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Skeletal Rebirth
Chapter 6. Dancing with Steel

Chapter 6. Dancing with Steel

     Slowly as I continued my hesitant approach, with the door now in arms reach, I felt unsure of my well being. "Hmm probably should cast more protection spells just to be safe." With that notion I chanted another spell into existence, "Shield me away from the shadows of harm." The mana that was covering my body as an defensive enhancement began to glow. After the glowing ended, I could feel the mana that was wrapping around me expand into a bubble. The simple spell know as barrier was now in effect, and as the name suggests, it covers ones body in a transparent sphere of hardened mana. Now that I felt safer then before, I walked back up to the door and opened it... Well by opened, I mean I cast an earth spell to destroy the door so I could be ready to fight in a melee if I had to. Unable to withstand the barrage of earthen darts, the door was now completely eviscerated. 

     Peering into the room that was once full of mana, I came across many different things. The notable being an empty suit of armor, and a green book with lines of golden metal that were twisted into an elaborate decoration. shifting through the notes that covered the desk, I had accidentally knocked something on to the wooden floor. "Clink" the small medallion like trinket struck the wood floor and began to roll towards the suit of armor before falling to its side. I cleaned up the notes and began to sift through them ignoring the trinket. Reading the notes on the desk, I had found that they were not just notes, but were in fact someones research. 

     Carefully reading through the scribbles of research, I had come to a realization that other than mana and spells, there was a a large amount of different types and magic I had no idea about. The research that this mage had been conducting was mostly on summoning. It goes into depth about what type of mana crystal is used for something what kind of monster. How much mana is need to summon strong beasts, and also how to make a contract in case of summoning something with intelligence. There seems to be a difference between summoning a monster with intelligence compared to one without. Monsters with intelligence seem to need a contract, but will always show up to aid the summoner. While a monster without intelligence doesn't need a contract but of course, it won't always answer the summoners call. Therefore having a contracted summon was much more preferred.

     Getting to the end of the unknown mages research, there seemed to be something different written on the notes. It read "To my only granddaughter, I will not know if you find this place, for when you do I will be gone. Knowing all too well about the sin I'm about to commit, I hope you forgive this old fool for what is about to come. I pray for the day to come for you to find this place and receive my gift of knowledge. I know how much you wanted to become a summoner, and this is my final gift to you, my sweet little Lilana." Reading the letter meant for someone else made me feel a bit guilty. Seeing as the book and notes were still here probably meant the this, Lilana never made it here. 

     After reorganizing the notes I went to pick up the ignored medallion, looking at it up close, I notice the flower like patters and intricate metal work looked very similar to the book. Standing in front of the green book with the medallion in hand, I turned the book over to the front cover and found a round gap. Placing the medallion into the circular opening I waited for something to happen. Oddly, with the medallion placed on the book even as a perfect fit nothing with the book had happened. Standing there dumbfounded, I pick up the book again to examine it only to be interrupted by a heavy "thud." I quickly turned to be greeted by a halberd that nearly crashed it's blade into my skull.

     Barely dodging the speeding axe head, I managed to stumble myself back to balance. Regaining a steady footing I looked to see my attacked. With halberd in hand, the inconspicuous suit of armor was now in stance for another attack. Dodging the flurry of swings and stabs I was quickly backed up against the wall. Due to the small room and the giant suit of armor, making a dash towards the door was not an option. I also could take a unguarded attack, the first surprise attack I managed to survived had showed me what kind of herculean strength this armor wielded. It had cut clean through my barrier which didn't even seem to slow down the iron monster.

     Up against the wall glaring at my opponent, I tried to come up with some ideas as to how I would get out. Thinking such thoughts, my armored foe drew his halberd in for a windup motion. Not wanting to take the risk of diving for the door, I held up my shield and braced for impact. "BOOM!" The mighty swing connected with my shield and sent me flying out of the room. Seconds after being clobbered I crashed into a house opposite too the one I was sent out of. Annoyingly, even without nerves, I could feel the pain in my bones from the both the impact of the halberd, and the collision into this house.

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     Stepping out of the debris of the now collapsed house, I looked back up to notice that the suit of armor had disappeared. "Not good!" I gripped my sword while surveying the area when, "BOOM!" a loud crashing noise erupted from the wall of the house. Slowly walking, the dust that was upheaved from the ground began to separate as it swaggered through it. "Birth the lightning that will aid me in battle, Bless the lightning it's truest form, forge the lightning a path to follow in order to seek the ones to destroy," I hastily cast Festival of Dancing Lightning in order to combat the suit of armor. With sword in hand I kicked of the ground towards the iron mass, the blades of lightning also began to flicker as if it were a battle cry. Erratically the blades flew and flickered, flying past the armored enemy as they left burnt marks on the armor.

     Ignoring the blades flying around it, the suit of armor only cared about the attacking me. It quickly parried my thrust and swung its halberd with one arm in a giant horizontal arc. I took a large back step and managed to get out of range, but due to giant back leap I left myself open for another attack. Right as I landed on my feet the armored suit swiftly followed up its giant one armed swing with a pivoting step forward, pivoting into place the armor then grabbed the halberd with two hands. Yellow light began to emit from the the axe head, noticing this I again braced myself for impact with my shield raised. The axe head struck my magic shield but before sending me flying again, the halberd manage to cut into my shield thus breaking it.

     With the shattering of my Wall of the Silver Fortress, I was again sent sprawling in the air crashing into house debris. Standing back up with more cracks now, I silently thanked me skeletal body for not having a brain. quick and heavy steps could be heard from just beyond the house, I jumped from the pile of rumble back onto the main road of the village. Multitude of burn marks now sullied the once gleaming armor and continued to do so. Recasting my Wall of the Silver Fortress, I again made a quick dash to the suit of armor. Timing my magic correctly I bashed the armor with my shield, the attack didn't connect do to it's block, but it was enough. "Cast aside once now fallen and end with grace with a last protection," evoking the spell Silver Shard Scapegoat, the silver shield crack and exploded in a frontal cone sending shards of hardened steel to anything in front of it.

     The hundreds of little silver scrapes had put holes in the weakened armor, the shards of silver had been able to pierce through the burnt parts of the armor leaving only the dents on the clean silver areas. Hollow the armor was, thus the damage done would not kill it. With holes now covering its body, the suit of armor was having trouble not deforming. Now that it's movements were more dull, I needed to end this fight quickly before it starts to heal or regenerate somehow. I got back into position and launched myself at the armor. Infusing more mana into my arms I grabbed the sword of lightning with two hands and heavily swung. Unable to keep up, the sword struck the side of the armor and quickly began to melt through it. Add more mana into the sword, the lightning began to travel faster which had made it easier to the the armor into two.

     When the sword finally made its way through the iron armor, the suit began to glow. Shock by the sudden glow I stepped back in case some last ditch magic was to be used. Only adding to my shock, the Lantern of Harvest also began to glow. Taking out the lantern and facing it towards the armor, a lone soul had made its way from the suit of armor and began to circle around the lanterns flame. Looking at the soul that was now bound to the blue light, I remembered the book which was on the second floor of the mages house. I quickly put the lantern back in my chest and started towards the house. 

     The once untouched house now had two new fresh holes on it. walking through the hole that the armor suit made, I walked my way back upstairs and into the mages room. The book was on the floor and the notes were scattered everywhere again. "So much for my hard work organizing the place," I bent down to pick the book back up only to notice that, on the spine of the book, there was a line of unknown markings. Sliding my skinless finger across the etchings, I could feel a bit of mana from it. Curiously I started picking up the notes that had been scattered about. "Maybe I can find out something about this book in the notes." Collecting the notes I noticed one had fallen into the closet of the room, walking up to the closet I prayed not to find another suit of armor. Opening the door, Normally this time. I found the thing that I had actually been looking for since the beginning of this whole mess.

     Walking outside towards the exit of the village, I looked back once again at the house that belonged to the unknown mage. Wearing a set of black leather boots with a metallic shin guard, black pants stuffed with some random bits of clothes, a gray cloth that was wrapped around the waist that drooped lower on one side due to holding a sword. A black long sleeve shirt again stuffed with random bits of clothes, black leather gloves with metal on the forearms, a black vest, and finally the most important piece of clothing of all, a hood to cover my face. With a full new attire of black everything, along with a traveling bag I took. I stepped out of the village with a big grin on my skull.