Tales of magic: grimoire of transmogrification
Chapter 14
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Opening Arc- "Crow and Quill"
Chapter 14- "Rain."
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The time for battle has arrived.
This is not the time for asides.
What is the point for all this conversation?
The truth is, there is only one reason, that sounds right.
They are too scared to fight.
~ Anon.
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Quill.
Spirit world.
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'I shall announce myself as you Mages do. I am a Vampire. My name is Vlad Sinclair. I was once the Lord of the Ancient Castle of Vampires, now I am the lord of the local Spirits of blood, flesh and bone. Prepare yourself, human. I will do whatever it takes to obtain your soul.'
"Bind!" Quill yelled, pointing his hands towards Vlad. The green light from his hands increased in intensity and enveloped around his target. However these lights were gone in an instant, replaced with thick metal chains. These chains twisted and bent themselves around him the moment they were conjured. In an instant, Vlad was tightly bound in several chains.
'It appears that you had sorcery prepared for me, human. I was expecting that.'
"Quill, be careful. Get ready with a defensive spell!"
"Why would I need that?"
The Vampire suddenly began to levetate, moving the chains along with him. His wings didn't even move- he didn't need them to fly.
'There are certain benefits that come with being a vampire. And I believe there are even more benefits that come with being human. However, I like to think I have the best of both worlds.'
"Fire Cannon!"
Bird/Crow, holding up a card with the accurate drawing of the 'FIRE CANNON' diagram, pointed the card towards the Vampire. The tiny fire spirits burst forth from the card and compounded to form a wide blast of fire that collided with the Vampire's face.
Before Vlad could touch the ground, Lancaster held his cousin's hand, and dragged him along, running deeper into the house.
"Why are we running?"
"We have to regain our Power. We've bought some time. Vampires like most undead, have a weakness to fire."
"How the heck do you know that?"
"Books and plays.."
"For the love of.."
There was a massive crash behind them. The two continued to run.
"What weakness to fire?"
The two mages had entered into the house side of the Sanctuary. They ran along the corridor, until Quill pulled Lancaster into his room and closed the door.
"How much magic do I have now?"
"Use the magic meter." Lancaster smiled. He wasn't at all worried that the binding failed to keep Vlad locked up.
"What kind of a name is that?"
There was a loud bang on the door.
Quill swallowed. He wasted no time in dripping blood from his earlier wound unto the 'magic meter'.
"0.7, we don't have nearly enough to bind all the others, but you could cast the spell again."
"Why can't you just bind the things yourself."
"They're your spirits, not mine. Also, "
Lancaster was interrupted by the door collapsing on the ground. Quill activated his barrier spell, drawing the diagram at the nick of time, to protect both of them.
His blood, fom his finger was still dripping into the magic-meter.
"0.5 now." Lancaster commented.
Vlad walked into the room, shakles completely gone.
'I am surprised at how weak your binding spell was. Were you waiting to be at your weakest before trying to bind me?'
"I just had to sell bread!"
"What are you even talking about?"
The Vampire raised one of his feet at an angle of almost 90 degrees.... and the next moment he appeared to have vanished. One moment he was standing at the door, the next moment, he was halfway across the room, still in the exact same pose, with his foot connecting with Quill's head.
The attack sounded more like a gunshot than a kick, bit it was even louder.
The sheer force sent the young Mage flying across the room, breaking through the walls and landing outside the building.
"What.."
Vlad leg was still stretched out, the exact same way. His boots were now stained with Quill's blood, though.
Lancaster started casting a spell under his breath. He did not move from his spot behind the Vampire.
Outside, the rain had started to fall heavily. Thunder was clasping violently, raindrops filling the desolate spirit world with water that had a pungent odour.
"What is this.."
'Everything is... swirling.'
Quill couldn't get up. He could barely think clearly, but he was sure that he was still conscious.
'If I lose consciousness, I'll return to the real world.'
He told himself, and endured the pain from his head. He convinced himself that the damage was not real, and that he had nothing to fear.
Then he focused his mind and casted rejuvenation- a lower class healing spell.
'I was right, this is the best healing spell. I'm feeling better already. The question is, what was that? And how am I still alive?'
"You're stupid, Quill. Healing yourself is futile. Keep your magic, and let me keep him busy while your Power replenishes."
'Nice one. Calling the guy who just got his skull cracked by some Ancient vampire spirit stupid. Great going there, oh supportive partner.'
Quill decided to do as Lancaster had said, only casting 'Umbrella' to sheild himself from the sudden rain.
'Does this rain mean something. Sadness, pain maybe?'
Quill couldn't tell. He added it to his Journal as one of the things he would figure out later.
And then he got up, and started running away from his room's direction, into the pouring rain.
'You said you could keep him busy, Lancaster. I trust you.'
'There might be far more spirits outside, but it seems Mr.Vampire doesn't want to come out here. I'll be safe, if I take the long route around the house, and into the bakery.'
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That moment,
Spirit world replica of Jordan Middlesworth's bedroom,
Quill's Sanctuary,
Quill.
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Lancaster got into a fighting stance, with his legs stretched wide and his arms in fists.
'I remember all the spells I've played with so far, I'm sure I can handle him till Quill gets enough Power to properly bind him.' Lancaster thought.
The Vampire rushed to attack him with a regular punch. The vampire's fist flew through the air, but somehow did not connect with it's target. Lancaster ran towards his enemy, and when he was close enough, he delivered a kick directly to the Vampire's groin. He jumped backwards the moment he felt his foot connecting with steel.
'I wonder, what kind of things that vampire has in there..' Lancaster thought.
Lancaster continued to walk backwards, moving away from the Vampire while keeping his eyes on him.
'How are you still putting up a fight, mage? You shouldn't be capable of dodging my attacks.'
"I didn't dodge. You missed."
Vlad's eyebrows twitched.
'Mouthing off to me, human?'
"Honestly, you talk as if you're really strong, but you don't have much power. I mean, it took you some time just to break through some weak binding spell. You had to fly to get around it earlier and chase us..."
"You are right."
"Huh?"
'I am weak. But my weakness is my strength.' Vlad pulled out his rapier from it's sheath and pointed it's tip at the direction of Crow's neck.
"You know, right now I cannot be any more confused. But then again, I don't really give a damn."
Vlad appeared to have vanished, and reappeared across the room, with the rapier piercing Lancaster's neck. There was no blood.
"You see, young Mage. My strength is my weakness, and my weakness is my strength. But I also have a strength that counts as a strength and a weakness that constitutes a weakness."
"So you have four strengths and four weaknesses, got it." Lancaster's voice came from behind Vlad.
Vlad's pupils dilated.
"It's a puppet spell. You stabbed fake Lancaster. Fake Lancaster here does whatever real Lancaster wants. Oh, and I took your blood sensing to account and masked my puppet with my scent. And I now have no scent! Wow, Isn't magic magical?"
"Why are you telling me?"
"Why, you started it. Also, It's fun." Lancaster grinned.
'0.2 left for me. My friends are still keeping the Sanctuary over Crow, so I could have some of Crow's abilities while keeping my connection to Bird.. It's time to rely on abilities rather than exotic spells.'
"Well, I will search for Quill, I have no time to waste on you."
'Why did I waste so much on that useless fire spell!'
Lancaster ran towards Vlad again, who swiped his sword at the Mage. He missed yet again, and Lancaster managed to touch Vlads chest with his right hand.
'Curse. Minor calamity.'
Vlad was visibly shocked. He stopped breathing, and looked down at Lancaster, mustering enough strength to smash the mage away from him.
Lancaster flew across the room, but managed to catch himself in mid air using Flight.
"What kind of magic did you just use on me?"
"I'm sorry, that is a secret...You see, there are certain things I possess that make me stronger, that also make me weaker. We're very alike!"
"Stop mocking me!"
Vlad pointed his rapier at Lancaster's chest and got in his special stance.
He moved with lightning speed, instantly appearing in front of Lancaster, and stabbing through his neck. But Lancaster did not dodge, he instead ran through Vlad's attack, with the rapier running through his neck.
Lancaster landed in front of Vlad again, and the Vampire jumped back almost instantly, avoiding the Mage.
There was no wound on Lancaster's neck.
"Your sorcery is very interesting. No casting, no glowing lights?"
"It's a magical ability, belonging to me by virtue of the location of my Sanctuary, and my previous Sanctuary's location still granting me powers. I doubt you would understand."
Vlad was silent, as he sheathed his rapier.
"Oh and it's magic not sorcery, vampire."
'Quill must have regained some of his Power by now. I trust that with my magic -meter, he can discern what time he would come here and seal this spirit.
"I smell the boy. My focus is him, not you."
"And might I ask, why you want to take over his body so bad?"
"If I do so, I get the chance to take back what belongs to me. And die as a human, as I have yearned for, for so long. Now, leave my presence, before any of the other spirits obtain enough energy to face Quill."
"I'm sorry, but I won't do that."
"Well, I guess I would have do do it."
Vlad's spirit started to grow crimson. His wings fluttered open and his muscles tensed and then expanded.
Lancaster prepared himself with a combat stance again.
"My name is Vincent Vlad Sinclair. And I command all spirits of blood, flesh and bone, to reinforce my body with greater Vampiric power. Now!"
'Even spirits have spells huh. There's a lot more I don't know.'
Lancaster smirked.
Vlad vanished again, Lancaster tried to jump, sensing the danger, but it didn't prevent Vlad's hand fron grabbing his throat.
"I don't know what kind of sorcery you used before, but I'm guessing you cannot use it anymore, human."
'Free Movement isn't working. He's restricting me using what could only be called a curse....I see now. Draining away my blood while touching me, using those wierd crimson spirits to corrupt my life energy. I can't breathe either. Damn, he's good.'
'He didn't even know what I was doing.'
Vlad continued to crush Lancaster's neck with a single hand. He couldn't cry out in pain, but there were tears running down Lancaster's cheeks.
'I've run out of tricks. Quill, where the heck are you?'
The transformed Vampire continued to siphon away Lancaster's blood, until he didn't have anymore. At that point, he was tossed into the ground.
He landed hard, the sound of a bone dislocating ringed in the air.
'It's not my real body. This is a fake one created for my existence in the spirit world... I'm not dying.' Lancaster said to himself. He still couldn't breathe.
The Vampire, noticing that Lancaster was still alive, moved in to finish the job.
'I tried, Quill. But I'm not ready to die for you. I love my life far more than that.'
'Lancaster' he thought.
Lancaster's spirit body flickered and vanished off the face of the spirit realm.
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