Reality was rent asunder, consumed by a blinding light as ancient magic tore through the fabric of existence. The runic formation etched into the tavern's floor thirstily absorbed Sophia's mana, fueling the arcane power surging through the magic circle. Space itself distorted as reality buckled beneath Valicar's feet, the runes glowing red with intensity. The sensation mirrored the void that had whisked the twins to this world, an abyss of endlessness that swallowed them whole, but this time, it was fleeting, over in the blink of an eye.
Just as Bellic's golden axe poised to deliver a fatal blow to the fleeing mage, she vanished once more, whisked away to a place far from the reach of her Templar pursuers.
Valicar plummeted through the void, a cacophony of sensations assaulting her senses as she tumbled through the boundless expanse. Finally, she crashed down onto a hard wooden floor, the impact jolting her back to reality with a sharp pain shooting through her ribs.
"Ow! Fuck! Couldn't you teleport us closer to the ground?" Mike winced, holding his hand to Valicar's ribs, attempting to ease the pain.
"Oh, fuck off. Imagine trying to cast dimensional magic when your dumbass brother gets your ribs broken mid-incantation," Sophia grumbled.
"Someone is touchy. Anyway, can you heal our ribs now? It hurts to breathe," Mike asked, his discomfort evident in his voice.
"Yeah, I can manage that, but it'll be more of a patch job since I'm pretty much out of mana. If I use too much, I'll pass out," Sophia replied, her voice strained from exhaustion. Pouring the last of her mana into a simple healing spell, she murmured, "Icarus Mora." The spell brought enough relief for them to take stock of their new surroundings.
As they looked around, it became apparent that the old dilapidated inn they had occupied was replaced by a new one. The once dingy bar had been replaced with a well-kept one, its floors polished and fully stocked. Wooden tables and chairs furnished the inn, with several trophies mounted on the walls ranging from boars, deer, and even a bear. Valicar's gaze eventually landed on the far corner of the room, where an old man sat in a wooden rocking chair near a large stone fireplace.
"James... is that you? It's been a while..." Sophia called out, her voice filled with surprise and curiosity.
"Five years... I would say I'm impressed with your progress, but not only did you bring an ancient weapon of mass destruction into my home, but you both also managed to lead the Templar order directly to my front door," James's voice remained calm, but irritation seeped through his words.
"Sorry about that... but we were kind of in a pinch," Sophia replied, her tone meek as she tried to defend their actions.
"Yes, and now I will have to abandon one of my favorite hideouts before they can reverse engineer that little spell you showed everyone. Including one of the most dangerous men on the continent, High Templar Bellic, the right-hand man to The Pillar of the East." James's words carried a weight of concern, his expression betraying the gravity of the situation.
"Pillar? Who are you talking about?" Sophia pressed, the name triggering a flicker of recognition in her mind.
"Yes, Pillar. I suppose your life experience has been limited to petty thievery and talking to a dead man's pet bird about things that are beyond your comprehension," James replied, his tone tinged with disappointment. "You have both failed to take advantage of the second life you have been given. Not only will you never separate your souls at this rate, but you will never reach your former glory."
"Hey! Asshole! You ditched us in the woods to find our village burned down and live our lives in ruins! Who the fuck are you to talk so high and mighty when you could have stopped Bellic or at the very least warned us? We did the best we could with what we had, and I would say we did pretty fucking good fighting a literal army!" Mike's anger boiled over from the criticism.
James glared at Mike as he spoke again, his voice cutting through the air with authority. "There are four pillars that lead the church, boy! Each is stronger than the man you just faced, and all have a man as strong as Bellic. The Pillar of the North is the strongest, only to be seconded by the West, then the South, and finally the East. The only reason you ran into someone so powerful out in the boonies is that Bellic is by far the weakest of these men and their lackeys. So before you start mouthing off, kid, remember you were nothing but a big fish in a very small pond, being carried by a stolen Legendary sword won by nepotism and nothing more."
"If we are nothing special then why would you have given us the book!" Mike's voice boomed with frustration.
"I GAVE YOU NOTHING, MIKE! You're here because Sophia used magic far beyond your understanding to drag you along with her reincarnation. She is special; you are nothing but a bloodthirsty meathead who got a taste of secondhand power! Now stop fucking up your sister's life by dragging her into the eyes of the people who want her dead and let her train to be the mage she was always destined to be!" James yelled for the first time, his frustration evident in his voice.
"Fuck you, Gandalf! I was doing what needed to be done and..." With a wave of his hand and a short whisper, Sophia witnessed James silencing Mike.
Sophia could still hear Mike's thoughts echoing in her mind, but his voice remained silenced through Valicar. James had somehow restricted Mike's control over their shared body, leaving Sophia to communicate with him internally.
Sophia's voice echoed with rage, her concern for Mike overriding the pain in her ribs. "What did you do to Mike?" she roared, her anger palpable.
"Nothing permanent, my student, just some minor Necromancy," James replied casually, as if discussing the weather. "A spell I'm sure will come in handy for you one day, knowing that loudmouth." With a wave of his hand, he conjured a chair beside him by the fire. "Have a seat, Sophia."
"Calm down, Mike. I'm going to go along with this, for now. We've come too far to not hear what he has to say," Sophia assured her brother, sensing his frustration radiating through their shared consciousness.
"He is still a fucking cunt!" Mike's grip on Blue Dawn tightened, causing Sophia's knuckles to whiten as she felt the pressure.
Sophia settled into a chair next to James and addressed him. "It sounds like you've been keeping up with our antics... Care to share why you wouldn't help us sooner, especially when Bellic showed up?"
"I had to make certain you were ready for what comes next, Sophia. I know about your quest to open the ancient dwarven vault, and I know your reasons are tied to that uncle of yours. There are great powers in that vault that have brought devastation upon this world before and must never be allowed free, lest you unleash the demonic magic sealed there and threaten the veil itself," James explained solemnly.
"Valicar seemed certain it was the only way to defeat the church. What power could be so dangerous it could destroy the veil?" Sophia inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Valicar was a fool who was blinded by his sense of justice and vengeance. He was never a proper mage, only a brute much like your brother, who relied on others for his power instead of mastering his full potential. He wouldn’t have died to the Northern Pillar if he had trained his gifts more instead of using Blue Dawn as a crutch his whole life," James remarked, his tone tinged with regret.
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"He died fighting the Church..." Sophia felt Mike's anger boiling within her.
"Yes, rather foolishly. He was trying to start a rebellion in the capital of all places, if you can believe that. However, it seems unrest in the area has grown, so I suppose his sacrifice was fruitful. But if you wish to be more than a mere martyr, you must train your gifts, Sophia, and regain your former power," James advised solemnly.
"Yes, your soul is that of an elder dragon, one that fought in the creation wars," James affirmed. "You had millennia to grow your power, fighting the demon horde with tooth, claw, and most of all, your mastery of magic. But even that wasn't enough. Eventually, you turned on the gods and destroyed a continent in your quest for power."
"What do you mean, 'destroy a continent'?" Sophia's voice trembled with disbelief. "And an elder dragon soul? Like... the Dragonborn? Hahaha, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Sophia chuckled nervously. "Wait, why was I born on Earth then?"
"If you want to compare, sure, but you can't shout the same. Regardless, you were sent away because of the fear you would bring yourself back to life as a lich once the coalition finally brought you down. It took every civilized race, including humans, before the Pillars led them astray, along with dozens of elder beasts, to kill you," James explained.
Sophia's voice trembled with disbelief as she asked, "How... how was I so strong?"
"A demonic artifact corrupted you, and in your madness, you used necromancy to consume the souls of millions until that bastard stopped you for good anyway," James continued.
"Who killed me? And does the vault hold this same power?" Sophia inquired.
"Yes, and it was locked away centuries ago, only after you destroyed the northern continent and killed all who lived there. So do you understand now, Sophia, why that vault must never be opened?" James explained, his tone grave, bearing the weight of ancient knowledge.
Sophia's heart sank as she absorbed the magnitude of James' words. "Yes," she murmured softly, her voice quivering with a mixture of horror and sorrow, "but what do you mean about the northern continent?"
"I know your education is limited to movies and games, but imagine this for a minute: a continent full of the undead, an ocean of zombies, ghouls, vampires, and other botched immortality attempts—all thriving in a necromancer's wet dream, the worst among them that damn cult," James replied, his voice tinged with a sense of urgency and irritation.
"Why would I ever do such a thing?" Sophia's voice trembled with uncertainty.
"I assume you sought immortality or perhaps harbored a grudge against the gods. Who truly knows what thoughts arise when corrupted by demonic magic?" James replied, his tone somber yet guarded, the weight of unspoken truths heavy in his voice.
"I don't get it," Sophia admitted, her brows furrowing in confusion. "I understand that Holy magic comes from the gods and Demonic magic comes from demons, but where does everyday magic come from?"
"During the creation wars, a mixture of dark and light intertwined, forming the basis of today's magic," James explained patiently. "Mana, as we know it now, is neutral—it's neither inherently good nor evil. Its nature is determined solely by the intentions of its user. You might wonder why holy magic doesn't inherently turn evil individuals good. Well, in their minds, they believe they're acting for the greater good. It's often said, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions.'"
"So, someone like Bellic, an evil piece of shit, can wield holy magic without consequence," Sophia summarized, her tone a blend of comprehension and frustration. "Okay, I can see why I rebelled, but still, considering all those lives..."
"Well, you did bring them back to life after you killed them if that helps," James remarked matter-of-factly.
"It doesn't..." Sophia's voice trailed off, her expression clouded with guilt and remorse. "So, is that the reason I was able to bring Mike with me? And another thing, if it's been hundreds of years, why am I only returning now?"
"Yes, regarding Mike," James confirmed, "and as for your return, someone desired it. I assume your power had weakened over the centuries to the point where it was finally safe enough for your return without fear of the Undead Empress resurfacing."
"So, who brought me back?" Sophia pressed, her curiosity piqued.
"Non-yah," James replied cryptically.
"Non-yah?" Sophia repeated, puzzled by the response.
"Non-yah business," James clarified with a hint of amusement. "I have monologued long enough, and we should get moving before the Templars decipher the runes and track you down."
James stood from his chair and strode purposefully behind the bar. With a swift motion, he retrieved several books and placed them on the counter before Sophia.
"Here are your next tomes," he declared, his tone stern. "I expect you to master these and not simply 'pass' the book's minimum test enchantments as that damn bird recommended. Being mediocre at many spells to master a few is unacceptable for one of my students. You will master them all, or you will die, Sophia. Now, we must move," James grumbled, his impatience evident.
Sophia gathered the books, adding them to her already heavy pack. "Damnit, a bag of holding would be great about now," she muttered under her breath as Mike took the heavy pack over their shoulder.
"Oh, there is a spell like that in there, but you need special material, or the bag will eat itself. Maybe once you slay a griffin or something, you can enchant one. Just don't let that brute burn its hide; burnt griffin stinks, and you will never get the smell out," James continued, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Can you free Mike now?" Sophia asked as they walked towards the tavern's exit.
"Sure, I wonder what the loudmouth will think about the view," James replied.
With a wave of his hand and another whisper, "Bev Ora," Mike could speak once again.
"Fuck you and your bullshit! Why should we believe anything you have to say you..." Mike's words trailed off as James swung open the door, cutting him off.
"It's pretty nice here, I know. It's a damn shame to see it go, but some asshole twins had to ruin it," James said bitterly as he stepped out onto the beach.
Before Valicar lay a scene straight out of a postcard. The pristine white sand stretched out before her, kissed by the gentle lapping of crystal-clear turquoise waters. Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze, their fronds rustling softly as they framed the tranquil shoreline. The sky above was a brilliant azure canvas, adorned with wisps of fluffy clouds that drifted lazily overhead. In the distance, the rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore provided a soothing soundtrack to the picturesque scene.
James strode purposefully towards a pentagram marked out in stones on the beach, its ancient carvings aglow with an eerie light. Sophia hurried after him, her curiosity piqued.
"Wait, James, where are we? And what are you doing?" she asked, a note of urgency creeping into her voice.
"We're on an island far to the south of the human empire, my student," James replied tersely, his gaze fixed on the glowing symbols. "And I'm getting the hell out of here, as I advise you to do. There's a small fishing village to the east of here. You might be able to find a ship to the mainland from there."
"It's only been like five minutes! Why are you leaving again!?" Panic edged Sophia's voice as she watched James prepare to depart. She felt a surge of frustration, realizing she had so many questions left unanswered, and it seemed she never had enough time with the one man who could provide them.
"I'm only here to impart knowledge, Sophia, but only when you're ready," James replied, his tone firm. "Take my advice, get strong enough to save your brother, and don't open that vault." With a bright flash, he vanished, leaving Sophia standing on the beach, feeling a mix of disappointment and determination.
"Good riddance," Mike chimed in, trying to reassure her. "You don't believe any of that bullshit he was trying to feed you, right? The sister I know is a sweet nerd who couldn't hurt a fly, let alone an undead necromancer dragon Hitler."
"I don't know, Mike... It makes a certain type of sense, but he was so dead set against opening the vault," Sophia mused, her tone uncertain.
"He said we can't open it, but if Blue Dawn is just one of the keys, imagine the other ones. So what would it really hurt if we just gather the keys?" Mike countered, his voice tinged with curiosity and defiance.
"That sounds like a horrible idea, Mike," Sophia replied, her concern evident.
"You say that like it was ever a good idea to get them in the first place, but if you wanna follow his advice and not depend on Blue Dawn as much, I get it. But I don't think it was firepower you lack, Soph... it's the fighting," Mike reasoned, his tone thoughtful.
"I don't want to hurt anyone, Mike, but I'm tired of feeling weak," Sophia admitted, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Then let's make you as strong as the man of steel, sis. So strong that anyone who dares to cross you will regret it," Mike suggested, a hint of determination in his tone.
"Hahaha! Can you picture it? A pipsqueak girl striking fear into the hearts of grown men?" Sophia laughed, the thought bringing a glimmer of amusement to their otherwise serious conversation.
"Haha! They'll be shitting themselves at the sight of us, Soph! The laundry ladies will love us—grown men needing a fresh pair just from catching a glimpse of Valicar!" Mike chimed in, joining Sophia's laughter.
"And Little Red was bad enough! Who knows what they'll call us next? 'Little Brown Tidings,' perhaps?" Sophia added with a grin.
The tension melted away as they both burst into laughter, finding humor in their absurd predicament. Valicar led the way along the beach, their laughter echoing against the serene backdrop of the tropical paradise.