I feel faint. My eyesight grows dimmer. I can feel intense heat nearby… that car must have exploded after all. I feel my magic shield the debris, preventing it from digging into my body. Not for the first time, I'm thankful my defenses kick in without me telling them to. It allows me to focus on the beast trying to rob me of my existence.
I take another hit. I feel dizzier, and for a brief moment I forgot why I was fighting. The woman in front of me smirks as she raises her gun. I think for a moment that there's no way such a beautiful, pure woman could lead me astray. Maybe it would be best to take another shot and let her get those silly thoughts of resisting out of my-
“You can't.’
I hear that voice in my core. My body shudders as my hand charges with a blue lightning. I feel the familiar humming and feel the crackle of power. Pushing it to my body, I can feel myself lurching from the self induced shock. Self Purification was never fun.
The dizziness fades from my head. I look back at the woman, and I remember it for what it is. It only looks like a woman from this distance . I can see red eyes, a crooked, twitching smile. Slimy tentacles where arms should be, glowing purple from the magic bolt it had just fired. I shocked myself just in time, any sooner and I would have…!
I get up, breathing heavily. I must have lost my hair tie at some point, because my long blue hair clouds my sight. My dress is torn up from the impact of the bolt. I try not to concentrate on the purple wound. If I do, my mind will start to feel dizzy again.
I give an angry huff. I Almost got taken down by small fry. Spritz were only a threat if they caught you by surprise, but I had been so distracted thinking about what was going on with the others, and that novice mistake nearly turned me into a puppet. The embarrassment! I get into a runner's stance and feel my legs crackle with familiar blue energy, and I charge straight at it.
Now that I'm focused, I can read it's movements, and it only gets one chance at a shot before I close the distance. My open hand pulses with lightning and I shove it straight into its surprised face. I meet no resistance, as the second my ability pulses through it, it disperses into black particles.
The enemy cleared, I look around. I'm not the only one in combat. The civilians are running, as they should, they have no resistance to any of the creatures out today. The rest of my squad are fighting left and right, I see an imp getting dispelled with the flash of a whip and a kick to the face. Friendly yellow locks and heterochromatic eyes greet me with a smile. “You weren't having trouble with a Spritz, were you, Discord?”
Damn it, I got caught..I was going to get teased by the others later. “Just trying to make things a challenge. You got the Witch's location yet?”
A nod. “Sure but .. you might want to turn around sweetie.”
I realize the implication but it's already too late. I turn around and a purple light hits me like a truck.
--
I startle awake, clutching my heaving chest. My alarm clock saved me yet again. I groan regardless as I struggle to get up. My bed just feels too good today, and the feeling of my silk undergarments seem to be begging me to stay in bed. Alas, I don't have that luxury, not with early college courses.
I brush my long black hair, bringing it into a braid and begin to think about my day. Early lessons, then I promised Selene lunch for letting me borrow her notes. Then comes track team stuff and then I'm free. One of the less hectic days, thank God.
I shove my books into my purse, fling it over my backpack and head outside to begin my walk. I had chosen a good location to stay, a fifteen minute walk beats spending money on gas. While I wasn't poor, per se, I hated wasting cash. The trip gave me time to get the brain pumping, gods know I need it, I'm no morning person.
I walk around a corner and I see something that brings a smile to my face: a construction crew at work. This area of New Heaven was important to town, and they were finally repairing the old building that had since been ruined.. I still remember the image of Snow crashing into it after receiving a direct hit from the Curse-class Daemon. She had flown a good 50 meters and the building had begun to fall on her. Quick thinking helped her escape in time, but it had been a close call.
I shake my head and sigh. I hated when memories of the war came back. When I recall them, it's like I'm still there, like the city is still in flames and the souls of the world were at stake. But they weren't anymore. We saved them. And I should remember that and get on my merry goddamn way. This professor actually marked attendance after all. My slow walking turned into a faster jog.
Heaven University was... big. It was the biggest draw of the city, or one of them. It had every course you could imagine, both it's academic and sports sections were well funded, and the amount of students that constantly attended made the surrounding areas flourish too. The Heaven Knights were a popular mascot as well. They could afford to have a guy in white armor riding around on a horse and cheering around the campus. It made me laugh every time I saw it.
Walking into the main hall, the first thing that catches my attention is the group of students huddled over a flat screen. Someone turns to me. “Alexa, come check it out, a Sorceress is on the news!”
My heart races for a moment, and I walk over, looking at the TV, where the picture of a blonde smiles back at me with a peace sign. I sigh, Kianna was a dork sometimes. Behind her is a series of what appears to be mobsters of some sort, all in handcuffs and looking too dazed to think. “Let's see-.” I say out loud, looking at the headlines. “Sorceress Kitten aids in large scale mafia takedown… wow, that's pretty amazing!”
“Isn't it?!”. The friend who beckoned me, precious child Selene says, and I can see the wonder in her eyes as she looks at the screen. “Sorceress’ are so amazing, I wonder how they do it?!”
I can't help but share Selene's smile. You would think she was a Sorceress too with how easily she brightens the room. I can't reveal that I know the answer to her question; That Kitten's m.o was to lull the enemy into obedience with her purring. Once she had a member in her cute little claws, the doom of the organization was secured. “Well, Sorceress’ have super cool magic after all so probably something amazing!” is my selected response. Sometimes, I thought I laid it on too thick: It was hard to act normal and pretend not to know anything when you are, in fact, an expert. But, I never got called out for my awkwardness. Was i overthinking? Probably. I tended to do that.
Selene flips her sweet red hair, and we begin walking to class together. “I wonder if I can learn magic like they can. Super amazing powers sound wonderful, like flying to school instead of driving for a half hour, or maybe to run at high speed…”
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“Hey, magic is illegal for a reason.” I caution. Ever since the daemons attacked earth, magic filled the world and changed all of the rules. Illegal sigils and magical explosives redefined the terror market, but besides all that. “It corrupts you and twists your mind. Only Sorceress’ are allowed to handle them because in the hands of everyone else it makes them want to do darker and darker things. The world has had too many ‘take over the world’ attempts since the daemons stopped being a threat.”
A sigh.“I know I know, just wishful thinking. Sorceress' are amazing anyway, though I hope they can fix that, magic seems like a step towards the future is all I'm saying.” Selene's lips pout for a moment, but then she brightens back up “So we're going today right?! To Cherry's?!”
“Yes, you impatient glutton.” I can't help but giggle as I watch her clap in anticipation. One t hing i’ve always liked about her- you always knew exactly what was on her mind. Girl wore her heart on her sleeve, bless her. “We have class first though so don't let your drooling cloud your mind, alright?”
A nod, and we step into class. I was’t good at English, but it was a required course. I sat down and took a deep breath. I could already feel my eyes glaze over with boredom. I thought back to Kitten's arrests, and I wondered about the others on my team. Last I heard, Shade joined the military and led a top tier black ops squad that specializes in the disposal of magical items. Snow went into research and development. Kitten was still at it obviously. I wasn't so sure about the others but I knew… I knew they were still at it.
I twirled my braid as I tried to take notes, quickly getting lost in my thoughts. Memories flashed in my head. Childhood memories, then teenage life… that's when the daemons hit the world, and I found myself in a contract with the Engels… And they gave me the powers of a Sorceress. Nowadays they are treated as heroes, even though their identities remain hidden. The daemons used dark, corrupting magic to take over corporations and built weapons of magical destruction. Only we had a shot of saving the world with our powers.
My power? You would think it was lightning from my memories, but it's more abstract than that. I was given the weird ability I coined 'Discord’ I can disrupt... things. I often used it to disrupt magical energy and defeat daemons that way. More than once I used it to unbrainwash someone that fell to their influence. In theory I could use it to un-unbrainwash someone, but I wasn't about to give that a shot. I could also harmonize and augment, like increase my running speed. It was versatile if not very strong.
Well i guess i used it to save the world so it’s not that bad
Still, it’s certainly not as cool as freezing things solid, melting into shadow, or controlling animals , but it's the hand I got dealt
I look around . I must have dozed off pretty hard because Selene is shaking me with a laugh. “Come on sleepyhead, it's time for yummy yummy food! I've been looking forward to this for far too long!”
I groan from the tugging and stand up, stretching my tired back and following her out. The noon light hit my face, filling my body with warmth. Lovely, inviting warmth that rewarded me for taking the time to go to school in the first place. There wasn't a better feeling in the world.
I walk across the campus towards the exit, and I almost stop dead in my tracks, only remembering to keep walking to keep up appearances. I was approaching a white cat, a white cat with wings and pure yellow eyes. An Engel… and not just any Engel, this spirit was the one who….
As I walked, it leapt up on my shoulder. Selene didn't notice this, and she wouldn't either . Engels emitted a perception blocking aura. Only those who they wanted to see them would notice… and we could communicate freely. Selene's mind would think I was talking to her the whole time.
“You're doing well, Lexi.” The spirit said. When it spoke it was like several pitches talking and forming at once. It was so disorienting to listen to them for too long,“Enjoying daily life, are we?”
“What do you want, Lumina?” I ask with an annoyed expression. We begin walking towards the promised dinner I sighed. Was it too much to ask to get a sugar high in peace? But, I already knew what this Engel wanted.
“The Engel United Front is being stretched thin, Lex”i. It said, looking at me. Others thought it was cute, but the way their eyes stared at me, it was like they could search my soul for whatever they wanted. “You saw the news right? That's happening all over the place. There aren't enough people qualified to use magic”
“It's Alexa, and you know I'm retired.” I say, and I can feel my eye twitching. I had done my part in saving the world and this oversized plushie was trying to rope me into more work. “Besides Engels can stop corruption, and you're telling me you can't handle the Heaven branch?”
“Lex… Alexa, you can't tell? You were the most perceptive of the group. Magical activity is on the rise and we can't stop all of it. There have even been increased daemon sightings.”
“Remnant daemons shouldn't be hard for anyone,either Sorceresses or enhanced soldiers. We killed the Queen, right? They can't make any more daemons so it's only a matter of time.” There was a pause, and it began to unsettle me. “...what? We DID kill it, right?”
“W-well yes you did, and a new Queen hasn't shown but…” The plushie began trying to search for words. “None of them are skilled as you, one of the heroes... Something is coming, and we can all feel it.”
I sigh. “Look Lumi, I gave up my high school life for you guys, I risked my life for you guys. I risked my mind for the world, and more than once I was a puppet for those… those things My watch is over. Spend your time recruiting others, not clinging to the past.”
The Engel is silent, but it slides off my shoulders and bounces away and down an alley. I shrugged, it wasn't my fault if it was disappointed. I saved the world already, I wasn’t an on call nurse to heal it.
“Alexa? You okay? You kinda just dazed out for a moment there.” The sweet voice of my best friend said, and I turned my head. That was the general reaction to when the perception field was dispelled so I wasn't too surprised. “Hello?”
I smile and playfully shove her. “Sorry, I guess I did. “ I say with an apologetic smile. “What were we talking about?”
I get shoved back and we share a laugh. “Oh I was just saying something small….just tickets to a certain group. You know, one that's incredibly hard to find tickets for?”
I can feel my light blue eyes light up. “ You’re lying, you actually got tickets?! How?”
Suddenly it felt like Selene had total control with how she pranced about “Ohhh I have connections. Friends in high places. Parents with power “ She looked pretty proud of herself and started walking faster.. “They owed Dad a favor and he moved them right to me, ehehe. They're playing this Friday. You are going with your best friend, right?”
.
I give a mock bow. “But of course my bestest best friend in existence. To show my humble thanks I shall provide you with an extra smoothie at today's lunch venue.”
She squeals in delight and we continue walking, the diner in sight, Cherry's was an expensive diner that was known for it's over priced but over amazing sweets. Strawberry milkshakes should not be that divine, but they somehow do It. No wonder the redhead was drooling over the idea of a free meal there.
I can't help but sigh, being a tad miffed still. I hated that Engels could home in on people that have made contracts. Knowing that the oversized plush could track me from anywhere in a 100 mile radius was beyond irritating. I would have gladly given up my powers, but once you've signed, you've signed. No escape clause, no buyout. That wasn't going to be the last time I hear from that furry little-
“Lexxxxxiiiiiii!” I hear a gratingly high-pitched cry. I turn around, and Lumina smacks me in the face so hard I trip and fall on my butt. “Lexi-Lexi-Lexi there's trouble!”
I struggle, pulling the Engel off my head and throwing it to the ground with an annoyed cry.. “I already told you I'm not-”
“Shut up, Ditzy Discord!” It shouted, and I feel myself become so shocked I can't help but do that. Lumina almost never shouted. “There's four goblin classes coming this way In an armored truck. I think they're here to-”
I'm overloaded, both by the sound this annoying multi toned plushie is making and the sudden rocking of an explosion, I can feel the shockwave, and it tripped up Selene, she falls on top of me, smothering me. “...to rob the bank transfering gold.”. The plushie finishes
Across the street I see them. Four hulking green giants each twice my size. Next to them are men with suits and sunglasses holding automatic weapons. I could tell they were augmented by daemon magic: hitting civs with that would alter their mindstate. They would willingly hand over the vault, their car keys, and their very souls if they asked. The large ones, goblin classes, liked toying with their prey, liked watching the lights in their victims eyes dim as they struggle to resist.
“Are you going to let them rob the bank?”. That loud, multi toned annoying Engel said, and it looked at me with what I could swear was a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Damn it! Of course I didn't have a damned choice. If I did nothing, all of those people would… and they might target Selene too. I bite my tongue and close my eyes, feeling my power.
My body crackles with energy. I feel the magic coming to me. I see my long hair glow with a dark blue light. I see my hands become gloved, I feel my chest tighten with armor. Sparks fly away from my body.
The men across the street take notice of the abnormalities and open fire in my direction. I hold out my hand. The bullets near us fade as their existence ceases to be.
“A... Alexa?’
I open my eyes. I can feel them brimming with a new energy. Sorceress Discord would like to have some words.