Kim somehow managed to escape, even now he didn’t believe his luck. It was… humiliating. The thing like luck shouldn’t be an attribute of a hunter. Hunt and its outcome should be only a matter of plan and skills.
Yet now, he was overpowered. He couldn’t do anything, land a single blow, create but a one good opportunity to attack, he was cornered and surrounded.
Kim didn’t curse, he didn’t yell nor screamed nor yelled. Instead, he lost himself in thoughts.
Magicians were far too powerful - even though he was making dozen of new strategies in his mind, he was throwing most of them aside right after he noticed that it wouldn’t cover all the holes in his battle style.
Magic is unpredictable, upsetting the balance. A wild card. Why would anyone depend on it? Why would brother Zariel depend on it instead of his pure physical combat potential? Kim saw how he was fighting during sparring sessions with sister Giselle. He was strong, he was fast and skilled. Why magic then!? WHY!?
These chants – nothing but informing your opponent about the skill you were about to use, the delay time – that you let your opponent to react accordingly, the mental burden and exhaustion that it would slow you down!
Yet, the raw power couldn’t be denied.
Was it magic that leaded Big Brother to cast aside his fate? His destiny? He was supposed to be a perfect being, yet instead of bringing balance back into environment, he chose to aid these crazy beings called humans in their deeds! He was protecting them from monsters! Monsters, which were meant to purge the world of corruption of their existences!
Was that the reason that he was given a life? To do what Brother Zariel refused to?
No, no “he”. “Them”. Each time he devoured another life, he felt it – at the back of his skull, new thoughts being formed, new ideas being born. He felt them as part of himself, and slowly, he was becoming them as well. Hundred of minds in one perfect body. Superior in mind, perfect in flesh. The peak of evolution that never could be reached – but in the good way, for each time he would place his feet on that peek, the mountain of absolute would keep growing taller offering a new infinity!
That what it meant to be perfect – to be perfect means to never achieve perfection.
And he would never achieve it. He didn’t want it, once he would eat every possible creature, a new one would be born, with new skills, new characteristics, new traits.
A new perfection.
Perfection, halted by not-evolving humanity. The one that became slothful, lazy, stagnant.
Corrupted.
Needing a purification.
In fire.
In war.
In violence.
In his mouth.
* “My lord? MY LORD! Glad to see you made it!”
He bought just enough time for other beastmen to run away to a new settlement – a system of caves in the mountain to the north-west from the city, behind the dense forest. It would be hard to track them down here, and if they were attacked, the environment would be on their side. Small, secluded places where no squad could make a formation forcing them to fight more in one-on-one pattern or in ways of quick trades.
Something, that beastmen excelled in.
* “Casualties?” Kim demanded report
* “Minimal, thanks to you… I… I…” the wolfman knelled in front of him bowing his head as low as possible “… I thank you, my lord! We owe you so much! Many of use never saw a sky at night! Many of us never left the cellar, not to mention seeing a forest or mountain… You… you gave us so much in…”
* “Not yet. Not enough. Not everyone not everywhere can taste the fresh air. We cannot stop now. They will react. They will try breaking us now, as our guard was lowered, as we still didn’t regroup. We need to prepare.”
* “As you wish, but, for what?”
Wolfman asked raising his head
* “For celestial flame that shall purge this world. Just like a body releases a fever to fight a disease, so we shall be the world’s wrath that will purify it of the curse called humanity. Once your basic needs would be sated, rise fortification, outposts, warning points, but use as little materials as possible. We may not stay in this place for long…”
Kim turned aside and looked in the distance.
* “The storm is coming in the nighttime. The storm that shall shake this world to the core, leaving only strong alive, strong, which would lead those who would remain into the dawn on the new world. We are that storm. Our fangs shall be like thunder, our claws shall be like a hurricane. Our stingers shall be like a hailstorm…”
Kim turned back and face the wolfman. As he was talking, more gathered around him.
* “In the complete darkness, in the absence of light, will you stand with me?”
One savage cry, short, yet sharp for a moment echoed across the mountain.
* “In the absolute night, when not even moons would shine, will you fight and die by my side?”
One more time, the same short bark-cry cut the silence of the night.
* “The shields will clash, the armors shall shatter, the blood shall flow and death shall follow!”
Another cry
* “WE WERE THOSE WHO EMERGED FROM SHADOWS!”
Response from the still thickening crowd resonated like a wave of madness.
* “WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT! NEVER MEANT TO THE SEE THE DAY!”
The cry kept on gathering frequency, right now, it was repeated like a chant.
* “LET’S REMIND HUMANITY, WHY THEY WERE AFRAID OF THE DARK!”
The wolf man, still kneeling, was gazing at this scenery as if he was in the trance. He dreamed about this night so many times, that right now, he almost didn’t believe it was actually happening. He was so terrified, that soon he would wake up in cold cellar, in chains, hungry and helpless. He raised his hand and dung his teeth in it.
The blood flood his arm, he sharp pain resonated across his bones.
Pain. It was not a dream
It was not a dream
It was not a…
He howled into the night.
With grief. With pain. With madness and violence. THE night has approached. The call has been yelled.
And he answered it. They shall suffer no more! For, THE blight was approaching!
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* “Good morning class!” old witch greeted her students once she entered the classroom.
* “Good morning Madame Hanna!” the class responded in unison
Her students were mostly very young child of nobles and merchant that could afford to study in Academy of Neira, but also few skilled young from the masses, that were noticed by other magicians and taken as apprentices.
* “Today we have mostly theory lecture about…”
A groan of dissatisfaction echoed across the room.
* “Now-now! What did I tell you! You have to understand the process before using it! Especially when it comes to magic! Arcane power! Otherwise, the catastrophe is bound to happen! Today, we will talk about different power of the spell. Do you know how to tell, if the magician is dangerous?”
* “By the robes!” one of the girls raised a hand, yet didn’t wait to be allowed to give the answer.
The class burst into laughter.
* “Well, you do have a point! Officially - robes state the rank, we have novices, apprentices, acolytes, wizard, mages, maguses and so on. So indeed, by the robe, you can tell what level of mastery someone could achieve, but let’s just say that there is a crowd of people wearing the same robes. What now?”
* “Appraising spell!”
* “Another good answer, but not necessary, most mages learned a countering magic or are wearing equipment that nullifies the effects of such a spell. But good, good answer. Let’s keep going! The fight is about to break, your opponent prepares a spell, how can you tell how strong barrier you should rise?”
* “The chant!”
* “Bingo! That’s it. You see, many people have different affinities. I, for example, am an earth mage, but I still can cast magic of other domains, just with much lower effect and higher mana consumption. You can say that, for example, wind magic doesn’t love me. The chant is the fastest way to tell if the user is skilled in a certain domain. For example… anyone here can use earth magic?”
Many hands have risen.
* “Amanda, come here child and show us!”
A girl with brown hair and eyes quickly jumped off her seat and approached training doomy in the middle of the room.
* “I beg thy, spirits of earth!
Aid thy child with blessing on her!
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Hear my prayer, do my command!
Let your will affect this land!
Tremor!”
Dummy started vibrating an eventually felt on the ground.
* “Good job! When did you learn this spell, love? It was a very advanced spell! If you would raise your affinity and practice a lot, then this spell could be really a powerful weapon! Someone wants to become a battle mage, aren’t you?”
Girl blushed embarrassed by praise, but popped out her chest proudly smiling in silly way at the same time.
* “That was a basic chant, someone can sing more advanced one?”
Fewer hands were risen.
* “Go on, Kayle. I have heard that earth spirits love you a lot, right?”
* “Not really… “ he answered with his hands in the pockets
* “Is that so?” Hanna raised her brow amused
* “Dunno.”
* “You are just like earth spirits themselves. I can already tell why they chose you.”
* “Duh.”
That last remark almost force Hanna into hysterical laughter, yet, somehow she managed to keep her composure. The kid had a great future awaiting.
The kid took the spot in the middle of the class.
* “I command thy, children of the earth!
Answer my call and knell to my will!
Raise from nothingness, heed my command!
Aid my case leaving brand on this stand!
Creation!”
The pile of dirt, prepared beforehand started moving, changing, reshaping, till it took shape of over two meters tall colossus. Creature raised its hand toward the dummy and shoot it solid fist toward it. The wooden tool shattered into dozen pieces.
Whole classed ah-ed and oh-ed.
* “Good job! Good job! That was marvelous! Golem creation! That’s one hard and draining magic! You need lots of theoretical studies for it! Calculations to be made! You pretty much have to write the whole spell structure anew! Did you study a lot?”
* “N-not really.”
* “Say, Kayle, would you like to attend my special classes? I could give you a tip or two regarding earth-using.”
* “C-Can I? I really can?”
Being offered private teaching was a great honor, especially, that Kayle was a son of poor shoe-maker. That was like a social status-elevation.
* “That’s what I offered. Well, please answer me at the end of the classes so I could…”
* “N-no! That won’t be necessary! Please, do! Teach me! I will be in your care and will do my best to not to bring you shame!” kid bowed his head, almost bending in half.
* “Kaaayle! You lucky bastard!”
* “Good one Kayle!” other kids cheered for him
* “Good. Good. Now, get back on your place, let’s continue the classes. For the next one… let’ see… maybe I will show myself a little, just so you know that this old hag still have the thing!”
Kids laughed as witch took place in the middle. She inhaled and exhaled gathering her focus.
Suddenly, the pressure of magic in the room became suffocating. It felt as whole air was being drained into the very direction where the witch was standing.
* “Bow in presence of your queen, sons and daughters of the dirt!
My might – the absolute; my will – the certainty!
Woke from thy slumber and bend to my will!
Thy presence be my blade, And on my command!
Turn this land into deserted waste!
Sand storm!”
The dirt, the earth, the golem, everything turned into spiraling madness while surrounding the dummy. Soon, the wooden structure vanished from their sight covered by the brown hurricane. The cracking could be heard followed by the sound of wooden joints giving up. The sandstorm soon became larder occupying most of the classroom, leaving only the zone occupied by the students untouched. Once it calmed down, everything could see- the rows of dozens of dummies were no more. Shattered and scattered across the place.
* “Incredible! So that’s the power of the great wizard! Teacher Hanna! You are the best!” kids were truly left in awe after seeing this display of power.
* “The best? Far from it! This spell is most powerful I know, but also very unpractical. It takes too much time to chant and then manifest. In real combat almost unusable. I did that only to present to you my chant. You see, there is one thing you must know. To be a mage you have to know your worth. You have to be proud, arrogant even! Spirits follow those who are strong. The stronger you are, the more spirits will aid you. Even though I am a grand-wizard, I can proudly say that my chant in on the magus level!”
* “So, you have the strongest chant?!”
* “No-No! God no! There are people that reached true peak in the certain elements. It became their second skin and have no secrets to them as they learned their very essence. These are the people that doest see the water as water. Earth as earth. Wind as wind. Fire as fire. They see life. They see death. What it was and what it can be in their hands. Earth mages bending metal. Water mages creating water out of pure air. Fire mages that could manifest the pure power of the 4th state of element called plasma that can literally disintegrate the very tissue of our reality! Their chant is on completely different level.”
* “Stronger than the level of king or queen of an element?”
* “Indeed. My child. Indeed. Once you would hear someone calling himself as empress or someone else – run. You won’t win. There is no way.”
* “What if one of us would achieve this level?”
* “That’s… very unlikely. I am sorry. But there are VERY few people that can do that. People that saw other side. That TALKED with gods or died for a short time and entered afterworld without forgetting it after coming back to life. How many such people live right now? Hundred? In whole world? Among all races? Maybe? Remember – never annoy such people. Really, once you hear such chant, just turn around and leave, hoping you won’t get hit by ricochet.”
* “Madame, do you know someone that can cast it?”
* “I do. I don’t know if I can call him my student, because I taught him only for a week or so, but he indeed was a very special child. Man of his word, the one that didn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself in search of power to save those who hold dear. But, even before he get that power, he was quite a weirdo, you know?”
* “Who is that?”
* “That’s… shall be my secret!” she smiled to her students.
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* “What’s wrong punk? Why don’t you punch me? AH SURE! YOU CAN’T FUCKING MOVE!”
That’s it. I am done. A punch is a gift, and tonight, I am in a giving-mood.
* “I am the god, of a new world order…”
* “What did you say? You lost your mind?”
* “… facing infinity, I laugh at perfection…”
* “I… think that’s a chant.” Woman sentinel noticed
* “Don’t be ridiculous, that would mean this guy is…”
* “… For I am a lord, of flesh and bones,
willinglessly scratching the wall of the dreams,
without knowing the sin.
You are trying to cast [Imp's cloth]. Too much power is being used, would you like to force the spell to be cast as higher-level manifestation?
[Yes]
[No]
Imperfect beings made of rage,
Bow before my might,
Crown me your liege.
In my left palm, perfection.
In my right palm – abyss.
I open the gates to divinity,
Where death in bliss!
The dormant [Light] element spotted within the spell [User], changing the spell nature accordingly
I demand thy obedience.
Your love and hate.
Give my they armor,
That nothing shall break.
Robe Of the Phoenix!”
White fire surrounded my body, vaporizing the prison of ice.
* “Hey! Babe! You need my help?” Half drunk Giselle asked with chicken leg in one hand and glass of vodka in another one.
* “I am fine, love.”
* “Okie-Dokie! Call me, if something!” She turned around biting huge part of chicken off the bones
* “What is this commotion?! In my house!” Alister ran down the stairs “… may the heaven protect us.”
I was flying meter above the ground surrounded in white flames while magical circles made formations around me
* “What is this all about?! Mr. Whiteraven!”
* “I? I am just a repressed citizen that tries to have my rights respected. And fuck me if I won’t get the respect I deserve.”
Air vibrated one more time as dimension was split and in beams of light next mages materialized.
* “…. Aaaand just as I thought. We are too late.” Chairman – arch mage Polymus said while leaving the teleportation rift “… I knew it was a bad idea to send these three…”
* “EKHEM!” another mage, also sentinel that came with chairman loudly cleared his throat “… please, don’t compare me to these two. I was honoring the protocol.”
He was only waved at by the chairman.
* “Their battle potential is extraordinary, but they always had the tendency to make matters more difficult than before their intervention… Anyway, may I ask what did they do this time? Mr Aliester?”
* “I am trying to learn that as well. Mr. Whiteraven said something about his rights not being respected.”
* “Zariel?” gaze of archmage shifted on me
* “Does this little brat knows levitation magic?” one of Polymus bodyguards whispered to another
* “No, look closely, he manages to keep himself in the air with pure pressure of heat generated by his magic.”
* “… I ain’t gonna fight with him. I am not getting paid enough.”
* “Mr. Whiteraven, I believe there was some misunderstanding, can we please talk about it?”
* “That’s very funny, senator, I asked the very same question as they tried to arrest me without giving the reason nor the chance to clarify the situation by myself with the law that allows me to report to authority within fourteen days. I asked it seconds before they trapped me in ice-prison.”
* “Ice, you say? Matheeeew!?”
Woman-sentinel started slowly moving away from her companion.
* “Um. Well, there was a monster in the city, shape-shifting one, we were fighting with it, but it managed to run away, so we tried tracking down the mana-print it left and we sensed the same power here. Not similar! The very same! So…”
The monster with the same magical aura as mine? Well, well, well. Kim. You better hid well, because once I find you…
* “That’s not possible! Mr, Whiteraven was here for hours!” Aleister raised his voice “… I can even prove it with the deal we signed. On magic paper – with his signature, impossible to fake!”
* “Now-now! It’s all misunderstanding! Can you please undo your spell, Mr. Whiteraven?... the other guests are getting hotter.”
Indeed, just as archmage said, merchants, that didn’t run away and stayed hoping for spectacle of some kind were already covered in sweat.
Annoyed by that remark, I actually strengthened my spell. The fire robes took shape of colossal wings spreading across the room.
* “Mr. Whiteraven! Please! I call for your sanity! I understand your rage, but violence will make situation of everyone only harder to explain!”
Slowly, I ceased the mana fuel of the spell. Actually, I only pretended to be more annoyed than I really was – you know, it’s good to have chairman thinking he owes you more than he actually did. The spell was also draining my mana is ridiculous tempo - the price of casting the spell that exceeds your skills.
I descended on the floor, yet the fire still burned in my eyes.
I turned around from the gathering of mages, but eventually I once again faced their direction.
* “There actually is one more thing to do.”
* “Which i…” archmage didn’t manage to finish the question. Using magic still burning in my joints I shortened the distance between myself and ice user within a split of a second rising my fist focusing as much power in it as I could gather.
* “Oh fu…” Sentinel whispered quietly.
* “Mana shock wave!”
My fist landed on the man’s mask, cracking it and shattering into hundred pieces. For a moment, my hand lasted on his face, before the aftershock of the spell manifested its effect sending mage across the whole room, through the window and later on the tree in the beautiful garden cracking it in half.
* “And here goes the oak tree my grand-grand-grandfather planted.” Alister groaned “… better that than something else, I guess.”
* “I needed that.” I massaged my fist exhaling air loudly
* “… And that’s what I call a male. Not like that half-brain Mathew. Strong. Dominant. I could date a man like him…” companion of punched sentinel said not really quietly.
The problem was that Giselle was walking past her.
* “What did you say, bitch!? HE’S MINE!”
She forced the woman to face her direction and with all power she had, she hit her face with the forehead.
Then she faced me and raised a thumb.
I also raised mine.
That’s my girl. How can you not love her?!
Fun things aside. What did Kim got himself into?