Horatio sighed heavily, laying his head on his desk at the very back of class 2C. It was late in the afternoon, the final class of the day, and he was freshly out of tolerance for the whole ordeal. His math teacher stood before the class, droning on, but Horatio didn’t care to listen.
He huffed quietly, the past month had worn heavily on his patience. The charade of a normal life never suited him, yet he had to comply, for Margulis’ sake.
Horatio’s lips began to curl into a thin smile. He allowed it. He couldn’t stop it anyway, not when he thought of Margulis.
The crimson rose she embodied flashed into his mind. He agreed in the image wholly; She could be lovely and kind but also sharp and logical, all while retaining her rock-solid beauty. That fact always remained true, even back then.
He believed he had answered right. After all, it was that answer that had led him to this moment, with so many fond memories to think back on. ‘That would be more profitable than listening to this old fool.’ He thought and closed his eyes, reminiscing on the past, The events of their meeting and subsequent partnership four months ago.
“No fucking way Margulis, I barely even know you.” He had said that day. In disgust he had pushed away from her, getting off the bed. She looked at him with surprised eyes and he glared back. “There’s no way in hell I’m doing something like that with you.”
“Wait what?” She questioned.
“You can’t be serious, are you even listening to yourself?” He scoffed, “You haven’t even got me fully convinced on the first part and you spring up some bullshit like this? I knew I shouldn’t have come here.” He said and shook his head. He turned to leave.
“Horatio wait!” Margulis rose quickly, grabbing hold of his hand. “Perhaps I may have gotten ahead of myself.” She said
“Perhaps!?” Horatio roared. “You’ve definitely overstepped your bounds, Margulis. You had me for a second there but now you’ve lost me.” He shook his head, “I was thinking you were different.” He said, pulling his arm away. Margulis grasped at it again, holding tight. He turned to look at her, his face twisted in anger. She pursed her lips, looking down.
“I’m sorry Horatio. I didn’t mean it, you know, like a bad joke.” She said with a weak laugh.
Horatio was unmoved, he gently slid his hand once more out of Margulis’ grasp. He looked at her, her demeanour pitiful. “A bad joke indeed.” He said and sighed.
“I’ll forgive this once, if you agree to understand that we’re nothing more than partners, alright?” He said, Margulis’ face lit up. “I’m not done.” He cut in, “I’ll do this only if you can find another method to complete this ‘binding’ you spoke of. Frankly, I’m interested in this supposed power spike.” He had said. “And you're likely to die out there without me.
Margulis then turned, purposely to catch Horatio’s eyes with her own. “I could give us a temporary binding, one of a different, less destructive kind. If you permit me.”
Horatio paused reminiscing and lifted his head, letting his left hand take its place on the table, his palm facing upwards. He arced a glance about the class, speedily studying his classmate’s intentions as portrayed by their postures. ‘They won’t notice.’ He noted and returned focus to his hand.
“You can activate energy control now right?” He asked quietly, looking around once more to make sure he wouldn’t be seen. He hid his hand under the table just in case.
Horatio knew doing something careless like this could get him in trouble with Margulis, but he craved to feel it, feel the gift that Margulis Toldaap had granted him.
“Sector unlocked.” The Analyst reported dryly. Horatio suspected it did not think well of Margulis, he didn’t really care what it thought. Anyone, according to Horatio, was entitled to their opinions. It did not matter to him what they thought, as long as they did not hurt her, he was fine.
“Horatio sighed furtively, satisfaction bubbling up inside him as he filled his mind with memories of Margulis. He had spent most of their three-month summer break with her. During the period, Margulis dutifully mentored Horatio on several forms of combat. She was well trained and explained it to be par for the course growing up in a Voidwalker household.
Horatio, in turn, kept her teachings close to his heart, committing them to memory even without the help of The Analyst. He had found during this period, that he had made a wrongful impression of her. Through the days, they had each warmed up to each other, training together for their proposed mission. Horatio, under this training, fashioned his own fighting style based upon Margulis’, taking into account the difference in their abilities.
As time went by, Horatio became firmly of the observation that he was not a Voidwalker as Margulis had suggested. During periods when he had visited the Toldaap Mansion and met with other Voidwalkers he noticed several disparities between them and him. Voidwalkers were much larger built than humans, giving them incomparable physical strength.
Where their strength was a natural occurrence due to their physical state, Horatio’s was supernatural in a way, not having a logical explanation to it. Again, he noticed within each Voidwalker, an intrinsic energy that seemed to link them together as similar beings, an energy signature Horatio could not tune into. He had brought these observations to Margulis who in turn had forwarded them to someone she termed as ‘Knowledgeable in the field’. The results were yet to return.
Horatio shook his head lightly, bringing himself back into reality, where his attention was needed most. He made one more check of the classroom before returning his attention to his hand.
He focused his energy into his hand, careful not to let too much into it, just enough to be useful but not enough to emit light. He split his mind into two, a difficult task made trivial through The Analyst. The split was an unconventional use but one Horatio had adopted solely for this sequence.
Horatio gave up one part of his mind, relinquishing control to The Analyst who he instructed to keep the energy collected in his hand stable. He took full control over the remainder, using it to sift into the collected energy, separating his own from the small amount he had received thanks to a certain bond.
“Flauna.” He chanted slowly, calling upon the flame Margulis controlled, an entity Margulis shared a bond with, and Horatio too by extension. Horatio focused on calling out to the spirit, noticing the steady temperature rise that soon followed. He only had to keep his mind steady, focus on the bond they shared, recall all the information necessary for this to work.
During one of their training sessions, Horatio thought to ask Margulis about her abilities. Her response had brought about his question. “It’s spirit energy.” She had said.
“Spirits?” Horatio remembered asking, several days ago, during the tail end of his training. “You mean ghosts and stuff?” He had given her a quizzical stare. Margulis had met his gaze and said nothing for several moments. He felt a strange tension in the air and wondered what he was about to find out; would she even tell him?
The silence was broken by a laugh, it was Margulis who was laughing. She laughed a long and hearty laugh, one that made Horatio throb in the heart. For a moment the question was lost.
He watched her laugh, her features shining against the thin darkness of the woods, even the wrinkles that formed on her face as if shining only for him. No, at that moment, they truly were shining only for him. Horatio felt himself falling, deep into a place he did not want to leave, ever.
Margulis managed to hold her laughter, placing a hand over her mouth to calm herself, breathing deep to steady herself. Horatio felt his face flush. Was it in embarrassment? Was he simply flustered? He could not tell.
There were times when Horatio felt there was nothing else in the world except for her.
There were times he thought he felt regret when he looked at her.
There were times when he lost himself on the sound of her voice. Not on her words, simply the sound of her speech.
Times when he had dreams of being together with her.
Times when those dreams were of a future together. Times when the dreams told stories of desire he would want hidden.
He knew now, for a fact that he had let his guard down, and he had fallen for Margulis.
“No no,” she paused to wipe a tear with a wave of her hand, composing herself lest she burst into laughter again. “I don’t mean ghosts, those don’t exist. What I’m talking about is a bit more complex.” She paused, staring off into space, mulling over the words. “I guess, in the simplest instance, it’s run-off energies from our god.” She explained, she herself looking unsure of the answer she gave.
Margulis rose to her feet, she looked down at Horatio for a moment before her eyes returned to the trees. Horatio watched in silence, he had found that allowing her to do her thing was much more rewarding than asking mindless questions. Even with The Analyst, the world of the Voidwalkers was flooded with unknowns, trying to piece together information relating to it would just get him more lost than before.
As Horatio looked on, Margulis’ crimson locks began to light up, and so did her eyes. She looked up at the moon that was beginning its arc over the sky. Her fingertips touched the hair that laid over her shoulders, smiling lightly as she looked at the glowing strands. She put it to her nostrils, breathing in in oblivious pleasure. “You know Horatio, I’m really glad you gave me this.” She sighed.
“I’m just happy the binding didn’t cause you any trouble.” He replied sincerely. He looked over at Margulis and she flashed him a smile.
“Spirits, in their true form, cannot exist in any of the realms, that is physically impossible. I don’t even want to think of the possible repercussions of forcing such an incident. They instead live in a realm apart from the realms, a so called spirit realm.” Margulis said at length.
“Does the spirit realm have a name?” Horatio asked. Margulis eyes snapped to him in disbelief.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” She burst out, “Who could possibly be pure enough to bestow a name onto the realm Hhurondinhner’s holy energy dwells in? Even I’m quite disliked for my use of that power.”
Horatio was taken aback by her outburst. “I’m sorry?” He said.
“No,” Margulis waved off his apology, “You didn’t grow up a Voidwalker, I shouldn’t expect you to understand.” She said and again an awkward silence settled in.
“Oh,” Horatio mumbled, he looked down at the ground, then back up at Margulis. “I guess I should be going, it’s kinda late.” He said, indicating Margulis’ glowing features with a nod of his head. Margulis simply shook her head, her hair flapped about like some sort of godly headdress.
“No, Horatio, stay for a bit,” Margulis bit her fingernail in thought. “I think I have an idea.”
Margulis pointed her palm to the ground before her, a red sigil spread over the bare soil, Horatio read a simple blank sigil.
Horatio gave her a questioning glance as he rose to her side. “I believe your power might give me enough strength to bind one to a worldly vessel.” She answered.
Horatio thought for a while, mulling over her vague answer. “You want to summon a spirit?” He questioned.
“What about it?”
“A spirit outside the spirit realm would have an unknown impact on its environment right?”
“That is indeed true.”
Horatio paused his questioning to give Margulis a calculating stare. “Margulis, pardon me for asking, but are you trying to get us killed?”
“What? No!” Margulis broke her focus, giving Horatio an incredulous stare, then the realisation hit her. “Oh my Horatio. I’m not stupid enough to summon a spirit in its raw form. I’m going to contain its power in a medium. Trust I will not get us killed.”
Horatio stared in silence, calculating the possibilities. “It’s that easy?” He questioned. “If this being is as great as you tell me-”
“He is, and even greater.”
“Wouldn’t it be incredibly difficult to control even a bit of his power?” He asked. “I mean I’m all for this experiment, but isn’t the risk a bit too high?”
“Listen, Horatio,” Margulis stepped towards him, removing the space between them and then leaning in close. “I am Margulis Toldaap, A prodigy of a Voidwalker. Whatever seems insurmountable, I conquer it, I do not agree with failure. No achievement can escape me. This task is but a trivial summoning. I am simply bringing a spirit under my control. Trust me more Horatio Peppingar.” She said. “Now! Greatness awaits.” With that, Margulis stepped back, returning her attention to the previously formed sigil.
Horatio chuckled, “I’ll keep an eye out for any disturbances.” he said and disappeared into the trees. Margulis simply waved him off.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
There was one downside to training in the Toldaap woods. Even in the heavily secure environment they still had to be alert at all times. The many energies had a debilitating effect on the fabric of the realm, weakening it to the point where rifts between the realms were more likely. They were still fairly uncommon but this did not stop Horatio from worrying, though he also had another reason now for separating from Margulis.
Margulis kept her concentration on the sigil. At the same time, she felt through the environment mentally, looking through the life energies nearby. She was at least relieved Horatio offered to work on security. “If he was here...” She mumbled, realizing she would not be able to clear her mind for the task.
“Scan,” Horatio ordered and felt a semi-familiar ping leave his body. He shut his eyes and focused on the wave, he felt it travel through the woods, and catch nothing. He had to work on its range.
Horatio sat down against a tree, propping his weight against the trunk. He could feel everything, the hard wood against him, the still air sifting slowly.
He could feel the heavy dampness of the forest.
He could feel every living creature anywhere near him, every insect, arachnid, worm; he could feel them all, and he understood what everyone meant.
Horatio had The Analyst, he was never lacking in knowledge, he always knew what was happening at all times, no exception.
“So why?” He asked, “Why don’t I understand this feeling in my chest!?”
***
The parties remained separated for an hour, After which Margulis picked up a rustling sound in the bushes nearby and immediately focused her mind onto it. She picked up a small shape moving carefully towards her.
The rustling grew nearer and louder, the shape beginning to pick up speed. Margulis steadied her breath, focusing deeper on the entity while making sure not to neglect the sigil she had formed.
Moments later the noise maker jumped out with a strained squeak. It stood at the edge of the clearing as if in a daze.
“Good bunny,” Margulis coaxed it closer with a wave of her hand. “That’s right, get closer...closer.” As she waved her hand, she coated the bunny in her energy, allowing her suggestions to seep into the lower mind.
The bunny crept towards Margulis, looking unsure of its actions. It came more into the opening, moving slowly then stopped.
In a flash the bunny changed paths, darting towards the other side of the clearing, or rather, into the sigil.
“There you go.” Margulis praised the rabbit once it was fully inside the blank sigil. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
About a hundred metres away Horatio felt a strange disturbance. Something was messing with his senses. He stood quickly, facing the direction of the disturbance.
“Margulis?” He questioned himself. He felt energy from another world. It told him of its alien-ness in such a plain and confident way. “The spirit realm?”
“AARGH! MY HEAD!”
In a moment the signal surged in intensity, almost as though he was being attacked by the energy. Quickly he tried to close the connection, shaking his head to clear the pain. The needle like stabbing dulled, but the connection did not close. He felt a presence watching him.
“My flesh, grafted to the void.” He heard its voice, billowing from all around him. He turned to look but found nothing, the presence was gone, the connection had been shut down.
Horatio grunted, ‘Margulis.’ He thought in fear and began running in her direction. A drowning feeling slowly overcoming him.
Horatio thought he was going to pass out, fear took over him as he thought of what would happen to his memories if he was to become unconscious under these effects. He kept running, if this was how he felt as one not truly in tune with the Void, who knows how this alien energy could be affecting Margulis?
Margulis began the summoning process, unaware of Horatio’s plight, she did not feel the disturbance at all. Her eyes glowed fiercely as did her hair. A new energy filled the air as the spell entered its first phase. Margulis pointed a palm towards the bunny. A thin string slowly extended from her palm. It began to thicken and redden into a ruby cord, floating weightlessly, catching the moonlight.
A similar string emerged from the rabbit that had fallen asleep. This string was a pearly white. They reached for each other, glowing softly they each extended for a grasp of the other.
“Margu-” A male voice entered the clearing. Margulis did not need to turn to know it was Horatio who had come in. She would not have turned anyway, her attention needed to be on the phenomenon she was about to artificially induce.
Horatio had burst into the clearing and stopped at its edge. Margulis was in the middle of something, clearly unaware of what was going on. He realised then that the energy had subsided. ‘She must’ve taken care of it.’ He thought. He kept himself on his feet against teh rising nausea and light headedness. The question of who spoke to him drifting out of his mind.
Horatio gasped as he noticed the strings extending from the bodies ahead of him. Their tips glowed brightly, like illuminated snow, or an angel’s halo. He could not describe the serene beauty of it but it appealed to him. The strings emitted a low hum as they floated closer, curling about the other and tying into a tiny, minuscule knot.
Just as Horatio thought the sequence was finished, the sigil lit up, suddenly bursting forth with a shower of colours. Horatio gaped at the spectacle before him, suddenly remembering the moment he and Margulis were bound.
The colours burst in rapid symphony, impossible for simple frequencies of resonating light. At that moment Horatio saw more than just light he saw with not his eyes, but with another thing altogether, something much more intimate. Now he was embraced by the energy, not rejected by it. It was warm and empowering, filling his inner being with hope.
As Horatio experienced the phenomenon, the colours solidified into a dome about the rabbit, obscuring it entirely.
“Scan the energy,” Horatio commanded in absence of himself.
“Imagine nothingness, that is where you are.” The cryptic response came slowly, as if The Analyst had just awoken from sleep. Horatio knew that it too had experienced what he had experienced, and that a barrier had been broken, bringing him closer to the one who had spoken.
Horatio stirred, noticing Margulis’ spell was nearing its end. The dome beginning to shrink was the telltale sign. In a breath after that realization, the dome broke open with a quiet crash, like glass breaking underwater. Then everything faded away, all that was not meant to exist suddenly didn’t, floating away into nothingness, leaving the rabbit on the sigil.
But Horatio realised something, as Margulis stood still recovering from the experience, he saw the bunny had changed, its physical form adapted to its new role.
It had morphed to more of a different creature, its hind legs no longer curved pointedly underneath its body, they now shortened into a straighter form built to hold its body off the ground. Horatio noted from its shape that its muscle structure had been adapted for running instead of hopping, and most likely its bones had undergone a similar change. Its forelimbs also changed, mirroring those at the rear.
Coming closer he noted that its trunk had also undergone significant change, morphing from a plump sphere to a cylindrical torpedo, its proportions coming closer to that of a dog or fox, even its small compact head had stretched forward, giving it a pointed snout. Its fur had also changed colour. The pure white had stained to a rusty red.
Margulis, who was just about exiting her daze saw into its now beady black eyes and knew what she had created. She knew that a life had ended, but also something great had been achieved. Margulis looked into those eyes as saw a fire within, she had turned an innocent rabbit to a vessel, a vessel for a spirit. And what she enjoyed the most about her success was the crest-like sigil inscribed on the vessel’s forehead, a mark like a letter M.
“I-I did it!” Margulis cried, rushing forward. She dropped to her knees to pick up the creature cradling it to her chest.
Horatio felt Margulis’ excitement bleeding into him. He felt his lips stretch into a mad grin as he drew near squatting before her. But at that moment of euphoria for the both of them, Horatio let his guard down, not focusing on the rabbit but on Margulis.
“Congratulations.” He said, placing his hand atop her head and stroking gently. He smiled at her.
Margulis stared back, surprised by Horatio’s sudden show of affection. ‘Affection?’ She thought to herself, ‘No that’s too strong, Horatio doesn’t think of me that way, He’s way too analytical, or is he?’ She found herself in a dilemma, unsure of how to take Horatio's extension.
“Erm, Horatio...” Margulis began, steadying her voice to its regular low tone. Her voice was natural but there was nothing she could do to control her blush. Horatio looked back, cocking his head to the side, a questioning expression upon his face.
Margulis’ eyes dropped low and to the left with embarrassment, she was usually on top of situations like this, but Horatio’s genuine comfort had mentally tripped her over.
Horatio continued to stare, waiting for Margulis’ words, he found it strange that after such an achievement she was silent. He expected her to be about giving a victory speech but she had only called out his name. ‘Perhaps the ordeal took more out of her than it seemed.’ He thought.
“Margulis,” Horatio called her name.
“W-What?” Her stuttered response gave him all the information he needed.
“You seem tired. We should get back to the Mansion.” He said.
Those were his fond memories, those that led him to this point today. He had one more, the most important of them all.
Horatio focused on his hand, that information was not quite what he was looking for, he would need to search deeper to find that exact piece. Still, he focused on the heat that dwelled beneath his palm, intent to draw it out.
He had tried severally to use the spirit’s power and failed. There were times where he manifested nothing at all, and times when he burnt everything around him in an uncontrolled blaze.
He had not experienced failure like this before, and that pushed him to try again and again, believing that he would get it once a new method was employed. He was already behind Margulis in that regard. Desperate, he subjected himself to this trial by fire, a risk he had managed to talk The Analyst into taking.
However, there was another flaw he was accounting for constantly. The Analyst could not experience spirit energy, the exact reason eluded them, but the voice in the clearing was a hint, as well as Horatio’s bond to the Voidwalker Margulis.
“Cinder,” Horatio commanded. He knew he exerted little control over Margulis’ spirit vessel. She had named it Flauna. There was a considerable lack of efficiency in the bond they shared, though he was not willing to go further yet. Still, he gave the command. He cast himself into his memories again, hopefully, that of his binding would have the requisite information.
“You want my permission for a temporary binding?” Horatio had asked, propping himself on his elbows. His mind had gone back to when he had first had the bonding proposed to him, at that time when Margulis was very nearly naked.
“I did indeed say that, yes.” Margulis answered, “But I want you to be completely certain and sure of your answer.”
Horatio gulped. He turned over the offer in his head, analysing all sides and points. Logically he found the supposed power lucrative, and he would be foolish to turn it down, even if it meant he had to put himself in danger. In his heart, he still desired the power, but more so he desired to help protect others, he also disliked the fact that otherwise, he would be living in constant fear of everything he held dear simply ceasing to exist.
Or maybe he just wanted to be with Margulis, who knew? He sighed.
“I, Horatio Peppingar, give Margulis Toldaap full permission to use my power, body and will as she see fit.” Horatio said ceremoniously, “Is that good enough or do I need to hand over my soul as well?” He said jokingly, filling the silence as he waited for a response. Margulis remained silent.
“Margulis?-” No sooner had Horatio begun to speak than Margulis threw herself on him in an embrace.
“Of course that’s more than enough dummy.” She said laughing, she squeezed him tighter.
“Wait, Margulis! Your, you...” Horatio forced himself to look at the white ceiling.
“My what?” Margulis asked, a bewildered expression on her face, one that Horatio did not see.
“You’re naked!” He yelled. Margulis didn’t push back, instead, she held him closer.
“I’m only teasing you,” She said with a grin, “Your words earlier made me feel as though you were unsure of yourself, maybe I should be able to enlighten you on more, adult things.”
“Please stop.” He hissed. She complied, her determination unbroken.
“You will be mine eventually Horatio, just you wait.” She declared. He sighed, admonishing her with his eyes.
Margulis, after getting changed led Horatio out of the Mansion and into the woods for the very first time. She led him to the clearing he now was very familiar with but then had no attachment to.
“Alright.” She said, “Let’s get started.” Horatio nodded.
Margulis put her palm forwards, her energy spilled elegantly as she formed two sigils, one beneath her and the other beneath Horatio. With another controlled motion she stenciled each of the sigils with a pattern depicting chains.
“Alright Horatio, I need you to focus on me and the sigil, nothing else,” Margulis ordered
“Alright, that should be easy enough.” He muttered to himself, locking his focus on her with the assistance of the Analyst.
Margulis nodded. She took a second to prepare her mind for the binding, using her advanced Voidwalker neurology she split her focus onto herself, the sigils, Horatio and the binding.
The sigils lit up, and so did their eyes, their energies kickstarted for the sequence. Margulis put out her palm before her.
“Hold out your hand.” She directed. Horatio obeyed, mirroring her action. He felt a tingling discomfort as strings, the strings of fate Margulis coaxed out began to snake from their palms to meet each other.
The strings, as they usually did, glowed softly and with a light hum resonating from within. Soon they met and began to curl about each other, forming a neat knot. Then the bonding began.
Both Margulis and Horatio’s energies had been excited to an intense point, allowing them to escape their bodies through the string into the other body, bringing a sample of the other’s power and linking them both to a communal energy pool. Even though these energies barely accounted for a hundredth of their total energy, such an intimate transfer would still have severe effects on the mind.
Horatio shuddered as he felt his hairs raise, then an unforeseen barge of energy smoothly entered him, tingling his brain with mind-rending pleasure. At first, the sensation only existed at a single point, enough for him to withstand, but it quickly spread throughout his body, threatening to shut his mind down.
Horatio’s body was at the mercy of the intense sensation, all through him a pleasurable tingling razed his senses, he grit his teeth against it, focusing on Margulis and the sigil before him, just as she had ordered.
The binding was completed with one final pulse of energy, its strength left Horatio on his knees, gasping for air.
Horatio heard Margulis, voice reaching to him, it sounded as though it was coming from far away, his mind nearly slipped but he held on, all was fuzzy against the afterglow of the moment. “We are now one.” He heard clearly. Horatio felt all weight leave his body, and soon after his consciousness did too.”
“That’s it,” Horatio said. He had found the necessary memories. He called again, “Cinder.”
A flame flared up in his palm. For a moments Horatio thought the spirit energy would burn out of control. He did not panic, focusing on steadying the energy instead. The fire, just moments after the initial burst fanned out to the tips of Horatio’s fingers to rest. They drooped low into blue nubs that danced over his five fingertips. He grinned.
“Mr Peppingar, would you kindly answer the question?” Horatio’s teacher’s voice reached him. Smiling, he closed his fist and stood. Horatio Peppingar was ahead of everything. His perception was his greatest weapon, he felt all and knew all, there was no way his teacher’s attention would have gone unnoticed of him, alongside the question he had already predicted would be asked, and the answer to it which Horatio was already prepared to give him.