Inspired by the concept of hivers in the Tiffany Aching series.
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There was a slight charge in the air when someone, or should I say something, made its way towards the city. The best way to describe it is a bodiless mind incapable of thought, but they do have the ability to crave and feel, and they also have an incredible memory. It's invisible to the naked eye until it inhabits a host but you can most certainly feel its presence.
It had traveled a long way in search of a warlock because why settle for less when you can become someone powerful? Warlocks are powerful; there aren't many to begin with but they congregate in the city which was where it was headed. It had no goal, no purpose, but it did crave power and it wouldn't stop until it found it.
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It was an ordinary day like most and Van spent it inside reading a book he had inherited. He comes from a family of warlocks and when his grandad passed, they had to collect his stuff. His grandad's eldest daughter got the house while his son (Van's dad) inherited his collection of antiques and oddities. And all Van got was a book.
He was less than enthused to get a book. Well, it could've been worse and he could've gotten nothing. I think Van would actually prefer that he got nothing. It's not like he was his son or anything but he was his favorite grandson. Was it too much to expect something more?
The book didn't even have a title and when he opened it, he learned why. It wasn't actually a book but a notebook of all the spells he made. You see—his grandad was what you'd call a scientist. He had an unconventional way of thinking and would spend most of his time reading, studying, and inventing new spells. Most of them didn't work, some of them caused an explosion that singed part of his eyebrow, and one of them accidentally turned his pen into a rat which quickly scurried off, never to be seen again. Or so he thought.
I found the rat. It chewed a hole in the couch, made itself comfortable, and turned back into a pen, he wrote. How else would you explain the pen in the couch?
The more Van read, the more intrigued he got. Some of the spells were downright brilliant, others not so much. He can't for the life of him wonder why there was a spell to make food edible but he reckons it's because his nan was notoriously known as a bad cook. Every Christmas, she'd bring a dish despite everyone begging her not to. It's not that she adds too much salt or that her food is bland—it was downright inedible. One time, she baked a brownie for too long that you could break your teeth biting into it. No one dared to touch her food but her husband would proudly eat it and now Van knows how.
Van always looked up to his grandad because he's seen him use magic on multiple occasions. Van wasn't allowed to use magic growing up. According to his parents, the number one rule of being a warlock is to not use magic unless absolutely necessary. They reminded him of the Salem witch trials and how they'd rather not have a repeat of history. But his grandad would always use magic! Why can't he?
He flipped to the next page, hoping for a more interesting spell. Was it too much to ask for thinking his grandad's book of spells would contain more...I dunno...useful spells? He doesn't have a wife that's a terrible cook so he's got no use for that one. His eyes scanned the page and he was intrigued by the name of the spell. Wandering Soul. Now what could that be about? His grandad did a great job explaining the purpose of each spell before saying how to carry out said spell.
The purpose of this spell is to separate the soul from the body. The soul is your being while your body is just a shell.
Van scratched his head wondering why such a spell existed, let alone why his grandad felt compelled to make it. He drummed his fingers on the table and tried to think of what this spell could be used for. I guess if he was curious about what he looked like to others, that could be one thing but that's why mirrors exist in the first place. But as a soul, are you invisible and free to go wherever you please? He's always wanted to be invisible and play pranks on people. Van looked at the list of ingredients and took stock of what he did and didn't have. He'll try the spell this weekend.
