Chapter 32: Introductory Magic With A Cop, A Vampire, And A Murderer

--- Coraline Hawkins ---

“Oh, I’ve been waiting so long for this!” She couldn’t help but squeal as her dad cleared their living room table.

“I know, sweetie.” Her dad gave her a pained smile, setting down several books, a large piece of butcher paper, a potted plant, and several smaller trinkets. “I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Learning magic is a good enough circumstance on its own.” She assured him.

Her dad shook his head with a faint grin. “You’re so much like your mother you know that?”

That gave her a warm feeling in her chest.

She clapped her hands with an excited smile on her face. “So what are we doing first?”

“Um, first… how about a quick refresher on magic?” Her dad asked. “I know you’ve read a lot of mine and your mother’s old books over the years, but I’m not entirely sure where you’re actually at with the theoretical work.”

“Right, um, where do you want me to start?” She’d read pretty much all of the theoretical books he’d left her, and while she’d needed to read a dictionary to understand most of it, she thought she’d done a pretty solid job for a high schooler let alone the middle schooler she’d been when she’d started.

“Just… wherever you are.” Her dad told her. “We’re going to be going over a fair bit of it as we go along but… it helps to know how much background information I have to cover, or if we can just skip over some of the hows and whys.”

“Okay…” She nodded, trying to think of how best to summarize everything she’d learned over the years. (Maybe if I just do the broad strokes of everything?)

“Magic is fueled by Anima, an energy that is both all around us and a part of us. Anima by nature wants to build things, and as such cannot directly destroy anything. When we use magic we’re directing Anima to follow a direction we give it to create something specific or to add to something that already exists.”

“Every person has a class of directions that they as an individual are best synchronized with, be it due to an environmental factor, a spiritual one, or even their personality. These are a person’s affinities, a specific Concept distinct enough from others that Anima instinctively recognizes the shape it’s being directed into. This does not mean that a person is incapable of using a concept outside of their affinities, just that the Anima they use to direct the rest is less resistant to being molded in this given pattern.”

“Of course, the raw molding of Anima is in itself extremely costly in ‘directed’ Anima as well as focus, so tools and skills were developed to better combat these issues. Foci were made to not only aid in the direction of Anima but also function as Anima batteries, this was then expanded upon to allow even those without an innate Spell System to use magic via these artificial systems. In addition to this The Magical Arts and Crafts were simultaneously developed.”

“Spell Crafts were all based on techniques that were shown to better cause Anima reactions to certain acts or patterns, that were then combined and slowly streamlined into a more structured format for easier learning as well as being broken down into similar reactions to determine overlapping points with the Arts.”

“In contrast the Mystic Arts can all be considered the magical equivalent of the different scientific disciplines or studies, with Alchemy actually being the direct usage of the Scientific Method and previous scientific knowledge upon magic to try and better understand it. Which in turn spiraled further into the common Arts of Potioneering, Ritualism, and Enchanting as well as the more dangerous Arts of Flesh Sculpting and Occultism. With the other Arts of Divination, Contracting, Shamanism, and Necromancy being based more on the older legends of magic combined with knowledge preserved and shared by older bloodlines and schools that weren’t compatible with the others.”

She thought about it for a moment. “I… think… that was everything…” (It certainly was a lot…)

Her father blinked, his eyes having steadily grown as she’d gone through her summary. “Well you… you’ve definitely been studying. Madness, you might understand the basics better than me at this point.”

She couldn’t help but blush at that.

Her dad shook his head as he picked up a small jewelry box. “Well, you’ve definitely proven you’re ready for the more… practical lessons.”

Breathlessly she swallowed before taking the box. “Is this…?”

Her dad nodded, and she slowly opened the box to find a gothic pentagram necklace. (Not the kind of thing dad would usually get me…)

“It… it was your mother’s… back before… everything…” Her dad explained upon seeing her expression, before beginning to ramble, “I know it’s not really your style, but your mom was going through a goth phase and really leaned it into it at the time. I think it was a, uh, a rebellion thing against your grandmother, because while she still wore a lot of black and spider webs she ended up dropping a lot of the heavier parts by the time you came along. I… I thought you’d like it.”

“I love it.” She almost reverently ran her fingers over it before giving him the biggest smile she could manage. “Help me put it on.”

“Your mother got this made just before college.” Her dad told her as he helped her with the necklace. “I’ll admit, it’s not the strongest Focus of hers I had but… it was the first one she owned herself and I thought that-that it’d be something she would’ve wanted to give you herself.”

She ran her fingers over the necklace as her dad continued to ramble, because while it wasn’t the only thing of her mother’s she owned, it was something far more tangible than just going over some of her mom’s old books.

(This alone was worth it…)

Her dad gave her a soft smile, before asking, “Ready to learn how to use it?”

--- Aurelio Hermenez ---

“Of course.” He nodded to Jerry’s question, before looking around his (honestly, kind of small) apartment, at least when compared to the rooms he’d seen at the Hotel. “But uh, is this going to be enough space?”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

(Perhaps not for the bigger spells, but we can figure that out at a later date.) Geraldine assured him. (For now we’ll simply focus on helping you learn to channel Anima and draw it out from your blood.)

“Right, uh… should I top up?” He wondered, his eyes drifting to the cooler of blood bags Catherine had given him before he’d parted ways with the Hotel.

(Hmm, save it for when we get to the practical side of magic.) Jerry decided as her shadow rose on the nearby wall. (For now I need to give you a bit of insight into how the Old Blood works and part of its function beyond extending one’s life span.)

“Okay, I always did love the lore of a good magic system.” He admitted, taking a seat on the couch as he watched Jerry’s shadow begin to pace.

(Good.) The shadow smiled at him. (Now then, it’s fairly obvious that the Old Blood has several abilities beyond simply extending one’s life, and they all have their purposes and origins, even if a few mutated beyond their initial reason. Since we’re learning magic we’ll begin with a simple fact, not everyone is born capable of using magic. Otherwise society would be very different.)

“You mean it’d be more fun.” He joked, just picturing it in his head.

(In some ways, but that is a fun thought experiment for later. For now we focus on known quantities.) Jerry told him apparently in ‘teacher mode’. (While there are some born with Spell Systems in their bodies allowing them to naturally use magic and develop their power, most people sadly are not. Meaning that in order to use magic those people must acquire a rare and valuable foci which shall represent the limits of their power regardless of their skill or knowledge.) The shadow on the wall looked at him. (Now I’m sure you can surmise from our conversation with the cult that all vampires -at least of our Bloodline- can in fact use magic.)

“Meaning the thing that turned us -the uh, gift of Blood- gave us one of those Spell System things you mentioned.” He guessed.

(Correct… for the most part.) Jerry sighed before resuming her pacing. (The Blood was meant to generate an artificial Spell System that would allow a Practitioner to grow their magic in the same way someone with an innate Spell System can. This was mostly successful, though there were… several flaws with the design.)

He nodded in understanding. “So, going off how this usually goes in books and movies, I’m going to assume this is where the whole blood drinking thing comes from?”

Jerry made a so-so gesture. (That was partially intended due to an idea about stealing the magic in one’s blood I came up with after not sleeping for three days, but it merged with the ‘thirst’ which itself was intended to be a method of sensing one’s own reserves without special equipment. It simply mutated and latched onto all of our instinctive cravings to cause a mix of appetites that causes some to lose control without preparation. This then spiraled by me separating the blood reserves into one dedicated to extending the lifespan and another to the actual spell casting, and leaving an emergency connection. Only… I may have put the connection in backwards, which results in the blood draining one’s lifespan should they not feed instead of draining spell power to maintain it.) The vampire witch’s shadow explained while looking increasingly embarrassed.

“So the reason vampires have to drink blood or die a slow painful death, is because you put the metaphorical batteries in backwards?” He dryly summarized.

(It was… a very complicated spell.) Geraldine tried to defend.

Not that did anything to diminish his judgemental stare.

Jerry just stared at him for a moment. (Will you forget about this if I start teaching you practical magic now?)

“No. I don’t think I will.” He admitted.

--- Miles Kennedy ---

He wasn’t exactly impressed with the supernatural entity living inside his head.

Which is why he blatantly told the Baron that, “I know you think that was all dark and cool but that really doesn’t tell me much, given how the only voodoo I know is that racist stuff from older movies and maybe that one kid’s movie a couple years ago.”

Kriminel let out a growl. (“It means I’m going to teach ya magic ya dumbass bastard. Death magic in particular.”)

Part of him felt a little… off put by that, but at the same time he halfway knew what he was getting into when he signed up with the Barons given the whole gods of death thing. (Just… just remember, Cory has a Death affinity too and she’s the sweetest girl you know.)

He nodded to himself.

“Alright, what’s the first lesson?”

(“Sit on the ground and cross yer legs.”) Kriminel ordered, and once he was on the ground the Baron continued. (“Normally, ya’d need to call on ol’ Legba to ask for any of the Lwa’s help, but since ya my horse we can skip that step until we need the others help for somethin’ big. For now we’ll keep it simple for ya simple mind.”)

Biting back his irritation he instead asked, “How simple?”

(“Simple as I can explain it boy.”) Kriminel scoffed. (“Now unlike a normal human ya won’t be learnin’ how to pull on the Anima in the air, but rather the Necro I can offer ya.”)

“Anima and Necro?” He remembered something Cory told him about Anima being another word for magic or mana from a video game, but the most he could think of for Necro was necromancy. (Which I guess is what a death god would teach me…)

Kriminel let out an irritated huff before deciding to explain that, (Anima be the echo of life, of creation that run through everythin’ since the big bang kicked it all off. It never truly run out until life does the same. Necro is the remnant of everythin’ that ever was and what all will be in time. It won’t run out because everythin’ become it in time.)

“So… Anima is the beginning of everything, and Necro is the end of it all.” He summarized as best he could.

(“And Madness be everythin’ in between.”) Kriminel chuckled. (“Course, most practitioners just focus on the Anima and call that magic since it’s the easiest and safest for ya humans to play around with. Ya don’t get that option though, since ya usin’ my magic.”)

“Which leaves me with… Necro?” He figured, having come full circle in a way.

(“Aye, though it won’t be the pure stuff.”) The Baron warned him. (“Even with me helpin’ ya, ya can’t handle the pure stuff. Hells, I can’t handle the pure stuff for long. At least not compared to Samedi and the other greater death deities. Instead we water it down with our own natural Anima and Madness.”)

“Madness?” He repeated, having thought it a joke the last time Kriminel mentioned it.

(“Is what ya get if ya keep fuckin’ askin’ bout it.”) Kriminel answered without a lick of humor. (“Stuff ain’t like Anima or Necro… One ‘ll make ya, the other end ya, but Madness… Madness ‘ll change ya.”)

If… if he didn’t know better he’d think the Baron was scared of whatever Madness was.

(“Gettin’ me off track…) Kriminel muttered with a frustrated growl. (“We in a place of death, because there be more Necro here than Anima, making it easier to feel both the Anima within and the Necro without. Ya just need to focus on what feels different in both.”)

He ran a hand down his face as he tried to understand what he was being told. “And… how do I do that?”

(“The fuck if I know!”) Kriminel snapped. (“Magic ain’t my domain, and I ain’t been human in hundreds of years. I explained it so now figure it out, or are ya really so simple we’ve got to call on Legba to bail out ya scrawny ass?!”)

“Fine. Fine! I’ll figure it out on my own.” He snapped back, before settling in and seeing if he could feel any difference between the air of the graveyard and the rest of the town.

All the while, he couldn’t help but (wonder if other people have to go through this kind of thing to learn magic?)