods to a few guards and then points to Maxine’s office. The implications are clear that they are to go and wait for him.

  “Yes, I do believe we have taken up enough of your apprentice’s time.” Vice Principal Umbra says turning to Master Groa. Then turning back to me, she states can you keep your protection on him without making contact?”

  “I can.”

  “What? You mean you could have let me go this entire time?”

  “I could have, but then you could have gotten away before others knew you to be a child stalker.”

  “I didn’t, I would never…”

  “You just did.” Master Groa says, coming to my rescue, and with that I let out a sigh of relief. I really like this professor; she sees an opening and pounces. Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better partner in crime.

  “Let him go?” I ask.

  “If you are certain that you can keep his spirit from being burned then yes.” Vice Principal Umbra states.

  At that, I let go.

  There is a moment of tension as Professor Maxine pauses for a moment. Everyone waits for the next moment with bated breath. Honestly, I don’t quite know what they are expecting to happen if my Death Shroud doesn’t work. Are they expecting him to combust into flames or something?

  Then after a second of standing still and looking like an idiot, Professor Maxine lets out a sigh of relief.

  “Phew.” He says.

  “Your body.” The Vice Principal states, pointing in the direction of his room.

  “I don’t know if that will work.” I state.

  “What do you mean?” The Vice Principal asks.

  “He is currently corporeal and trying to enter into another corporeal shell. I don’t think he will be able to re-enter his body from this plane of existence.” I state.

  The Vice Principal looks at me with a note of curiosity. “I do believe you are right, but he should go ahead and try.”

  With that the vice principal points and professor Maxine moves.

  The entire time he goes, I just turn my focus to the vice principal, as it is clear she knows something about spirit magic. The way she casts spells so easily all but proves this.

  Only once he is gone, does the vice principal state “sometimes it is good to show not just professors, but students what happens when you fail to plan ahead.”

  Within moments, professor Maxine not only went over to his body, but then came back performing the duck walk of shame.

  Upon seeing him approach, vice principal Umbra chooses this moment to state the university’s motto in a tone that is loud enough for everyone to hear. “Disce ad terram ante fugis.”

  Then as one the entire student body who is gathered in the quad repeats the phrase back in their own native languages, “learn to land before you fly.”

  The message was all too clear, the professor was at the cutting edge of magic, but pushed ahead too far without realizing the consequences.

  “I don’t know what to do?” Professor Maxine said, a defeated tone to his voice.

  At that the vice principal nodded in some form of understanding, then turning back to me she asked, “since you got him here, could you send him back?”

  I nod. Then with a mana infused finger I cast my only spell and slice open a wide rift between here and the spirit realm.

  Upon opening the portal, Zero, my familiar, pops his little draconic head out. I am about to dismiss him, but then think better of it. “Zero, could you guide this professor to his body?” I ask, then point to the building.

  Zero looks first to me, then to the direction I am pointing, then finally at the professor.

  “ROOAARRR!” Zero replies. His response is so funny that I almost laugh and ruin the joke. I know for a fact Zero can speak in the human tongues, but the fact that he is choosing to roar like a dragon, or rather like most people think a dragon should sound, means he is clearly playing into the stereotype. That or he just doesn’t want the professor to talk to him.

  Upon seeing the dragon and hearing its roar, Maxine pauses. A hand coming up to grip his chest where his nonexistent heart would no doubt be pounding if her were in his real body. I don’t know if that is even a thing here.

  There is an awkward moment of silence as the two stare off, before my dragon bows his head to me, then gestures for Professor Maxine to follow him into the portal.

  With that, Maxine pauses for a moment then follows my familiar. The second he enters the rift, I seal it up, leaving no traces that anything every happened.

  There is an odd hush that falls over everyone. No one directly next to us is talking, but people further back are asking each other questions in hushed whispers, at least what they think are hushed whispers as I can hear most of the questions being asked already.

  “We have him, orders?” One of the guards signaled back through a flash of magic.

  To my surprise there is giant ball of magic that just appeared just before the vice principal. “Have him taken to my office so we can continue with a debrief.”

  While her words didn’t sound ominous, the tone she used did. I wasn’t certain what a debrief meant, but I assumed it wasn’t good.

  The vice principal pauses and stares at me for a second, then seems to come to some form of conclusion. Then before I even have a moment to think about what is happening, the vice principal acts.

  “Princess, I am sorry for the manner you have been treated while here.” Then with that statement, she bowed her head to me.

  I involuntarily take a step back and then say the first words that come to mind, “what the…?”