Chapter 6: Training
"What are you waiting for? Aren't you coming?" Vineca's tone carried a trace of impatience as she turned to look back, her gaze finding Daniel lingering in the shadows.
"Oh, right," Daniel replied, hastily concealing his wand within the folds of his robe before quickening his pace. Soon enough, he caught up with them, and the trio resumed their journey.
Eventually, they arrived back at Maya's shop.
"Ah, you've returned," Maya greeted, her expression brightening into a welcoming smile.
"Yes, it seems Lucifer needs a wand after all," Vineca remarked, her gaze subtly emphasizing Lucifer as she spoke.
"Indeed, go ahead and pick one, Lucifer," Maya encouraged, gesturing towards an array of wooden boxes, each adorned with hues of white and brown.
Lucifer's hand extended, choosing a box seemingly at random. A rush of excitement filled him as he carefully removed the lid, unveiling a meticulously crafted wooden wand resting within. The wand's exquisite design spoke of the skilled craftsmanship invested in its making, a true masterpiece.
Grasping the wand firmly with his right hand, Lucifer lifted it up, his eyes captivated by the elegant creation before him.
"Hmm..." Vineca narrowed her eyes, studying the wand in Lucifer's hand before shifting her attention to the remaining boxes. She crouched down, selecting another box and presenting it to him.
"Give this one a try," she suggested.
Lucifer returned the first wand to its container and proceeded to examine the brown box and its contents. Once more, he meticulously inspected the wand after removing it.
Vineca's brow furrowed as she muttered to herself, "Not this one either..." Determinedly, they continued their search, assessing over twenty wands in succession.
Exhaling a frustrated sigh, Vineca was on the verge of tugging at her hair, while Daniel couldn't help but chuckle at the situation.
"None of these seem to suit you!" Vineca exclaimed, her voice tinged with exasperation.
Lucifer, feeling slightly puzzled, responded, "I'm a bit confused. I merely need a wand for self-defense, not for aesthetics... So, whether they suit me or not shouldn't really matter."
This prompted a moment of contemplation among the trio.
Vineca sighed, her tone carrying a note of explanation. "You see, a wizard or witch can technically wield any wand, but most wands will eventually falter when used by someone whose power they can't fully harmonize with. They won't be able to endure the strain of the wielder's magical abilities. Only a wand that genuinely chooses its wizard is capable of enduring over time."
Lucifer nodded in understanding, the reason behind Vineca's thorough assessment of the wands now crystal clear to him.
"But how can you tell if a wand has chosen me?" Lucifer inquired, curiosity evident in his tone.
Vineca replied, "Well, when a wand chooses its wielder, it emits a subtle glow the moment you pick it up."
Lucifer's brow furrowed as he recalled his attempts with the wands. "But none of the wands I tried did that..."
Given this information, Lucifer began returning the wands he had previously selected back into their respective boxes. Turning to Vineca, he queried, "So, what now?"
"Hmm..." Vineca contemplated, tapping her chin as she considered their options. In that moment, Daniel interjected, "I don't think he necessarily requires a wand."
'Why put your leg in this matter dude? I am getting something, let me get!', Lucifer squinted his eyes.
Recalling Vineca's mention of Lucifer's ability to perform wandless magic, Daniel's comment held a certain logic.
Vineca countered, determined, "No, Daniel. He does need a wand. We both understand that the curse will spread more rapidly if he uses magic without a proper wand."
Daniel acknowledged the point, conceding, "True. Then why not simply buy him multiple wands right now until he finds one that suits him?"
His suggestion was initially offered as a jest, a lighthearted remark, but to Vineca, it appeared as a brilliant idea. Her mood instantly lifted. "Yes, Daniel! That's actually a great idea!"
"Huh?" Daniel was taken aback by the enthusiastic response.
Maya, their shopkeeper friend, chimed in, "Maya, get me these ten wands," Vineca instructed, promptly extracting ten gold coins from a concealed pouch within her magical attire. She handed the coins to Maya, who was ready to provide the wands.
"No need, really. Just five gold coins will suffice," Maya responded, offering the wands to her friend without hesitation.
"Wah… thanks a lot Maya!", Lucifer expressed his gratitude, collecting the wands that Vineca had chosen.
Lucifer left the boxes behind, unable to carry them all. The wands he could manage to tuck into his clothing, but there were evident gaps where the fabric couldn't conceal the new acquisitions.
"Pfft, get my guy some clothes," Daniel jeered, a mock scolding aimed at Lucifer.
Lucifer merely stared at Daniel, kinda bothered by what he said.
Vineca, however, chuckled in response.
"Come on, Lucifer, let's get you some proper clothes," Vineca suggested, taking his hand, which was already laden with wands, and leading him to another nearby store where they could find clothing. Once again, Daniel was left behind.
Maya observed Daniel for a moment before saying, "Looks like your flower is attracted to a different bee."
Daniel stared at her, saying, "It's the bee's problem. Won't take long before getting rid of it."
"Sigh, don't think of useless things you moron!", Maya threw an empty box at him when he said this.
Daniel, without evening looking in the direction, caught the box.
Maya, tapping her chin, continued, "Did you tell him?"
"Tell him about what?" Daniel queried.
"His location," Maya clarified.
Daniel paused, a plan formulating in his mind. With a mischievous grin, he swiftly darted in the direction Vineca and Lucifer had gone.
Maya, glancing Daniel's rush had but one thing to say, "I hope he doesn't cause trouble…"
When Daniel reached them, Lucifer had already acquired a new outfit. He was now attired in a complete black, long robe that extended to his waist, complemented by equally dark pants. Vineca finished making the payment and began walking out of the store, finding Daniel standing there. However, his smile seemed to fade, his expression returning to normal after a few blinks.
Perplexed by the change, Vineca inquired, "What's going on, Daniel? Did something good happen?"
Daniel nodded, his tone cryptic. "I've located his whereabouts."
He muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.
"Whose whereabouts?" Vineca's curiosity was evident as her eyebrows arched upwards.
"You know whose," Daniel replied, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"No way... Noah— Ahem, his whereabouts?" Vineca carefully corrected herself, ensuring that both she and Daniel were on the same page. In response, Daniel simply nodded, confirming her suspicion.
Meanwhile, Lucifer had been eavesdropping on their conversation, quickly catching wind of the revelation.
"Come with me," Daniel instructed, gesturing for both Vineca and Lucifer to follow. Leading them to a separate elevator known as the East Gate, they were met by two guards stationed there.
"Excuse me, I need to go somewhere," Daniel informed the guards, prompting them to step aside.
The trio entered the elevator – Lucifer, Vineca, and Daniel – and as the door closed, the elevator ascended. Emerging back onto the surface, they found themselves in another cavern. Stepping outside, they ventured a few paces, eventually reaching a forested area where a large peepal tree stood.
Upon arriving beneath the tree, Daniel glanced around before raising his wand and muttering an incantation. Gradually, a protective barrier formed around them.
"Alright, this should be far enough.", Daniel muttered.
"Tell me, Daniel, where is Sir Noah?" Vineca's eagerness was palpable as she posed the question.
"The Dark Forest," Daniel responded in a low voice, causing the smile on Vineca's face to fade.
"The Dark Forest?" Vineca's voice trembled, her throat feeling dry as she struggled to speak. Her eyes darted around, her gaze unfocused.
Turning her attention to Lucifer, she began, "Lucifer, breaking the curse... I think it's next to impossible now..."
"Huh? Why?" Lucifer inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"Is there something significant about the Dark Forest? Something related to his location?" he probed further.
Vineca didn't respond immediately. Instead, she found a spot beneath the tree's roots and settled down to sit. Observing her fatigue, Daniel stepped in to provide additional information.
"The Dark Forest is the third most dangerous forest in the wizarding world," he began, his tone serious.
"It's home to countless perilous creatures."
"Someone like you wouldn't last ten minutes inside," he added, a note of derision in his voice.
'Bastard, I would like to see you crawling in the forest and getting stomped by what… an elephant? Yeah!', Lucifer's glare in response to Daniel's dismissive remark was met with a smirk from the latter.
Vineca suddenly pressed her hands to her head, wincing from a headache.
"Ack..." she murmured, her discomfort evident.
Both Daniel and Lucifer turned their attention to her, concern etched on their faces.
"What's wrong?" they asked simultaneously.
"It's just a headache... happens sometimes," Vineca explained, her gaze shifting to Daniel.
Understanding her discomfort, Daniel raised his wand and approached her, carefully aiming it at her forehead. With an incantation, he cast the "Ferno Reduso" spell, temporarily alleviating her pain.
As her headache subsided, an idea blossomed in Vineca's mind.
"Why don't we teach Lucifer some spells?" she proposed, a bright smile gracing her lips.
"Teach him spells?" Daniel's bafflement was evident.
"Is your headache gone, Vineca?" he inquired.
"Yes, I'm fine now. But about teaching Lucifer spells—"
Daniel interrupted vehemently, "No, Vineca. You know we're not authorized to teach spells to others. We're not educators."
Unyielding, Vineca continued to look at Daniel, her determination unwavering. "If you're not interested, that's fine. I'll take it upon myself."
Stepping closer to Lucifer, she instructed, "Stand there, Lucifer. Let me help you learn some spells."
Daniel attempted to dissuade her, but Vineca remained resolute.
"Take out your wand," she directed, prompting Lucifer to retrieve one of the ten wands he had stowed at his belt.
As Vineca began instructing Lucifer, a flurry of thoughts raced through Daniel's mind.
'Teaching him spells... Is this a wise decision?' he mused. 'Is there a risk that he could learn enough to reach 100% cursed state and then turn against us? Of course there is!'
Exasperation evident on his face, Daniel couldn't help but inwardly chide, 'When did Vineca become so thoughtless?'
His hand met his forehead in a facepalm gesture as he lowered his body, settling onto the tree root nearby.
'Furthermore,' Daniel's thoughts continued, 'Even with the bracelet, each spell he learns will only accelerate the curse. Learning them in one attempt is highly doubtful.'
"Alright, let's begin with the one attack spell you already know – 'Thundra!'" Vineca's voice resonated with determination as she spoke the incantation towards the massive boulders nearby.
A bolt of lightning, though slightly diminished in intensity compared to Vineca's prior attempts, emanated from her wand, striking one of the boulders and causing a portion of it to crumble.
Satisfaction evident on her face, Vineca turned her gaze toward Lucifer, her eyes silently urging him to replicate her feat.
Raising his wand, Lucifer confidently chanted, "Thundra!"
While his voice lacked the force of Vineca's, the resulting bolt of red lightning was formidable, surging toward the boulder and obliterating it entirely, reducing it to a cloud of dust.
Daniel had closed his eyes, as if resting, but the loud explosive sound made him jolt open his eyes, and stare at what happened. A mixture of astonishment and confusion etched across his features.
"Holy smokes... This strong!?" he exclaimed, his eyes widening in awe. His gaze met Vineca's, her smirk clearly communicating, "See? I told you he's strong."
Daniel thought, inwardly, 'If he were to become a Devil's pawn, we are so done for.'
Vineca's attention shifted to Lucifer as she continued her instruction. "Now, let's try a less powerful attack spell, but one that can still inflict harm on a person if it hits them directly."
Lucifer nodded, fully engaged and ready to follow her lead.
"Vendorium Sparkwhin," Vineca enunciated, her voice carrying the incantation. This time, blue sparks of lightning emerged, scattering in a wider pattern compared to the focused intensity of her previous attack. The sparkles struck the dust from the destroyed boulder, leaving an impression of a broader range attack.
Lucifer absorbed the demonstration, then raised his wand and repeated, "Vendorium Sparkwhin."
His execution of the spell resulted in a similar outcome, albeit notably more potent. The red bolt of lightning surged forward, impacting the remnants of the boulder with even greater force, practically carving a hole into the ground.
However, Lucifer's gaze was not fixated on the hole. Rather, he remained staring at the wand, which now had a crack on it, faint red glow visible. Before he could take a closer look, he heard Vineca's voice.
"Lucifer, your attacks..." Vineca began, her smile speaking volumes about her astonishment. However, her expression swiftly shifted as a thought occurred to her.
"Lucifer, can you activate your bracelet for a moment?" she inquired.
Lucifer obliged, raising his bracelet. Within seconds, a red glow enveloped the numbers, revealing the current status: 99.1%.
"You have only 18 more spell uses available..." Vineca murmured, her words heavy with realization.
In that moment, Lucifer finally comprehended the gravity of Daniel's earlier reluctance. The use of spells, even for practice, would inevitably hasten the curse's progression, compounding the danger that lurked within it.